Measuring the Seasons by Light

 

I measure the seasons by the dawn light streaming into my east-facing kitchen each day as the angles of light hits the table in my tiny home. Here in the photo from about a month ago, the light was lined up almost perfectly like stripes on the table. Already though, that has shifted, in the last couple weeks, the light has cut a varied path, grazing the table at a sharper angle from bottom left, to upper right. The season is shifting. 

Spring days were blooming sweet and fine - 
The heavenly wisdom allotted such time - 
To shape hearts of many by love so divine.

It is interesting how subtle shifts in our lives can easily go unnoticed - whether it is a seasonal shift or some other relational shift. We tend to get so trained in our everyday we focus on our schedule or the next thing we need to do, rather than noticing the moment we are in and what might be happening in it. What beautiful mystery might be wrapped up in that moment?

Something I have been working on for years is noticing and appreciating the moment I am in. In our modern distracted world, I have found that it takes a lot of effort to slow down but when I actually do, I realize how deeply my soul needs that. Part of this effort has been made by simplifying my life in myriad ways, from decluttering and organizing, choosing fewer products to buy in general (and not buying cheaply so I don't have to replace the item in one season), and making the simplest moments lovely and special. I might drink coffee or tea in my favourite antique cup and saucer because I want to, and it enhances the experience and causes me to slow down to enjoy it. 

These small things add beautiful moments to my life, but they take a little bit of effort. Is it easier to buy cheaply and throw everything away? Is it faster to make coffee and drink out of a paper cup to toss? Sure. But there is something missing for me (aside from the environmental impact) - the enjoyment aspect. We are meant to enjoy this life we have been given. I want to savor each moment in its own unique way that it is. Each season holds treasures in it that we might gloss over if we move too fast. 

So, measuring the seasons by the light on my kitchen table has been a way of just simply noticing that in the bigger picture, our planet is tilted and as we circle the sun our seasons shift as we get a tiny bit closer or farther away from our star, and that huge solar system movement impacts me here directly in these tiny ways every single morning, by the light shifts. But only if I am willing to notice. This noticing isn't going to change the world, but it just might change my view of it, by appreciating all the wonder-filled moments that are present every day. And that appreciation goes beyond myself and outward to others.

Week of Books - The Seven Dials Mystery

 

The Seven Dials Mystery
Agatha Christie

"You'd have liked him, Father. I never saw anyone more cheerfully inefficient than he was."
"I don't like anyone who comes and dies in my house on purpose to annoy me," said Lord Caterham obstinately.

(Page 35)

Sometimes you just need a good murder mystery, as Aristotle would say, because we take pleasure in the image of a murder. Perhaps because it is so distant from our actual everyday experience - twists and turns, dangerous clues, intrigue. And if it's Agatha Christie, it's just a fun read overall.

This murder mystery had me chuckling quite a lot. It reads much like a P.G. Wodehouse novel, which always make me laugh. The set-up is a group of young people, who decide to play a joke on Gerry Wade, who tends to sleep in everyday until almost noon. They decide to buy eight alarm clocks to place in his room and set them all to wake him at 6:30 am. Except, the joke backfires. He doesn't wake up.

This starts the mystery of how he died. Accident? Murder? The more Bundle investigates this question, the more she somehow gets wrapped into a secret society, warning notes, another death, and her own inquisitive nature that puts her in danger.

I love how Agatha as the creator of this story leaves clues and breadcrumbs along the way, and when you get to the end when it is revealed, you look back and see how obvious it was if you had paid attention to those clues.

Maybe I was so distracted along the way, having a grand time with these characters and fun dialogue. 

