These Things

Reversible Tote Bags

2012-01-30T17:11:00.001-05:00

It took us several sessions (including a trip to the quilting store for fabric), but the girls and I have finished their reversible tote bags. I am so impressed! They're roomy and beautiful and we made them!

Here's Rebecca sewing across a corner to make a flat bottom for the bag.

Becca used a chopstick to turn the handle right side out. I think the instructions in the book had us cut the strips too narrow, so we made Marianna's wider.

I love this peek inside . . .

The outside of the bag and its handles were sewn inside the lining--counterintuitive for beginners. Reaching in to pull everything right side out was so much fun!

After cutting, stiching, pressing, etc., Marianna finished her project by topstitching around the tote's opening.

Ta da!

Aren't these fabrics gorgeous? Yes, I influenced Marianna's choice, steering her away from polka dots and puppy dogs. She will not outgrow this bag.

Rebecca can rarely be persuaded away from a choice once she's made it. She has a strong sense of personal style. In this instance, I'd call it . . . preppy?

Flour Tower

2012-01-26T21:14:00.001-05:00

Rebecca found this game in a book that was just lying around. Quite the persistent child, she managed to pull Marianna and me into the simple fun:

Compact flour in a small bowl. Turn it out onto a cutting board and top with a penny. (Sorry for the fuzzy photo!)

Slice away chunks of flour.

If you topple the penny, you lose!

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

2011-12-09T07:49:00.001-05:00

During yesterday's gospel, this song leaped into my head. I became aware of this old carol just a few years ago, but it's now one of my favorite Advent hymns.

Updated to answer a private comment: Yes, I know the Immaculate Conception refers to Mary's conception without original sin. This song sounds like it's more about Jesus' conception/incarnation, but it follows the gospel reading for December 8th. "The angel Gabriel was sent from God . . . " Hailing Mary as "full of grace" and (in the song) "most highly favored lady" reminds me of her sinlessness. Anyway, happy listening!

Second Week of Advent

2011-12-05T08:47:00.000-05:00

"Prayer, mortification, and good example will always form the basis of the Christian apostolate . . . Apostolate springs from a great love for Christ."

Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God

How is your Advent going? We got off to a slow start, but it's not too late to make progress.

Second Try

2011-11-23T10:25:00.001-05:00

While Marianna was shadowing at next year's school, Rebecca and I had another go at gathering and dipping leaves. This time we used beeswax (instead of candle scraps), with beautiful results. The leaves smelled better, of course, and their color has held up reasonably well. They are fading and browning, but more slowly than our first batch.

Becca and I sewed a few garlands, too.

Can you see the other end of Becca's thread taped to the door handle?

One garland drapes between the kitchen and family room.

Two more hang from the school room and kitchen chandeliers.

By the way, these are the ten-days-old leaves. They were stunning a week ago!

Just in Time

2011-11-22T08:56:00.000-05:00

Inspired by Lesson 2's variation on the placemat,

We bought fabric and trimmings.

I still do most of the measuring and cutting.

These pretty corners seem almost magical!

Trimming the final threads . . . (We have few pictures of Becca sewing, because she sits on my lap. We place the foot pedal on a stool under the table.)

Ta da!

The girls both stitched beautiful, straight lines (and yes, some not-so-straight, too):

Time to pack for our Thanksgiving trip!

What She Said

2011-11-20T22:01:00.001-05:00

I often wish I were better at praying--really listening and communicating with God. Most of my "God time" is devoted to spiritual reading or the recitation of standard prayers. Not that there's anything wrong with that . . .

Jennifer Fulwiler has posted a great analogy comparing prayer and greeting cards. I found it comforting and inspirational. You might like it, too.

Napkins Galore!

2011-11-13T21:45:00.001-05:00

It took us several sewing sessions, but we did finish our napkin project. This was the first official lesson (after 3 mini-projects) in Stitch by Stitch. After completing one napkin, we made the rest smaller, as the girls thought the specified measurements were just too big. The bonus is that we now had enough fabric for almost a dozen napkins (plus a few for the dolls, plus leftover cloth).

All three of us practiced mitering corners and sewing straight lines. Some results were better than others. :-) I'm nearly as much of a beginner as they are.

A cloth napkin may not need laundering after each meal, so it's useful to keep your own until it's soiled. Somewhere long ago (probably on a blog) I read about personalized napkin rings, which inspired our next creations:

Using already on-hand memory wire and beads, we began a collection. The wooden beads are for the boys. We girls made our own, plus a few for guests. Maybe we'll get fancier eventually, but this works for now.

A final image: Learning to sew has brought out Becca's inner ironer. I'm not surprised; even though she can be messy, Rebecca usually prefers things "just so."

The Fun Stuff

2011-11-07T21:45:00.002-05:00

Saving the best for last may be a fine way to manage ones dinner plate, but it's a poor way to run a [home]school. Maybe it's distractibility or perhaps my temperament, but I tend to get caught up in the urgent--laundry, math, cooking, grammar--and run out of energy or time before enjoying crafts, music, or art.

This year I'm tackling my habit two ways: by prioritizing and co-oping.

I've set aside two big chunks of time on Monday and Friday mornings (not after lunch or "regular" school) for sewing with the girls. Even when I slack off, we usually manage something enriching.

For me, co-oping is an excellent way to make me do what I want to. Two years ago I ran across this post about waxing autumn leaves. Even with that bookmarked, and further encouragement from Elizabeth and Ginny last year, nothing happened.

This season I added leaf dipping to the list of group activities, and voila! Accountability and responsibility for someone else's kids brings out the do-er in me.

Better late than never?

Disclosure: A week later, our leaves are no longer brilliant. I used white candle scraps instead of paraffin or beeswax, but I don't see how that would make a difference in preservation. Wax is wax as far as sealing the leaf, right? If you know something about making the colors last longer, I'd love to know about it. We still have some brightness on the trees here . . . Thanks!

Weekends Aren't Always for Relaxing

2011-11-05T10:51:00.001-04:00

But you already knew that, right? Consider this morning:

Walk the dog 0700-0750.
Drive Joe to violin 0800.
Shower, dress, make arrangements for Marianna's day.
Drive Daniel to 0900 mass, pick up Joe.
Grab 1/2 a bagel, make arrangements for Rebecca's day.
0940: Drive Becca to a friend's house.
1000: Chapel visit, pick up Daniel.
1035: Home again.

