Two Stories for Today

Plus bonus update.

Perelandra keeps springing to mind. First, the obvious example of Ransom, who faced with a possessed and utterly evil Westin, gradually realizes that, no, reasoning isn’t the best he can do, his enemy cares not on bit about logic or sympathy or doing what is right. Come what may, and no matter how ill-suited to the job he, personally, may be, he must use force.

It’s good to note that, at least in Lewis’s telling, the enemy proves to be mere flesh and blood – at the level of physical conflict, at least. Westin, the human body, can be defeated by human means.

A more subtle idea: Innocence as the greatest defense against pure evil. The Vesuvian Eve is protected from many things Westin might want to try by her innocence. Westin is certainly not beyond physical attack or more crass or lewd behavior – but Eve is immune to such things, and, indeed, the battle would be over as soon as Westin tried any of that.

The Insane Satanic Imbeciles (sort of like Westin, who only occasionally showed his purely satanic side) currently running things strive most of all to destroy innocence, because as long as innocence is maintained, they cannot defeat us. Thus, trans ideology in schools, the normalization of pedophilia, and the gross coarsening of ‘popular’ entertainment. We should strive, above all, to protect and promote innocence, both in our children and in ourselves.

Finally, my thoughts keep turning to the example of St. Louis of France. While when I wrote that little semi-joke, I mentioned that the duties of Kings are not to be assumed by subjects. Now? When there is no legitimate earthly king?

Bonus Mini-update: This Headmaster gig is going well, in the sense that our school is getting more excellent. I attribute this improvement entirely to the faculty, parents, board, and students, in accordance with the Holy Will.

The only measures of excellent I’m interested in are the moral, spiritual, and scholarly growth of our students. So, all credit to our young scholars, who are children any parent could be proud of. Personally, I could be way better at my job in all its myriad details, and am often laughably incompetent. Our pastor assures me that God, in order to protect us from the sin of pride, always gives us impossible jobs, so that, when we succeed, we know all the glory and honor for that success is His, not ours. If so, so far so good.

Pulled the trigger. We are moving into our newly-purchased farm in the foothills of the Sierra. Utterly beautiful land, with a stream at the bottom by the road flowing through a couple flat acres, then a fairly serious slop up to the top of the hill, where sits the house, the workshop, and the garage/barn combo. If not for the trees, we’d have several killer views. Maybe a bit more than half the land is hillside pastures, with flat land at the bottom and the top.

In order for us to afford to buy property here, we had to look at less than ideal situations – our new home needed a lot of work, and the land, while utterly beautiful, has not been productively used in years, probably decades. So, we’re fixing up a house – while living in it, in our copious spare time between me being Headmaster and Mrs. Yardsale taking care of her elderly mother. Slooooowly. Next, it’s trimming or removing many trees, repairing an extensive irrigation system, checking fences (at least a couple acres of pasture have newer fences in good condition) rejuvenating some pastures, and a million other things.

I’m 65, my beloved is 60. In short, we have completely lost our minds.

I’m not nearly as ready to be a farmer as these folks! What have I done?!?

“Faaaaarm Livin’ is the life for me!” Already have some beef cattle lined up once the pastures are ready (two newborn calves belonging to a friend, who will need some grazing land in 5-6 months); chickens probably in the spring. Trying to decide if I’m satisfied with the existing large gardens, or if I want to take a quarter or half an acre of the land down by the stream and turn it into a HUGE garden bordering on out and out farm. Nice soil down there. That would be way more food than we could use ourselves, even including all the kids and grandkids, and I’m not sure I want to go into the whole farmer’s market thing…

So that’s why I’ve been scarce around this here blog. Figure I’ll work another couple years, then ‘retire’ to spend hours on my massive new riding mower (I was told I needed this for proper care of the pastures. It’s hard to imagine anything less my style than a riding mower.) And then, who knows? I am prepared to hunker down out here, if necessary. If it proves unnecessary, cool, and thank God.