Category: Uncategorised
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Happy Michaelmas 2026!
“Saint Michael is kind to strangers” is the motto of the nearby town of Linlithgow, and the same sentiment applies to the ladies and gentlemen of Mrs McLean’s Waltzing Party. As always, I was delighted to see our veteran dancers sweeping up the newcomers into the fun. But Generation Z, you’re going to be the…
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The Golden Links of Tradition
Someone recently told me her family had no traditions. Further conversation revealed that this was not strictly true for traditional foods still appear on the table at Christmas and annual gifts are offered in the name of a saint. “That’s a tradition,” I said. “What do you think it’s about?” “Superstition?” suggested my interlocutor. “I…
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Making Michaelmas Memorable
On Sunday someone told me how much she enjoys our dances for Catholics who love the Traditional Latin Mass (and our friends). She declared that they are unique, and I can think of several reasons why that might be. First, they are the biggest social occasions (south of the Forth Bridge, north of the Border)…
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A Six Week Challenge
On Tuesday I found myself admiring an X-ray of my right knee. I apparently have a frayed meniscus (fibrocartilage in knees that acts as a shock absorber), but my leg bones themselves look mighty solid. Perhaps it is from eating lots of salmon, yogurt and broccoli. But I like to think it’s because I have…
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Dinner parties
When I first arrived in Scotland, I was invited to a munchie box of dinner parties. These combined elegance with heavy drinking and generally followed a common plan: drinks and nibbles in a sitting-room, then soup or fancy salad in the dining-room, next main course(s), then pudding (dessert), then coffee, often with chocolates, and finally…
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The dreaded cardboard box
“I thought marriage would make my life easier,” said my then-colleague, many years ago, in a different country, and at an awful workplace. She had met her husband on vacation, spent a lot of money on his immigration, and helped him to get a job. But after he did, his workmates teased him over his…
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The Depths of the Sea
“What do women want?” I demanded of a wise man after hosting yet another dance party with 10 men and only 4 women. “If I could answer that, I’d be rich,” said the wise man and munched a biscuit. It’s Just A Coffee Classic Man is simple and straightforward; Classic Woman is not. Therefore, I…
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Pretty/Handsome, Kind-hearted, Etc.
This is the third article in my Auntie Seraphic Comeback series about love stuff. I’m going to continue doling out advice to TLM-loving Catholic women, but don’t worry: I have many things to say to Trad Cat men, too. (For example, we all think your pipes are stupid.) Part One here. Part Two there. To…
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The Caffeine in the Cappuccino of Life
I was once famous among women on Catholic campuses (like Notre Dame, Indiana) as “Auntie Seraphic”. The source of my notoriety was my blog “Seraphic Singles” where I wrote whatever I believed about men and dating in an unbridled fashion. (N.B. My book on Catholic single life was published in three countries.) One fan could…
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Lourdes & Macarena
Mr McLean and I returned from Lourdes yesterday, tired from the journey but grateful for the graces received. Some of these—like the heart-stopping beauty of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes set against the green foothills of the Pyrenees—were apparent. Others have not yet unfolded. We watch and pray. We were the guests of…