Still to come: the end-of-season sports party for the boys (I must drive and stay), an afternoon meeting for Len (when he gets home from work), and a high school party for Daniel (we only have to pick up for that). That's all I remember without checking my planner! Then there are the standard weekend chores (all of us), laundry, cooking and eating dinner (we may all be home for that!). None of which include the "real" to-do list--school prep, sewing, processing meat for the freezer, online research and ordering, and a million other fun or important tasks.

The sun is shining and the leaves are gorgeous outside. Maybe we'll get out in the freshness. (Dusty's walk only half counts, since it's mostly dark and I don't have a human companion on the weekends.)

Enjoy your day!

Random photo:

We recently had the driveway dug up (by a bulldozer) and repaved. The girls and I enjoyed watching the process, and I got a kick out of having a steamroller (?) in my gargage. ;-)

Tangled

2011-11-04T22:14:00.004-04:00

(image found here)

Did you ever notice that the 4th Joyful Mystery (the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple) takes place at the same time as the 1st of the Seven Sorrows of Mary (Simeon's Prophecy)? Joy and wonder as Simeon recognizes the promised Messiah and blesses the family are intermingled with pain as he continues, "and a sword will pierce through your own soul also . . ."

This is parenthood, isn't it?

I wouldn't trade it for the world, though.

No, I'm not feeling gloomy--just marveling at the complicated nature of my vocation.

While I Was Away

2011-11-03T21:32:00.001-04:00

When I left town to help someone, Len took time off from work and held down the fort for a week. What a wonderful man/husband/father!

And when Dad is in charge of the homeschool, something interesting is bound to happen . . .

Hmm . . . What could be in the plastic bag?

Len found this recently dead lizard while mowing the lawn.

Waste not, want not . . .

The stereoscope enlarges 3-D objects (vs. slides under a microscope) to 20X and 40X. It's been one of our best school investments. (Skip the next few pictures if you're squeamish!)

Marianna took most of these photos. There are plenty more!

Len walked me through the pictures, pointing out the heart (they could see the ventricles under the stereoscope), lungs, spinal cord, kidneys, trachea (which opened near the tip of the tongue), etc.

Having a veterinarian for a dad can certainly be fascinating. He's brought home baby bunnies and squirrels for visits, and dissected a still-warm chipmunk on the kitchen table.

Sew Fun

2011-10-26T23:06:00.002-04:00

Learning to sew is a big item on this year's school agenda. I've blocked off two mornings a week, which means that even if I slack off we'll still accomplish something.

The girls and I are working through Stitch by Stitch (thanks, Elizabeth, for the inspiration!). We started in September, creating a stitch sampler to see just what our old machine can do.

Next up was another mini-project (not even at lesson one yet!): machine appliqueing on a t-shirt. Knowing the anxiety level/perfectionistic attitude of some members of the crew, I gave a pep talk about process vs. product, we're all learning together, etc. etc. I also decided we would work on a sample together, using a discarded shirt, before making the ones that mattered.

After shopping trips to aquire t-shirts, fusible webbing, and iron-on stabilizer, we were ready to begin. BTW, the shopping isn't easy for me. I am so not in my element at the fabric store. The folks there are helpful, but sometimes I'm so hazy about what I want/need that it's hard for them to answer my questions. Anyway . . .

Ta da! What we thought would be a throw-away is now a night shirt!

Then it was on to the real appliques. BTW, Deborah specifically recommended hearts so we could practice straight lines (we sewed them first), corner pivots, and curved lines.

The appliques are ironed onto the stablized t-shirts, then the edges are stitched to prevent unraveling.

Since then, we've completed lesson one (napkins) and bought our supplies for lesson two (a variation on a placemat with pockets). More pictures to come . . .

Summer's Gone

2011-10-22T20:59:00.001-04:00

But not forgotten . . .

Our early October harvest

We call it home ec :-)

I've had trouble keeping my pesto beautifully green. I've tried "Ever Fresh" and crushed vitamin C tablets, which only seem to work until the sauce contacts the hot pasta.

This summer I got a tip from my sister's friend: briefly blanch the basil in boiling water (say that five times fast!), shock in ice water, and proceed. I blanched our entire harvest, tossing handfuls into the 8 quart pot and scooping leaves out with a strainer before depositing them in a sink full of ice water. Dried in the salad spinner, the basil remained a gorgeous green (see above).

An added bonus: much more wilted basil fits in my food processor at once. (I measured the leaves before blanching.) I was able to make a 6 X batch instead of the usual double. A quicker way to get a dozen bags of summer into the deep freeze!

In This Storm

2011-10-20T15:46:00.000-04:00

My life has been challenging lately, with some distressing situations taking up mental, emotional, and spiritual energy. As much as I enjoy my blog, posts take some focus-time, and I have been too preoccupied to concentrate.

One issue recently resolved, at least enough to move on, leaving it on a back burner. Another is still up and down; I don't know when peace will come.

A few songs bring me comfort, including this one by Casting Crowns. An excerpt:

I was sure by now
God, you would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say, "Amen," and it's still raining
And as the thunder rolls
I barely hear your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
. . .
Every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side

Listen to it all:

Grandma to the Rescue

2011-09-10T18:44:00.000-04:00

Becca reassuring her Build-a-Bear as I wielded the vacuum: "Don't worry. Grandma's gonna get that spider out of the grocery cart."

Just like my mother--another transition for our 50th year. ;-)

The Conflagration

2011-09-06T16:53:00.002-04:00

"Apricot Dream" (with white chocolate cream cheese icing) from Victoria's Cakery.

Milestones

2011-09-02T21:42:00.003-04:00

Yesterday my first baby turned 21!

Today I'm 50!

What else is there to say?

Let's go out to lunch instead . . .

Gazpacho at our favorite tapas restaurant

Amazing olive oil

Not so pretty, but creamy and earthy rice with mushrooms

Some kind of grilled bread with roasted eggplant, red pepper, onion, and salt-cured anchovy...

Lauren let me eat just half of mine before declaring, "It looks like a slug."

Thanks, honey!

Fried baby artichoke hearts with an intense black olive (and anchovy?) sauce/paste underneath

Also delicious mixed with the olive oil and bread

A classic Spanish tortilla: omelet with potatoes and onions.

This big birthday has been a mix of mundane and extraordinary:

an early morning dog walk followed by gifts (a Kindle! . . . a fuse bead picture frame . . . a crystal bowl . . . handmade cards . . . my baby book! etc.)
a heartwarming note from Len and carpool emails
school driving, airport driving, soccer driving, and a gourmet lunch
cards and calls and cards and calls
sipping from my daughter's wineglass
organizing a main level cleanup, but not helping with the dishes (actually, I hardly ever do)
a heart full of gratitude for all the wonderful people in my life--THANK YOU!

