The Roots of American Order:Perspective

Following are three clips from Chapter II of our online book club.

Keeping them in mind is helping me keep Kirk's landscape in proper perspective .

What picture, you say?

Remember the painting whose colors we are refreshing? (page 8 Chapter I)

The one on the right is of Dr. Kirk walking through a field....

it was painted in 1985, by a college friend of mine:

Deborah Melvin (now Beisner)





Although America is no Bible state, without some knowledge of the Bible, the fabric of American order cannot be understood tolerably well. (pg 22) 

All the more reason for all Americans, believers and non-believers to read The Bible in school.

Without venturing rashly here into the labyrinths of biblical scholarship, it is possible to describe the prophets' enduring significance for modern men, and to suggest how deeply interwoven with the fabric of American order this prophetic teaching remains. (pg 30)

This is why I am not so concerned about two Isaiahs or whether Micah or Hosea said it.

Historically speaking, such are the Hebraic roots of American order, whether or not the reader of this book wholly accepts the Law and the Prophets.  To undertake Jewish or Christian apologetics - that is, to undertake a theological defense of these beliefs on the basis of reason - is beyond our present purpose and beyond the limitations of space. (pg 38)

Kirk's purpose for writing Roots was to assist the renewal of the structure of America's order and improve it with love and prudence, in God's own good time.

For your further enjoyment, I am sharing a link to Gleaves Whitney's review of The Roots of American Order:Jerusalem.  Listed below are his main points associated with this city of symbolic of divine wisdom and the ways in which the Jews permanently changed the human estate.

1. The Hebrews' most basic insight:  religion is the bedrock of culture.
2. The Bible - the most influential assemblage of books in human history?
3. Moral Order
4. Monotheism
5. Human Rights of each individual
6. Freedom
7. A "chosen" with a Covenant and a "Manifest Destiny"
8. Judgment of the Nations
9. Remnant
10. Linear conception of time

Roots of American Order, book club posts, and Russell Kirk are peppering my everyday conversation and enlightening my take on current politics.

How about you?

The Roots of American Order Book Club
Chapter II - The Law and The Prophets

Welcome to my living room, ladies!


On this sofa is where I imagine some of you would sit, if we were gathering  physically in time and space for book club.


There is lots of room, seating for a crowd.  


So, dont be shy about speaking up aka commenting.


I decided to continue with an acrostic-like synopsis of the weekly assignment and plugged in some key words from Chapter II.


O - Origins
Levantine seeds from the Hebrews -> Israelites -> Jews were planted in new soil,  have germinated, flowered, grown and developed, producing a strong, healthy tree in a new land.

R - Revelation
The unveiling of truths that man could not have obtained from simple experience in this world is how we know.

D - Diety
There is only one.  He is just.  His name is YAHWEH -> Jehovah. He is for all people.

E - Establish
The Law - Decalogue, Pentateuch, Torah, The Bible - as articulated by seers who gave clear ethical meaning to human existence
R - Root
The high contribution of Israelites to modern society is the understanding that all true law comes from God; and that God is the source of order and justice.  The validity of this body of beliefs is determined by pragmatic evidence:  survival through the centuries and continuing relevance.


Americans inherited this understanding.


Without this legacy the human condition would be unendurable for many.


Therefore, I feel a duty to honor this foundation by sharing the message.


Read here about my favorite section from Chapter II.

The Roots of American Order

Chapter II - The Law and the Prophets

Comfort food might be an unlikely category for classifying this week's book club reading assignment, but that's where I place this section based on the way I felt after reading it.

I'm illustrating my commentary with a picture of what I prepared for Sunday dinner.

Shepherd's pie made from leftover venison pot roast
and sweet potato souffle,
freshly steamed broccoli,
buttered multi-grain bread
and a glass of Chilean red wine.

Am I keeping your attention?

Both endeavors required forethought, planning, labor, waiting, and consummation, leaving me with an intense feeling of satisfaction and strengthening.

It was worthwhile work.

Section Five Under God in Time and History was my favorite portion of the six sections in Chapter II because Kirk explained the Hebrew sense of time (psychic) in comparison to others or Greek (linear).  Which in turn explains how I can know that Christ knew my name when He was hanging on the cross and paying the debt for my sins, even though I was not yet born.

