Miscellaneous Rambling
“The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger. Pray for us that we may be a sign of the love of Christ for our people, that our presence among them will fortify them to endure these sufferings in preparation for the coming of the Kingdom.” Padre Francisco. Modern martyr (died 1981). You can read his story here.
My mom got me the 2017 Old Farmer's Almanac for Christmas. It says "People are talking about . . . urban farming." Which is good because Marie got me The Urban Farmer: Growing Food for Profit on Leased and Borrowed Land for Christmas. Max (13) appears to have an entrepreneurial streak a mile wide and enjoys helping in the garden. I asked him back in November, while we were putting the garden away for winter, whether he'd like to start a small business from the garden. He was "all in." So preparations have begun. Potential markets have been approached, one or more lots are in the process of being acquired, I've contacted a young artisan to build me a hoop house, a simple website is in development. I'm loathe to convert a tax-free endeavor (gardening) into a taxable one (farming), but I'm interested in this whole urban farming movement, I believe in the goodness of locally-grown organic food, and I really want to encourage Max. We'll see where it goes. And no, I won't be giving up my day job any time soon.
Well, add one more Netfix series that I want to watch: Medicis: Masters of Florence. The erudite Jeffery Tucker endorses it and says that, though it's a bit light on the subject, it portrays accurately the birth of modern finance. I just hope the show isn't pornographic. I can't believe how many otherwise-good people watch, say, Game of Thrones (a show I loved but had to quit watching due to its pornography) with no serious objection to the incessant and highly graphic sex scenes. And the thing is, I'm hardly a prude. But there simply comes a point when you have to ask yourself, "Can I really keep watching this?"
Feast Day of St. John the Apostle. I vacillate among the gospels when picking my favorite, but I think that, if I had to choose one to put on my tombstone, it'd be John.
