St. Moling

Saint of the Day: St. Moling was an Irish monk who built several monasteries in Ireland during the 7th century. There are tons of stories about him, but the one I'm focusing on today is the one where the wife of the head builder who was constructing one of the churches asked Moling for some cows. Moling gave the woman two cows, but that night one of the cows was stolen. The wright's wife thought Moling had hired the thief himself and accused him of doing so. Moling knew where the thief was, and said that he could burn him in a fire if she wished. She said no. Moling offered to have him drowned. She said no. Finally, he said that she could go kill him herself, but wanted nothing to do with it. The wife found the thief right where Moling said he would be, and the thief was so startled that he fell into the fire, then jumped in the river and drowned. The cow was dead and already half cooked, but the wife brought it back to Moling who brought it back to life. Its color had changed, however, so that the part that had been cooked was brown while the rest of it was white.

So, my outfit is half brown-half white. I really love this white shirt from Anthropologie. It's soft and comfortable, and I love to wear it. It think this is its last summer, though. It's getting worn and I don't think it will take many more washings - even super delicate hand washings! And, as I said I would, I'm wearing the Jessica Simpson wedges. So comfortable!

Reading:

Old English: Finished the life of St. George. There was never a dragon in it. And the Lucy story didn't have the eyes being poked out. Those are the most well-known parts of those saints' legends, so I wonder why they weren't in this version. Strange.

Middle English: CT - Tale of Melibee, Monk's Tale, Nun's Priest's Tale

The Tale of Melibee is actually in prose, and it's this really long, didactic tale about a guy whose daughter is mortally wounded by home-invaders. The guy - Melibee - wants to have his revenge on them, but his wife Prudence convinces him to calm down, think it through, and forgive them in the end. It's really long and boring which is part of what makes it funny since it's the tale Chaucer the Pilgrim tells after they won't let him tell his other tale. It's like he's punishing them. Funny, I guess.

The Monk's Tale is just a list of famous tragedies used to explain how man cannot escape his fate. He lists Satan, Adam, Samson, Nero, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, and others as examples. He is also interrupted and not allowed to finish his tale.

The Nun's Priest's Tale is a kind of fable about rooster named Chanticleer who dreams that a fox sneaks into the henhouse and eats them all. His chicken-wife Pertelote tells him to ignore the dream. Of course, a fox attacks Chanticleer soon after which shows how seriously you should take the advice of women (!?!). Chanticleer, however, tricks the fox into opening his mouth and dropping him so he can escape.

Contemporary American: Caramelo, by Sandra Cisneros, pp. 1-100. I lost my copy of this book (or sold it back and don't remember), so I had to order another copy, and it hasn't arrived yet. Boo. That is putting me behind!

Workout: Not today. I went grocery shopping. That's good enough for me.

Food:

Breakfast: Lean Pocket, Sausage, Egg, and Cheese

Lunch: Amy's Low-Fat Minestrone Soup, Wheat Thins

Dinner: Cassie's birthday dinner

St. Benno

Saint of the Day: Saint Benno lived in the 11th century, and he was born a Saxon nobleman. He dedicated his life to the church and died as the bishop of Meissen, Germany in 1106 at almost one hundred years old. There is a great story about him that as he was walking and praying near a marsh one day, he heard a frog croaking so loudly that it broke his concentration. He admonished the frog to be quiet, and it was. Benno, then, however, remembered a verse in Daniel which states, "O all ye beasts and cattle, bless ye the Lord," and he thought the frog's croaking must be pleasing to God. He then told the frog to continue his croaking, and the frog and his friends croaked even louder than before.
Finally, an excuse to wear my frog T-shirt!

I haven't worn these shoes in over a year even though I really like them. They are Jessica Simpson shoes which I was hesitant to buy at first just because of the label, but they're really some of the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. Every time I wear them, someone says, "But they're so HIGH!" Yeah, they're not that high. And they're wedges, so they have a lot of support and they're made of the softest material in the world. They're fantastic. I should wear them more.
St. Benno also gave me the opportunity to wear my sparkly frog earrings from Anthropologie:

I bought these online without having seen them in person, and I was expecting them to be kind of small and dainty. No. They are not. They are kind of huge. And that's why I have only worn them once before. I'm not really a giant sparkly earrings kind of a girl. But if I can't wear them on St. Benno's day, when can I wear them?