Furthermore, Kirk differentiated between sacred and secular histories, extrapolating the concept that it (experience and affairs) is not all about us, but all about Him (YAHWEH).

These two ideas comfort me (hence the categorization) because I recognize that I am part of the order of the people under the Covenant with God who will survive (the current presidential election process, if you will), even if America does not.

That's what matters.

So, repair to THE TAP ROOT created and nourished by the Old Testament aka the Law and the Prophets.

 for the purpose of

• understanding
• maintaining
• renewing

our country's moral order ~

*

* inscription of my copy of The Roots of American Order

The Roots of American Order Book Club


Chapter I - O.R.D.E.R., The First Need of All

Acrostically speaking I have outlined what I expect to learn by reading Russell Kirk's survey with Cindy's online book club.


O - Origins
Who, What, Where, When, and How - 
Granted I may already be familiar with the answers to these crucial questions, but it behooves me to revisit the stories.  Repetition is good.
R - Recognition
I don't want to miss the road signs (beliefs and laws) so I'm studying the map (worldview) again. And I wonder if I could give good directions to a fellow traveler.
D - Direction
While I've never felt aimless and lost like the example given by Simone Weil, I want to make sure my path and pattern are impervious to disorder.  Read Cindy's use of this term in her recent post on parenting. Also, remember Dr. Kirk suggests that understanding disorder is a way of grasping the meaning of order. 
E - Establish
Individual and societal arrangements are designed to be systematic and harmonious for the benefit of everyone.  Where do I get my sense of order?  In my own home how do I imitate order/orderliness?  Are the roots of these arrangements well-established, i.e healthy and growing? Or in need of fertilizer and/or water?
R - Refresh
Thinking of Lady Mary of Downton Abbey fame (when she's contemplating furnishing a new home with Sir Richard) and speaking figuratively myself, I'm fortunate to have an inheritance - the *picture* of these United States of America - and a role in a new chapter of our manor (country). 


As Kirk advises, it's time to clean up the painting: to remove the varnish*, preserve it's form and outlines, and thereby see the vision more clearly.


Only then can we discover the the light in the picture that will invigorate healthy growth.


Dr. Kirk's The Roots of American Order is a perfect guide.






*Postscript
In the 1940s, the varnish was removed from this famous Rembrandt painting that I'm using as an illustration for my commentary on this first book club post.  After hundreds of years believing the setting was at night, the art world had to revamp their thinking to militiamen gathering for a daytime march.


Click here for a visit to the Rijksmuseum's website and more information about erroneously known as the  Night Watch.

The Roots of American Order Book Club

Online book club hostessed by Cindy Rollins starts Tuesday, February 21st.

Secure a copy of this valuable book even if you can't participate.

Display it prominently in your home.

There are few books which so carefully explain the fabric of the society in which we live.

Andrew Kern says ~

"This may be one of the most important history/civics books for an American young person to read."

I say ~

The Roots of American Order is foundational to understanding our times and is crucial, no vital, reading for anyone who is voting in this year's Presidential election.

When I first heard the title and met the author in September 1975, I was overwhelmed with the breadth and depth of his knowledge.

That's why I am looking forward to revisiting Kirk's expostion of what holds America together.

Join us?



PS  Blue dust jacket is from my 1975 First Edition, 2nd Printing and does not include the forward by Forrest McDonald that is included in newer editions.  However, I can read it on my Kindle edition (read Happy Valentine's Day to me!)

Encouragement

I do not advise that we end the year on a somber note. 


The march, not the dirge, has ever been the music of Christianity.


If we are good students in the school of life, there is much the years have to teach us.


But the Christian is more than a student, more than a philosopher.


He is a believer, and the object of his faith makes the difference, the mighty difference. 

Of all persons the Christian should be best prepared for whatever the New Year brings.  He has dealt with life at its source.


In Christ he has disposed of a thousand enemies that other men must face alone and unprepared.


He can face his tomorrow cheerful and unafraid because yesterday he turned his feet into the ways of peace and today he lives in God.


The man who has made God his dwelling place will always have a safe habitation.

