Cursory readers of Basil & Butterflies may have some trouble categorizing its genre. Is this a writer’s blog? A religious blog? A “mommy blog”? A blog on natural living? Does it provide information or simply commentary? The seeming randomness here reflects my equally unexpected thought processes. But most regular readers may have put together the [...]
Category > conscious living
Gray Friday: To Buy or Not to Buy
As we all know, the biggest shopping day of the year is the Friday after Thanksgiving. Generally, this makes it the perfect day for Geoff and I to stay away from shopping. Neither of us loves shopping to begin with, but when you add in massive crowds, flashing “deal” signs, and traffic-jammed parking lots, the [...]
An Open List of Endangered Arts
The other day, I mentioned my recent drawing adventures to my son’s preschool teacher. Her reply surprised me. “That’s wonderful, Austen. Drawing is a dying art and it’s terrific that you are engaging in it in front of your son.”
Her statement really stuck with me for many reasons, not the least of which is [...]
Vegetarianism: An Aspect of Conscious Eating
In a recent editorial, professor James McWilliams argues that vegetarianism should not be a personal choice. His premise is that since meat industries negatively affect people and the planet, vegetarianism is the best ethical answer as a global citizen. Thus, one’s decisions about eating meat should be less personal and more political—recognizing how our eating [...]
Stillness in Chaos: The Practice of Centering Prayer
One of the most difficult lessons in my life is that I cannot control everything…or most things…or, really, much of anything…even when I fancy myself in charge. I have a terrible time internalizing this lesson. So, it comes up over and over in my life. Even after a decade of life-and-death lessons in ceding control, [...]
The Autumnal Art of Being Cold
Today our heater was fixed. Our whole system (heater, air conditioner, and whole house fan) had been down for three full weeks until this morning. During that time, nighttime temperatures have dipped to the low 40s on multiple occasions and we have been chilly.
Here is the real news: we aren’t going to turn the heater [...]
On Squeamishness and Being a Boy Mom
Becoming a mother obviously changes many things. But some of the ways I consciously changed took me by surprise. One day, when Brody was just over a year old, I took him to a park. He was crawling through a concrete tunnel when, suddenly, he rushed out, wringing his little hands and squealing, “Ew! A [...]
Drawing as a Lesson in the Process of Living
This autumn I am taking a drawing class. I started it for various reasons, including that drawings are the basis for many creative projects and my son often wants me to draw things for him (especially dinosaurs and rockets). Also, I have always coveted the beautiful, creative journals that pair thoughtful words and lovely drawings, [...]
Mary’s Magnificat: A Guide for Kennedy, A Guide for Life
At Senator Ted Kennedy’s funeral this morning, his parish priest (Rev. Hession) mentioned that in his final days, Kennedy prayed and reflected on his life in light of Mary’s Magnificat. One of the most moving pieces of scripture, the Magnificat is Mary’s song in response to her cousin’s (Elizabeth’s) recognition that Mary will bear the [...]
To Our Health: Drinking Water from Bottles or Taps?
Recently, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) published a new report on U.S. drinking water that showed excessive atrazine. Atrazine is a weed killer, used widely on crops and golf courses, and associated with, among other things, birth defects, menstrual problems, and low birth weights. On Sunday, The New York Times published an excellent, in-depth [...]