Emptying Nest

2011-08-20T08:29:00.000-04:00

Thursday was surreal.

Lauren was nannying.
David worked at the bike shop.
Daniel is still in Spain at World Youth Day.
Joseph was at camp.
Marianna spent the day with her best friend and Lauren.
Rebecca was in MD, visiting her favorite cousin.

Okay, a few of the kids were home for dinner, but it was strange to be in such an empty house for so long. At least my chores were still family oriented--grocery shopping, school planning, organizing, etc.

Some quiet and uninterrupted time is refreshing, but I'm going to miss this crowd when they're gone!

The Garage

2011-08-16T20:18:00.000-04:00

Apparently, I'm not the only one with the urge to reorganize. Len will be moving some items to the shed and disposing of others while he changes the garage set-up. Everything on the right-hand side will move to the left so we can pull the van more easily in and out.

And along the lines of giving a mouse a cookie: if you're going to move a boatload from one side to the other, you might as well remove all the shelves, sand some spots, and paint the whole place!

Harvest

2011-08-12T08:43:00.001-04:00

Not so big, but this is the first melon we've EVER harvested! Usually bugs or critters ruin them before we can enjoy the fruit. It was delicious.

For some refreshing summer ideas, check out the recipes for bubble tea

and real lemonade

over at my cooking blog.

Progress

2011-08-10T19:34:00.004-04:00

Setting up the sewing center

Sew pretty ;-)

Although the transition is a bit messy . . .
And yes, that rug is at my front door. This is definitely a public undertaking!

Hope Falls Eternal

2011-08-06T00:27:00.002-04:00

It's not about New Year's resolutions. The freshness of spring doesn't do it, either. For me, autumn is the time of new beginnings.

As I get ready for the latest academic year, I am filled with hope. Although years of experience have shown that I won't (don't? can't?) get everything done, I still make a plan. Maybe this time . . .

I could get discouraged and consider these efforts a waste. But I don't. It's good to have a vision, a goal.

This year I want to concentrate on fewer subjects, but with more depth. Botany will include more time outdoors than usual, with nature notebooks and drawing (an old habit renewed). The girls will write with structure and style all year. We'll learn to draw. How to keep all that going? I'm back in a co-op. Accountability works!

Of course, there will be traditional studies (math, spelling, etc.) too. And inspired by Elizabeth I'm going to try for the third time to teach daughters (and myself) to sew. How to stick with it? That's a good question, and I have a few ideas.

On sewing days, we'll start right after prayer and Bible time. We won't cover math or piano first. We won't start after lunch. We won't skip it while we finish other subjects. Sewing will be the priority, not the good idea we don't have time for.

I'm hoping that having a dedicated sewing center will also help the three of us continue. My house isn't small, but I still had trouble finding enough room to set up shop. Then I thought outside the box and came up with . . . our schoolroom!

This is the open (with only 2 1/2 walls) dining room just off the front door, and as such is a visual part of the entire main level. For my own sanity, it must be tidiable. We can't just toss piles of supplies in there and walk away. Besides, right now the classroom is full!

So I'm in the process of packing away books we won't use this year. I'll declutter a bit, too, and use the table for the sewing machine. With desks elsewhere plus the kitchen table, there are other spaces where my girls can do their seatwork.

So far this is just a great idea. Will I persevere? I pray. For now I'm looking forward to fall (even though I'm so not ready)! :-)

Summer Daze

2011-07-29T20:22:00.001-04:00

The patch of wild mint bordering our woods is where I discovered the only living creatures that seemed to be enjoying the oppressive heat and humidity of a July afternoon.

At least ten species were crawling, hopping, and fluttering among the petite blooms.

Based on the handy charts and photos at Bugguide.net,

I believe the blue-winged insect above is a double-banded scoliid wasp.

Neon green, ordinary black, yellow . . . Boring and beautiful were both there.

The smallest ones seemed the most numerous.

These look lile Red-banded Hairstreaks. Butterfliesandmoths.org has almost 4,000 photos of various adults--who knows how many caterpillars the website could also help you identify!

Better Than the Alternative

2011-07-26T11:19:00.005-04:00

For a few years now I've been flipping out about my approaching 50th birthday.

Thirty felt young--for goodness sake, my first baby was barely a year old then.

And 40 was no big deal. Heck, I had a baby at 43!

But this half-century mark has been looming like a dark cloud on my horizon:

For the first time ever, I was embarrassed to state my age.
I dreaded becoming lonely and frail (despite the fact that the older generation of my family is busy and cheerful).
I worried about becoming insignificant/obsolete, having my children outgrow me. They are a huge part of my life. Would I stop mattering as they naturally and rightly mature and move on?

Fifty didn't equal elderly to me, but it felt like the beginning of the end.

It may sound silly to you, but my angst and sense of foreboding were growing steadily. Once in a while I'd joke that growing old "beats the alternative," but that wasn't enough to actually turn my attitude around.

So what changed?

I had been reflecting on discerning and following God's will, and on those who abandon themselves to Him. Blogposts and In Conversation With God nudged my mind.

For ages I've believed myself committed to doing God's will if only I know what it is. But how do I know?

Of course there's plenty of guidance out there, most of which I'm too lazy to seek out and read. But one day a thought passed through the noise and struck my consciousness: until further notice, I can assume that God's will for me includes growing old (or at least older).

Go ahead--laugh. I think I did, too! ;-)

Yet that simple idea has turned my attitude around. God wants me to live, and live for Him.

If any of my fears become reality, so be it. I can cope and offer up any hardship.

Growing old, like growing up, is meant to be. Happy birthday to me!

Photos taken by Lauren during our June vacation in the Smoky Mountains.

Moving Right Along

2011-07-24T07:44:00.004-04:00

Friday we mailed a signed contract with a check in order to reserve Lauren and Adam's reception venue (their first choice date was already booked!). Saturday we drove to DC to look at it in person. Charming!

"On the way" (ish) Len, Becca, Grammy, and I shopped with the bride and bought her gown. Yes! It's in our hands already!

Sorry, that's all there is to see for now! I will tell you that the dress is lovely. :-) Of course, it didn't take much to transform my daughter from beautiful to glowing (not that I'm biased or anything).

There is still a myriad of details to take care of before next summer, but with the bride and groom away at school for months between now and then, it's a huge relief to have some of the bigger boxes checked off.

Small Successes: Homemaking Tweaks

2011-07-21T13:16:00.003-04:00

I haven't written a "small successes" post since April, and in that time it's moved from Faith and Family Live to Chocolate for Your Brain.
Here are a few of my recent (not all this week, though) accomplishments:

1. We have an effective chore system, and one of the weekly tasks is the emptying of trash cans. Historically this worked fine for 9 out of 10 containers, but the receptacle in the kids' bathroom was always overflowing before Saturday. Overflowing. Every week. With trash on the floor. Ugh! It took many years, but I finally came up with the no-duh solution--I bought a bigger trash can.

Not bad for a $5 impulse buy

2. My in-laws generously bought me a new bread machine 2 Christmases ago, which I've mostly used for making dough. This summer I've been working to develop a 100% whole wheat recipe that will mix and bake in the machine. It will save time and is so much more energy efficient than using the oven, especially in hot weather. I've had some successes and failures, and so far don't have a keeper recipe. Yesterday's attempt came out fairly well, though (a little dry, and I'd prefer a perfectly smooth top).

3. I have a pantry with plenty of wire shelves, plus an extra high set that Len built for me long ago, but sometimes it's still tricky to manage all the food and equipment I want to store in there. Lately the bags have been driving me crazy! We have more than usual--Boy Scout popcorn, chips, pretzels, rice cakes, tortilla chips, etc. Not everything is open or eaten every day, but those floppy bags take up space and get jumbled and fall down from on high.

I decided to buy a container to corral all those goodies--something clear or with open sides so we'd be able to view its contents. It also needed to be light enough to easily pull down from the shelf. I located a few possibilities in the store, but as I kept wandering I found . . . ta da . . . a laundry basket! It's light, open on the sides, and cost an unbelievable $2.75.

Yes, I know I'm easily amused. Thank you for pointing that out. ;-)

Sherry has links to other moms' successes. Go be inspired!

Me and My House: Summer 2011

2011-07-20T12:18:00.003-04:00

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Joshua 24:15

What with summer trips, summer calm, summer craziness, and computer issues, I've been away from this blog for quite a while. It's time for a quick update.

When we left for our Smoky Mountain vacation in early June, the tadpoles had developed back legs and were resting on them, as well as hop/walking a bit.

Unfortunately, the froglets began another die-off. One expired the day before our departure. As time passed, each morning and afternoon Marianna's best friend would find a new group of corpses, 5-10 at a time! Yes, we had many creatures in that habitat.

Even though they changed the water every day (not a simple task, carrying two pitchers from the creek), fed the living, and removed the dead, our intrepid sitter and her mom couldn't end the carnage. Perhaps the habitat was too crowded, or maybe a disease was running through the population. Eventually we all agreed that it was time for an early release. The remaining adolescents were carried to a calm spot and set free into the creek. We'll probably never know what went wrong, but hopefully we'll have more success next time. Yes, we hope to try again.

In June our family spent a week in the Carolinas, mostly in the Smoky Mountains. We hiked, ate out, tubed, ate in, watched movies, visited family, played mini golf, swam, kayaked, biked, etc. It was great! That postcard photo above is the view from the deck of our vacation home. Not too shabby, eh? The fog is an almost daily occurrence, hence the name Smoky Mountains.

Over 4th of July week, we all spent some time in NY. There was no Saranac trip this year, but we had a family reunion of sorts at my sister's house (and my parents' and other sister's, too). She and her husband and children live in a charming old house

on several acres

complete with a large garden and chickens.

There's also an idyllic swimming hole at the creek down the hill.

Family time--gotta love it!

Rebecca enjoyed a one week visit from her favorite cousin just before our NY trip. She's become a bookworm, and this summer is tearing through American Girl stories, Charlotte's Web, and other chapter books. Now she's in the midst of dance/gymnastics camp, and is loving her first all-day-away experience.

Marianna's favorite girl cousin (from FL) spent 2 weeks in NY, so she was there, too. Then came a week at camp in MD (close to David's college). It was a Catholic camp, and the girls had so much fun! Swimming, canoeing, daily mass, gospel reflections, Messy Olympics, games, songs, etc. kept them busy and entertained. The Messy Olympics sound amazing--the girls ended up covered in food from various events: spaghetti, peanut butter, ketchup, syrup and flour, eggs, and on and on. Eventually a fire truck came to hose them off. Really! Marianna has two more 1/2 day camps coming up this summer: Irish dance and basketball.

Ready for Marianna's final mass at camp

It seems that our youngest children are the busiest this summer. Joseph spent two weeks in NY and is now on a two week scout trip in Alaska! He'll have a week of camp in August followed by a pre-Labor Day school start.

On his way to the carpool to the airport to Denver to Fairbanks.

Daniel is working as part of the summer maintenance crew at our parish, painting, moving furniture in and out of classrooms, weeding, cutting grass, etc. This means he can participate in fewer trips and camps, although he did manage a weekend in NY, a retreat in Steubenville (OH), and an August trip to World Youth Day. Then comes junior year, with SATs, college visits, etc. Here we go again!

David's job at the bike shop gives him a little more flexibility, so he was able to spend some time at the beach with his favorite cousin (are you sensing a summer theme?) after our NY reunion. He developed (or modified--it's not quite clear) a role playing game and has enjoyed hosting a group of friends for weekly gaming sessions. In June Dave hosted a bonfire that turned into a sleepover, since so many of the guests were college friends, driving two hours to attend. We enjoyed spending time with such great teens.

Since her nannying job is in the neighborhood, we're seeing more of Lauren than in some previous summers. She's been working hard on the personal front, too--getting her class schedule taken care of (so she will--God willing--graduate on time) and making wedding plans.

In this beginning stage, she's been concentrating on reserving a date and a hall. Lauren has put in untold hours researching the possibilities while taking into account budget, beauty, distance, etc. She found a lovely space in DC, which will hopefully be ours very soon. We're planning a late summer 2012 wedding.

Meanwhile, at the beach, Lauren was dragged (kicking and screaming I'm sure--not!) to a bridal store by my aunt, cousins, and niece for her first dress try-ons. (No, I missed it . . .) My cousin took some pix with her phone, which I can't resist posting.

My baby!

Len's summer has been busy with work, leisure, and maintenance projects. He and his partner hired a new veterinary graduate, who started working at Towne this month. February (the clinic moving time) was not the best time for an open house, so that was also in July. It was a fun afternoon with tours, raffles, children's activities, etc.

Len did almost all the organizing of our Smoky Mountain trip. When we returned home he decided it was time to relax by refurbishing the deck. This long overdue project (I won't lie, but I don't help much, either) involved power washing 17 years of weathering followed by staining/sealing. Len dismantled the homemade table, found a new one on Craig's List, and built a gate for the stairs so that Dusty can join us for dinner without the otherwise inevitable deer chase. It feels like a new, and newly welcoming, space.

And after a few too many "blue screens of death," our hero researched, bought, and installed a new computer. Two interesting aspects of this projects are its speed (Len mentioned to Daniel one morning that we "would probably need to get a new computer," and by the time he returned from work, there it was!) and the fact that David approves of Len's choice. Sometimes it's a challenge to keep up with our tech-savvy progeny!

My summer sounds quite dull compared to the rest of my crew's. Keeping the house tidy, laundry done, and food on the table seems to be more challenging than expected. We've been eating mostly dinners that can be yanked out of the freezer or whipped up quickly from staples on hand. The freezer is almost out of last minute saves, so I'll have to start planning again soon.

Planning school is next on my agenda. This year I'll have "just" a 2nd and 6th grader at home, but I want to do it right, which for me means having the game plan in place before we start.

In between driving, homemaking, and pooling (okay, not really a verb . . .) I have managed some knitting and more reading than usual. I'm a bookworm at heart, but often don't read because a good book might not be put down, leading to several days of nothing getting done, which I can't afford any more. And a book marginal enough that I can put it down means that I often do so, without picking it up again.

This summer I've indulged myself. Many of the books I've read are at the tween and teen level (checking them out for Marianna or reading along with the boys), which makes them quick. The latest grown-up book I read is Unbroken, about an American captured by the Japanese in WWII. Wow! What a book! Laura Hillenbrand is an engaging, thoughtful, and thorough author. When I finished reading (after a few late nights and barely-there parenting), Len told me he was glad to have his wife back. ;-) You may be on the waiting list a long time (I was), but do put this in your library queue.

I hope you've enjoyed this rather long catch-up session. Maybe next time we can visit over tea and scones. Give me a call or drop by!

This Summer's Knitting: Felted Pothholders

2011-06-30T18:09:00.001-04:00

After knitting a hat for Adam for Valentine's Day, I remembered how much I enjoy having a portable project. I can't read in the car, but I am able to knit without nausea. I can knit and visit at the same time. I have the chance to be moderately creative without using my full attention--a good thing, as I feel a bit scattered these days! :-)

I really want to start knitting socks, but that will NOT be mindless, so for now I'm back to potholders. Three summers ago I felted an entrelac (diamond patterned) potholder. Over our Smoky Mountain vacation, I finished a matching one, using most of the remaining yarn.

Felting always seems a bit like magic. Knit something big and floppy with 100% wool (not superwash),

soak it in hot water with a little bit of detergent,

and agitate with a pair of jeans

until it shrinks and thickens.

Rinse in cool water, roll in a towel, and lay flat to dry. Voila!

To make the best use of water, I felted four items today. Below is an eraser for our dry erase board:

This potholder is made with two separate yarns. (The blue above is one yarn with long strands of each shade.) It's a different brand (and maybe animal--can't find the label right now), and took FOREVER to shrink! I had to keep resetting the washer so it would agitate rather than drain.

I didn't much like this piece while it was a work in progress, but it turned out very well. The squareness of it pleases me, too.

Squareness? Huh? Well, during the felting process, I can check the progress of each piece, pulling and stretching to help shape my item. The entrelac potholders are pretty easy to keep square, I think because of the stitch directions and shapes. The log cabin style potholder below (inspired by Mason-Dixon Knitting) has blocks of color knit perpendicular to each other, and didn't shrink evenly.

It took a lot of intervention (some hand felting, lots of pulling and stretching) just to create what you see below.

It doesn't look awful in a photo, but in real life it's less satisfying. I had planned to gift it, but now I'm not sure it's nice enough. Worst case, I have a new mostly cute potholder for myself. Not so bad . . .

And here's one more photo, to give you a better perspective on the shrinkage these pieces undergo. I know I showed everything next to rulers, but I think it's more impressive to see how much floor tile this fills up before and after felting.

I've got lots of wool left, so there are quite a few potholders in my future!

In the Kitchen

2011-06-29T09:41:00.003-04:00

I subscribe to an email newsletter called "Notes from the Test Kitchen." A full online subscription to Cook's Illustrated (I have) or Cook's Country (I don't) costs money, but the complimentary newsletter links to a few freebies, which is where I found these new recipes to try.

Icebox Strawberry Pie

I have a great recipe for summer blueberry pie, but the glaze doesn't do a good job of keeping sliced strawberries together. I think cutting the berries releases something that breaks down the cornstarch mixture.

The Cook's Country recipe uses frozen strawberries cooked down, sweetened, and held together with plain gelatin. Fascinating!

The pie starts with 2# of frozen berries in the skillet--nothing else--which get cooked down to a mere 2 cups:

This dessert was tasty, BUT . . . there was too much glaze with not enough fresh, sliced berries. Next time (yes, it was good enough for a next time) I will try making a 2/3 batch of glaze (1 1/3# strawberries, 2 tsp gelatin, etc.--not sure about the sugar) while increasing the fresh berries. The 1# made about 3 cups sliced, so I think I'll try using 4 cups. These notes probably only make sense if you have click on the linked recipe.

I didn't make the cream cheese whipped topping, but it does sound scrumptious!

Just last week the newsletter linked to a recipe for Summer Succotash Salad, and I amazingly had all the ingredients in the house. Fresh corn and green beans--I'd just been to the store. Red onion--
only in stock because I'd recently enjoyed it in salad at my aunt and uncle's house. Fresh basil--this year's crop is starting to prosper.

Len likes lima beans, so I keep some in the freezer, although that doesn't often translate into actually cooking them. ;-) I made the salad, and it was tasty BUT . . . I would not add the honey (more tartness needed), and would increase the basil.

I followed the recipe except for the order of cooking the vegetables. I'm sorry, but frozen lima beans take more than 5 minutes to get tender! I cooked the limas for 4 minutes, added the green beans and boiled 1 minute, then added the corn and cooked an additional 3 minutes. The textures were just right.