A.W. Tozer - The Warfare of the Spirit

The Cookie Thief


Today I enjoyed a Christmas Cookie Exchange with the ladies from my church.  Aside from the enjoyable company and delicious breakfast, we heard a cute poem that reminded us to think kindly of others FIRST!

A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight,
She hunted for a book in the airport shop,
Bough a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.
She was engrossed in her book, but happened to see,
That the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be,
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between,
Which she tried to ignore, to avoid a scene.
She read, munched cookies, and watched the clock,
As the gutsy "cookie thief" diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, "if I wasn't so nice, I would blacken his eye!"
With each cookie she took, he took one too.
When only one was left, she wondered what he'd do.
With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.
He offered her half, as he ate the other.
She snatched it from him and thought, Oh brother,
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude.
Why, he didn't even show any gratitude!
She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate,
Refusing to look back at the "thieving ingrate."
She boarded the plane and sank in her seat,
Then sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise:
THERE were her cookies in front of her eyes.
If mine are here, she moaned with despair,
Then the others were his and he tried to share!
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief!

by Valerie Cox


Here's a picture of the platter of cookies that I took to the party.  They are Molasses Cookies, a recipe  (link) I got from a co-worker in 1979!

Gustava (Gustie) Amanda Daniel Jordan

Today is my paternal grandmother's birthday.

Born in 1896 -  December 11

Died in 1959 -  March 4

when I was only ten months old.

I have a few reminders of her ~

a pastel-colored baby quilt featuring a kitten

several tried and true recipes like Garlic Cream Cheese, 1-2-3-4 Cake, and Cranberry Shrub.

Her just-older sister, Beulah Naomi aka Baba, lived in Atlanta near us, visiting at holidays and occasionally inviting me and my sister to luncheon at Rich's Magnolia Tea Room. Knowing her gave me a tiny bit of insight into my grandmother's personality.

Here's a link to the story I wrote about her four years ago.

But that's not very much.

Guess that means it's time to contact relatives and gather more details about this important lady in my life.

Thanksgiving 2011

Roasted Turkey
Cornbread Dressing
Cranberry Sauce
Mushrooms 'n Onions
Shannon's Green Beans
Roasted Cauliflower
Sweet Potato Souffle

Not Pictured ~
Sister Schubert Parker House Rolls
SJ's Homegrown Lettuce 'n Apple Salad
Four different wines compliments of Bert

Piece of Cake Fresh Coconut Cake

Coffee


Around the table we numbered nine:

BaaBee and DanDan
Shannon and Bert
Dana and Ken
PeggyDee and Mark
Vivian

We gathered together to ask the Lord's blessings.

He fails not.

For me the best holiday moment happened around our kitchen table on Wednesday night before the main event.

I was cooking.  DH was eating a sandwich for dinner.

Our 21 y o daughter read aloud to us ~

Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving
written by Eric Metaxas
illustrated by Shannon Stirnwels

Thanks, PeggyDee!!

Grace and Providence

Almighty King!  whose wondrous hand
Supports the weight of the sea and land;
Whose grace is such a boundless store,
No heart shall break that sighs for more.

Thy providence supplies my food,
And 'tis Thy blessing makes it good;
My soul is nourish'd by Thy Word,
Let soul and body praise the Lord!

My streams of outward comfort came
From Him who built this earthly frame;
Whate'er I want His bounty gives,
By whom my soul forever lives.

Either His hand preserves from pain,
Or, if I feel it, heals again;
From Satan's malice shields my breast,
Or overrules it for the best.

Forgive the song that falls so low
Beneath the gratitude I owe!
It means Thy praise; however poor,
An angel's song can do no more.


by William Cowper
English Poet and Hymnodist
1731 - 1800


Illustration compliments of USHistoryImages.com

Top Ten Reasons to Join Weight Watchers

1)   I have never tried their plan(s) before.
2)   I want to jump start my metabolism and loose some weight.
3)   I like the vast array of resources and information.
4)   I think the accountability will help my ability to exercise will-power.
5)   I hope to relieve some major indigestion by making better food choices.
6)   I want to use regular food, not packaged meal shakes/protein bars.
7)   I like the online version and mobile application (read no meetings!).
8)   I have a friend who signed up and encouraged me.
9)   My doctor (DH) thinks it's the best diet of all.
10) It changed what I ate for dinner tonight!






