Letter 24: A cauldron of soup, being done for the day, and the joy of a low-stakes crossword.
July and August 2024
Notes from Me
Our summer was full of good things: swimming, YMCA camps, gathering with friends, and worshipping with our church family. This summer culminated in a road trip to Michigan where we visited relatives and friends and also made beautiful memories at a family wedding. While I enjoy the capaciousness of summer, I am eager to settle back into the routine of an academic school year. This fall, we start our third year of homeschooling (my sons are now 5, nearly 7, and 8). I feel hopeful for all that is to come!
Reading: I read the introduction to Edith Nesbit’s The Story of the Treasure Seekers (a children’s novel set in England), a few weeks ago. What stood out to me was the description of the gatherings she and her husband, Hubert Bland, hosted in their home in the late 1800s. As someone who desires to gather people in meaningful community with food, music, and stories, I love picturing this scene.
Their home was a regular meeting place on Saturday evenings for the young and the famous […] There were wonderful discussions and stirring conversations which changed whole lives and outlooks. Sometimes there was music and all had to be ready to take part. Nesbit would not have onlookers. Or again, the floor might be cleared for dancing, with Nesbit at the piano, playing tirelessly for as long as they wanted her to go on.
She had been known to go into a corner, when a story was overdue, and finish it there, amid all the babel of talk. The Blands could not afford to provide conventional meals for so many, but a cauldron of soup with plenty of bread, or a mountain of sausages sufficed. Whatever was provided was always served with an air, on clean linen with an abundance of flowers.
Reading: In Oliver Burkeman’s email newsletter, The Imperfectionist, he recently wrote a piece titled “What Would It Mean to be Done for the Day?” His words resonated with me:
If you’ve read too many productivity books, like me, you might think I’m recommending what’s been called a “must do” or “will do” list – ie., a short list containing only those tasks you’re truly committed to completing today. These are certainly preferable to open-ended to-do lists! But their focus is still on “what needs doing”: that is, on how much productivity red meat you plan to throw into the open jaws of the ever-hungry world, in order to maybe buy yourself an evening’s peace tonight.
By contrast, “being done for the day” turns the focus inwards: to what it would take to allow yourself to feel done. It’s about what you might reasonably expect of yourself today, given your actual situation and limitations, regardless of what might by some other definition “need” doing.
I daily struggle under the weight of my own unmet expectations. Burkeman articulates this struggle well. I consider his question for my own life, “What would it mean to be done for the day?” My default way of operating is to labor under the burden of accomplishing everything, and to act like if I just try hard enough, I can get it all done. Instead, I want to work hard and then make a habit of stopping for the day and resting. Even with many tasks undone, I can truly rest when I remember it has been my Savior, the LORD Jesus Christ, guiding and sustaining me all along. And even when my best efforts fall short, I can remember that He is completing His good work in me (Philippians 1:6).
With the Boys
Reading: In July we finished reading Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit by Julius Lester, and in August we read The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem. Interestingly, both anthologies feature animal communities, attempting to live together harmoniously. However, the milieus and worldviews of the characters are starkly different.
Lester’s stories of Brer Rabbit spring from settings of slavery in the Deep South. Barklem’s tales depict pastoral life in the English countryside. Brer Rabbit and company live in a world of scheming and fighting, with the tricksters often narrowly escaping. The mice in Brambly Hedge, on the other hand, devote much of their energy to commemorating special occasions and inventing ways to surprise each other with generosity. It was striking to note the contrast and to consider together what the stories reveal about human nature.
Also, here are some books my 5-year-old has enjoyed lately: Night of the Moonjellies, Petunia, Petunia Beware, and Petunia Takes a Trip.
Over the next couple of months, we will read “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare. I’ll read from E. Nesbit’s Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare For Children and we will listen to an audio production like this together.
In the Kitchen
Eating: My sister gave me Home is Where the Eggs Are by Molly Yeh, and I’m happy to report that her Laffa recipe yielded delicious, soft, stretchy flatbreads. The recipe is similar to this one. We ate the flatbread alongside these lentils. For other bread recipes, see naan, garlic bread, pizza dough, and no-knead bread from previous posts.
Small Joy
My husband, Ben, and I used to do crossword puzzles together when we were first married, but we neglected the habit over the years. We’ve been trying to get back to it, and FreeDailyCrosswords has helped. Every week or so, we print off a puzzle, stick it to the fridge, and work through it together.
It has been a small, but special way to connect. We give our minds a bit of leisure during a demanding workday, and join together on something, rather than only working in siloes.
There is a real thrill to finishing a low-stakes, nonurgent crossword puzzle together! I think we’ve done around one puzzle a week for the last two months and have no intention of stopping.
Until next time,
Susie
P.S.
All of my sons’ favorite crafts/toys have been gifted to us, so I take no credit here. But you may appreciate a recommendation for the children in your life. Here are three things that we’ve used and loved lately (great for ages 3-8): Plus Plus blocks, Maze Cube, and Foil Fun.
Thank you for these recommendations, insights, and encouragements. I feel camaraderie with you in the struggles and hopes you express. The beautiful art sprinkled throughout is a nice brain pivot too. Well done!