Reading:
Old English: Still translating the Life of St. George. No dragons yet in this version.

Middle English: CT - The Pardoner's Tale, The Shipman's Tale, The Prioress's Tale, and Sir Thopas.
The Pardoner's Tale is about three drunken guys who like to play dice. One day, they get drunk at a tavern, and a funeral goes by. They get so mad that death is killing off everyone that they decide to go find him and kill him in revenge. They start down the road and meet an old man who says he wants to die, but death will not have him. He tells them they can find death, though, underneath an oak tree up the road. When the three men get to the oak tree, there is a huge pile of gold underneath it. They decide they need to wait until nighttime to move the gold, so one of them goes back into town to get some food and drink for them all while the other two stand guard. While the one is gone, the two guards decided to kill him when he comes back so they don't have to share it three ways. Meanwhile, the one who went back to town buys some poison and poisons their drinks so he can keep the gold all to himself. When he goes back, the two guys kill him, then drink the poisoned drink so they all end up dying.

The Shipman tells a story about a frugal merchant who marries a woman who likes to spend money. He has a good friend who is a monk who often comes to visit. One time, the monk comes and early in the morning as the merchant is in the counting-house, the wife and monk meet in the garden. The wife confesses she has a debt of 100 francs that she wants to keep a secret from the merchant. The monk agrees to lend her the money. That afternoon, the monk tells the merchant he needs a loan of 100 francs, and the merchant gladly loans it to him. The monk then gives the money to the wife in exchange for having sex with him. She agrees, and the monk goes home. The merchant goes to visit the monk and asks about the loan, and the monk tells him he already paid back the loan to his wife. The merchant goes home and asks the wife about it, and she says she should be allowed to keep the money and she will pay the merchant back in sexual favors. He agrees. The end.

The Prioress's Tale gives the story of Little St. Hugh of Lincoln. He was 7-year-old boy who would hear a Latin song about Mary being sung as he walked to and from school. He liked the song so much that he learned it by heart even though he did not understand Latin. His route to school passed through the Jewish quarter, and the Jews did not like that he would sing about Mary as he walked through their neighborhood, so they killed him and threw him in the pit where they threw their waste. When he didn't come home, his mother went out frantically looking for him. As she passed through the Jewish quarter, she heard him singing the Latin song in praise of Mary and found him in the pit. The Jews who murdered the boy were arrested and executed, and Little Hugh was given a good Christian burial.

Sir Thopas is the tale in rhyme that Geoffrey Chaucer the Pilgrim tells as his tale. It's about a knight who decided he wants to marry a fairy queen, but he must battle a giant first. He goes to get his armor, and there is a lengthy description of all the armor he puts on. It's a really terrible poem, and the Host stops Chaucer from finishing it saying, "Thy drasty rhyming is not worth a turd!" And then the Host asks him to please tell them something a little more serious - this time in prose.

Contemporary American: I finished Maus. It was great! I highly recommend it.

Workout: Maybe. I actually did exercise yesterday because when I added my planned dinner into my food diary, I had already maxed out my calories, and I really, really wanted a glass of wine with dinner. So, that's how I got my motivation - exercise just enough that I get a calorie-free glass of wine. Ha! At least it worked to get me on the treadmill.

Food:
Breakfast - cheese toast, peach, coffee
Lunch - fish sandwich
Dinner - Swiss steak, cauliflower, sugar snap peas
Snacks - milk, cherries

St Landelin

Saint of the Day: There were so many interesting saints to choose from today. But I settled on St. Landelin. He was a Belgian who before his conversion was the leader of a band of "brigands." After his conversion, he founded several abbeys. One of them is Crespin Abbey which began brewing "St Landelin Beer" in about 1023. They still make it - although not at the abbey anymore - and the label is very pretty!

