Family in Feast and Feria

MaryM alerted 4Realers of the ability to see the space station and space shuttle in our night skies, so dh and I went out at 9:21 to search the heavens.

We weren't even sure what to look for, but we did find it. It was so neat, and we'll be back tomorrow night.

But after such enjoyable 3 minutes, I managed to miss a step on our deck stairs and hurt my backside and left foot. I have a bruised tailbone for sure. We are so thankful I didn't fall front ways.

Let this be a warning to you: watch where you are going. Those who keep their eyes fixed up in the sky can have feet fail them.

At last! We have rain! It's a nice soft rain, and the temperatures are dropping. Hurrah! It's been about a month since we've had rain, and my gardens are quite relieved.

I have to thank St. Fiacre, one of the patron saints of gardening. He's not on the Universal Calendar for today, but he's mentioned in the Roman Martyrology for August 30. Not much is known about this Irish abbott, but some information can be found in The Golden Legend, The Catholic Encyclopedia and Catholic Culture, particularly St. Fiacre.

As I was searching (unsuccessfully) for an image of St. Fiacre, I came across a few sites that piqued my interest.

The first site is one I've seen before, Saints Preserved in particular, the page on St. Fiacre. Have any of you dear readers bought anything from here? The offerings have grown and seem to be quite beautiful.

Here's another artist representation of St. Fiacre. Digging Kate Hodgson's site a little deeper, you can find more saint images made from papier mâché. These are just wonderful folk art images, and quite inspiring in more ways than one!

During a recent trip to Pennsylvania, we stopped at a rest area. (There are more stops lately because of a certain potty-trained little person. ;-).) The rest area had some beautiful sunflowers, about 7-8 feet tall, so I was pointing them out to my son. Looking a bit closer, I spied a praying mantis on one of the stalks.

Dh was the one who urged me to take the pictures. I got quite a few strange looks from passers-by...but the little guy is forever captured on film! A wonderful lesson for us to always keep our eyes open. Nature study is everywhere.

My sister had a rude awakening today. She and her boys were weeding the garden. In trying to dispose of the weeds, she found this looking up at her:

But like any good homeschooling mom, she made sure she took pictures! Here's a closeup:



Despite our suburban location, we still have wildlife nearby. She can now brag that her trashcan contains the only marsuppial in North America.

So what do you call it? Opossum? Possum?

Eeek is what I call it. ;-)

[Edited to add]I realize that possums are not dangerous, as Stacey pointed out. I just am jumpy about wild creatures in my domestic setting. I am not comfortable with a little face peering up at me when I put something in my trash can. I admit it -- I scream! And it looks very close to a rat to make me even more jumpy.

Is there any hope for me to be a good homeschooling mom even with the squealies?

Today (August 10) is the Feast of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr in the early Church. He cared for sick, poor and abandoned. Under the Emperor Valerian he was grilled to death on a gridiron. (Image information: Gian Lorenzo Bernini, "Martyrdom of St Lawrence" 1614-15 WGA).

His patronage is huge, but he seems like the perfect saint for mothers. He is the patron of confectioners, cooks, laundry workers, and librarians. That covers quite a few of the hats a mother wears. Being patron of students, he's one that both children and parents can implore!

He is also the patron of brewers and vintners, so a cold beer or nice glass of wine, toasted to St. Lawrence would very fitting today. Because he died on a gridiron, many countries have cold meals for his feast. Other imitate the gridiron -- waffles, pizzelles, grilled foods bringing to mind the fiery death he endured.

Near this feast day one can observe the Perseid meteor shower, also known as Tears of St. Lawrence, or his fiery tears.

"A picture paints a thousands words." This phrase rings true. I have a young son who can't read yet. Picture books are our constant companion and a doorway into new worlds of learning. But using them won't end when he starts reading. The pictures relate stories and deeper meanings than just mere words. Art can speak to the soul, and relate messages that I could never accomplish through any amount of talking. Art can sear visual images in the brain, making it easier to recall facts and other memories.

I realize this isn't a new thought or discovery. The ladies at 4Real Learning Forum are a testament to that. And Cay Gibson's fabulous new book Catholic Mosaic is a perfect example of this. Teaching one's faith through picture books.

And even without words or books, beautiful art can teach a lesson. That was the purpose of frescoes and stained glass windows throughout Church history -- to relate a story, a lesson, an article of the faith just through the image.

