Baddesly Clinton

Fasinating account of a clandestine general meeting of Catholic missionaries that nearly ended in disaster at Baddesly Clinton. Authorities had somehow gotten word of the secret meeting and raided the house just moments after many of the attendees had left, leaving others to hide in a safe room created by Nicholas Owen. Ironic that Owen himself was hiding in his own creation.

Richard Topcliffe

Enjoying Alice Hogge's God's Secret Agent, if that's how you can describe reading about a fellow, Richard Topcliffe, who was Queen Elizabeth's personal priest-hunter and torturer. Rather lurid stuff, and it's the bit of British history that I've read about many times before. But Hogge's account is as engaging as it is well-documented, which is really saying something as this is reportedly only her first book. I look forward to reading whatever else she might have in store for us.

God's Secret Agents

Just started reading Hogge's book yesterday. Just the thing for these cold winter days and nights.

Woodrow Wilson

Finished reading Auchincloss' book. Most notable, in my opinion, were multiple references to Wilson's dream of establishing a league of nations and, especially in light of our own time, questions concerning his mental condition late into his second term.

Red Lentil Soup

Not usually a big fan of soup, but, looking for a way to add lentils to my diet, I fixed upon this recipe. It's now part of my regular rotation of dishes.

Family of Spies

Sound familiar? Nazis. ICE. What's the difference?

"One morning, soon after Otto arrived at his office, there was a knock on the door. Several men burst through and dragged him from his chair, hustling him into a black sedan without any explanation and speeding away." 

Patriotism

"More and more he [Mark Twain] doubted the ability of the American public to exercise independent judgment and believed that most people parroted what they heard from politicians and the press. Questioning what constituted true patriotism, he grew enraged by the expression 'Our country, right or wrong!' In his notebook, he commented: 'We have thrown away the most valuable asset we had:--the individual's right to oppose both flag & country when he . . . believed them to be in the wrong. We have thrown it away; & with it, all that was really respectable about that grotesque and laughable word, Patriotism.' In an unpublished essay, 'As Regards Patriotism,' he discussed the culture's frightening power to brainwash or bully people into their political beliefs and 'debase angels to men and lift men to angelship. And it can do any one of these miracles in a year -- even in six months.' -- Chernow, Mark Twain

What Is Wrong?

Reminded me of the puzzle I used to enjoy as a kid. Well, I guess I still enjoy it. :-)

Twelfth Day of Christmas

Happy Twelfth Day of Christmas everyone!

Crim Dell

"The Crim Dell bridge is a wooden bridge on the College of William & Mary’s campus in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States, and is considered one of the College's most visually appealing elements. Crim Dell is the pond that the bridge crosses, but the bridge is commonly referred to as Crim Dell." -- Wikipedia

Concordia

"Concordia, a beautifully sculpted vignette on the pedestal of Lord Botetourt’s statue in front of the Christopher Wren building at the College of William and Mary. Norborne Berkeley, the 4th Baron Botetourt, was the governor of the Virginia Colony from 1768 to 1770. The sculpture portrays two young women, one a European representing Britannia, one a Native American representing Virginia, holding olive branches of peace out to one another, mingling them together." -- Ordinary Philosophy

Lord Botetourt

Happy New Year, my friends! Sorry about being a day late and dollar short, but I was wrapped up in an intense New Year's Day game of Monopoly. Lesson relearned. Railroads can be more valuable than even Pennsylvania Avenue with four houses. :-(

BTW, Lord Botetourt (above), under somewhat cloudy skies, also greets you on this second day of the new year. 

Joining Skywatch Friday

A Woman of No Importance

It is the rare book that I read more than once. But after watching several episodes of French Village on PBS, I knew I had to revisit Sonia Purnell's account of Virginia Hall's contribution to the French Résistance during WWII. To my way of thinking, this is the only way to truly capture both the tragedy and the triumph of those terrible years in France, namely through the experiences of people like the so-called Madonna of the Mountains.

From Afar

Christmas Eve

Wishing you all a wonderful evening!

Winter Coats

Wreaths

 

 

 

Blue Ribbon

This wreath won the blue ribbon award in the amateur class this year. 

The King's Arms

 

Winter Path

 

Joining Skywatch Friday.