Article at Ignitumtoday

Minimalism
March 4, AD 2015 | Julie Machado

              Minimalism takes work and effort. It is an exercise of saying no to many things in order to focus on saying yes to the important ones. It is well worth it since minimalism also brings many benefits to both body and soul. Lent is a season for minimalism, both inside and out. We are invited to visit the desert, like Jesus, and say no to “extra” food, noise, decorations, festivities, things, activities, etc



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On delegating housework

 

 

New favorite pastime: chasing the vacum cleaner and feeling wind on her face. Do note the flying tuft of hair.

Should you delegate housework? And where do you draw the line? I am sometimes shocked to discover others don't think the way I do... shocking... and this subject is one of those cases. Some view cooking, cleaning, laundry, organizing, decorating, etc. as "unqualified" work which, if you have something more important or "qualified" to do, should be delegated. Or if you have the money to delegate it, you will be happier and able to do funner things, like watch movies or take a walk.

I disagree. So does Henry David Thoreau in Walden, one of my very favorite books:

"There is some of the same fitness in a man's building his own house than there is in a bird's building its own nest. Who knows but if men constructed their dwellings with their own hands, and provided food for themselves and families simply and honestly enough, the poetic faculty would be universally developed, as birds universally sing when they are so engaged? ...... We belong to the community. It is not the tailor alone who is the ninth part of a man; it is as much the preacher, and the merchant, and the farmer. Where is this division of labor to end? and what object does it finally serve? No doubt another may also think for me; but it is not therefore desirable that he should do so to the exclusion o my thinking for myself." (in the chapter "Architecture")

This reminds me a bit of the Little House books, which I am rereading. Their entire work is dedicated to their little house: Pa is always making and building things for their houses, and Ma is always cleaning and taking care of their houses and food. The books are mainly about the work they put into their home and family, and not about them frolicking about the woods or doing recreational activites all day. Which are fine, but not meant to take up the majority of our time.

So it makes me nervous to delegate housework to a cleaning lady or someone else's cooking. Maybe some people really do have important, qualified work to do and it's a benefit to society for them to delegate housework. The president and the first lady for example. The Pope. Most priests. As for me, I find cooking, cleaning and taking care of my house and my family's house VERY QUALIFIED WORK. Very personal work. Very important work. For me the home is symbolic (of our heavenly home, etc) and so it is a priority. And knowing how to do the basic, rudimentary things of life is good for the soul. Like Thoreau says, it develops the poetic faculty. Yes, I think vacuuming develops my poetic faculty.

My take on codfish

Did you know that if there were a "Portuguese dish" it would probably be codfish and they claim there are more than 1000 ways to prepare it? 

Well, I'm not a huge fan, but my husband is, my father is, and almost every Portuguese man I know is so I like to have a recipe up my sleeve. This is my take on "Bacalhau de Gomes Sa", which is like a casserole... and I love casseroles. 

Buy shredded, salted codfish and soak it in water for 24 hours, changing the water at least twice. Then boil it for 15 minutes, drain it and soak it in warm milk for 30 minutes. Peel and roughly chop potatoes (enough to fill a casserole dish) and boil them until just tender. Slice two onions and four garlic cloves and saute them in about 1/2 cup of olive oil, adding a little cinnamon and cumin. Combine everything in an oiled dish, plus a dash of oregano and black olives (I forgot and served mine on the side), and add more olive oil if necessary. Bake until bubbling and top with chopped parsley and hard boiled eggs. 

 

***Update to this recipe here:

http://martajuliemaria.blogspot.pt/2016/11/bacalhau.html

Just let me get to that baby

I feel all over the map with priorities and responsibilities. We just got back from a weekend youth group retreat. Then yesterday was a mad dash to clean the house and make dinner. We still don't have groceries. I have a really long translation to do I've been putting off for a month and now I have to scramble.

Yesterday I saw two friends at mass and told them, "We should get together". One told the other, "She doesn't mean it. She's very busy." It killed me. I hate being that person that says we should get together but doesn't really. I feel like I've taken on too much until the end of the school year and I have little space to prioritize. I have the house, the baby, a few classes, a little tutoring, a youth group (exhausting. by. the. way.) and I can't deal.

I'm taking this Lent as an opportunity to prioritize, minimize and not be that "busy" person. How awful. If you have prayer, you will have order and your time will be multiplied the saints say. I'd like to have order and focus on important things, like people and babies (like my Addie so naturally does. She pic above).

Happy Lent

Happy Lent... which apparently means springtime. I'm feeling my weakness pretty well today...overwhelmed with things to do, commitments to meet and some general adversity.. but I'm hoping I will find the springtime during this Lenten journey this year. And when I think of the Christians at the hands of ISIS, I feel pretty bad in complaining.

Instead of giving something up this Lent, I'm sharing the #sharejesus (redeemedonline.com) videos on Facebook. Have you heard of Fr. Leo... the cooking priest? He's pretty great.