Friday mornings #8

Folk art, summer reading, and gardening woes

The Falls of Niagara, Edward Hicks, c. 1825

1. I wrote this week for the Washington Examiner, evaluating the IVF debate and urging pro-lifers not to abandon the first principles lurking under the political issues that absorb us:

   Widespread use of IVF is also at the forefront of efforts to redefine the family and undermine the model that is best for children: growing up with their married mother and father. Using IVF to facilitate the claim that childbearing is an individual right opens the door for anyone, including same-sex couples or single individuals, to access IVF on the same legal grounds as married couples. Foremost among the problems with such a system is that it treats children as commodities, available to whomever is willing to foot the bill, with no regard for the well-being or rights of the children involved. . . .

   As this policy debate continues to unfold, pro-lifers should advocate a comprehensive medical view of fertility, one that is consistent with sound ethical principles and that doesn’t settle for IVF as a supposed healthcare solution. And while in the current political climate it might be tempting to ignore the ways in which IVF undermines pro-life principles, those in the pro-life movement must not remain silent and thus concede that IVF is morally acceptable or that it constitutes treatment for infertility.

2. I enjoyed this encouraging article by Christopher Kaczor: “Why Are So Many Young Adults Becoming Catholic?”

3. We took a fun day trip to Colonial Williamsburg, which is the perfect driving distance from home to allow my son to nap the whole way there and back. In addition to its many historical virtues, the town boasts a Trader Joe’s, something Fredericksburg sorely lacks…

4. While in Williamsburg, we spent some of the hot afternoon checking out the art museum, including the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center. I haven’t sought out much folk art before and found it interesting. A version of the painting above is on display there.

5. A little garden update: A kind reader alerted me that companion planting marigolds near my basil might keep surreptitious snackers at bay. I dutifully planted one, alongside some rosemary. Meanwhile, my parsley is on the rebound, and my thyme continues its decline.

6. I enjoy the Substack “The Writer’s Cottage.” The author, Alicia Hamilton, proposes a summer reading challenge, designed especially for writers, but I think it would be helpful for any reader needing a little direction over the summer months. My husband and I have made our lists along the lines Hamilton suggests and managed to revise them only once in the past week. (My indecision is my foremost obstacle to finishing books, although I’m almost at 30 on the year so far.)

7. I already finished my first book on my summer list: Stuart Little by E. B. White. I can’t recall having read it before. I enjoyed it, though not as much as I liked reading White’s Charlotte’s Web earlier this spring.

Will you be pursuing any particular summer reading projects this year, and/or doing any gardening? Have you undertaken recent trips to see historic sites? As always, feel free to leave a comment or send a message. I’d love to hear from you: