Apple Art: Three Ways

Albrecht Durer woodcut of Adam and Eve via here

"The Apple Orchard” by Rainer Maria Rilke Come let us watch the sun go down and walk in twilight through the orchard's green. Does it not seem as if we had for long collected, saved and harbored within us old memories? To find releases and seek new hopes, remembering half-forgotten joys, mingled with darkness coming from within, as we randomly voice our thoughts aloud wandering beneath these harvest-laden trees reminiscent of Durer woodcuts, branches which, bent under the fully ripened fruit, wait patiently, trying to outlast, to serve another season's hundred days of toil, straining, uncomplaining, by not breaking but succeeding, even though the burden should at times seem almost past endurance. Not to falter! Not to be found wanting! Thus must it be, when willingly you strive throughout a long and uncomplaining life, committed to one goal: to give yourself! And silently to grow and to bear fruit.

3 Best

Martha Stewart Flor carpet tiles in Faux Bois... nursery option?





I love City Sage's recurring "outfit to room" posts, and I think this one is such a perfect (and perfectly pretty and softly rustic) translation.



NPR is talking about The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard Morais this morning, and I'm intrigued. Their catch phrase was "Slumdog Millionaire meets Chocolat," but from what they said it sounds, in the best way, like Ratatouille, too. If I could finally get through Flannery O'Connor, this would be the perfect August book I think.

All Joy and No Fun

Photo by Jessica Todd Harper

This is an interesting NY Times article on parenting.

Too Sweet

A Sweet Story of Goodness and Generosity on Rummey Bears.

Did I cry? Well, just a little.

The Futility of Cute

Well, first Rage Against the Minivan posted about her conflict over the amount of time and money spent on home design versus the enjoyment of indulging in creative outlets...

and then Up Mama's Wall wrote,

I was sort of enjoying myself, getting a certain satisfaction from the Martha-like perfection of the goodie bags, but underneath lurked a simmering resentment and impatience, a little throb telling me that my cutsie-pootsie project might not be the best use of my time.

As I stuck the stickers I started to suspect that such things, these bourgeois arts so trumpeted by women's magazines and Martha Stewart and a thousand design blogs, were just a giant diversion of creative energy.

And I sometimes think about the things I most enjoy doing and how they are gone in a second, chewed and eaten and how they, quite appallingly and literally, end up as a pile of poo.

But I could rationalize that these edible creations are valuable in that they are symbols of love and sustenance for the people for whom I make them. That I also quite literally give life and strength in the things I cook. Yeah, yeah, that's good. That beauty is valuable just for itself and just for the moment no matter how transitory.

But I get caught up in it. And I think I learned very early that cooking is the kind of art that will bring you the most and most immediate praise. It's pretty disgusting to acknowledge that I sometimes cook because I want the pat on the head. Not just to love others but to fish for love myself. Gross.

Manna Manna Manna

Okay, two things.

One, Cooking Issues (written by two tech-savvy Culinary Institute of America instructors) is pretty fascinating.

Two, Dave's post on manna is super fascinating. Although pretty expensive, there are still many varieties of manna found/produced in the Middle East. Who knew? Not me. The info in the post is re-tooled from his NY Times article, "Ancient Manna on Modern Menus."

P.S. I almost titled this post "What a manna; what a manna; what a mighty good manna. What mighty mighty good manna." But I didn't. I didn't do that.

Fathers

Diane Rehm just interviewed Don Miller this morning, discussing his book Father Fiction, which examines the damage of growing up fatherless and the positive potential of male mentors to step into that gap. I think it sounds pretty fascinating.

I would say my experience teaching in public school certainly speaks to and supports these ideas of the importance of fatherhood. When I was teaching, I would look around at the angry disrespect for authority from the boys, the desperate attention seeking from the girls, at the self-destructive behaviors, at the difficulty in moving toward a plan for a successful adult life, and I traced most of these problems back to a lack of a strong, consistent, and positive male influence in these teenagers' lives.

On his blog, Miller adds, "After writing Father Fiction, I realized the issue needed more than a book and so I started an organization called The Mentoring Project which partners young men growing up without dads with positive male role models. Our goal is to see thousands of kids enter into relationships with somebody who would be let down if they screwed up, and ecstatic when they succeed." which, I think, is pretty cool.

3 Best Things This Morning

1. A recipe for fennel ice cream from Orangette

2. This poem by Wendell Berry and shared by Surprised by Joy.

Grace
For Gurney Norman, quoting him

The woods is shining this morning,
Red, gold and green, the leaves
lie on the ground, or fall
or hang full of light in the air still.
Perfect in its rise and in its fall, it takes
the place it has been coming to forever.
It has not hastened here, or lagged.
See how surely it has sought itself,
its roots passing lordly through the earth.
See how without confusion it is
all that it is, and how flawless
its grace is. Running or walking, the way
is the same. Be still. Be still.
“He moves your bones, and the way is clear.”