"I haven't been to London," said Bundle, "I ran over a man."
"What?"
"Only I didn't really. He was shot."
"How could he have been?"
"I don't know how he could have been, but he was."
"But why did you shoot him?"
"I didn't shoot him."
"You shouldn't shoot people," said Lord Caterham in a tone of mild remonstrance. "You shouldn't really. I daresay some of them richly deserve it - but all the same it will lead to trouble."
"I tell you I didn't shoot him."
"Well, who did?"
"Nobody knows," said Bundle.
"Nonsense," said Lord Caterham. "A man can't be shot and run over without anyone having done it."
"He wasn't run over," said Bundle.
"I thought you said he was."
"I said I thought I had."
(Page 52)

Week of Books - Poetics

 

Poetics
Aristotle

A common phenomenon is evidence of this: even when things are painful to look upon - corpses for instance, or the shapes of the most revolting animals - we take pleasure in viewing highly realistic images of them.
(Page 20)

I am not sure how I haven't picked this one up yet, but I am so glad I did. An alternative title for it could be "Advice to an Aspiring Author (with special notes to the murder mystery writer)". In this book, Aristotle is rejecting the previous philosophy of Plato's in the theory of ideas, and branching out to his focus on philosophy, poetry, and history. He sketches out the development of poetry, and argues how it is more philosophical than history, where history just give facts and poetry explores universal truths. The depth of morality can be explored through tragedy in story and plays, he explains. All the elements he depicts of course would be familiar to us as the Greek tragedy he finds some faults in those, however, it also could fit quite well (was he writing for the future?) with a very different kind of story we know today as the murder mystery or detective novel. You could study these guidelines in the context of the tragedy of King Oedipus or any of the Lord Peter Whimsey mysteries (by Dorothy L. Sayers). In each of these, the morality of the characters, the gruesome murder scene, the emotion and how they attempt to be virtuous, the twists of the story, etc all fit into Aristotle's guidelines for the storytelling of tragedy. 

I love that this book even includes a talk given by Dorothy L. Sayers in Oxford in 1935 titled "Aristotle on Detective Fiction." She discusses Poetics specifically, as an outline for writing detective novels. "In one phrase he sums up the whole essence of the detective story proper. Speaking of the denouement of the work, he says: 'It is also possible to discover whether some one had done or not done something.' Yes indeed."

Now let me get on with writing my next (detective) story, taking my notes/reminders from Aristotle.

Poetry is more philosophical and more serious than history; poetry utters universal truths, history particular statements.
(Page 28)

Week of Books - The Naked Don't Fear

 

The Naked Don't Fear the Water
Matthieu Aikins

You tended to look at the next person's fear to see if it was more or less than your own. We had to act confident for each other's sake.
(page 119)

I finished this book a couple weeks ago, and am still thinking about it. In an effort to be more aware of global issues and cultural topics, I have been more keen to broaden my horizons with books that are a departure from where my comfortable zone usually takes me in my reading. I want to be a widely read bookish soul.

I was riveted by the storytelling and beauty of prose in Matthieu's book. He is a Canadian journalist who has been reporting/living in Kabul, Afghanistan for more than ten years. He went undercover with an Afghan friend, Omar, as a refugee, and wrote about the experience and journey. It is quite an adventure, full of danger, darkness, and some human kindness along the way. But it is harrowing reality for those who are trying to escape to Europe for better lives and opportunity. Visas are very difficult to come by, and paperwork is either very expensive or not granted for most. The borders creates these kinds of conditions - the tougher the borders, the more opportunities for the ill-intended minds. Not only are smugglers an essential part of those refugees trying to get out, but it is a dangerous choice to use smugglers for so many reasons.

This book so beautifully brings to light the fact that we are all human together, and yet we have created such walls and divisions in our world that place others at immediate disadvantage and suffering. Who is considered a refugee? Matthieu asks. Through this book, we see through the eyes of an observant writer who shows us these scenes and takes us on this journey that could be our own.

For years now, blending in for my own safety had been a habit. In turn, passing as an Afghan had made me aware of how, as an Asian face abroad, I had to perform my own Western identity if I wanted to wield its privilege. The American ring to my voice, the way I made eye contact, the clothes I wore - these were levers that could shift the world. Passing, in this sense, is a universal condition, wrote Asad Haider.
(page 101)

Week of Books - War and Peace

 

War and Peace
Leo Tolstoy

'I don't say it's a plan I approve of,' he said, 'I'm just telling you how things are. Napoleon has his own plan and it's no worse than ours.'
(Page 103)

This mammoth of a tome is my long journey. I shall be dwelling in these 1,300+ pages for a long time, so you may catch glimpses every now and then. Ahh, this book. I liked it from the first page. These characters introduced are full of quirks and hopes, goals and failures. I love how Tolstoy sets them all up. You quickly get to know them, and then without any delay, the story jumps into action. Social parties allow the characters of this Russian upper class to be known, and then when a battle with Napoleon begins, you see it all play out in action, whether on the battlefield or off. 

