“Houseproud” was a criticism of women (never men) that I sometimes heard in my youth. A woman who was “houseproud” was seen as a pernickety housewife, more keen on dusting her ornaments than on welcoming visitors, even importing the sin of “pride” to that inanimate object, a house.
I don’t hear the term used so frequently now: standards of home maintenance have become so high that, perhaps, pride in a home is no longer considered unusual. A cleaning lady of my acquaintance tells me that every house she visits for cleaning purposes is already so spotless she wonders why she is required at all.
In this wonderful season of early summer, is “gardenproud” a more appropriate application? People work amazingly hard on their gardens and the standard of domestic gardening these days seems to me to rival Versailles.
In our town, we have an “open garden” day on July 1 – now in preparation – when you can wander from garden to garden to behold the extraordinary achievements of contemporary gardeners. Every garden on display looks like the Chelsea Flower Show and the local (Cof E) vicarage is usually among the star gardens: wonderfully spacious, and so varied in its blooms and plants.
There’s long been a link between gardening and spirituality, starting with the Garden of Eden, conceived as a paradise. Many holy men and women down the ages have cultivated gardening, and seen its care, beauty and attention to pruning as a metaphor for the care of the soul. Weeds, which sprout when the garden is neglected, become the symbols of the flaws, errors and sins that spring up if vigilance is not maintained.
I think my garden would probably win a competition for the worst garden in the neighbourhood. It’s wild, overgrown, strewn with weeds, and bordering on the squalid. When I gaze at it, it’s a reminder of how much work I have to do on my soul. I certainly have no reason to be “gardenproud”.
……..
Penny Mordaunt, the women and equalities minister, has hailed the Irish abortion referendum result as “a historic and great day for Ireland”. Perhaps, then, this might prompt her to reduce the liberal British abortion law from 24 weeks’ gestation to the more restrictive Irish plan of 12 weeks?
No, quite the contrary: her ambition is to extend a more liberal regime to Northern Ireland, rather than recommend a more restrictive one for the British mainland.
The liberals on this issue have had their sights trained on “reactionary” Catholic Ireland for some time. Now their focus of hostility is moving to “reactionary” Protestant Ireland.
There is a historic irony here, too, in that the Protestant DUP in Northern Ireland are now almost the last stronghold in Europe against abortion on demand.
……..
Many television thrillers and dramas now have women as protagonists, and two of the most engaging are BBC One’s The Split and BBC Two’s Scandi noir series The Bridge.
The Split, which came to an end this Tuesday but is still available on iPlayer, focuses on three sisters, two of whom are divorce lawyers, and their mother, also a divorce attorney. It is written by the accomplished Abi Morgan and at first I thought it hard and brittle, displaying that unsavoury side of the legal profession – the obsession with billing and fees – while thriving on the misery of people’s marital break-ups. Yet it gradually reveals that in their own marriage problems lawyers are just as vulnerable to heartbreak as their clients.
The Bridge, on Fridays, is bleak, chilling and very violent in parts, with the Swedish protagonist, Saga, being on the autism spectrum. The detective seems unable to express, or understand, emotions, but she has a fine mind for solving crime. It’s unsparing yet gripping.
Saga is now unexpectedly pregnant, “but I am going to have it removed”. The male colleague, who is the father, asks if he has any say in the matter of “the child”, and she replies crisply “not in law”. Yet she seems in no hurry to have the pregnancy “removed”, as she is focused on more urgent professional matters.
It is evident that the viewer’s sympathy is being elicited in the hope that the pregnancy drifts on and the “removal” does not take place.
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.