I don't usually add salt to cooking water, but it really did seem to improve the starting flavor of the veggies. I like a salad with a bit more zing, so I would definitely omit the honey, and maybe increase the lemon or throw in some vinegar.

And I'll probably only make it for a potluck or grown up meal, since most of my children won't eat lima beans at all. Maybe with repeated exposure they'll come around . . .

And, finally, a picture of David's birthday cake. It's nothing new (the hazelnut again), but it's what was cooking this past week. The decorations are made with the same chocolate ganache used in the filling. It's too soft to hold ridges for shells, but a round tip made attractive beads on the borders. The sabre on top (David enjoys fencing) became a flaming sword when surrounded with birthday candles.

Dave requested a larger than usual batch (10" diameter and 6" or more tall) so that leftovers (from the family celebration) would be available to serve at his teenager-bonfire-get together on Monday. We had just enough left to serve the 16 or so kids who came (many drove 2 hours and slept here overnight) to enjoy summertime and friendships. I enjoyed being around such a nice group of teens, too.

A Picture Perfect Present

2011-06-22T16:52:00.000-04:00

When I saw this camera lens mug online (stumbled onto it from someone's cooking blog . . .), I knew Lauren had to have it. I ordered and had it shipped to her as an Easter gift. The package took more than a month to arrive, making me nervous that she'd leave Greece before receiving her present, but it arrived in the nick of time.

Isn't it amazing? (BTW, these aren't my photos.) The mug looks exactly like a real Canon lens. Below: one mug and one lens.

You know that joyful feeling of finding just the right special something for someone you love? This hit the spot.

Knees and Toes

2011-06-10T08:05:00.000-04:00

These photos are a few days old. The tadpoles' little legs are more prominent every day. Sniff! They grow up so fast . . . ;~)

Home!

2011-06-08T07:49:00.002-04:00

Hanging Out With the Tadpoles

2011-06-06T22:51:00.002-04:00

In the afternoon, many of the tadpoles gather in the shallow end of their habitat. Sometimes (as below) they are only partially submerged.

Here they are swimming up to the crowd and jostling for position.

We're finally using this fantastic habitat that Adam's mom gave us years ago.

If you look closely below, you should be able to see dark eyes on the side of some tadpole heads. Dimples on top are nostrils. Note, too, the tiny beginning of back legs.

We experienced an unfortunate die-off this week. Even though we were changing out 1/2-2/3 of the water every day, I think waste built up to a toxic level. The habitat smelled like a stagnant pond by the time Marianna and I took note of the dead bodies littering the pebbles on the bottom of the tank. They blended right in.

We journeyed to the creek to clean house. The girls helped me scoop every tadpole into a bowl of fresh creek water. Then I dumped the bad water, pebbles, dead bodies, etc., and gave the habitat a good rinsing. Back home we settled them in with the boring clear plastic floor. Now it's easy to monitor any build up of waste or dead bodies (hopefully not!).

I'm supervising a 90% water change each morning now. We swirl before scooping to stir up leftover food (they eat goldfish flakes at this stage) and tadpole waste, ensuring that we're ablet to get most of it out of the tank. We then add our pitchers of precious creek water and spend more time watching the little critters shimmy and jostle and lounge and nibble.

I would not have suspected that I'd enjoy the tadpoles so much. Then again, I often comment about my sometimes simple enthusiasms with, "Homeschooler--easily amused!" That's totally me. :- ) If you doubt it, just review my caterpillar excitement.

Come to the Table

2011-06-05T13:41:00.000-04:00

The latest recipes on my cooking blog are

pumpkin scones

and pork lo mein.

Cherry Harvest

2011-06-04T21:54:00.000-04:00

Captions

2011-06-03T22:51:00.002-04:00

Some recent happenings

Princess Brooke serving Prince Daniel at their Engagement Tea.

Len removed a sickly tadpole from the group and commenced viewing under the stereoscope (20X and 40X).

We were able to see its eye, the passing of gas and waste, and blood circulating around its tail. Cool!

What began as the after-dessert discovery of dinner's sliced watermelon quickly morphed into an eating contest, complete with laughter and dripping chins.

The entire family is fascinated by the tadpoles.

Yeah, I think we'll keep the lid on their habitat . . .

Joseph's scout troop held a Court of Honor this week, and we all managed to attend the ceremony and potluck dinner. Joe earned several merit badges and his Star rank. He's really enjoying this group of young men and is looking forward to a high-adventure trip to Alaska this summer.

Keeping the Commandments: It's the Love That Matters

2011-05-29T14:13:00.002-04:00

From today's gospel:

Jesus said to his disciples, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." John 14:15

And excerpts from today's meditation in Magnificat:

It is not the magnitude, or otherwise, of the work we have to do that should concern us, but the magnitude of the love with which we do it. It is a terrible mistake to suppose that if we simply carry out the commandments externally we have nothing to worry about.

That can be no more than lip-service; it can be simply self-culture, the service of the self; and it can be form of self-complacency . . . Of course we have to try to keep the commandments; but the essential is to try to keep them in such a way that we learn to see more and more clearly our true Center, to keep our eyes more and more on God and less and less on ourselves, to say "I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me."

There are, in fact, two opposite heresies here which we have to avoid: the one says, If I do right it doesn't matter what I am; the other says, If I am right it doesn't matter what I do. We have to try to live in God, to be right; but we learn to be right only through slowly and painfully trying to do right; and on the other hand if we were really living in God then inevitably we should, as a matter of fact, do right, for we should hunger and thirst after righteousness.

Father Gerald Vann, O.P.

Amphibians and Reptile

2011-05-27T20:54:00.002-04:00

First, "Days With Tadpoles" by Rebecca:

Yesterday Marianna and my mom were taking a walk with Dusty, and they came to a place where a big tire had made a puddle.

They saw a bunch of tadpoles, which are baby frogs or toads.

So they came back and told me about it. Then I woke up Joe and he wasn’t very excited, but we got on our bikes and went to the place where they were.

We brought a bag and a cup. Then we got some tadpoles in the cup and poured them into the bag.

Then we went home. We poured them into a habitat in my kitchen area. We put pebbles in it and creek water.

First they all started down at the pebbles, but after a while they came up and were all swimming around. My mom bought fish food, but they didn’t eat it until this morning. It’s Marianna’s job to feed them breakfast and my job to feed them dinner. They ate a lot of algae from the water.

We’ve only had them for a day; they’re really cute and tiny. Lucca watched them for a minute or two, but she wasn’t very interested. The tadpoles have a tail and it’s kind of see-through.