I came across a wonderful series of frescoes depicting the life of St. Lawrence by Fra Angelico at Web Gallery of Art. The Frescoes in the Cappella Niccolina of the Palazzi Pontifici in Vatican (1447-49) were commissioned by Pope Nicholas V. The walls of the chapel depict the lives of two of the most famous deacons in the church: St. Stephen and St. Lawrence. Click on the description below the image to bring up a larger, more detailed version:

St Sixtus Entrusts the Church Treasures to Lawrence

St Lawrence Distributing Alms

Condemnation of St Lawrence by the Emperor Valerian

Martyrdom of St Lawrence

For more ideas on this saint: see St. Lawrence at 4RealLearning and links within the thread.

For more on this saint, see Catholic Culture and Patron Saints Index.

It's that time of year...the Japanese beetles are attacking my basil. My lovely, luscious, aromatic basil!

I'm trying to keep chemical free, so my options are few for these insects that have no natural enemy here in the States. I found Controlling Japanese Beetles Without Use of Chemicals with great advice on dealing with these pests. My neighbor is using the beetle bag, which is not so good for us (but worse for him). I mixed up some soapy water and started picking off the beetles. So far we've picked off quite a few, and it's quite fun for ds and his cousin, who are fascinated by the floating carcasses.

I'll be added some soap mixture on the leaves next if this method isn't quite effective. I have a copy of Jerry Baker's Old Time Gardening Wisdom which suggests spraying the leaves with a Fels-Naptha Soap Solution:

Shave 1/4 bar of Fels Naptha or Octagon soap into 1 quart of boiling water. When completely dissolved, add 1/4 cup of liquid soap to emulsify and keep from gelling. Let cool, and store in suitable container until needed.

But we'll see if I need to take that step. I've already seen progress after two days of vigilant watching. There are fewer beetles appearing on the leaves. As the article mentioned, beetles attract more beetles, so every beetle I remove means less coming back to attack the plant.

Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight has posted the Early Summer Edition Field Day, a new Nature Study blog carnival. Enjoy! For someone who missed out on Nature Study growing up, I'm really enjoying the entries and inspiration. Thanks, Dawn! Great job!

My blog entries have been lately lacking due to family events: wedding, house guests, other family get-togethers. It is always frustrating that I keep missing feastdays. Well, I'm not "missing" the feastdays, but I didn't have time to write about the feasts. I had planned all sorts of ideas for the Solemenity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist, but I didn't even have time to write it beforehand!

But while the juices are still flowing, I will share now. If I have to wait a whole year I will not remember. Chalk this post as one I'm writing for myself, not for my few dear readers. It will be fine if your eyes glaze over and just skip this post.

June 24 is the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist. The only other births that are celebrated in the Church's Liturgical Calendar are Jesus' and Mary's. Jesus is God, so He is always without sin. Mary was immaculately conceived. Church tradition states that in Elizabeth's womb, upon hearing Mary's voice, John the Baptist's soul was cleansed of original sin as he leapt for joy. All other saints' feast days are usually celebrated on the day of their death, the entrance or birth into heaven. With John we celebrate both his birth and beheading.

Another unique aspect of this feast is that it touches on both the temporal and sanctoral cycles. In The Catechism of the Catholic Church there is a terrific definition of the Liturgical Year: "The celebration throughout the year of the mysteries of the Lord's birth, life, death, and Resurrection in such a way that the entire year becomes a 'year of the Lord's grace.' Thus the cycle of the liturgical year and the great feasts constitute the basic rhythm of the Christian's life of prayer, with its focal point at Easter." (1168)

Within this Church year are two cycles. The more important cycle is the Temporal cycle (from the Latin tempus which means time or season). The life of Christ is relived in liturgical time, in both real time and Church's memory. Throughout the year the Paschal Mystery (Christ's work of redemption through His birth, life, passion, death, and resurrection and ascension) is relived, and broken down into the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, Easter and Ordinary Time. Sundays are the usual means of by which this cycle unfolds.

At the same time with the temporal cycle, the Sanctoral cycle (from the Latin sanctus which means saint) progresses. The Church honors Mary, Mother of God and the memorials of martyrs and other saints are kept by the Church. The main focus should be around the feasts of the Paschal mystery. Saints are more of the "supporting cast." Their lives illustrate that through time, with the different difficulties presented during each era, they could live out their faith. Their lives are witnesses to Christ and examples for all faithful to follow. But, like Mary, their lives point back to the saving mysteries of Christ.

But here's the uniqueness of St. John the Baptist. Although we are honoring as a saint, his life is intertwined with Christ's Paschal mysteries. The Prescursor's birth marks the halfway point before Christmas. The caption under the image summarizes the significance of the timing of this feast: "He must increase and I must decrease." The feast marks midsummer, close to the historical Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. After the solstice, the days grow shorter until we reach the winter solstice, close to Christmas, where we have the shortest day of the year, and Christ comes upon the world. Granted, Midsummer Eve festivities were held long before Christ was born. But the Church wisely baptised this festival, nourished it and now calls it Her own.