Wish me luck!

PS  Photo of homemade Blackeyed-Pea and Sausage Soup and cheddar cheese toast.  Recipe for soup will be posted sometime next week.

Ten Things


After listening to a speech given at a recent tea party rally, I have distilled the message into ten words.  The heart of the message is a prescription for saving not just America but freedom - both political and religious.

1)   Believe
2)   Act
3)   Pray
4)   Discern
5)   Support
6)   Vote
7)   Join
8)   Subscribe
9)   Testify
10) Persevere






I plan to write a vignette about each of these action words.

In the meantime, let's examine the landscape and renew our commitment to culture.

The following quote is from one of my college professors, Russell Kirk.  The garden metaphor gives me more direction and is a huge encouragement.

A culture is perennially in need of renewal.

A culture does not survive and prosper merely by being taken for granted; active defense is always required, and imaginative growth, too.

Everyone is involved.
This is a link to an artist who supports the cause.

Whether you like it or not.

Whether you acknowledge it or not.

Be a force for Good.
This is a link to a expositional sermon on Psalm 111 where the LORD is praised for His Goodness.

Make sure it lasts.
This is a link to an essay about Steve Jobs who died this past week.

Island Kiss Meets Pumpkin

Never would I have thought to put together pink and orange, but that's how the Fall Palette is giving me courage and confidence.


I happened upon this lightweight, pumpkin-colored (read emberglow) tote in the gift shop section of my hairdresser's studio.

Only because I was actually wearing the scarf around my neck at the time that I picked up the tote did I realize the two accessories would go together.

Then once at home I remembered the yellow (read bamboo) rosebud from an old sweater.

Voila!

Fait accompli!



I feel like an artist who has just finished a painting.

Now I am ready for Fall.

How you are tackling the changing weather?

Fashion on Friday:Fall Palette

I saw the first pear
as it fell—
the honey-seeking, golden-banded,
the yellow swarm
was not more fleet than I,
(spare us from loveliness)
and I fell prostrate
crying:
you have flayed us
with your blossoms,
spare us the beauty
of fruit-trees.

The honey-seeking
paused not,
the air thundered their song,
and I alone was prostrate.

O rough-hewn
god of the orchard,
I bring you an offering—
do you, alone unbeautiful,
son of the god,
spare us from loveliness:

these fallen hazel-nuts,
stripped late of their green sheaths,
grapes, red-purple,
their berries
dripping with wine,
pomegranates already broken,
and shrunken figs
and quinces untouched,
I bring you as offering.

by H.D.

Orchard is the title of this colorful verse by a poet new to me ~ Hilda Dolittle (1886-1961).  Her Imagist style sent me running for the Pantone photo I carry in my pocketbook, the one posted above.

They seem to talk to one another.

Without knowing

they are related

and

have adopted me.

Fashion on Friday

Meet Island Kiss!

She first graced my wardrobe this past Spring but quickly retreated because it was plainly too hot for wraps, or anything around the neck.

Months ago I chose the Island Kiss pattern because it highlighted the 2011 Spring Palette.

Now cooler temperatures have lured this lightweight scarf out of the closet.

As Summer turns into Fall I'm planning to use her as my transitional piece.

Clearly she has the umph to keep the Color of the Year alive and well in my closet.

Furthermore she's tempting me with Bamboo!

Overall I've been quite amazed at the way just  a little color knowledge has helped me feel more fashionable and more organized.

What about you?

Fashion on Friday:Honeysuckle

Meet the Pantone 2011 Color of the Year ~ Courageous, confident, and vital!

Over the summer I tried to incorporate this color into my wardrobe even while recognizing that *pink* is not one of my favorites.

It can easily make me look washed out and tired, unless I'm wearing the right foundation and blush. So in an effort to stay fashionable and not look fatigued, I tended to accessorize with honeysuckle.

For example, OPI's *Party in My Cabana* rescued my toenails.

.

Cover Girl *Rose Pearl* on my lips coordinated the look and made all the other pink shades in my closet reflect Pantone's selection.

Finally, here's how I pulled it together for the annual photo shoot.

