Hello!
Happy (?) Lenten season to you. Is that a thing, to say "happy" with Lent? Either way, you get my drift. It's been a whirlwind, exhausting week around here and I figuratively1 crawled into bed last night and hit my pillow hard. I'm now propped up in that same bed with coffee in hand, sleeping dog and cat within view, and listening to our new chicks in the hallway scratch and chirp.
Yep, we're adding to our brood of chickens! ๐ฅ I'm reading up on the ways to introduce them to the older girls that safely and sanely, so share any tips you got in that regard in the comments below.
And if you'd like to participate in Lent but aren't sure where to begin, or if you'd like something short and open-and-go, you might want to consider my Lenten guide, Bitter & Sweet: A Journey Into Easter. It's never โtoo lateโ to begin โย just jump in. Remember, the purpose of Lent isn't to โdoโ it perfectly, because spoiler alert: you won't. The purpose is simply to say no a bit more to yourself so you're free to say yes a bit more to God. It's the most human of journeys.
5 Quick Things โ๏ธ
1.ย ๐ป New episode of A Drink With a Friend! ๐ป Arenโt old books too hard for kids to understand? Maybe. Or maybe not. I chat with new friend Noah Tyler about his challenge of reading aloud to his young kids from the original Harvard Classics set (also known as โDr. Eliotโs Five-Foot Shelf of Booksโ). We talk about how books have the proclivity to form our minds and hearts, what it looks like to homeschool in an urban setting, and more. (Seth will be back in the next episode!)
2.ย What does it look like to pursue an intellectual life as a woman? Whether she works full-time with a busy career, has her arms full with babies, or something else all together, the life of the mind is for ALL of us. This essay does an excellent treatment of the idea (as well as of the book I contributed to about this topic).
3. โ[My brother] and I shared just one class at Stanford, an Italian language course. I was 18 years old, and was curious to see how my older brother operated in a classroom. One day, he brought a guest visitor to our class, Ezra Poundโs daughter, who was also an Italian princess. Our professor was astoundedโand so was I, needless to say. What kind of student hangs out with princesses and brings them to class? Only my brother Dana.โ A lovely tribute to a poet brother, plus three new poems set to music.
4.ย If youโre in the throes of garden prep, like me (or maybe youโd like to start!), this is a really great step-by-step guide for designing your garden layout on paper.
5.ย And finally, a snow chapel! Complete with carved out confessionals, side altars, and stained โglass.โ
Currently Reading, Watching, Listening ๐ถ
The Bitter & Sweet playlist for Lent
Quotable ๐ฌ
โTo believe in suffering is pride โย but to suffer, believing in God, is humility.โ
โ Thomas Mertonย #
In the Commonplace ๐ค
If youโre a subscriber and havenโt yet, join in on this weekโs Grat Chat. Every month I ask you to list ten specific things youโre grateful for and then to read other peoplesโ lists. I promise you, itโs a game-changer for your mood and outlook on your day. I love reading all your lists! You guys are the best.
Right now, what sounds like a fun way to spend the evening? ๐
โฆI have a sneaky suspicion a number of you are currently cold. Iโm with you on your choice, though admittedly my answer to this one changes frequently throughout the day.
Find this weekโs poll here.
Quick Links ๐
Become a paying subscriber of The Commonplace (and thank you!)
Question(s) For You to Ponderโฆ ๐ค
Whatโs your honest hope for this season of Lent?
Have a good one,
- Tsh
p.s. This is a fantastic birthday gift idea.
Laughed when I read 'happy' Lent. I have the same sentiments on Twitter when I read of someone's or some family's travail I want to acknowledge and the only thing available is a 'like.' I feel very weird about 'liking' your news that your partner is in the hospital again.
Iโm a pretend gardener and need all the help I can get. Thanks for the link to the landscape plan. The Merton quote was helpful too. ๐๐ผ