Lord, That I May See

We were hanging out with my family at the bay this weekend and we've started watching, or re-watching for some of us, the 1990 Ken Burns Civil War documentary.  Although, as a writer at the Washington Post once said, documentary is too stodgy a name for this film, and even to call it "great television" is not enough. "This is heroic television!" Ken Burns is a masterful producer and his style of using old photographs and first person quotes to recreate an "emotional archaeology" of a time that really defines our identity as Americans is very powerful.  This documentary set afire my love of the time period and my love of history. Watching this film and talking about it is a way that I can commemorate  this year the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg! ******* I completed the 7 Posts in 7 Days Challenge with Jen at Conversion Diary!

When you are weirdly excited that your baby is eating leaves. :)

1.   My new favorite summer supper: Try it .  You will not be disappointed! 2. We watched the Hobbit the other day for the first time.  There were a lot of scenes that did not seem to be from the book, but I thought the movie as a whole was well-done and powerful.   I really loved something that Gandalf says to Galadriel when they are talking about the dwarves' quest and the question of a new danger from Sauron.  Gandalf says, "Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love." 3. As an aside, I would like to know just how many wordless roars that there are in those 4 Peter Jackson/Tolkien movies. Recall all those shots of a wordless roar -- of triumph, anguish, ferocity, whatever -- coming from the throat of some character with his head thrown back as the camera p...

I read  this article from Kelle Hampton yesterday.  She calls it "What Have You Failed At Today?" It resonated with something I've been thinking about this past year: a concept that Maria Montessori talks about called "Friendliness with Error." In The Absorbent Mind, ch 24, Mistakes and Their Correction, she writes, "Supposing we study the phenomenon of error in itself; it becomes apparent that everyone makes mistakes.  This is one of life's realities, and to admit it is already to have taken a great step forward.  If we are to tread the narrow path of truth and keep our hold upon reality, we have to agree that all of us can err; otherwise we should all be perfect.   So it is well to cultivate a friendly feeling towards error, to treat it as a companion inseparable from our lives, as something having a purpose, which it truly has. " (Emphasis mine) This video, called "Why Montessori?" has a very thought-provoking line in it. ...

1. Watching Season 4 right now! Classy, witty, clever, art, New York City, FBI agents . . .  what's not to love about this show?   2.  This little portable baby bed.  ( similar one here )  I got it from D's Grandmas thrift store cache and it was perfect timing!  Its light and quick as a flash to set up, and it folds up as small as a diaper bag.  So awesome! I used it every day at Catechesis formation classes and now I use it when we are going anywhere -- just for a day or for a whole weekend.  I even use it sometimes even at home when I split my kids up for our daily "quiet time" and Sparky is with me in the living room (because we are short on rooms for all the kids in this house) but then he needs to nap too.  He has gotten comfortable with this bed and it is good for my little routine boy to have a flexible place to be . . . um, routined. . . :) 3.  Little baby toes!  Aren't they the cutest? ...

At a full stop.   I promise.  So disconcerting! (I'm participating in the 7 Posts in 7 Days Challenge !) ETA:  My 500th post! Wow!

So, my sister got married.  It was a beautiful country wedding.   I remember a few years ago, she told me that if she ever got married, she wanted to wake up, put on a white dress, pick some flowers and go to the church. And, you know what?  That's just what she did.   Sunshine's picture of the table wreathes we made -- all from hand-picked country wildflowers. Isn't she beautiful? (I'm participating in the 7 Posts in 7 Days Challenge !)