I've been reading Iain Murray's biography of Jonathan Edwards, and I have a feeling that it is going to give rise to more than one blog entry topic over the next few days. One thing I have remarked upon as I've read it is how essential to Edwards' ministry hospitality was, and how the hospitality for which his family was apparently fairly well-known would have been non-existent if it hadn't been for his wife, Sarah. Even the impact Edwards' life was to have on later generations sprang, to some extent, out of the draw of the hospitableness of his home.
It was that hospitality which drew Samuel Hopkins, a primary source of information about Edwards for many of his biographers, to show up at the Edwards' home as a total stranger, expecting and receiving a warm welcome. One of Jonathan Edwards' more influential books, The Life and Diary of the Rev. David Brainerd, was inspired by a friendship that was started in a similar fashion. Brainerd, having met Jonathan Edwards only once, showed up on his doorstep one spring and apparently stayed for the rest of the summer. He became good friends with the entire family, and Edwards spoke at his funeral. These were two figures among countless people who benefited from the hospitality of the Edwards household, and Murray quotes both as remarking upon the hospitable atmosphere of the Edwards home created by Sarah.
The disparity between the education of men and women at the time is readily apparent in the spelling and style of the letters and other writings that have survived to be recorded in Murray's biography, so I am not about to whole-heartedly endorse the general attitude toward women during Edwards' era. I will, however, point out that there was a marked appreciation for the atmosphere in the home--for which women were mostly responsible--that we rarely see today. Perhaps a renewal of that appreciation would help women to stop seeing staying home as the isolated, unfulfilling death trap that a lot of women still seem to consider it to be. Right now it seems almost socially taboo to compliment a woman on creating a hospitable home.
A renewed appreciation of the art of hospitality might require a better understanding of what truly good hospitality requires. The hospitality of Sarah Edwards was not merely good food and a warm bed; guests of Jonathan Edwards naturally came expecting spiritual food as well. Sarah openly and knowledgeably conversed with her guests about theological issues and moral concerns. When we relegate the art of hospitality to what one can learn in Home Ec in middle school, is it any wonder that most women are turned off by the idea of spending a good portion of their day in creating a hospitable home? When so many people seem to think of the "stay-at-home mom" as one who is primarily concerned with her own children and her own household affairs rather than as someone whose responsibility is the comfort, knowldge, and well-being of anyone who walks in the door, it is no wonder those SAH moms feel isolated. Everyone loses in a culture with that attitude.
Paige (Josh's mom) bought me some clothes that are a children's size XL. To my surprise, they fit perfectly, except that on one shirt the sleeves are even a tad too long. It had never occured to me that I would fit in children's sizes. I mean, I'm not exactly tall, but by some estimates I'm a half inch taller than the average American woman. Whose kids are these supposed to fit, anyway??
I bought a bottle of Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper at the gas station today. My objective, blind taste tests led me to the conclusion that it tastes just like... Diet Dr. Pepper. Who knew?
The strawberry farm down the road opened for the season this week. As I write this, I am savoring a strawberry and banana salad. All the yogurt flavoring in the world doesn't do the real combination justice. *contented sigh*
I recently told someone that Thanksgiving was my favorite day of the year, but I think I might have to change it to be the first day of the strawberry season. In this land without seasons, it's hard for someone like me who finds New Year's totally meaningless to come up with good annual milestones. Holidays and birthdays are okay--I would certainly prefer other holidays to New Year's--but strawberries have a season, an arc that traces over the events of my life over the course of a few months. The first day I can get strawberries at the fruit stand brings back all kinds of strawberry memories from last year. I can think, "Oh, yeah, that happened around the time I made that strawberry cake for the first time." Or, "That happened about the time of the year when the strawberries were getting kind of flavorless and mushy." Or, "Yes, I recall well. That took place during the dark time of the year when the strawberry stand is closed altogether."
Leave it to me to mark events in my life by a food. At least it's a healthy food.
In a convergence of surplus ingredients in my fridge last night that was random on an almost cosmic scale, I happened to have fresh chives, cream cheese, smoked salmon, and lots of eggs, all of which needed to be cooked and eaten ASAP. I made a smoked salmon fritatta, the recipe for which I found -- where else? -- on Epicurious. It was extremely tasty and oh-so-easy to make. Even if you are not like me, and the mere though of smoked salmon does not make you do a little jogging dance on the kitchen counter, you will probably still like it. Smoked salmon has that distinct but light flavor that makes you feel much better after eating it with lots of eggs and cheese than, say, sausage does. We had it with some fruit salad and gewurtztraminer (my favorite kind of wine). It definitely hit the spot.
