Notes by Candlelight #2
Five things inviting me into delight in a season of duty
Dear friends,
Welcome back to another round of Notes by Candlelight, where I share the delightful bits and bobs I’ve curated or noticed recently. Turns out this might be a quarterly missive, which feels right to me.
After a flurry of visitors and Aaron’s ordination and first mass, we’ve reached the longest days of the year, as well as feast days celebrating John the Baptist and Peter and Paul. Instead of resettling into our usual rhythms, our calendars of late have squeezed almost every drop of the summer’s lingering light. A week of solo parenting, groceries and laundry, hosting, Sunday school teacher training, bathtime, another week of this and that all adds up. (We sleep good, if anyone wonders.) In the midst of our irregular busyness, we’ve welcomed midsummer by frequenting the beach and slurping up fresh peaches and ice cream. The children point out horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, jelly fish, seagulls, and even a half eaten baby shark. So, on that note, I’ll point out a few of my own delights:
Notes by Candlelight
I start most days by reading this American historian’s daily email. Her connections between today and yester-year read like a friend (who happens to be an expert and excellent communicator) teaching you about something she loves over coffee. Her humility shines through and her work is rock solid.
The garden has been growing, though it’s been trial and error. The local wildlife, including our horse friend, have helped themselves to the peas, zinnias, and carrot tops. The medieval wattle fencing I created is charming but no help, so I’ll need to reinforce it or add more protective plants. Even so, I’m satisfied with the fact there is always something to do outside.
I’ve been learning how easy it is to refresh the mats inside thrifted frames with fabric or beautiful paper. A roll of double sided tape goes a long way! I’ve framed a print of Fra Angelico’s work, Annunciation of Cortona, an old calendar page from Loré Pemberton, a family photo, and another postcard.
Earlier in the spring I spent the night at a lovely retreat for spiritual directors. I walked in the woods. I slept in a bed all by myself. (!!) I journaled and browsed the library shelves and read. Together we prayed through poetry and learned more about spirituality through the lens of mental health. Time well spent.
After learning about nature study through Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy, I stumbled across a nature journaling book in a church rummage sale. Immediately I went home to find a small, brown notebook in my stash of craft supplies and set my pencil to task. I’ve started small. As you would expect, the process is more rewarding than the finished product.
Quoting
“If the cosmos is constructed the way the ancient church taught, then heaven and earth interpenetrate each other, participate in each other’s life. The sacred is not inserted from outside, like an injection from the wells of paradise; it is already here, waiting to be revealed.” — Rod Dreher, Living in Wonder
Reading
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
If you like your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook or the Little Free Library down the road, you’ll probably enjoy learning about the gift economy from this book. It’s the perfect size for an afternoon read.
That’s all for this email!
With peace,
Elizabeth
Related Resources:
Paid subscribers support accessible spiritual direction and get access to the Library, where I occasionally add resources for reflection.
Write (or refresh) your Rule of Life with this three part video series.
An older post with my favorite books for liturgical traditions.
That Rod Dreher quote is incredible!