Plot Points #28 💌
Baby news, Thanksgiving, fascism, and a gift for you!
Happy Thanksgiving week, friends! I hope yours was wonderful and full of the company of loved ones, delicious food, and some time to take a post-meal nap. (The actual best.)
We had a slow Thanksgiving Day here at home, just the four of us. I made a loaf of sourdough bread (I’m getting good at it, you guys, truly), a garlic and thyme seasoned bird, boxed stuffing, boxed mac and cheese, and heavenly eggs. (Not deviled, as our family tradition dictates, because my super-devout-and-silly dad used to say nothing of the devil belonged in our house 🤣.) It was simple, tasty, and full of enough carbs to make us all crash on the couch afterward. We have a dinner with family tomorrow, as well, so for this morning we are just savoring the lights on the Christmas tree and a few peaceful moments in this liminal, quiet space.
A couple of quick, exciting updates to share today before you’re swept away by Black Friday shopping:
My little sister, Kati, is having a GIRL! I thought for sure she was having a boy, but I should have known. Making girls first is what the women in this family do! Last Sunday, a whole bunch of us celebrated at the same pavilion where I officiated Kati and Luke’s wedding four years ago and we all just fawned over the news. Willa Ruth Vines, I can’t wait to squish your sweet little face!
Tuesday was my one-year anniversary here on Substack! It was also my daughter’s birthday, which I chose to write about first for obvious reasons, but now I want to say a big thank you! Thank you for a whole year of reading, sharing, commenting, and using your dollars to say you believe my work matters. It has been a joy to create this weekly newsletter and continue to share about the things that touch my soul. Since leaving social media for good, The Nook has been a saving grace for my writing and a wonderful way for me to stay connected to all of you.
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That’s all for now! Have a beautiful weekend, friends. Thanks for sharing some of your time with me.
Point #1: We are already free.
Oh, this a wonderful piece for every mother who has left her job to stay at home with her children. It’s challenging, thoughtful, and encouraging for those moments when, as
writes, “the very groups that most want to ‘free’ me from my work most objectify me, flattening out the great joy in my daily sacrifices and trivializing my work in its ordinariness.”Point #2: One of the voices I’m most thankful for? C.S. Lewis, of course.
I loved this essay honoring the 60th anniversary of literary giant C.S. Lewis’ death. It spells out so many of the reasons why he was beloved in life and what he thought about his own work, which he didn’t suspect would last in the public imagination for more than a few years. Oh, how wrong you were, Jack.
Point #3: Fascism starts so slowly that even the best people are susceptible to it.
I know, I know. Cheerful, right? But important things are important anytime. I don’t have much of my own to say here, but that’s because this piece from journalist Ruth Ben-Ghiat of
sums it up so well already:Point #4: The system is broken, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.
has done it again. No one is more astute in her observations of harmful theology, misogyny, and the Evangelical Machine than Katelyn Beaty, and this piece on how often women find themselves thinking they can change the institution from the inside is hard to read, but necessary. As Katelyn writes, “Changing it from within isn’t on women. It’s on you, bro.”Word of the Week
Anecdoche: (n.) A conversation in which everybody is talking, but nobody is listening.
(I have a feeling many a Thanksgiving table has had one of these a time or two 😉.)
Reading in The Nook
I’m still working my way through Emily Henry’s Happy Place, which has been funny but a little forgettable so far. I’m sure this has more to do with my bouncing around from one thing to another this week than any failure on Henry’s part. I’ll let you know.
I’m also back to reading my favorite inspirational fiction author, Julie Klassen. She writes engaging, thoroughly-not-cheesy historical fiction with a faith bent and I’ve loved her work for a long time. Right now I’m reading one of her latest novels, Shadows of Swanford Abbey. I checked it out on my Kindle and can we just praise libraries for using OverDrive? It’s one of the best benefits of having a library card.
In nonfiction, I’m starting Viktor Frankl’s worldwide bestseller Man’s Search for Meaning and also making my way through To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism to continue learning about the long history of our faith tradition and gain a deeper understanding of our theological views. Both are fascinating!
What are you reading this holiday weekend? 👇🏼
“I am out with lanterns, looking for myself.”
—Emily Dickenson—
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