I think the general turn-off of this book is the size. The sheer 1,300 pages is pretty daunting, I will say. I do delight in a book I can carry with me, and this one just doesn't fit into my bag nicely, because it's like carrying around a brick. Although I am only 400 pages in, I can confirm that this book it well worth the time. It's so well written and really fun to read. There's no dullness in my opinion, which might be another assumption people have of this book. 

It's a sort of parallel to our own history playing out in some similar fashions, from the 1805-1810s perspective. I really enjoy when I have time to dive into this world.

You dread crossing that line, and yet you still want to cross it. You know sooner or later you will have to go across and find out what is there beyond it, just as you must inevitably find out what lies beyond death. Yet here you are, fit and strong, carefree and excited, with men all around you just the same - strong, excited and full of life. This is what all men think when they get a sight of the enemy, or they feel it if they do not think it, and it is this feeling that gives a special lustre and a delicious edge to the awareness of everything that is now happening.
(Page 150)

Week of Books - Going to Church in Medieval England

 

Going to Church in Medieval England
Nicholas Orme

Churchgoing as a religious and social activity in Britain can be envisaged by at least AD 313 when the Emperor Constantine recognised Christianity as a lawful religion and allowed it to have permanent public places of worship.
(Page 5)

Why am I so drawn to the Medieval time period, specifically in Britain? I could probably point to a few things: my love of learning, history, books, England, architecture. All these things play a role in the Medieval time period. Over this time, books became more widely available (not just manuscripts, but eventually the printing press), which allowed more learning opportunities as more and more people became literate, as the reading culture was shifting from Latin to English. 

As one who is a long-time reader and appreciator of C.S. Lewis, I firmly believe that one cannot read his books and not be pointed into the Medieval ideas and books. From his early published The Allegory of Love on courtly love in Medieval time period, to the literary tome of his academic career The Oxford History of English Literature in the Sixteenth Century Excluding Drama, and all his writings in between, almost every book or story he wrote harkens back to writers, beliefs, quotes, and ideas from Medieval Britain. To better understand Lewis and what he was writing about, one must venture into the Middle Ages. So, needless to say, my interests have taken me along that similar journey of discovery, and now I am led to the churches in this time period, pre-Reformation and up to the Reformation. 

The book covers the time period from Augustine's arrival around 597 in south England (setting up in Canterbury) to the time of Elizabeth I in 1559. I have been learning about the origins, the church building itself, the staff of churches, the congregation and their activity and behavior, the seasons, etc. 

He also covers interesting literary connections from the books at that time, in their references of the church, from The Canterbury Tales, Piers Plowman, and many other works. It's a history book, full of details and anecdotes from records of churches. Some of them quite humorous when the behavior of people is detailed. People were not always so well-behaved as we might think from our modern perspective. Crying babies were an annoyance to many churchgoers, and in some country parishes, dogs and animals seemed to be difficult to keep out of the church (and they asked that weapons be left out on the porch), it's a wonder to me how a service of solemnity could have taken place!  

Wider literacy during the later Middle Ages, at least in reading French or English, enabled the language gap to be bridge to some extent. Primers and books of prayers in the vernacular languages helped, as did guides to services like the 'Lay Folks' Mass Book'.
(Page 187)

Tiny Bookish Views

 

I am sitting here at my desk by the window with my Lent book of poems at my elbow. The winds are gusting outside on a sparklingly bright day with lovely temperatures from the upper 50s to the low 70s. I am sipping a London Fog, missing the namesake city across the ocean, but feeling so thankful for this little home I get to live in and recharge over a weekend before entering Holy Week. Praying for time to reflect in my little space. Over the years I have tweaked this tiny home bit by bit making it more my own - a mixture of simple, classic, bookish. The only thing I have an abundance of is books. And I wouldn't change that at all. 

What are some things I love about my tiny home? You may sense a theme here, but around here, it's about books. A comfortable, simple atmosphere with beautiful small details and books. Lots of books. Old books, new books. And all the nooks.

