Iām on a flight to Edinburgh as youāre reading thisā¦itās Pilgrimage Week: one of my favorite weeks of the year! Weāll be spending the week wandering through various castles, going to the Highland Games, exploring the Isle of Skye, tasting Scotch and learning basic falconry (hopefully not at the same time), walking through St. Andrews, learning about the hidden priests during the Counter-Reformation period in the Rosslyn Chapel and Traquair House, and of course, witnessing all the stunning beauty throughout the Highlands. Weāll also unpack lessons we can learn from Scottish saints spanning from the Celtic period to today, celebrate Mass as often as we can, and reflect on whatever God has for us (I usually donāt know until weāre there). Iāll share photos here when I can once weāre back!
My favorite part of all this, however, is always the people. We have quite a few returning pilgrims on this one, and I canāt wait to see them again (several have been on three or more with us), and of course, Iām eager to meet new friends, too. Every year we wonder how it happens, but it never fails: everyone who travels with us are genuinely fantastic peopleāfolks weād hang out with no matter where we were.
This week I let Scotland pilgrims know about next summerās location and itinerary, this weekend the rest of my previous pilgrims of mine will find out, and Iāll share the news with the rest of you fine readers soon.
5 Quick Things āļø
1. I didnāt know before publication about this PloughStack piece that mentions me, but it was a pleasure to read and I nodded my way through it. Jeff Bilbro explores the challenge of being a noticer vs. enjoyer of some good, and how making a public defense of goods can unintentionally challenge the pure nature of living it. Akaādonāt neglect your life at the expense of being an influencer of said life: āThe digital maw is insatiable and respects no limits, so public figures need to learn to set healthy boundaries themselves.ā
2. As a fellow Catholic convert (and someone who just wrote a book about the reasons for my own journey), and as someone who finds Kristin Haakensonās art simply lovely, I really enjoyed reading part one of her conversion story: āIn Catholicism, I found a language so resonant with my most interior experience - a living faith that held the full complexity of suffering and joy. I took a leap without all the answers - probably with even more questions than before. And Iām so grateful I did.ā
3. Heads up about a good new-ish Substack newsletter: 100 Movies Every Family Should See. Put out by the guys of this newsletter, this is a collection of movie reviews Iād have appreciated when my own growing brood were younger. ā¦Itās hard to find decent family-friendly films that donāt make the adults want to stab out their eyeballs with forks.
4. Academically Iām still very much in summer mode (except for my own class booklists), but if youāre hankering for a bit of mid-summer homeschool planning, Autumn Kernās your gal. Sheās got a lovely collection of videos chock-full of practical wisdom and encouragement.
5. And finally, the talented Winston Marshall delivers a delightful banjo tribute in honor of our 250th anniversary. Beautiful.
Currently Reading, Watching, Listening š
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, on audiobook (finally, I know!)
Quotable š¬
āGardens are not made by singing āoh how beautifulā and sitting in the shade.ā
-Rudyard Kipling
The Next Poll š³ļø
Find the new question here!
Quick Links š
Question(s) For You to Ponderā¦ š¤
What have you been dreaming about getting done this summer? How can you either finish or get started on it this weekend?
Heads up: Thereās no new 5QT next week in lieu of all my travelingā¦. And thereās a slight chance this might become a two-week pause if Iām also not able to get one out between the pilgrimage and some domestic family travel. But Iāll be back with you soon enough!
Have a good couple weeks,
- Tsh
p.s. - Great respect in their culture.
The anxiety I am feeling that I have fallen off the previous pilgrims list. š¬ Iāve wanted to join again ever since Italy, but havenāt been able to make it work. So curious to hear what is next yearās destination.
As an avid follower of your conversion story years before I crossed the Tiber, I can finally say it's a JOY to get to hang out with you in the Eucharist every weekend :) And I'm truly tickled that you're enjoying my art! Thank you for being such an encourager on the journey. I'll be on the preorder list for sure when your book is ready for that!!