Frankincense Wasn't the Only Option

Because we recently watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, I had to share this bit of randomnicity.

In Which I Pontificate Upon Two Disparate Topics

Firstly, a slight reflection on the word memoir:

Memoir is a much more enticing word than biography. A memoir is memories, personal impressions, what a person sees as important about one, particular episode or period of life. A biography must grapple with facts, reciting the events of one person's life from birth to death, inclusive. Plus, memoir is taken from a French word; biography from the Greek. Which language strikes you as more elegant and intriguing?

Secondly, a brief rant about Ironman 2:

During the climactic encounter with the Bad Guys, Scarlett Johansson's character strips down to her undergarments and dons a skintight...something. Honestly, I couldn't tell what it was supposed to be. Sure, it might be a little inconvenient to fight the villain's minions in the secretary's de rigueur pencil skirt, but really? Is it that much more realistic that she would take five minutes to change into a shrink-wrap bodysuit before taking out the security guards? Blurgh (that is a disgusted noise, FYI). Would they make a male sidekick change from suit to speedo? Hazarding a guess here, I'd say no.

Curious Insanity

Some of my friends support me in my Avatar addiction. Others scoff.



Actually, most of them scoff.


So, let me introduce you to this other guilty pleasure of mine. One, I think, that few of my friends can rightly and in good conscience encourage my attachment to.

It is:

*drum roll, please*


When Curiosity Met Insanity.

Do you hear that sound?

That is the sound of my heart melting. I can't help it. I love that webcomic to pieces. (Yes, I just said webcomic. It happened. You can start scoffing right about now...)

What makes this webcomic (Okay, okay! Enough with the scoffs already...) so appealing?
I'll break it down for you:

A) Alice in Wonderland is a weird and bizarre fable, no argument there, but yet it's fascinated and/or repelled us for a century and a half or so. There's obviously something Lewis Carroll got right. (I wouldn't venture to guess what it was, but something...) WCMI is based on this enduring and popular tale. And Alice is an utterly endearing character-even when she's annoying, she's still charming, because she's completely unpretentious.

B)If you're a Disney fan, you'll enjoy how the authoresses expand and delve into some favorite characters. Peter Pan and Belle are the two most delightful supporting characters. Peter's boyish charm make him a fitting suitor for Alice's hand and heart, and the perfect rival for Reggie (The Mad Hatter). Although I couldn't have imagined Alice and Belle really gelling, Belle seems to fit in perfectly as a kindred spirit for Alice. Ultimately, the two protagonists, Alice and Reggie, are deliciously written-oh my stars and garters are they well-written! The whole comic has an absolutely scrumptious manner to it that defies all verbal description. The sarcasm, quaintness, and colloquial style make my heart feel super happy. And, the romantic banter is giggle-inducing, witty and utterly adorable.

C)The illustrations are the last word in epic. So amazing. And it's an adorable love story.

Here's the first installment-it's a sweet story, but there is some innuendo, and Reginald's history sounds veers on the sketchy side. So use discretion whilst reading; 'discretion' meaning: don't read it aloud to your 5-year-old siblings. Thus, consider thyself duly warned.

Caution: Contents of When Curiosity Met Insanity contain extreme cuteness. Paroxysms of cute may occur.

Can't Be Moved

This is absolutely beautiful.

Portia and I discussed the various ideals and ideas that this song represents and illustrates. I seriously considered trying to type them out into this post, but then I thought better of it. I realized the song is powerful enough to speak for itself.

So...

Watch it.

Be moved.

Privilege of Being a Woman--Alice von Hildebrand

I finished rereading Alice von Hildebrand’s Privilege of Being a Woman recently, and I was struck by how more awesome the book was the second time around! I appreciated her wisdom and insight much more this time, for she makes some highly astute observations which are interesting to chew on.
1) Modern society’s values totally harm women. Seriously, peeps. Our culture tells us that money, fame, creativity, uniqueness , and physical beauty (read: a tan and skinny legs) are the things that should be sought after and revered the most. The role models presented to women by our society are models, actresses, singers, politicians…people NOT known for their intelligence, education, humility, charity or wisdom; we don’t read celebrity gossip about folks who are saints to their cranky grandparents or watch the news about someone who has actually read the entire Summa Theological and edited an illustrated, annotated version of it. Instead, we watch Lady Gaga dance scantily clad and learn about the latest Hollywood blonde bombshell.
We look down on things like physical weakness and humility—spending inordinate amounts of time (and money) on getting a fit and gorgeous body is encouraged, even expected. And humility? Geez, this is the 21st century! Humility is another word for a depressed, repressed soul who lacks proper self-confidence. Not desirable at all!
If women are the ‘weaker’ sex and are called in a special way to be reliant on God and humble in His sight, then this modern society that does not value humility and vastly prefers self-confidence and self-reliance to dependence and reliance on others, is not going to think this ‘weakness’ is a good thing.
And if women are called more strongly to love, because of their generally more sensitive and understanding nature, a society in which charity and self-sacrifice are rather archaic concepts probably isn’t going to appreciate that very much either.
2) What do we mean by the ‘weak sex’, besides physical weakness? Alice discusses many different types of weaknesses that women could be said to have. Some of these weaknesses might be considered ‘cons’, but some are most definitely ‘pros’ in her (and my) book. So, weakness could mean…
a. Women are more vulnerable—emotionally and physically.
b. Women have less control of their emotions, they are more sensitive.
c. Women take feelings more seriously

