Favourites || March

Putting this out a bit late - it’s almost mid-April.
I’m sitting in my living room on a gloomy, chilly Holy Saturday (the day between Good Friday and Easter), a cup of coffee at my side, and the latest Ask N.T. Wright Anything - Qs About Crucifixion - playing on my phone.
Covid-19 has had Canada in isolation for the past three or four weeks now, so the times are different than I ever would have expected.
And my sister, Hannah, has moved in with her cat to keep me and my cat company.
We’ve been planning what kind of plants I’m going to put on my balcony this year, and I placed an order for seeds . . . . I ordered way more than I probably need, but I think this year calls for the hope that planting a garden needs and brings.

To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow
- Audrey Hepburn

I’m sure I will share tons of things from my garden throughout the spring and summer. 😊
I also want to be more specific about the things that have stood out to me, or brought learning or joy to me each month, but this one has only a couple things that have affected me in good ways this past month.

Father Brown

A British TV series, set in the 50s, about a Catholic priest who solves murder mysteries?? Yes Please!

By this point we’re all aware that I love watching these types of shows. A pg-13 show about a loveable cast of characters solving crime. This one comes complete with Mark Williams playing the main character. You might remember Mark as one of the bad guys in the 90’s live action 101 Dalmatians, or Mr. Weasley in Harry Potter. As Father Brown he comes across as endearing - warm, wise and upright.

I was impressed by the way this show treated the Catholic/Christian faith. Although I don’t hold to all the beliefs depicted, and some of the episodes depicted members of the church’s leadership as criminal, or certain beliefs as outdated, overall they treated the church and its beliefs with respect.

My favourite thing about this show though is the communal aspect of the main character’s lives. Father Brown, his housekeeper (Mrs. McCarthy), their rich neighbour (Lady Felicia), and her chauffeur/handyman (Sid) form a tight knit friend group who live so intertwined so that although none of them are romantically involved, and none of them are blood family - they are constantly there for one another. They have tough conversations where they question each others decisions, morals and beliefs, but they also laugh and show up for one another, making sure everyone is cared for (and we see this care extend to other parishioners and the town) despite their differences. As much as I love a good romance, I think it does my heart and life good to see other models for close, fulfilling relationships - especially as in the case of Father Brown who chooses to live a fully celibate life as a sign of devotion to God. Thank you to the writers of Father Brown for taking this seriously and not having it appear as a lonely, cursed life, nor as something that a priest is not capable of truly abiding by.

Anyway - British accents, endearing characters, interesting cases, random 50s historical facts, as well as being based on a series of short stories by G.K. Chesterton . . . I definitely enjoyed this watch.

Ranunculus

Last year I received a bouquet that included some ranunculus, and instantly I fell in love.
So this year to brighten up a gloomy March I bought a whole bouquet of them from The Watering Can.

The Model Prayer

More commonly known as The Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father, a friend of mine recently passed on this version - and I love it. I’ve spent the last several weeks learning it and praying it.

Born Again This Way by Rachel Gilson

I wrote an entire post dedicated to this book, so if you’re interested in reading it, you can find it here. If you’ve read it yourself, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!