Since Landelin was once a brigand, I chose my pirate T-shirt to remember him today. The best part about it is the awesome gold tooth.

Reading:

Old English: Aelfric's metrical Life of St George. This is the super-famous St. George who slew the dragon and is one of the patron saints of England. The English flag is known as St. George's flag:

Middle English: CT - The Merchant's Tale, The Squire's Tale, The Franklin's Tale, and The Physician's Tale.

The Merchant's Tale is about a 60-year-old man who marries a 20-year-old lady. He goes blind and she has an affair with his squire. As she is having sex with the squire right in front of her blind husband, his sight is restored, and she says that she cooked up the whole scheme so that his sight would return, saying, "It worked!" He believes her, and they go back to his palace in peace.

The Squire's Tale is short because the other pilgrims don't let the poor boy finish his story. He tells about a knight who comes to court with all these different magic items - a flying brass horse and a ring that allows people to talk to birds being the two most important ones in the story. The king's daughter wears the ring and meets a little falcon who is crying and plucking at herself with her beak because her bird boyfriend left her for another lady bird. The daughter bandages up the falcon and takes her home to nurse her.

The Franklin's Tale is about a knight named Arviragus and his wife Dorigen. Arviragus goes away on business across the sea, and Dorigen has daily panic attacks that he will be shipwrecked on the rocks when he comes home. She meets Aurelius, a handsome squire who is in love with her, and tells him that if he can make the rocks disappear, she will love him back. Aurelius hires a magician who works up an illusion to make it look like the rocks have disappeared. In the meantime, Arviragus has come home safely. However, when the illusion takes place, Dorigen confesses to him that she promised to love Aurelius, and Arviragus makes her hold to her promise. As she is crying and weeping on her way to meet Aurelius, the squire sees her and realizes he has done the wrong thing by making her cheat on her husband. He releases her of her promise and goes to pay the magician. The magician, when he hears the whole story, forgives Aurelius's debt and leaves.

The Physician's Tale is about a man named Virginius who had a lovely virgin daughter named Virginia. In their town was a judge named Appius who decided he wanted to take advantage of Virginia, so he gets his friend Claudius to hatch a plan. Claudius brings up a fake lawsuit against Virginius claiming that Virginia is not really Virginius's daughter, but actually Claudius's slave girl that Virginius stole from him. The judge rules in Claudius's favor and commands that Virginia be brought to him. The father then goes home, cuts off Virginia's head, and delivers it to the judge. The townsfolk, when they heard about this, understand that the lawsuit was fake and have Claudius hanged. The judge kills himself and Virginius is exiled from the town.

Contemporary American: Maus, Part 2, Chs. 1-4.

Workout: We'll see. I'm on double work again today.

Food:

Breakfast - oatmeal, juice, coffee

Lunch - open-faced turkey sandwich

Dinner - Indian Chicken with asparagus

Snacks - yogurt, milk

Sts. Valerius and Rufinus

Saints of the Day: Valerius and Rufinus were missionaries to France in the 3rd century. They were martyred in Soissons. Since my husband and I were missionaries to France, I feel a special affinity for these two, although I am grateful we did not suffer the same fate!

Today is laundry day. I will start posting outfits again once I have some clean clothes.

Reading:

Old English: Aelfric's metrical Life of St. Lucy. St. Lucy is one of my favorite saints. Medieval accounts say that as part of her torture, her eyes were gouged out, but then God healed them overnight. In her iconography, she is often depicted holding a plate with her original eyes on them. She is also the patron saint for blind people or people with eye trouble. Strangely, Aelfric's account does not include the eye-gouging as part of her torture. In his version, she is disemboweled, but remains miraculously alive until a priest can come and give her Last Rites. Here is a picture from a medieval manuscript of St. Lucy holding the plate of eyes:

And here is one of the strangest depictions I've ever seen of her. It's from 1473 and it's currently in the National Gallery in Washington, DC. First of all, Lucy does not look like a virtuous young woman in this painting. She looks like a worn-out middle-aged woman. Secondly, her eyes are on that strange contraption that looks like a pair of opera glasses. So weird!