When I travelled to Iceland and Norway, the beauty of their design and furniture really left an impact on me. I gravitate toward the natural light wood tones, clean white, and tapered lines. My favourite pieces of furniture are from Sweden or Denmark, or molded from that example of design. I admire the way the Scandinavian countries use elements of nature alongside something antique or modern, creating an effortless look, simple, timeless, and comfortable. 

My space is just over 500 square feet, and I honestly don't need more space. It means I am very selective in what I actually do have. Picking and selecting beautiful, well made items means I create a more pleasurable experience in the simplest of everyday things. I want pieces that last and are well made and look lovely after having them for years. Pieces I want to display and see. The simple pleasures of the everyday. 

And the books - lifelong companions they are. Old, new, and in between, they are always moving around my home, whether in my hands or open to be referenced for my book, my blog, just for fun, or a presentation I am giving.  I tend to research things just because something mentioned will spark my intrigue and I must dig to find that word or phrase, concept, or passage. A library must always be at my fingertips. Everything else is optional. 

As we travel deeper into the paths of Holy Week, may the comfort of knowing Jesus goes with us in every step or our daily lives guide our hearts and souls, leading us into more meaning-drenched moments and contemplative mindsets.

Breakfast with the Planets

 

He had read of "Space": at the back of his thinking for years had lurked the dismal fancy of the black, cold, vacuity, the utter deadness, which was supposed to separate the worlds. He had not known how much it affected him till now - now that the very name "Space" seemed a blasphemous libel for this empyrean ocean of radiance in which they swam. He could not call it "dead"; he felt life pouring into him from it every moment. How indeed should it be otherwise, since out of this ocean the worlds and all their life had come? He had thought it barren: he saw now that it was the womb of worlds, whose blazing and innumerable offspring looked down nightly even upon the earth with so many eyes - and here, with how many more! No: space was the wrong name. Older thinkers had been wiser when they named it simply the heavens - the heavens which declared the glory - the

"happy climes that ly
Where day never shuts his eye
Up in the broad fields of the sky."

He quoted Milton's words to himself, lovingly, at this time and often.

- Out of the Silent Planet, C.S. Lewis

This passage has always been wonderful to me. This is the part when Ransom is in the spaceship, held captive by Weston and Devine, on their way to Mars. C.S. Lewis brings one of his favourites, John Milton into the story, that great 17th century poet, and draws on Psalm 19, his favourite Psalm. Ransom's reflection shifts our viewing of space to the cosmos, something bigger, alive, and full of wonder. It evokes the Medieval perspective of how they looked at the night sky, calling it the heavens. There was something more held amidst those other worlds. I love that ancient idea. 

On mornings when I can take some breakfast with Venus, Mars, Saturn, and the crescent moon, it is a delight to celebrate. I came out to my kitchen one morning last week and was at my counter making my breakfast as usual. I turned around to set my bowl on the table and gasped at the sight outside my window as the bright Venus and crescent moon were absolutely radiant. Then a hug smile emerged on my face as I gazed at the little triangle in the sky, made up the three aforementioned planets, and the crescent moon hanging out. A cluster of cosmological beauty in the sky is pure poetry of God's creation. It set my soul to wonder and wander into the cosmos. Of course, my cell phone camera does not do this scene justice by any means. It is highly recommended you wake up early to view with the naked eyes.

The predawn hour is my favourite hour of the day. It holds so much calm, peace, quiet, and hope for the day ahead. The lighting slowly begins to grow, first as a nightlight glow from the horizon, then as the sun rises, light begins to emanate off other things like clouds if they are formed, to a range of vibrant colours. 

Star and planet gazing has always been something I love - to find something in the sky like Orion or a planet when it pops up in the morning as it has been recently, is like visiting your favourite waterfall or canyon - the sheer glory of creation causes one to stand in awe of it. And that's how I feel. 

The heavens declare the glory of God...

I will be keeping watch in these morning predawns over the next couple weeks, as another planet joins the planet party in the sky, Jupiter. The four planets will get into a nice line-up, on the ecliptic, reminding us that our solar system is a flat disc and all the planets line-up nicely on occasion.