Easter Dinner and Green Beans with Ginger

I meant to mention this earlier but we had a lovely Easter dinner with family and friends. One of the best parts for me was pausing from afar a few times to see how everyone was so engaged in conversation, in groups that kept shifting. That's not always the case in big groups where people don't know each other so it made me especially happy to see how much fun everyone was having.

We always have the same basic meal framework of Grilled Lamb, Deviled Eggs (because Easter, of course!), and Potato Rolls. Side dishes vary but this year Tortellini Salad and Hill Country Broccoli Salad won the day. I tried to change it up this year and met with stern opposition. "Lamb is symbolic," said Rose. "And it's the only time we have it all year!" added Tom.

Hey, no problem here.

Dessert is always a changing item, based on my whims of the moment. This year that meant Toasted Coconut Pie and Chocolate Pie. With whipped cream, because what are we - barbarians?

This year, the dish that got the questions and comments was Green Beans with Ginger. It is a favorite of mine and definitely worth the trouble of cutting the beans up in the unorthodox style called for by the recipe. Go take a look and give it a try.

(You can find a lot of these dishes in my recipe archives.)

Worth a Thousand Words: Cherry Blossom Day

Cherry Blossom Day, taken by Calligraphy in Japan

Click through to see this in full size. The beauty fully reflects my joy in this Easter season!

What We've Been Watching: Wilder Fest, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BILLY WILDER

As I've mentioned before, once we finished watching James Bond films in consecutive order (sigh - I still miss our weekly Bond), we turned to the idea of consecutive Billy Wilder films. The ones he directed, not the ones he wrote before that. We'd like to finish before we die.

We've watched the first four of Wilder's directorial filmography so here's the report on our mini-Wilder-Fest.

The Major and the Minor — A frustrated city girl decides to disguise herself as a youngster in order to get a cheaper train ticket home. But little "Sue Sue" finds herself in a whole heap of grown-up trouble when she hides out in a compartment with handsome Major Kirby and he insists on taking her to his military academy after the train is stalled. Memorable not only as Wilder's debut, but also for the fact that Billy Wilder managed to make the ridiculous plot into a watchable movie. The studio was so surprised it made money that they gave him another movie to direct.

Five Graves to Cairo — The sole survivor of a WWI British tank crew in Africa makes his way to a desolate desert town where he is given refuge by a hotel owner who is preparing to receive General Erwin Rommel and his German staff. Posing as the hotel's waiter, the soldier attempts to report the general's plans to the Allies. A very watchable espionage movie which also has a young Anne Baxter as a French chambermaid and Erich Von Stroheim as Rommel. Wilder and Von Stroheim will work together more memorably in Sunset Boulevard later on.

Double Indemnity — It didn't take long for Wilder to fire on all cylinders. You can't beat this story about an unfaithful wife and an insurance salesman who cook up the perfect murder plot to collect on her husband's insurance. A famous film that I, nevertheless, have to beat people over the head to watch. The screenplay is by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler and the dialogue crackles with iconic film noir style. (#10 in Movies You Might Have Missed series. Scott and I also discussed it at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.)

The Lost Weekend — The desperate life of a chronic alcoholic is followed through a four-day drinking bout. I'd always managed to avoid watching this Wilder classic which was the first movie to honestly portray alcoholism. Then our Wilder series forced me into it.

It was really great. I have been recommending it to people, not least of all because Ray Milland (who played the clueless Major from The Major and the Minor) showed his acting chops by being absolutely convincing as a full-blown alcoholic who you were somehow still pulling for.

Also, just a month ago I'd actually had an alcoholic give me an identical line to one the popped up early in the movie. Identical. It shouldn't have floored me the way it did. I know from personal experience that alcoholics are not as good at fooling other people as they think they are. The movie's riveting story has more to recommend it than just authentic behavior patterns and I highly recommend it.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri — Mildred is angry. Her daughter was brutally murdered months ago, but the police have got nothing. She rents three unused billboards just outside town to publicly ask the police chief why more isn’t being done. This film asks us to consider how do we channel anger at an unjust world? Hate, rage, and grief are mixed with hope and chances for redemption.

This movie is violent, funny, and profane ... as well as being perfect Lenten viewing.

Perhaps the best hint of how we should view this film is that near the beginning one character is reading A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor. O'Connor famously said of her title story, "I have found that violence is strangely capable of returning my characters to reality and preparing them to accept their moment of grace." I'm not saying writer/director Martin McDonagh is Flannery O'Connor but he's definitely channeling her. Three Billboards can be tough to watch but is ultimately rewarding in the end.

Weekend Joke: I'm an Artist

Well Said: Remember You Have Only One Soul

Remember you have only one soul; that you have only one life, which is short and has to be lived by you alone; and there is only one Glory, which is eternal. If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing.

St. Teresa of Avila, Maxims for Her Nuns

Worth a Thousand Words: A Breath of Fresh Air

A Breath of Fresh Air, Karin Jurick

Well Said: The cardinal sin

Perhaps there is only one cardinal sin: impatience. Because of impatience we were driven out of Paradise, because of impatience we cannot return.