Middle English: CT - Friar's Tale, Summoner's Tale, and Clerk's Tale. The Friar's Tale is about an evil summoner who tries to blackmail an poor old lady and gets dragged off to hell. The Summoner's Tale is about an evil friar who is visiting a sick man who makes him swear that the friar will share with all of his colleagues the gift that the sick man gives him. The friar swears, and the sick man lets out a huge fart. The rest of the tale is spent discussing how a fart can be shared equally among 12 people. Hilarious. The Clerk's Tale is about a nobleman who tests his wife's patience by pretending to have their children killed and then pretending to cast her off so he can marry someone else. Through all of it, she just says, "If that's what you want, then it's what I want, too." And she endures patiently and without complaint. At the end, he brings the children back and says, "Ha! Just kidding! I see you are faithful now and I will keep you as my wife after all." Yikes.

Contemporary American: Maus, by Art Spiegelman, Part 1. I have never read this before. I really enjoyed the first part, and I'm excited about finishing it!

Workout: Yes! 45 mins!

Food:

Breakfast: Toast, peach, coffee

Lunch: open-faced turkey sandwich, grapes

Dinner: baked fish packets with broccoli and squash, rice

Snacks: pudding, fruit

St. Tochumra (both of them) and a rant on Cap'n Crunch

Saint of the Day: There are two different saints named Tochumra who are venerated today in Ireland. Pretty much nothing is known about them except they were both Irish virgins, and one of them is invoked by women in labor. There's quite a bit of irony, I think, that a virgin would be invoked during childbirth (unless it's Mary, the mother of Jesus - that would make more sense).

I'm wearing my green summer dress today. For Ireland.

This picture is a few years old, and I don't even have that cardigan anymore, and I don't think I ever actually wore this outfit in public, but I don't want to take a picture of myself today. Anyway, this is the dress.

Reading: I am doubling up on the reading so that I don't have to do any work at all while we're on vacation. It's kind of making my head explode, but I just keep telling myself it will be worth it to not have to worry about anything and just enjoy myself while we're gone. So, I'm plowing through.

Old English: The Seafarer, a 125-line poem about an old mariner who reminisces about his life spent at sea. I'm about 26 lines in, and so far it's a lot like The Wanderer with lots of cold, freezing images and themes of loss.

Middle English: Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. I'm not a huge fan of the CT. But, I have to say, after all the super-boring plays I've been reading, I had a little squee at the thought of getting to read some Chaucer. Today, I'm reading the tales of the Knight, the Miller, the Reeve, and the Cook.

Contemporary American: The Road, pp. 150-250

Workout: I don't know yet. The double work is kind of taking over. I might do it late at night or something. We'll see.

Food:

Breakfast - cereal, juice, and coffee. Time for a little rant. So, I bought this "healthy" cereal that's all fiber and whatnot and Jon has a box of Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch in the pantry. So, I noticed that the calories in my cereal are super-high. Like, 240 calories per serving. Huh? I was like, "Well, at least it's probably less than Cap'n Crunch." Then I looked at the Cap'n Crunch, and it's only 110 calories per serving! How can my healthy cereal be more than TWICE as caloric as freakin' Cap'n Crunch?!?!? So, I bought this Kashi cereal now which at 190 calories per serving still has more than Cap'n Crunch and has the added bonus of tasting like cardboard. I'm seriously thinking about just eating Cap'n Crunch. So defeated.

Lunch - open-faced turkey sandwich, cherries

Dinner - a hamburger and some sugar-free pudding

Margaret of Scotland

Saint of the Day: Margaret of Scotland. One of my colleagues at SMU wrote her Master's thesis and is now writing her dissertation on Margaret of Scotland, so I feel some affection for her since I know she's well documented. Unfortunately, I don't know a whole lot about her. I know her father was an exiled English nobleman, so she was raised in Hungary. Her family did return to England, but she herself wound up in Scotland where she married King Malcolm III around 1070. They by nearly all accounts were really in love and had several children.