The ‘cons’ of these weaknesses are many…because women take feelings more seriously, women can “dwell upon [their feelings] and fall into self-centeredness” and emotionalism. Their judgment can be clouded by emotion, and they need men’s guidance to distinguish between valid and irrational emotions. They can be lured into sexual sin with the promise of ‘eternal love’… They worry more, they grieve more, they cry more.
However, don’t be offended or discouraged! There are many ‘pros’ to these weaknesses as well. As St. Paul said, “it is when I am weak that I am strong.”
Because women are more easily wounded, more vulnerable, they are more worthy and in need of protection. This can build men up, inspire them to fight and lay down their lives for the women they love. Women’s weakness can touch men’s hearts and inspire them to be other-centered.
Women may cry more and grieve more and have less emotional control, but this isn’t something to be embarrassed of! As Alice says, “Tears are the proper response to brutality, injustice, cruelty, blasphemy, hatred. Christ wept when He saw Jerusalem, and when He came to Lazarus’s tomb.” Some tears can be self-centered, but others can be holy!!
And women may take feelings more seriously than logical thinking, but sometimes this is right. The “heart has its reasons that reason knows not”, as Pascal said. Women are meant to help men get in touch with this sentimental, emotional side of them; women have the power, no, the responsibility to humanize men.
Ultimately, Christ showed us that—through His incarnation and crucifixion—that embracing our weakness is true strength. We are all weak and we all suffer. Acknowledging this is crucial and turning to God in prayer is the right response to our awareness of our weaknesses.
So, think about this: Alice says that “women are more geared to piety because they have a keener awareness of their weakness. This is their true strength.” What a lovely paradox.
3) Feminism wars against Christianity!
This second key point of von Hildebrand’s startled me a bit. Feminists reject the idea that woman is weak, dependent, called to serve and love disinterestedly. But ALL are called to this in Christian teaching! Christ said to take up our crosses and follow Him. He said that to love God and neighbor was the most important thing, that in serving others we become great. Christianity says that man is weak, but with God’s help, all things are possible.
Von Hildebrand’s point is that women are metaphysically made to be better at these things—loving and serving—than men (for various reasons, including that women focus on the individual persons rather than abstract ideas of humanity and also that women are more in tune with feelings than men and are more sympathic—as a general rule). However, men are also called to this loving and serving. Each person is, in their own way, called to follow Christ, to be weak, dependent, loving and serving. Feminism tells women not to live thusly. But loving and serving are what women excel at! Feminism is actually telling women not to do something that they actually are metaphysically more equipped to do than men!
4) About feelings…
Alice talks at length about different sorts of feelings, but I just wanted to make one quick point. She says that each person should try to cultivate valid, holy feelings in their heart. Feelings should not be discounted. Yes, they cannot be controlled and some are destructive, but this does not make all emotions inferior to logical thoughts!! There are some emotions that one should resist and others that one should cultivate. Feeling happiness in the face of some evil should be resisted whereas feeling peaceful in the presence of the Eucharist should be encouraged. (Because they cannot be controlled by us, beautiful emotions are in fact lovely gifts from God that should be accepted gratefully when they come.) Women should not be embarrassed about her feelings, especially since her heart is what makes her vulnerable—and an awareness of that vulnerable part of us is what helps us to rely on God and trust in Him as we should.
In sum, Alice says that “it is unwarranted to regard women as inferior because feelings play a central role in their lives. If the feelings vibrating in their hearts are noble, appropriate, good…and pleasing to God, then they are precious jewels in God’s sight.

Fashion Friday - Fashionably Late Edition

It seems, and in fact has been, a most frightfully long time since a post has been posted about fashion. I would like to take this fine Saturday to say a little bit about shoes. Yes, shoes. As a wise person once said, "You should not judge any man until you have walked a mile in his shoes". Perhaps this erudite and perspicacious individual attempted to intimate that one human being should not judge another without knowledge of this other's experiences and philosophies of life, or maybe he simply meant that much can be discerned by a person's choice in footwear. Whatever the case may be, the judicious choosing of what a well dressed and stylish lady adorns her feet with is paramount. In brief, and to conclude, there is something to be said for footwear that is chic, versatile and comfortable.

The ballet flat is a pretty piece that goes well with both skirts and pants.



The simple pump is a shoe that, though high-heeled, can be incredibly comfortable, as well as chic.




A pair of boots can be coupled with a vast array of outfits and are appropriate for almost any season.