W. H. Auden

I tend to think of impatience as being a specifically American flaw. However, this makes me reflect that impatience is perhaps simply a human flaw. Certainly it is food for reflection.

An Inadvertent Trilogy: Their Finest, Dunkirk, Darkest Hour

We wound up watching these movies within a few weeks of each other and found that these separate takes on the battle of Dunkirk made a wonderful, if inadvertent, trilogy. They also make an interesting set of movies for reflection in the storytelling art, since they all center upon the same event but from very different points of view. 

During the Blitz in WWII, young Catrin Cole is hired to write the "slop" (women's dialogue) in propaganda films for the British public. These heavy-handed films are viewed with derision by the public so a film crew is assembled to make a better film that will have "authenticity, informed by optimism." And, of course, our young heroine is part of the screenwriting team that shapes the film which winds up being about a plucky pair of sisters who pilot their father's boat to Dunkirk to save soldiers trapped on the beach.

This largely ignored movie wants to be about a lot of things and mostly succeeds. It has a meeting of like minded souls, it nods to feminism and ageism, it shows what it was like to be in London during the Blitz, it is a movie about making movies and therefore takes us through the art of translating story into film. I found it likable but couldn't love it unabashedly, although I definitely do recommend it. It certainly is a basic, if sideways, introduction to the battle of Dunkirk for those who weren't aware of the desperate situation those soldiers faced and the bravery of the ordinary citizens who set out to save them.

This shows the results of the Dunkirk tale on the British public during the war, which makes us curious to know exactly what happened at Dunkirk. So let's see ...

The German army has trapped the British Expeditionary Force (400,000 soldiers) on the beach near the French town of Dunkirk. The ground forces halted but German planes continued to bomb the British. Meanwhile, the British soldiers knew only that they were trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea with no escape in sight.

This movie shows us three stories: two soldiers trapped on the beach with the troops, a small boat on the way to rescue soldiers, and fighter pilots trying to keep German bombers at bay so the boats can get the soldiers away.

Christopher Nolan wanted to make a movie that dropped the viewer into the experience of the battle of Dunkirk. He certainly succeeded. Nolan watched a number of great silent films in preparation, knowing that someone in peril isn't constantly narrating their own actions. As a result, there is a lot of action where we are simply watching and not needing dialogue. It works.

Because we are concerned with only the immediate plight or tasks of the moment, there are no politics or important people featured. This is about how everyone felt in their particular places and the measures they all took to succeed. Christopher Nolan does jigger the timelines for each story so that we see each one culminating at the same time but you can largely ignore that and just watch for the stories. It works either way.

This movie shows us how the term “Dunkirk Spirit” was coined. After this the national mindset was united among both soldiers and regular citizens to never surrender. If there is someone we wanted to hear from during Dunkirk it was Winston Churchill. So let's hear what he was doing ...

Unstoppable Nazi forces are on the point of conquering Europe. The Allied army is cornered Dunkirk’s beaches. Britain’s fate hangs on the abilities of Winston Churchill. Should he agree to negotiate for peace with Hitler or fight on against incredible odds?

This movie reminded me that there was nothing certain about the outcome of WWII and just how grim everything was as Europe fell to Hitler. The sense of doom was palpable as we watched German progress across Belgium and France. Dunkirk is the battle against which we see Churchill's decisions being made and his political struggles with those who want to sue for peace instead of fight. As I watched, I kept thinking of what we'd seen in Dunkirk, that while those men battled for life on the beach there were similar political battles being fought behind closed doors. All of which culminated in a seminal turning point in WWII.

This was also the first movie I'd seen from director Joe Wright, whose cinematic style captured me early into the film. His use of symbolism, light and shadow, movement and silence, all enhanced the story while seeming a natural part of what we saw. A really effective film and my favorite of this trilogy.

Worth a Thousand Words: Morocco

Morocco, Belinda Del Pesco

Well Said: Unconsciously bearing testimony to God

I maintain that whatever either our lawgivers of philosophers uttered well, they elaborated by finding and contemplating some part of the Word. But since they did not know the whole of the Word, which is Christ, they often contradicted themselves … For all these writers were able to see realities darkly through the sowing of the implanted word that was in them … it was the work of Divine Providence on your behalf, that they, though often unconsciously, bore testimony to what the prophets said regarding one God … It is not, mind you, that we Christians hold the same opinions as your poets, but that all speak in imitation of ours.

St. Justin

More proof that Catholics have long relished looking for God's fingerprints in everything. Love it!

Worth a Thousand Words: A Street in Venice

John Singer Sargent, A Street in Venice

Weekend Joke: Didn't Get the Job

There are plenty more where that came from — at Savage Chickens.

Lagniappe: The White Meats

By the middle of Henry VIII's reign, the white meats — that is, dairy products — were considered common fare and people from all classes would eat meat whenever they could get it.

Clarissa Dickson Wright,
A History of English Food (The Tudor Kitchen)

Now that is really the "other" white meat! That makes perfect sense. Nutritious dairy put on the same playing ground as meat. They may not have had the chemistry but they didn't need it in this case.