They swim around all day. They still hang out at the pebbles, and a few were hanging on a stick and being very still.

"Tadpoles," by Marianna:

Yesterday morning, while I was on the walk with my mom and Dusty and Mrs. Laing, we found in a giant tire rut hundreds of tadpoles. When we got home, we told Becca, who got very excited. Then we woke up Joe, who was not very excited about it at all.

We got out the tadpole habitat and dumped a bunch of creek water into it. We also put in a bunch of pebbles at the bottom. Then we rode on bikes and put a bunch of tadpoles and some rainwater in a quart size zipper bag. When we got home, we dumped them into the habitat.

When we first put them in, they just went down to the bottom and wiggled in between the pebbles. They didn’t move for a while, and I thought they were dead. Then they touched each other and started swimming around. They still spend time in between the pebbles.

Right now they are very tiny. They are black with a little tail. They are swimming around a lot, all over the place. They’ve been eating the algae in the water and ignoring the fish food we gave them (until this morning). We saw some hanging from a tiny stick that was floating in the water. They looked funny.

And David's northern ring neck snake (or so I've been told), named Linnaeus (after the father of taxonomy):

Supposedly it eats worms. There was one in the dirt David put into the aquarium, but we can't tell whether or not it's been consumed. David is also trying scrambled egg, cooked chicken, and live tadpole (in the water dish). Hopefully time will tell.

Animal Planet

2011-05-26T16:25:00.001-04:00

It's beginning to feel like a nature documentary around here!

Tuesday we gathered tadpoles and set them up in a habitat in the kitchen. Yesterday David captured a skinny northern ring snake and settled it in another aquarium, also in the kitchen. And this morning a vulture (a vulture!) landed on the deck railing outside the (of course) kitchen window. We let that one get away. ;-)

Photo credit: Marianna
More animal pictures to come . . .
Oh--check out the size of those legs and feet compared to the body and head. Interesting . . .

What's in Your Fridge? Probably Not One of These . . .

2011-05-24T22:19:00.002-04:00

The children of friends threw them a surprise anniversary party, and I volunteered to bring the celebratory cake.

Just a few days after a massive grocery restocking, finding storage space was a challenge. Before:

And here's the basement fridge, mid-process. Everything on the floor had to sit out, first to make room for the separate layers:

and later to hold items from upstairs. Len removed a shelf from the main fridge so the stacked tiers would fit inside.

I made a family favorite: hazelnut cake filled with raspberry jam and chocolate ganache, iced with French buttercream. Elizabeth recorded the recipes at the end of this post.

The straws above are helping keep the cake together. I wasn't confident that the ganache would set up well enough (it did). I use more straws (cut to fit) to support the plates holding the upper tiers.

The decorations are quite simple. My rosebuds are still tightly closed, but another friend let me cut some from her bushes. They're certainly more beautiful than any I could make.

And yes, our friends were completely surprised! Their children did a fantastic job planning and carrying out a memorable celebration.

Another cake note: I can't always find hazelnut flour (sometimes called hazelnut meal) at Trader Joe's, so I usually buy it online.

Family Flick: Ponyo

2011-05-20T21:04:00.000-04:00

Gotta love that Netflix instant feature! We recently spent quality family time watching Ponyo, a Japanese fantasy film by the renowned Hayao Miyazaki (you may have heard of Spirited Away). Ponyo is a goldfish princess who befriends a boy and decides she wants to become human.

The movie is rated G, but our 18 year old college boy (and his friend) sat through the whole show with us--such a rarity, and not just because he's usually away at school! Miyazaki's animation is charming and intelligent. Although I consider the ending a bit weak, the overall story is engaging, especially for a G-rated movie. Also, the voice talents did a great job; this English language version was not filled with woodenly dubbed dialogue.

Here's the official trailer:

Simple Gifts

2011-05-19T19:06:00.001-04:00

You've probably seen these flower-topped pens before. They make such great little gifts:

party favor
stocking stuffer
birthday present
hostess gift (along with notecards, perhaps)
teacher treat
etc.

My niece (and goddaughter) made one for me several years ago. Amazingly, it still has ink! And it's still my favorite pen, easy to find and difficult to "borrow." ;-)

Marianna and Rebecca created daisy pens at Christmas for friends and family, and recently decorated a few more for the birthdays of teammates and fellow club members. The process is simple:

Cut artificial flowers so the stems are almost the length of the pen (we usually pick up random pens already in the house).
Hold the stem against the pen and start winding it up with florist tape. Pull slightly on the tape to make it stick to itself better.
We wind the tape from top to bottom, then back up to the top before securing the end with a dab of glue.

Quick, easy, adorable, and practical--who could ask for anything more?

'Tis the Season

2011-05-16T22:29:00.002-04:00

The Easter season, that is . . .

When Lent begins, we decorate and then hide "Alleluias." They're retreived later, as we pull down purple ribbons and our "Repent" letters.

The golden blocks rest above the study doors, but sometimes they seem too high to be noticed throughout the day.

Last week we were inspired to tape our small cards all over the house. They're impossible to miss now!

We see them on doors . . .

In the kitchen . . .

(Keeping it real--the microwave would look cleaner photographed in shadow!)

Can't miss Alleluia on a bathroom mirror . . .

It may seem silly, but running into this joyful word over and over again does change the script in my head. I'll catch myself singing (to myself or aloud) a favorite chorus from Mass. We might sing it again before grace or a regular devotion.

There are so many because some of these cards are from previous years. I appreciate the varying styles and skills, but constant enthusiasm.

Happy Easter!

Dress for Success

2011-05-11T10:04:00.000-04:00

I have a few attractive outfits, but no one will ever mistake me for a fashionable gal.

Marianna's Irish dance class is just a few minutes from home--yay! Since it is difficult to turn left out of the tiny, crowded parking lot, I settle for a farther spot with an easier exit. This necessitates a short walk to the building. Lovely, isn't it?

Part of the trail is paved, but the rest stays wet long after rain falls. Too often we skipped this simple walk or worried about our shoes, until I began building in the extra few seconds to grab our boots.

Such a simple choice, but it has brought so many benefits. The other lot is truly stressful/dangerous for me during rush hour. And I really enjoy my two minutes in the woods, squishing through the puddles.

That's all. No deep thoughts today! (And yes, Lauren, I know those are your boots, but I like them better and it's not like you're here to want them!) ;-)

Field Trip

2011-05-10T12:48:00.001-04:00

Last week we met some friends and searched for my favorite vernal pool. It's been two years since our last visit, so it took me longer than expected to find the off-trail oasis. At last--success!