3. This Sophia Coppola trailer shared by the Neo-Traditionalist

Intersection of Feminism and Christianity

They both hate Victoria's Secret?

As one who recently indulged in a few dainty underthings herself, I thought this was interesting little commentary by E.J. Graff on the benefit and dangers resulting from and related to splurging on underwear.

2010 is no friend of mine

I like the ways these two talk about frustration and clipped wings and fruitlessness.


What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
--Langston Hughes



And now it's so hard to have faith in anything,
especially your next bold move,
or the next thing you're gonna need to prove to yourself.

You want to track each trickle back to its source
and then scream up the faucet 'til your face is hoarse
cuz you're surrounded by a world's worth
of things you just can't excuse,
but you've got the hard cough of a chain smoker,
and you're at the arctic circle playing strip poker,
and it's getting colder and colder
every time you lose.

So go ahead;
make your next bold move.
Tell us what's the next thing
you're gonna need to prove to yourself.
--Ani Difranco

This and That

I just finished attacking Black Dogs by Ian McEwan, and now I'm starting to devour A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg. I would recommend Black Dogs to anyone. It deals with the nature of evil, memory bias, communism, religion versus science, speaking up for the weak and abused, and I think it is just an important book. Period.

As far as Ms. Wizenberg goes, I teared up at least three times while reading it last night. What is it about discussion of the kitchen table that primes my tear duct pumps?



My favorite lines from the introduction:

"Dinner didn't come through a swinging door, balanced on the arm of an anonymous waiter: it was something that we made together. We built our family that way--in the kitchen, seven nights a week. We built a life for ourselves, together around that table. And although I couldn't admit it then, my father was showing me, in his pleasure and in his pride, how to live it: wholly, hungrily, loudly."

I've Been Lesson Planning

I'm leading a small study tonight.

We're going to talk a little about Hebrew poetry, the curse of perfectionism, Solomon's concubines, business savvy, the intimidating and liberating Mrs. P31, the color purple, nagging, being guard dogs, and getting all noble.

As well as a little of this,


and little of this,



and a lot about this

¹ The sayings of King Lemuel—an oracle his mother taught him…

¹⁰ A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

¹³ She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

¹⁵ She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

²² She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

²⁹ "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

³¹ Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Overload, I Know.

I think I've been putting up a lot of posts today, but someone put an AWESOME video link on my Facebook page (Facebook? Am I still checking that mess?), and I absolutely had to share. Gird your loins.

Trying to Live Like George

"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; being a force of nature in stead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy." George Bernard Shaw

And even if I didn't love his approach to life, I would still love him for Pygmalion and Eliza Doolittle.



I remember the first year I taught seniors, I was so excited that I got to teach it and got to show My Fair Lady (Don't judge. It was a play; it's meant to be seen, too, not just read!). I might have sung the songs in class while we watched it.

Now, I was not an exuberant, jokster, tap-dancing kind of teacher (Not everyone can be or should to be. I think being passionate about what you teach and real in the way you present it is 3/4 of the battle, but that's another post, I think.), so I hope you realize how this demonstrates my irrepressible joy in getting to share one of my childhood favorites with my kids. Alas, my students, although they did generally like the play, did not appreciate musicals (or my froggish singing) in the same way I did, and they certainly did not become giddy watching white people singing and dancing about things being loverly and how the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain. Looking back, it was one of the highlights of my time at Everman, and, hey, at least I didn't do the dances.

Battle Royale

Jennifer Reese has an article debating who has the best fried chicken: famous chef Thomas Keller or famous blogger the Pioneer Woman. I thought it was interesting experiment on the writer's family to see what their verdict was on recipes from both cookbooks for fried chick, mashed potatoes, iceberg lettuce salad, and pineapple upside down cake.

I think it's an interesting debate between slow, deliberate, artful, cooking as a hobby/process for oneself and practical, frugal, helpful cooking done as a necessity for a family. (As an aside, I don't have kids, so I have the luxury right now of indulging in this debate, but I certainly understand for most families Keller's brand of cooking is not really an option... also, another disclaimer, this is not to say that fast, kid-appropriate food cannot be an art of it's own, but hopefully you know what I'm saying.)

Thomas Keller's book is Ad Hoc at Home, and he runs the empire of the French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery, and, of course, Ad Hoc itself.

