This Week’s Miscellany: Vol. 161

October is just THE BEST, isn’t it? We got a few cool days and now it’s back to your regularly scheduled Texas heat, but it’s about to get crisp and lovely. I CAN FEEL IT.

And the liturgical feasts this time of year are wonderful.

We partied it up for Michaelmas (Feast of the Archangels), of course.

We started with daily Mass. And did I mention that there’s a parish JUST UP THE ROAD? In walking distance? And mothers of only tiny ones, there WILL come a day when you can go to daily Mass solo with the kids. Now that mine are 7.5, almost 5, and 3.5, Mass with the kids is downright pleasant. The three-year-old is still squirmy and wants to whisper in my ear about everyone and everything she sees, but we can do it. Of course, when a new baby joins our family someday (God willing) it will get more challenging again, but I can see the future of Mass with kids and it is bright, y’all.

We had friends over to celebrate with us for dinner and feasted on creamed spinach and mushrooms, glazed carrots, roast chicken with butternut and onions, and blackberry crumble.

I’m really trying to think ahead for our favorite feasts and holy days (something that I’m not very good at doing). So after making this year’s October Liturgical Living at a Glance post, I actually copied things over to my calendar so I would remember to pull books of the shelf and consider them when meal planning in plenty of time.

After two years of transition and upheaval, I think my mantra for the next few months is ORGANIZE. I’m not naturally organized but the more kids we have, the more it seems necessary to make it happen. And this past week I meal planned meticulously, wrote out to do lists, and planned our days ahead of time and (no one will be surprised to hear) life went more smoothly.

For the Feast of St. Francis we visited the most beautiful church in Waco, St. Francis on the Brazos. It’s STUNNING! Build in the 20th century but fashioned after Baroque churches of the 1700s. I shared some images and video in Instagram stories the other day and had a bunch of folks telling me, “I can’t believe this beauty is in Waco!” P.S. do you follow me on Insta? I’ve been ignoring Snapchat since I got hooked on Instagram stories.

Hey, St. Francis!

Ever since we got a copy of Bishop Barron’s new Catholicism: The Pivotal Players, 7yo Benjamin has been dying to stay up with the grown ups and watch it after the girls go to sleep. So on the eve of the feast, we let him stay up and watch the episode on St. Francis. It was fascinating and so well done! It’s cool to have big kids. I feel like we’re just getting a taste of it and it’s something special.

On Our Bookshelf:

We’ve been reading a ton lately. I’m reading aloud picture books from the library (I really liked Sarah Mackenzie’s recommendations for picture books for October) and Swallows and Amazons over breakfast. And then I’ve been reading the Felicity American Girl series to the girls at bedtime and The Mysterious Benedict Society with Benjamin.

I’m still plugging away at The Brothers Karamazov and I’m starting Have His Carcase by Dorothy Sayers and Home by Marilynne Robinson which I’ve been meaning to read for ages.

The Quotable Gwen:

Gwen (3 years): “Was that when I was a baby in your tummy?”

Me: “No, that was a long time ago. Even before you were in my tummy.”

Gwen: “Oh, I guess back then I was just in your heart.”

HOW ARE YOU SO CUTE, CHILD?

We’ve got a new podcast episode up this week! And it’s a chat with the lovely Anna Liesemeyer of the splendid blog In Honor of Design. We talk about balancing owning a business with motherhood and putting our families first. Anna shares her wisdom about how to discern what projects to take on during different seasons and fueling the creative life. So fun!

And this month will be my first time co-hosting Tsh Oxenreider’s The Simple Show to talk books. Did I tell you that I’ll be on the show once a month?! The Simple Show was the first podcast I ever listened to and got me hooked on podcasts. I can’t tell you how honored and thrilled I am to be co-hosting!

More Links:

How to raise kinder, less entitled kids: The Washington Post

A Modest Proposal Concerning Feminism and Contraception: We, A Great Parade

Real-Life Jane Austen-Inspired Vacation Spots: Verily Mag

Saying Yes to the Mess: Abbey Dupuy for CatholicMom.com

Watch an Impromptu Icelandic Hymn Sung in a Modern Train Station: Atlas Obscura

Wishing you a beautiful weekend, friends!

Lots of love,

Haley

P.S. You can follow me…

…by subscribing to my newsletter that goes out monthly, following with Bloglovin’, Feedly, or subscribing to posts via email on the right sidebar. You can also follow me on  Facebook, Twitter (@haleycarrots), Pinterest (haleyofcarrots), and Instagram (haleycarrots).

This post contains affiliate links.