Light (as in sun and fire) and water are the two imageries that keep repeating for this feast (and saint). All over Europe bonfires were traditional for St. John's Eve. And as St. John THE BAPTIST baptized with water, including Our Lord, water plays a significant role. In reading about different customs throughout the world my favorite has to be Mexico, where they bathe and swim and throw water "baptizing" each other.

Since this year I have my vegetable and herb garden in our new home, I'm very interested in flower and herb connections with Church feast days. St. John the Baptist has quite a few plant connections. Traditionally the herbs were said to give even more powers of healing if they were picked on St. John's Eve.

Many traditions revolve around the seven or nine (maybe more, maybe less) herbs that were picked and either hung over doorways or burned in the bonfires for Christ's Cousin's birthday. Here are a few of the plants I've found with St. John references:

St. John's wort named because it blooms near his feast day.

Birch used in the churches in Medieval England to decorate for the feast.

Fennel

Lavender burned on the St. John's bonfires to drive away evil spirits.

Vervain (Verbena officianlis)

Mugwort, also called St. John's Plant. Believed that St. John wore a girdle made from this plant. Traditionally gathered on St. John's Eve to protect from misfortunes throughout the year. Girls made wreaths on his feast to keep from demonic possession.

Mandrake Root, usually gathered on St. John's feast day.

Strawberries were usually picked on this day, and the Virgin Mary was said to accompany all who picked them.

Bracken (pteris aquilina), also called brake or female fern, supposed to give invisibility if plucked right at the moment of his birth.

Carob, also known as St. John's bread, come from the honey locust tree. These are often thought to be the locust mentioned in the Bible eaten by John in the desert.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this feast would be an excellent jumping point to learn some Gregorian Chant. After all, it's our duty to preserve (and USE) Gregorian Chant and Polyphony. Our pope just recently affirmed this.. From Catholic Culture "The Liturgy of the Hours for the Evening Prayer (Vespers) of the Birth of St. John the Baptist has traditionally included the Gregorian chant Ut Queant Laxis. Tradition has ascribed the hymn to a Paul Warnefried (Paul the Deacon, 730-799). While preparing to sing the Exsultet at the Holy Saturday vigil, he found himself hoarse, and so prayed to St. John the Baptist, since his father lost his voice before John was born. Paul's voice was restored and he wrote this hymn in honor of the saint. True or not, what makes this song memorable is that the Benedictine monk used this hymn as a pivotal reference for our musical scale." This is the original "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol..." scale. See Catholic Encyclopedia and Ut Queant Laxis for more information.

And any thoughts on foods? Well, snails are traditionally served in Rome on this feast. And anything with honey and carob would be very appropriate for this day.

I had extended family over at my house for a spontaneous party. I had my mother bring a picture of St. John the Baptist as a young boy, and hung it over my mantel. I shared a bottle of Honey Moon wine from Trader Joes. Our food was festive, and it was a gathering of many cousins -- a small way in celebrating the first cousins John and Jesus. And what about the basic symbols of light and water? Easy -- we had grilled hot dogs and burgers (our fire) and watched the rain come down in buckets and experienced flash flood warnings.

It was a good time by all. St. John the Baptist, pray for us!

It's been a mild spring, but dry. We planted our garden a little late, but it's growing well. We've had a few cherry tomatoes ripen. Two were lost to something that took a bite, the third I snatched from the mouth of the unknown before it got fully ripe. We also have a few jalapeno peppers ready to pick...but alas, no tomatoes yet for salsa. I might have to try the Farmer's Market.

We had a double ladybug sighting. And ds was examining closely the bugs' busyness.

We water our garden regularly due to the drought. I'm perplexed because my tomato plants (all different varieties) have curled leaves. The leaves themselves aren't dry. The plants are growing, flowering and producing fruit. Is this because it's dry, or is this normal? I don't remember seeing curled leaves before. Any comments or suggestions?

I've been mentioning our gardening efforts this summer...and it's always exhilarating to watch the growth and find new buds. Our daily inspection of the gardening always brings new finds.

I'm continuing our reading about gardening, both in children's books and adult level. One book I'm enjoying right now is The Children's Kitchen Garden: A Book of Gardening, Cooking and Learning by Georgeann and Ethel Brennan. The book uses as a basis the French tradition of teaching children to appreciate fresh and healthy foods. The other inspiration behind the book is the French-American school in Berkeley California, where the French kitchen garden (potager) is maintained by the students all year around.