A few months ago, I mentioned the miracle cure for my allergies, nasal irrigation. Here comes the disclaimer that I'm sure a few of you have probably been anticipating. While it did clear my congestion, I did notice that I was still having trouble breathing through my nose. A lot of trouble. Enough that it was waking me up multiple times during the night and leaving me completely exhausted all day. Enough that I finally bit the bullet and visited an allergist last week. Come to find out that nasal irrigation does nothing for a nasal cavity and sinuses that are so irritated they are almost swollen shut. Granted, irrigation helped a LOT, just not enough. I still irrigate, but I don't think there's a lot of holistic medicine that can help me fight the 300 some odd pollens found in our neck of the woods. I'm on some "Western" drugs until I can start receiving allergy shots again, and I feel much, much, much better.
(and that you're not at Hillsdale College any more) when more people you know are celebrating the lunar New Year than Ash Wednesday.
Have you ever pulled up my blog only to be disappointed, once again, that I haven't posted anything new? Apparently, my poor blogging habits have been the cause of deep depression for at least one reader. If you come to this site with any regularity, you can probably identify with the unsettling feeling that comes from having to read old posts over and OVER again. Even worse is the panic panic seeing a completely blank page! *Gasp!*
If this describes you, or you are just lazy, and you want to get an email every time I update my blog, just post a comment to this entry. Sorry, I don't have any secret decoder rings to send out to my fans. Yet. How about a pack of playing cards from Vegas to call your very own?
As of last week, I am pleased to announce, money can, indeed, buy happiness. Happiness is available in a 310-page hard-bound, blue and yellow volume at your local bookstore. Of course, the author of this ambitious tome--British economist Lord Richard Layard--would dispute that tooth and nail all the way to the bank where he cashes his royalty checks. According to Lord Layard, the problem with modern government is that it expends all of its energy aiding its citizens in the pursuit of wealth rather than the pursuit of happiness. Wealth has a diminishing marginal return when it comes to happiness, says Layard. Government should concentrate on less tangible sources of happiness, such as family, health, financial situation (how is that not money?), work (money?), community, personal freedom and values, and friends. In the meantime, let's get rid of economic incentives to work harder.
I'm all in favor of family, health, and friends, but I think Lord Layard is missing his mark. There are a lot of things wrong with his theory. I am sure I'm neither the first nor the last person to roll my eyes and succumb to a sudden desire to rant upon reading about it. Since I am neither economist nor political scientist, though, I will limit myself to a single criticism. I think of the truly happy people I know. Even out of that fairly homogenous pool, it is hard to think of a common set of circumstances in their lives that could cause their happiness. The one thing I have noted is that their happiness isn't caused by or dependent upon their circumstances. Their happiness seems to arise from a determination to be content with their circumstances.
Most of the seven conditions that Lord Layard thinks lead to happiness seem to me to be more the results of an attitude that seeks to see good and be satisfied than actual causes of happiness. There is a correlation, Lord Layard, but the causal relationship goes the other way. Good family relationships, for instance, don't come from a government program that has taught us "values" but from a willingness to love, forgive one another, and sacrifice ourselves for the sake of the happiness and well-being of our loved ones. Similarly, many people I know have finally gotten their "dream" jobs, and are just as unhappy doing them as a lot of us paper pushers doing something we never expected to be doing. If I have an attitude that looks for the good in my job, I can usually be relatively happy at my job. Yet the government is supposed to create a working environment for an entire nation that makes everyone happy? All the government programs in the world won't help someone who is determined to be discontent. I'm not saying that circumstances never contribute to happiness or unhappiness, just that, ultimately, we look at our circumstances the way we want to see them. Happiness is an attitude, not a set of circumstances. Money can't buy happiness... and neither can social programs that attempt to engineer our circumstances to force everyone into greater contentment. Unless, of course, the government starts subsidizing pot.
I don't know why I keep going to Trader Joe's. I always get frustrated that they have so much great stuff but they neglect to stock beef, chicken, or produce in any quantities that are useful to me. If I could do all of my shopping at Trader Joe's, I would. But, no, they don't carry any staples that anyone who cooks would need, like flour, sugar, unprepared beef, a variety of standard spices, etc. It was during such a moment of frustration that I realized what Trader Joe's really is. Think about it... Copious amounts floor space set aside for cheap liquor... All of the snacks and prepared foods... It's the 7-11 for the 21st century!