Chivalry Isn't Quite Dead Yet

Or at least it wasn't back in May. Quoting from Christa Taylor's blog, which is quoting from an old Dockers ad campaign:

"Once upon a time, men wore the pants, and wore them well. Women rarely had to open doors and little old ladies never crossed the street alone. Men took charge because that’s what they did. But somewhere along the way, the world decided it no longer needed men. Disco by disco, latte by foamy non-fat latte, men were stripped of their khakis and left stranded on the road between boyhood and androgyny. But today, there are questions our genderless society has no answers for. The world sits idly by as cities crumble, children misbehave and those little old ladies remain on one side of the street. For the first time since bad guys, we need heroes. We need grown-ups. We need men to put down the plastic fork, step away from the salad bar and untie the world from the tracks of complacency. It’s time to get your hands dirty. It’s time to answer the call of manhood. It’s time to WEAR THE PANTS."

Read the rest here.

The Glass Windshield

Members of Femininity Summit 2010, readers of this blog, I humbly submit the following thoughts about feminism's betrayal of the American woman:

A woman can now choose to become a doctor, a lawyer, a plumber, the local garbageman -- even to seek election as President of these United States. But if you glance behind the steering wheel of a Mustang or a Corvette, what are you going to see? A man. Behind the wheel of a BMW? An old man. Feminists may prattle on about glass ceilings in the realms of art, writing, politics, or academia, about salary disparities, lack of career options, or "the oppressive patriarchy" which has apparently stifled us for centuries, but the real barrier that women face isn't a glass ceiling at all -- it is a windshield. Why aren't women out on the streets, the top down on their Porsche 911? Why aren't feminists concerned over this disparity of female to male motorists? The fact is, respected readers, that I smell a conspiracy.

If the feminists of America, yea, even of the world, were really so very anxious about the complete and total equality of the sexes, they would not stop with the apparent autonomy that many women now revel in. They would not rest until we had gained an equal representation in all aspects of life, including the driver's seat. Instead, they remain mute on this issue, which leads me to wonder whether they are lining their pockets at the expense of their sisters in the field. Most car manufacturing companies are controlled by men, after all, and what would suit their interests more than a dearth of female drivers? Feminists claim that they seek this total equality of the sexes, yet I have not read one article or essay, heard one interview that addresses this most grievous of inequalities. And where else would feminists get the money to pay for all of those hideous pantsuits?

So, my fellow women, do not accept these red herrings of women's ordination or reproductive rights. Demand from them what you truly deserve: a Lamborghini Murcielago.

Hay,

So, The Shadow of the Bear movie needs some extras. I e-mailed them to say that my sister and I might be able to come. They said that they are especially in need of male actors, but girls are totally welcome.

Here is the information *copy and pasted* from the director of the the movie:

Are you within driving distance of Blaine MN?

Are you (or look like you could be) between the ages of 16 and 18?

Do you own a suit or prom dress? (or could borrow one for the day)

Are you free on July 24th?

Do you want to be in a Movie?

Then send me an e-mail at theshadowofthebear@ymail.com and let me know of your interest in being in the "after prom party scene with Rose and Rob" for our film shoot on the 24th! I'll send you any further information you need to know!

The Shadow of the Bear movie blog is below:

http://theshadowofthebear.blogspot.com/

How Much Does a Stamp Cost, Anyway?

We good Catholic homeskillets here like to write letters. I mean actual, physical pen-and-stationery letters. Facebook updates? Nice to keep tabs on friends over the summer. E-mail? Eh, it's okay, but it's still only words on a screen. You can't touch them. Phone calls? It's great to hear somebody's voice, but once the phone call ends, that's it -- there's no lasting record, nothing to hang on to and remember the call by.

And there are letters. Something that you can hold in your hand. Letters not only express the writer's unique personality and traits, laid out on the paper for you to see and hold on to, they represent valuable time taken from the writer's hectic life and spent on you, the recipient. The writer chose the paper, filled it with their soul, and gave it to you. How cosmic is that? And, if you're anything like the ladies of this blog, the margins are crammed with doodles, coffee stains, and random outbursts of life. At no extra charge.

I have a thing for blank paper of any kind. I've been known to spend hours in the stationery aisle, selecting the perfect ream of paper, elegant or whimsical; some stationery I even pick out with a specific friend in mind, one who would get a particular inside joke, or get a kick out of a cheesy pattern. But blank paper isn't enough -- you have to fill the blank pages with thoughts, jokes, anecdotes, and memories.

I've always adored the thought of letters, permanent keepsakes and milestones of a relationship, collected and tied with ribbon to be enjoyed years later. You can't do that with texts and e-mails. They just don't carry the same level of meaning. There's something so very impersonal about them. Don't get me wrong. I use and enjoy the convenience of e-mail and Facebook just as much as other people. But there's always a zing of excitement and adventure when ripping open an envelope that has traveled half-way across the continent to reach you. What tales will those ink-covered pages unfold?

Hat tip to Karen Edmisten for inspiring this post.