The Tour de France begins July 1st. At 4RealLearning there is a collaborative effort to bring a French study coinciding with the Tour de France. In Collecting Data one of the predominant themes that comes up is the regional food and cooking. And that's where my garden fits in...I found this delightful essay that I had to share. Granted, I'm sure what is written about this French heritage of food and gardening can be applied in many other cultures (Italy is one that comes to mind immediately), it's still wonderful food for thought.

The French Way with Food
Denise Moulle, an expert on French food and culture, offers her perspective on the relationship the French have with their food and their land.

France is the largest agricultural exporter in Europe, and small farmers are still an important part of that statistic. Their presence is due in large measure to the governments support of small and average—sized farms. In contrast to the United States, farmers with forty to sixty acres enjoy a decent income from their land, and the central government offers subsidies to encourage them to grow high-quality foods that bring good returns at the market.

The French are still very closely tied to their land. Even city dwellers feel this connection Most people have a cousin, an uncle, or a grandparent living in the country, whom they visit regularly. They go to prepare preserves for the winter, to bottle wine made from grapes picked on the spot, to can vegetables, and to make sausages, pâtés, and confits. Children have fond memories of those days, or even whole summers, spent in the country at their relatives’ farms.

Many French people have their own gardens. It is always a pleasure to see the small, well-tended plots at the front or the back of homes, many of them planted with both flowers and vegetables. Neighbors can often be seen standing amid the rows, comparing notes on what they have sown. When arriving by train in a large city, it is wonderful to travel past the suburban gardens. Cities give free land out beyond their boundaries, and a lot of workers who can't afford a house with a garden maintain a parcel in these outskirts, bicycling to it every day to tend their vegetables. These gardens are always carefully cared for, with the tidy rows of vegetables and flowers and the absence of weeds giving testament to the pride each gardener feels.

The importance of gardens to the French is matched by the central role daily meals play in their lives. In spite of the increase in fast-food restaurants and huge supermarkets in French cities, many people continue to take most of their meals at home. Lunch is still the main meal of the day, and many working people and children make a point of returning home for it. Even meals taken at work or at school in cafeteria-style restaurants are carefully balanced, and are often an opportunity to have a chat with a friend. It is always fun to read the menus of the lunches offered in French schools, for they sound like those one sees in expensive restaurants—shredded carrot salad, steak frites, cheese, and fruit. It is hard for French people to get together without sharing a repast. Relationships with family or friends are naturally built around meals. Indeed, it is common to invite people over to share a meal at home, and usually close friends or family members drop in around lunch or dinner because they are sure to find someone home and they know that the food will be graciously shared.

Meals are a ceremony. There is a prescribed order in which the food is served, and even a simple meal is never rushed, as it is the prime time to share the day. Although a very large number of women work in France, they have maintained the tradition of going home after work and cooking dinner, although the meals are not as elaborate as they were twenty years ago. Special meal preparations are reserved for weekends, when most people gather for a large, long meal. But the daily meals are still very much part of family life.

Food is so important to the French way of life that it is not uncommon for people to plan a weekend around visiting a certain area for its gastronomic offerings. They research restaurants, pinpoint farms for their special products, and check to see where a province’s culinary traditions can be best explored. Of course, it is now possible to eat a dish from Provence in Alsace and vice versa, but it will not be as good as when you eat it locally. The ingredients will be different, the spices will not be just right.

French children grow up hearing a lot about food. It is common subject of conversation at the table, where men and women alike gather to compare recipes and sources, and to exchange information on new culinary discoveries.

The local markets are very animated and interesting. In large cities, open markets can be found every day of the week, while in the villages, there are weekly open markets. At all of these, the French are very discriminating about their providers. They usually buy from the same people, selecting a favorite butcher, baker, and vegetable vendor. They build relationships with these market sellers, and they exchange family news, as well as pick up solid advice on what to buy that is special to that day or seasons. Thus, the markets serve two purposes, as places to buy good-quality food and to socialize with the sellers and other buyers. Many small-town employers allow their employees to take time off to go to the market the day it is in town, a practice that helps to maintain this important French tradition.

Although large cities are struggling to keep some old customs alive, smaller French towns are meeting this challenge with greater success. Residents are fearful of too much modernization threatening traditional ways of life, so they are actively encouraging the growth of organic farming. Indeed, today there is a heartening emphasis on a return to natural agriculture and the rediscovery of long-forgotten heirloom vegetables and fruits.

I love the description of how the gardening, preparing the food, the eating are all intertwined into the family life. Food is part of the tapestry. Take out one of the threads and replacing with premade meals, meals not eaten together or on the run, the family tapestry starts falling apart. But it is important to not put the food first, but the family first. The food is the background through which the family thrives.