On the Journey Home

Several years ago, when I wrote my Love Story, a commentator encouraged me to contact Marcus Grodi, host of the Journey Home Program. It is one of my favorite shows on EWTN and my husband and I watched it every Monday night for many years. So I contacted them (a year later) and I received instructions for writing my testimony for the newsletter, which I subscribed to. I began, only for it to fall off the radar, with the publication of BOUND. So imagine my surprise and delight to be invited to be on the show! I said yes!

 

Much has changed. I didn't realize Marcus retired; his son, JonMarc, now hosts the show. I hadn't watched any for a couple of years because my barbershop practice is on Monday nights, the same night that the show airs. They are archived on their website, so I was able to catch up on a few conversion stories--so very inspiring. 

As I prepared for giving my own testimony, I was first concerned with looking and sounding good, as good as I write, but by the grace of God I realized the focus was all wrong. This is HIS story, what He is doing in my life. So Monday night, after a sumptuous Greek dinner, I tuned in to my barbershop rehearsal. I learned the next morning that Rakhi was running lines for her musical :)

I brought books from my Catholic writing group as gifts to the wonderful staff--Matt Swaim, who contacted me (he's been reading this blog for a while); Rakhi McCormick, communications coordinator; Bill, studio manager (who really needs to share his conversion story more widely); and Alyssa, makeup artist. Don't we clean up nicely? Another convert, Chris Kellam, also flew in for taping so we all had wonderful conversations during the time we had together. I discovered that speaking on air is so very different than writing because it's extemporaneous. I had to back-track; I cried; I wondered whether something I said might hurt another. But I received insights too, that I am still processing. I'll be sure to post a link when my episode is live. Below, Bill and Rakhi and Matt making sure all the technology is working properly. Being in the studio made me want to make an audio recording of BOUND.

I don't travel much because of my poor head, but I was able to manage pain well. Everything went smoothly, even coming home. I kept noticing that the departure time kept getting delayed and delayed and once I realized I wouldn't make my connecting flight to Charleston, I asked to be re-routed. I did not want to spend the night in Philadelphia. I ended up in DC for a couple of hours and learned that Max was at a rooftop party to celebrate the anniversary of Apollo 11. Oh, how I would've loved to join in the fun--knowing Max, it would've been a blast. See: The Butterworths Man #2 - by Bart - Kill All Foodies. For all I know, he might have had a hand in my interview at Journey Home, by his encouragement to write for The Lamp. I'm highly motivated to write a full-length spiritual memoir because there are so many riches to share. Deo gratias! 

Thanks be to God I arrived home Tue night in time to make my Wed appts. The first thing we did after work was to go to the beach--it was windy and I got smacked down by the waves but so happy to be home with Michael again. I'm encouraging him to write his testimony too. His story. All history is HIS story!!!

Three Memoirs

I read three memoirs recently, each so unique and heartbreaking, I found myself in prayer after finishing them. Daughters of Palestine by Leyla K. King is a memoir spanning a hundred years of the women in her family, from the demise of the Ottoman Empire to WWII to the creation of Israel, and what it meant for their family to be displaced from their ancestral homeland. We often forget the plight of the Palestinian Christians who are caught in the crossfire between Jews and Muslims. It is sad that there are so few Christians remaining in the Holy Land, the place where Christianity as born. But Christians have a unique perspective: we know we are merely pilgrims on this earth; we pray for the grace to be brought to our eternal home in heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Ms. King has captured the voices of her ancestors in this book. It's an intimate portrayal of a family amidst the tumultuous and bloodiest events in recent history. You can see some of the family photographs here: Daughters of Palestine: – The Thankful Priest – Leyla King I highly recommend this fast-paced memoir. You can pair it with Lawrence of Arabia by Scott Anderson to get a sense of how the modern Middle East was created. Many thanks to Eerdmans for a review copy of Daughters of Palestine. 

Coincidentally, today is also the Feast of St. Charbel Makhlouf, a Lebanese priest-monk known for his holiness. Let us pray to him for peace in the Middle East. 

Kiki Latimer interviewed me on Catholic Bookworm and when I learned she'd gone to India and shared her letters and journal entries in a book, Seeing God's Face, I knew I had to have it. It is such an honest account --of being moved to tears by poverty and injustice, but also experiencing the simple joys of sharing tea and sweets. Even though these writings are from 20 years ago, they evoked so many memories of my own from 50 years ago. This picture of the family on the moped could've been ours. The writing is beautiful and uncensored--how I wish I could write like this, with searing honesty.

