Laura Ingalls Fan

Laura Ingalls Fan

Monday Morning

Gregorio Allegri's Miserere. Breathtaking, no?

Oddments

So maybe this should happen over Christmas break? I really liked the book when I read it in high school, and I'm really, really curious to see what Tom Stoppard (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead) and Joe Wright (the 2005 Pride & Prejudice) do to it. Auntie Seraphic seems to approve.

And, on an utterly unconnected note, St. Hildegard of Bingen is going to be declared a Doctor of the Church on Sunday. Cool stuff.

Happy Feast of St. Thérèse!

“May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content knowing you are a child of God.

Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.” 

--St. Thérèse

Fashion Friday: Trompe L'Oeil Edition

Really neat Hermès dresses/shirt/coat from 1951.

Go Forth and Read

"Female virginity has become entangled with a sickly, sentimental construction of passive femininity; a kind of chivalric purity that smells of heavy imitation rose perfume and requires a china doll untainted by passion, experience, or thought."

Entire post here.

The Degeneracy of Modern Music

An eye-opening (and extremely depressing) video showcasing the way songs wooing women have changed over the years. There are not emoticons enough to describe how hopeless I feel about the fate of the human race right now. Where has the elegance, the grace, the not-using-obscenities gone?

"It's a Question of Discipline"

"'I wouldn't be caught dead on the street in workout gear,' she said. 'But in an attempt to blend into L.A. life, I purchased my first workout ensemble. On several occasions I have stayed in it and met a friend for lunch, but it certainly won't be a habit. I felt uncomfortable and even found myself apologizing to my husband for looking like a slob. To a degree I dress for my husband and make an effort to be put together, but more than anything it's for me.'"

From an article in the WSJ on always dressing to impress. File this under "reasons to have high standards and stick to them".

Some Inspiration

John Paul II strongly supported women. Here is his letter to women:

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_29061995_women_en.html

Some particular quotes:

Thank you, women who are daughters and women who are sisters! Into the heart of the family, and then of all society, you bring the richness of your sensitivity, your intuitiveness, your generosity and fidelity.

Nor can we fail, in the name of the respect due to the human person, to condemn the widespread hedonistic and commercial culture which encourages the systematic exploitation of sexuality and corrupts even very young girls into letting their bodies be used for profit.

Such respect must first and foremost be won through an effective and intelligent campaign for the promotion of women, concentrating on all areas of women's life and beginning with a universal recognition of the dignity of women. Our ability to recognize this dignity, in spite of historical conditioning, comes from the use of reason itself, which is able to understand the law of God written in the heart of every human being. More than anything else, the word of God enables us to grasp clearly the ultimate anthropological basis of the dignity of women, making it evident as a part of God's plan for humanity.

A Design, An Alignment, A Cry