The blouse is *OLD*, so much so that one of my daughters suggested I not wear it.  I reminded her that seersucker never goes out of style  ;-)

Now that Fall is fast approaching, Honeysuckle remains on the palette.

I look forward to the challenge of making it work in my winter wardrobe.

Larry McDonald Memorial Highway

All we need do is return to the fine highway we were once on.

There is a stretch of Interstate Highway 75 from the Chattahoochee River northward to the Tennessee state line that I have traveled all my life, but that I want to call to your attention today.

In 1998, the Georgia General Assembly designated this thoroughfare,
the Larry McDonald Memorial Highway.

Thousands of people pass this sign daily.

I suspect that most ignore it.

Today, on the 28th anniversary of his death, do I especially remember
this family friend, former employer, and dedicated American
by calling attention to the principles he dedicated his life to teaching and preserving.

The above quote comes from the first chapter of his book,
We Hold These Truths: A Reverent Review of the U.S. Constitution,
and tells us how to reclaim our freedoms. 

The complexity of social organization does change.

 Our technologically sophisticated industrial society is more complex than the agrarian society
 of the eighteenth century. In this regard, that was a "simpler world."

But the complexities of politics (politics here meaning the science of governing)

  do not change much.

The basic political problems confronting the Framers of our Constitution

  were as complex as our political problems today -
 perhaps more so, because they were striking off into the dangerous unknown, whereas

all we need do is return to the fine highway we were once on.

Skip watching the Republican Presidential Debate next week.

Read Larry McDonald's book and use it as a guide to assess
a political candidate's worthiness of your support.

He explains the *free way*.

CWAC Thanks

Dear BaaBee and DanDan ~

Recently I blogged about Cousins Week at Callaway not being over until we gathered again around the dinner table and recounted our stories about the week, but I think there is more.

Truly, the annual reunion is not complete until you two have been thanked in person and in writing for this irreplacable gift of time, talent, and treasure.

As I have continued to think about about each of the days spent at Callaway this year, I came up with an host of nouns that describe this recurring favorite event in my life.

Then I used some of my pictures to illustrate these ideas ~  like


family,
friends,
food,
fellowship,
fun,
feats,
features,
fotos,
fireworks,
fields trips,
and
flowers.







I know others have pictures that showcase these things (like Os's fireworks), but here are mine for a start.

Thank you very much for making this all possible.

We are very much looking forward to next year.

Love, Dana


PS I can already see that I left out my Circle Time photo ;-( Thank goodness for software that allows for easy editing ;-)


Added next day ~ Circle Time


 

CWAC Review


Back home from our week-long family reunion at Callaway Gardens, the celebratory week is really not complete until we've recapped the festivities around the Sunday dinner table.  Here's the only photo I remembered to take that day ~

of my tablescape.

I'm kicking myself for forgetting to photograph the food and the people  :-(

Any who.....

On Friday (the last full day of our reunion), I started thinking about Sunday's menu when touring the Jenny Jack Sun Farm in Pine Mountain, GA,

That's when I made my purchase of:

Green Beans, Yellow Squash, Sweet Onions, Purple Peppers, Tomatoes, and Cantaloupe.

A veggie plate was formulating on my taste buds, but once I got home I realized that I had miscounted the number of guests.

So, I added a smoked turkey breast to round out the meal.

Here's the menu ~

Bloody Mary Cocktail or White Wine Spritzer (while I rolled out the biscuits)

Bates Farm
Smoked Turkey Breast (a 2010 Christmas gift from my brother &his wife)
Brown Rice en casserole
Steamed Green Beans
Sauteed Yellow Squash 'n Onions
Whole Wheat Biscuits

Sweet Tea or Water

Blueberry Crisp a la mode
Coffee

We told lots of stories, shared photo memory cards, and made plans for next year.

Yup, that's right - already talking about next year!

CWAC 2011

Cousins Week at Callaway

For the twentieth time we will gather in Pine Mountain, Georgia for an annual family reunion, complete with photo shoot. We actually started gathering in the early 80s at my parents' home, but we quickly outgrew that.

There are a total of 29 first cousins.

That came from 6 siblings.

That came from 1 mother.

And 1 father

Whose father would be the 123 years old today.

Let the festivities begin!!