Today is the last day of November, which means that it is the last day of National Blog Posting Month. My November challenge was to write for this blog every day, no matter how the day went. So, I posted when my 4-year-old was sick, when I was sick, when we were on a trip, [...]
Archive > November 2009
It’s All Theology
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 [...]
Beginning Advent
Sunday (Nov. 29) is the first day of Advent. The first Sunday of Advent always takes me by surprise because I have barely moved past Thanksgiving. (I tend to get really absorbed by celebrations). Still, Advent is one of my favorite seasons of the year. For four weeks, slowly, mindfully, joyfully, and with great hope, [...]
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 [...]
Now the Day is Over
God grant us a peaceful night and a perfect end. Amen.
Sweet dreams.
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Wednesday Night Poem
Tonight is Thanksgiving Eve. How many of us are up late cooking or straightening for guests? All so that tomorrow we can share a feast with friends and family, expressing gratefulness to one another and to God. The day takes effort to create, but really, all the best things do. It is a day for [...]
Geoff’s Famous Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
This year, we have had a hard time deciding which pies we want to make for Thanksgiving dinner. We knew we wanted to try a new blueberry pie recipe, leaving only one spot for two contenders: pumpkin pie or Geoff’s famous Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie. This was actually a silly quandary, born from my recent [...]
A Vegetarian Meets a Beef Farmer’s Son for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays. Melding the desires of a vegetarian and the son of a beef farmer makes for very interesting food traditions. Fortunately, my husband is open-minded and he loves culinary challenges (did I mention that he is an amateur chef?). So, we have had a few years when he gamely [...]
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 [...]