His three tips for home cooks:
1. Seasoning (salt heightens the flavor of everything)
2. Touch your food (to check doneness, to apply condiments, to manipulate and prepare, dare I say... to connect with it)
3. Organization and efficiency (from menu preparation to shopping to timing)

Ree Drummond's book is The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl. I haven't followed the Pioneer Woman too closely, but I heard a rumor that there's a biographical movie coming out about her, and Reese Witherspoon might be playing the part of Ree. I mean what other Hollywood actress can play the part of a spunky, country woman? Well, besides Sandra Bullock? Hello, Walk the Line and The Blind Side. It's their bread and butter, their biscuits and butter... if you will. Too far? Probably so.

Another Blog... I know. I know.

She's a writer and a mother, and I think some of you might like her 'tude.

She talks about Matt the Electrician. What a coincidence.

She also talks about Patty Griffin.

Deferential, glad to be of use...

And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully!	75
Smoothed by long fingers,
Asleep … tired … or it malingers,
Stretched on the floor, here beside you and me.
Should I, after tea and cakes and ices,
Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis?	80
But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed,
Though I have seen my head [grown slightly bald] brought in upon a platter,
I am no prophet—and here’s no great matter;
I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,
And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,	85
And in short, I was afraid. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" T.S. Eliot

Orangette told me it was okay.

Orangette loves lists, too.

"Yes, as I was saying, I am good at many, many things, but I am a true champion at lists.

I love lists. They’re so liberating. I can purge my entire brain onto a piece of paper, and Look! There it is! I don’t have to think about things anymore, because the paper does it for me. I can see exactly what needs to be done, and then I can decide what to do—or, even better—what not to do. [Oh, sweet liberty!] Most days come with a list, and some weekends do too. Under my roof, even the grocery list has a little space of its own, albeit a small, fat-splattered one on the shelf next to the stove, beside a looming pile of cookbooks. But my favorite variation on the theme, my pet list, is a messy Post-It that sticks in my agenda. It is the nerve center, the motherboard, the county seat. It is my list of what to cook. Because some days, you know, you forget. And if there’s one thing better than a delicious meal, it’s got to be a delicious meal that lets you check something off the list."

Photo taken from an interview with the great Molly Wizenberg on Stephanie Levy: A Studio with a View

Recommendations

Home design: function meets sentimental symbol... "Crate Expectations" by eat drink one woman

The significance of shirt style... "Johnny and Me" by I Cook Like a Girl

Thomas Keller, Tim Keller, and Kelly Cutrone

Kelly Cutrone is awesome. She looks rough in that picture because she is hard core. She doesn't have time for ironing and concealer! She's working!

I'll echo Marisa Meltzer in saying that she's my guru. Granted she's a little rough around the edges, but she's all about getting the work done right, creating greatness, and protecting and mothering the people around her. Now, when I say mothering, understand that I do not mean making you cookies and telling you that you're the special-est. I mean honestly telling you what you're doing wrong and motivating you to get it right and ultimately preparing you to go out into the world ready to be successful and not need nuffin from nobody.

Her new book is If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You.

I wish I could be so bold and strong sometimes and really loving to people instead of just... sweet and polite. Because being sweet is not necessarily being kind--being sweet and polite is just wanting to get pats on my head and gold stars on my chart and, at it's essence, is a very selfish thing--and this whole idea connects with a Tim Keller (not Thomas Keller as I often refer to him) sermon that I listened to awhile back.

Clarifying here--this is Tim Keller.



By contrast, this is Thomas Keller. (Although also balding, he is not the same as the man featured above. Thomas is a chef (see his coat and copper pots?) and author. Tim Keller is something else.)


Back to my tangent... Tim Keller explores different reasons people are kind, and he uses three characters from Pride and Prejudice to illustrate these different reasons:

1. Jane-type kindness is kindness to other people based on fear. These actions are a means to an end. Their kindness comes from wanting people to like them and being scared of not pleasing others. As an oldest child, I really want to please and am very uncomfortable displeasing, but underneath that obedience is me making myself happy because to displease scares me. I know that was a little circular--does that make sense?

2. Mary-type kindness is kindness based on control and power. They want others to be indebted to them. It stems from wanting to be superior. It's living life constantly competing with other people. I'll go ahead and confess to this one, too. I want to be the best at everything. Always.

3. Elizabeth-type kindness can come from a sometimes harsh and sometimes prideful personality but due to a shift and gaining humility and perspective, she is kind to others out of true concern and desire to show love, not to get what she wants or fill some hole but to supply to others what they need.

Anyhow, that was a lot of disparate characters and topics to bring me to the point that Kelly Cutrone and Elizabeth Bennett (and Tim and Thomas Keller) are my heroes!