The most popular story I know about Margaret is that she had a gospel book which was her very favorite, and it somehow fell into a river. Now, medieval books were extremely expensive and were all made by hand. No printing presses, no machines of any kind. Just some monks copying text out by hand and hand-painting illustrations. It could take an entire year to make just one book and cost the equivalent of a fancy car nowadays. So, basically, Margaret's limited edition Ferrari fell in a river. Oops! But, miraculously, the book was recovered with no damage! It is now in the Bodleian Library in London. Here is a lovely picture of two of the pages from the book - the beginning of the Gospel of Mark:



I don't have an outfit today. I've started using the pool finally, so I'm just laying around in a swimsuit coverup. Not so exciting and not that cute, really. But comfortable!

Reading:
Old English: The Wanderer, a very sad poem about a man whose lord has died and now he sails the seas looking for a new lord to serve. It's full of imagery of chains and fetters and being constrained by things. It also mentions how good warriors will shut up their grief inside their "breast-chamber" and not let it show so they can gain more glory. Oh, my gosh. Has this "men can't express their feelings" stuff been around for literally more than 1000 years?

Middle English: finishing up the Towneley plays today with "The Ascension," "The Judgment," "Lazarus," and "Judas." I'm trying to get some extra work done before we go to New Mexico, too, so I think I'm also going to read "Everyman" and "Mankynde" today as well. We'll see if that actually happens.

Contemporary American: The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, pp. 100-150

Workout: Yes! 45 mins! I bought seasons 2 and 3 of True Blood, so I'm pretty motivated. Season 4 starts in 3 weeks!

Food:
Breakfast - cheese toast, grapefruit juice, coffee
Lunch - left over oven-fried chicken tender, squash, and snap peas from last night
Dinner - grilled shrimp taco salad
Snacks - cherries and grapes

No Saint Today

Saint of the Day: I didn't do any research on this! I am behind! I did have a strange dream, though, that I will share. I was looking out a floor-to-ceiling window, and there was a sort of pile of logs outside the window. There was another log that formed a bridge across a very small ditch. A turtle crawled out of the log-pile and crossed the log bridge. A snake followed after it, obviously hoping to eat it. When the snake got across the log bridge, the turtle turned around and snapped at it, and the snake slithered away. The End. I described it to J, and he said, "That sounds like a biblical dream." Yeah, it kind of does.

Then the next night, I dreamed that my preliminary exams consisted of me playing some kind of Star Wars video game in which I accidentally chose the Dark Side. But I did get to shake hands with Darth Vader, so that was cool. It switched very quickly to being a Tron video game, and I was about to go in to the light cycle ring when Jonathan woke me up. I was like, "Hey! I was just about to pass my prelims on the light cycle! Why did you wake me up?"

Reading: I am also behind on my reading. I had jury duty on Tuesday, and it totally threw me off. I have caught up on my contemporary American lit and my Old English, but I am still a day behind on my Middle English.
Old English: The Husband's Message. A 54-line poem about a guy who has been exiled from his homeland and had to leave his wife behind. He carves her a rune-stick with instructions to follow him into exile. The poem is told from the perspective of the rune-stick. And the poem actually contains runes which is kind of awesome.
Middle English: The Towneley Plays - "The Offering of the Magi", "The Flight to Egypt", "The Purification of Mary", "The Doctors", and "John the Baptist." Sooooo boring. I hate these plays.
Contemporary American: Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson, pp. 149-200.

Workout: No. I planned our trip to New Mexico instead. Probably not the best choice.

Food:
I am proud of myself for sticking so well to my plan! I've even eaten out several times and been happy with the choices I've been making and the portion control.
Breakfast: Cereal, coffee
Lunch: Turkey sandwich, watermelon
Dinner: Ham and Acorn Squash Skillet
Snacks: watermelon and yogurt