5 Quick Things #384 🎃

ghost stories, Hallowtide, lovely pies, & ending your online era

Hi there,

Growing up I’d vaguely heard of All Saint’s Day, but as an evangelical I had no concept of the liturgical calendar, so to me, November 1 simply marked the post-Halloween letdown. Sure, I still had a bowl full of candy to enjoy, but Christmas was still almost two months away and Thanksgiving was mostly grown-up food and sitting around the table listening to grown-up conversations. It mostly meant 364 days until the next Halloween.

As a Catholic I now absolutely love Hallowtide, the trifecta of Halloween (or “All Hallow’s Eve), All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day from October 31 to November 2. There’s something so life-giving about walking around the neighborhood and seeing the community that otherwise stays indoors and on screens, followed by something hauntingly beautiful about recognizing the entire Church triumphant in Heaven on one day, then the day after remembering our faithful loved ones who have passed and are on their journey home. It’s a three-day festival of recognizing our human nature, our need to pray for each other, and the glory of the eternal Church.

(Here’s a lovely Hallowtide reflection from

Kristin Haakenson

, whose newsletter Hearthstone Fables is one of my favorites.)

Ghostly Gourds, by Norman Rockwell (1969) #

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5 Quick Things ☕️

1. In this week’s Drink With a Friend episode, I chatted with

Joel J Miller

who writes the thought-provoking newsletter

MILLER’S BOOK REVIEW 📚

. Continuing with this short season’s theme of “novels we love,” Joel shares two books I personally haven’t yet read yet (plus one more bonus book in each category).

2. To enjoy this evening’s festivities, consider reading (or reading aloud) a classic short story in the spirit of Halloween. ← I often use this website to find older short reads for my students; you sometimes have to do some digging, but it’s a treasure trove.

3. I agree with every word of this essay from

Tommy Dixon

on how to end your “extremely online era,” because I’ve greatly, greatly reduced my own internet time over the past few years and can attest to both its initial challenges and its fruit: “People seem very reluctant to make tradeoffs in life. You can have your peace or you can have instagram. You probably cannot have both. At least, if that were true, which would you choose?”

4. If you’re a paying sub of The Commonplace here, don’t miss out on adding your gratitude list for October! And for everyone else, you can practice this habit, too: at a set time (we’ve been doing the end of each month), name ten things you’re grateful for, big or small. They really can be as big as a major milestone recently hit (such as our middle guy’s recent acceptance into his first-choice college!), or a tiny sliver of an observation (such as the font used on my current favorite coffee mug). You’ll be surprised how much this short, simple practice will put some pep in your step.

5. And finally, five hilarious ironies of Reformation Day (I’m with Joe: Christians should celebrate Halloween!).

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Currently Reading, Watching, Listening 📚

Giants in the World, by O.E. Rölvaag

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Quotable 💬

“October proved a riot to the senses and climaxed those giddy last weeks before Halloween.”

- Keith Donohue

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As an adult, do you wear a Halloween costume? 👻

No judgement on anyone who does, but I happily wear a simple t-shirt every year and feel no shame or guilt (my exact one is no longer for sale on Etsy, but here’s a similar one). I used to feel like a “boring mom” by not joining in on the festivities with a fun costume (or even more: a shared family costume), but once I embraced the reality that I simply do not enjoy dressing up, I relaxed and had fun my own way. I love holidays, traditions, getting out in the community, and the autumnal season in general — I simply don’t like all the hoopla of dressing up in a costume. You do you!

• Yes: 21.2%

• No: 78.8%

Find next week’s poll here.

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Quick Links 🔗

• 📐Create your own Rule of Life

• 🎧 Listen to A Drink With a Friend

• 📖 Read my books

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Join the next pilgrimage: Scotland!

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Question(s) For You to Ponder… 🤔

What one small thing could you do in your home this weekend to recognize Hallowtide?

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Have a great weekend,

- Tsh

p.s. - Look at this pie! 🥧