Naomi Shihab Nye:

I have not succeeded this week in having a genuine day of Shabbat. But I did get a good reminder that Good News, in its simplest and everyday form, is also stripped of human elaboration. It’s good to let it be simple.

Quick stop at Broad Arrow Farm • Naturally, their motto “Do you know where your food comes from?” reminds me of this. 🙂

Meghan’s random book grab today. I figure the subtitle could just as well have been “A Brief Jaunt Through Human History.” Or even “A Brief Jaunt Through My Own History.” 🤓

From the epigraph: “To every kid with a little daydream and every grown-up with a big idea …”

“Mournful punditry” — Some thoughts from this week.

📚Happy New Book in the Mail Day! Celebrate accordingly

“This dual commitment to a single origin and a pluralized manifestation of moral living characterizes Bretherton’s approach.”

Werntz’s worthy critique notwithstanding — what, after all, is wrong with “squinting very hard,” and don’t we end up doing that anyway? — I’m definitely ordering Bretherton’s book. And checking out his “Listen, Organize, Act” podcast.

I love Jennifer Roberts’ phrase “the formative powers of delay”.

   …Patience

comes to the bones

before it takes root in the heart
as another good idea.

     — Mary Oliver

John Adams:

Power always sincerely, conscientiously, de tres bon Foi, believes itself Right. Power always thinks it has a great Soul, and vast Views, beyond the Comprehension of the Weak; and that it is doing God Service, when it is violating all his Laws. Our Passions, Ambition, Avarice, Love, Resentment &c possess so much metaphysical Subtilty and so much overpowering Eloquence, that they insinuate themselves into the Understanding and the Conscience and Convert both to their Party.