Worth a Thousand Words: Melting

Melting, Laszlo Mednyanszky

Litany of St. Joseph

This is timely both for our Lenten litany and for the upcoming solemnity of St. Joseph.


This litany reminds me of how St. Joseph models not only fatherhood for us, but also life as a faithful believer. It was approved by Pope St. Pius X (1903-14).

Litany of Saint Joseph
In Honor of the Foster Father of Jesus

Lord, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven,

Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary,

Pray for us.

Holy Joseph,

Pray for us.

Noble Son of the House of David,

Pray for us.

Light of the Patriarchs,

Pray for us.

Husband of the Mother of God,

Pray for us.

Chaste Guardian of the Virgin,

Pray for us.

Foster-father of the Son of God,

Pray for us.

Sedulous Defender of Christ,

Pray for us.

Head of the Holy Family,

Pray for us.

Joseph most just,

Pray for us.

Joseph most chaste,

Pray for us.

Joseph most prudent,

Pray for us.

Joseph most valiant,

Pray for us.

Joseph most obedient,

Pray for us.

Joseph most faithful,

Pray for us.

Mirror of patience,

Pray for us.

Lover of poverty,

Pray for us.

Model of all who labor,

Pray for us.

Glory of family life,

Pray for us.

Protector of Virgins,

Pray for us.

Pillar of families,

Pray for us.

Consolation of the afflicted,

Pray for us.

Hope of the sick,

Pray for us.

Patron of the dying,

Pray for us.

Terror of the demons,

Pray for us.

Protector of the holy Church,

Pray for us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

He made him master of his house,

and ruler of all his possessions.

O God, You were pleased to choose Saint Joseph as the husband of Mary and the guardian of your Son. Grant that, as we venerate him as our protector on earth, we may deserve to have him as our intercessor in heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Lagniappe: Overeating as the English Vice

Wolsey and Henry VIII, it has to be said, were not exceptional in their love of the table. The English of Tudor times had a reputation throughout Europe for gluttony. Indeed, overeating was regarded as the English vice in the same way that lust was the French one and drunkenness that of the Germans (although looking at the amount of alcohol consumed in England, I expect the English probably ran a close second to the Germans).

Clarissa Dickson Wright,
A History of English Food (The Tudor Kitchen)

Oho, so perhaps our English heritage is showing these days!

Worth a Thousand Words: Mantel Clock

Mantel Clock, about 1789, Clock case attributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire,
clock movement by Charles-Guillaume Manière. The J. Paul Getty Museum

Lagniappe: Climbing 8,000 Feet

The most disheartening thing about climbing 8,000+ feet in the Alps is finding a bunch of cows already there. It just feels like less of an achievement with a cow next to you.

Patrick Hunt

Life Everlasting by Gary Jansen

This book is about Catholic devotions—prayers, meditations, and small actions you can take right now that will assist you in directing your life toward the greater good, helping you to find solace, healing and direction when all seems lost....

Devotions function as a tap on the shoulder, a way of reorienting our soul's journey to the divine. They not only help us know God better, but they help us know god's beloved son, Jesus, better and in different ways.

Everyone knows that praying the rosary is a very Catholic thing to do. But it is just one of the many options the Catholic church offers to help people find their way to God both in prayer and in living everyday life. This was really a revelation to me after my conversion. I loved trying out different devotions as I came across them, seeing which fit my life and which didn't, incorporating them into my journey with God.

Gary Jansen takes us along on his personal journey of discovery in this book of prayer and devotions. It includes insights, general guidelines to help prayer, insights, and examples from the lives of the saints. The devotions range from basic Catholic touchstones like the rosary and Stations of the Cross, to lesser known devotions such as the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Jesus Prayer, and the Miraculous Medal. It also includes something which can be hard to find, a lengthy appendix of prayers for every need.

I enjoyed Jansen's way of leading us into each devotion by coupling the history with his own personal experience. Although these devotions are often rooted far back in time, he shows us that they can be vital in our own lives today. Jansen also casts a wide enough net to surprise those of us who feel we already know all about devotions. For example, I have long had a devotion to my guardian angel but it never occurred to me to ask him to pray with me. Here's a person you never have to feel shy about praying with. I was especially touched by the prayer in step 3 of the explanation.

Guardian angel, pray with me. Lead me closer to God. Protect me and give me direction throughout the day.

The prayer not only covers all the bases but leads us to a new intimacy with someone who has known us since the day we were born.

I had several such moments when reading this very enjoyable and inspirational book. This would be a great gift for people entering the church but it will also be a good refresher for those who, like me, thought they knew all about devotionals.

Lagniappe: Writing Advice

In writing. Don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was “terrible,” describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, “Please will you do my job for me.

Letter to Joan Lancaster, June 26, 1956
C.S. Lewis, Letters to Children

I guess this is lagniappe only if you are not a writer. Although we could all use it when wondering why a book isn't grabbing us the way it should. Perhaps we're being asked to do the writer's job.