 

This last memoir, Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy, is one I devoured. I'd read her first novel, The God of Small Things, when it came out nearly 30 years ago, when I had just returned from a month in India after a 20-year absence. It slayed me. I didn't realize how much of it is autobiographical until I read the memoir. My heart broke for the little girl who never knew unconditional love and for the young woman who was so poor, she lived in a shanty while going to school (to study architecture). I loved that she had the courage to leave the home she knew to forge a better life for herself. She worked hard. She was writing screenplays with her husband before she turned to novel writing and what a debut! I could see how all the beautiful and ugly things shaped her. She's tenacious, clinging to life from the beginning, and following her dreams. Winning the Booker granted her everything that money could buy and she continues to be generous with her wealth, having known abject poverty and injustice herself. I sensed a wounded heart that hasn't healed. She's prickly. Because the one thing that comes up again and again is that the place of refuge becomes a dangerous place. Is it any wonder that I am moved to pray for her, that she may discover the unconditional love of God for her. I hope someone places Henri Nouwen's Life of the Beloved in her hands. It is so hard to believe in God when one is abandoned by the very people who are supposed to care for you, love you. Love doesn't have to be a transaction. Thanks to Net Galley for a review copy. 

On Pursuing a Trade, Localism and Retirement

So, I'm back on Facebook. I started during Lent, while everyone else was taking a break from social media :) Three big reasons: the SCBWI message board has not been restored (I don't know if they'll ever will), our barbershop practices are recorded and we can return to our private FB page to review specific elements like interpretation, choreography, etc., and publishers expect you to be active on social media.  

One benefit has been reconnecting with family and friends far away, but the best part has been discovering things in my own community. I was feeling sad about not having my flag up for Fourth of July--I couldn't reach the bracket with all the cucumbers growing on our porch (and Michael was out of town)--but this nice young man, Derek Schultz, owner of Schultz Construction, offered to hang up the American flag for anyone who needed help on the private community page. I called and he came over and did me a huge favor by moving the bracket where I could reach it. It was great getting to know him--he's been in the roofing business since his teens working with his father, and now has his own company. It's so refreshing to meet young people who love their country, their family, and their work. I gave him some cucumbers; it reminded me of the old ways, where people exchanged goods and services. This reminded me how wonderful it can be for people to pursue a trade. 

Emma Slaven, a reporter for Daniel Island News, asked people about early retirement. I replied tongue-in-cheek to her query with: stay-at-home moms never retire. And was delighted to have a chance to answer her thoughtful questions. So fun to be featured in the local newspaper: Why more people are retiring early, and loving it | The Daniel Island News. 

I actually think that retirement is a strange notion; the happiest people I know are engaged in meaningful work, whether or not they are paid for it. Mothering and homemaking the most satisfying of all the work I've done, yet we never hear about it on "Career Day" in schools. I wish the focus would be on vocation instead. I really enjoyed this essay: Reflecting on C.S. Lewis’s Letter to a Housewife. 

All this brought back wonderful memories from last December, when we went to Liturgy of the Land Conference. We met many young families who left the corporate workforce to have a more family-centered economy, whether it's dairy farming, beekeeping, blacksmithing. There is no expectation of retiring because the work never ends, but in many cases, some of the grown children take over the farm or business, or pursue a different line of work more suited to their interests. Durable Trades by Rory Groves is a great resource for teenagers and it really makes one appreciate our society at the local level. There's a Catholic school in Steubenville that focuses on trade: College of St. Joseph the Worker 

I never shared my conference notes because we were busy with wedding preparations and family in town, but much of what I learned can be found in these books. Liturgy of the Land by Jason Craig and Tommy Van Horn has given us much food for thought about the why and how of the Catholic homestead. The Independent Farmstead by Shawn and Beth Dougherty relates how they were able to develop a farm that's self-sustaining. Even as suburban gardeners, we are able to incorporate some of the principles of these books into our lives. And I continue to have dreams about Bodach Books and Brews. 

Home Sweet Home

We are so blessed to live here on Daniel Island. Everything I need or want is at home or within walking distance. I lead a small life--going to church, taking care of my family, writing, singing, and reading--but feel so rich. I've written a story about contentment--it still needs a home--but when I wrote the final sentence, I felt a tremendous wholeness. I should send it out. I used to be so good about sending out my work. Now, after a couple of rejections, I return to writing. Must try to spend one writing session each week on business aspects. 

The crepe myrtles are in bloom, but I thought I'd post a picture of a painting that Dagny made in high school. And since my camera cannot capture the beautiful crescent moon, I painted it instead (on a piece of cardboard). 

We do so love making things from the bounty in the garden--dill pickles and salsa (my Mexcian stepmother, who is a great cook, gifted me Salsas that Cook by Rick Bayless and it is a GEM). I could live on chips and salsa :)

 

Summertime Fun

We're having a lovely summer--so many beautiful feast days to celebrate: Corpus Christi, the Nativity of John the Baptist, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Saints Peter and Paul. Best of all, Max and his girlfriend came for a visit, so we've had a lovely time all together, going to the beach, a visit to Middleton Plantation (they have an oak that's a thousand years old!) and the Angel Oak (about 500 years old). So fun to be a tourist in our hometown--Max is a good tour guide too. We also ate a lot. Michael's brisket is soooo good. And we had a traditional Indian meal at home too, with mangoes and heavy cream.