I've yet to go early enough in the season to spot frog and salamander eggs, but the tadpoles were still enchanting.

I brought along a fish bowl so we could scoop up some tadpoles for a closer look. We spotted a few that still had their external gills--cool!

(Image from moon soup.)

Not Fast Enough

2011-05-09T16:44:00.002-04:00

Inspired by the enthusiasm of a novice knitter, I jumped aboard the Chloe train.

By the time Rebecca and I bought our yarn (supposedly anti-pilling acrylic--we find wool to be itchy), I had less than a week until the targeted Easter Vigil first wearing. Commenters on the pattern over and over remarked at what a quick knit it is.

Not quick enough for me . . .

I could have managed it, but didn't. I frittered away kniting time with basics like cooking and driving, as well as just not picking up my needles every time there were some minutes to spare.

So there I sat, in the car, at the Vigil. I let my family choose seats in church while I finished sewing up the second sleeve. Then they came outside for the lighting of the sacred fire. I was threading live stitches onto pink yarn so Becca could put the almost done (first ruffle row completed) garment on, at least. I hopped out in time to reenter with candles for Mass, the Chloe still in the car. It's a toss up as to which of us was closer to tears.

Oh, well. It was ready by morning, and Rebecca wore her new half-sweater to our family Easter celebration. Alleluia!

The button buying expedition was a fun mother-daughter event.

On the other hand, picking out the yarn was decidedly stressful. We both thought green would look nice with the dresses she would wear, but Becca liked the currently fashionable, too-yellow shades that don't match the dresses (we had brought 2 along). We checked blues and white and were finally down to pink. I didn't care for the shade she chose (whose shrug is it, anyway?), but noticed the rest of the skeins in the bin were a bit less bubble-gummy. Instead of just picking them up (we needed 2), I mentioned the difference and we proceeded straight to meltdown. Apparently the lighter yarn was "itchy." These skeins were exactly the same, except for the dyelots. Yikes!

All's well that ends well, and Rebecca and I are both smiling now. Hopefully we've learned some lessons? At least I, as the grownup, may have matured a little bit. Time will tell!

Salamander Rock

2011-05-05T21:42:00.004-04:00

My first visit to the ancient gathering place . . .

Can you see why the kids named it Salamander Rock? It's a side view of a head--slightly open mouth, nostril near the top.

Hisss! I don't care if you're trying to find the best angle of that stone--get away from my nest!

Our picnic

The view from our picnic on the salamander's head

An unwelcome visitor

Rebecca crossed carefully through the icy water rather than make a second journey over the scary log.

I don't get it--looks plenty wide to me! To each her own, I guess . . .

Dan taught Becca to skip stones. (She managed a few.)

One Better

2011-05-02T22:50:00.000-04:00

Angie at (in)courage has written an inspiring essay about challenging ourselves to grow:

" . . . in my head I heard the words, “You can do one better.”

. . .

I’m not saying it’s easy, but these two words have helped me make some really good and life-giving choices over the past several weeks…

One better."

Read the whole thing here. Thanks to Elizabeth for linking to this.

Foodies

2011-04-27T19:53:00.002-04:00

Our family does enjoy food . . .
For instance:

1. Accustomed to our homemade brew, my ~~chocolate snobs~~ little darlings won't even drink that powdered stuff.

2. Rebecca spends ages in her little kitchen organizing and cooking, and even bakes outside. She recently prepared a delicious mulch cake:

(A portion has been served.)

And since I wasn't around when David prepared an especially tasty snack, he took a picture of it for me to appreciate!

(Dave missed our Seder, but we saved him some rare lamb and charoseth. He seared the meat then built an amazing sandwich on a baguette.)

On a Lighter Note

2011-04-26T19:47:00.003-04:00

Literally!

Find his Christian music inspirations here.

Small Successes: the Outdoor Edition

2011-04-14T19:55:00.000-04:00

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

I'm no pioneer or athlete, but have still managed some small successes this week:

Monday, at the urging of Marianna, we spent time at a nearby creek.
Yesterday, with only minimal complaining, I stuck it out through a two hour, 52 degree, drizzly soccer practice. (Of course, the kids were running around in shorts by the time it was over. I was half numb--wimp!)
This morning I woke up exhausted, with a headache and sore throat. I walked the dog then came home and went to bed for another hour! I then pulled off (with many helpers) our planned bluebell excursion.

How about you? Be inspired by other moms at Faith and Family Live.

Bluebells and Spring Beauties photographed by Rebecca (age 6!)

Sometimes They Lead Me, Part 2

2011-04-12T16:35:00.000-04:00

Months ago I wrote "call bluebells" in my planner, but Rebecca is the one who reminded me to actually do it yesterday. I hear they're blooming well, and will probably peak this week/end. Hurrah! We'll get there Thursday, between violin and carpools . . .

Meanwhile, on the way home from the library, Marianna suggested "school by the creek." I should be the one leading them out into nature, but it often works the other way around.

We packed a few backpacks and headed out.

The creek bed is not sandy or muddy or pebbly. It contains many big rocks, and everything below the waterline is extremely slippery. Here's the first fall :

Joe found this guy was basking on a rock, just like us. We checked our field guides, but have not yet identified it.

Rebecca found some frog eggs . . .

. . . which turned out to be air bubbles.

Marianna was also upset by her first fall (oh, the indignity of it all!), but soon both girls had become bathing beauties.

I wrote in my nature notebook. Dusty chewed through his leash. Joe retrieved a colored pencil before it floated away. Joe and Becca touched the snake (with a stick since we weren't sure of its species).

Um, no, we didn't get any "real" school done. ;-)

Sometimes They Lead Me

2011-04-11T22:26:00.000-04:00

Part of my parental vocation entails spiritual teaching, modeling, and training. In the process of fulfilling this duty I've learned more and grown in my faith.

Parenting has also led me to pray (help!) and to begin to develop important virtues (patience, charity, etc.).

And sometimes my children just out-and-out pull me up the ladder towards God. Last week I went to 6:15 mass, not because my boys were serving, but because one just wanted to go. Another child came along because she's set herself a goal to attend a certain number of masses this year.

I appreciate the inspiration--thanks, guys!

Art for Lent

2011-03-30T11:20:00.002-04:00

We homeschoolers are studying the paintings in Jesus of Nazareth: A Life of Christ Through Pictures. For these several weeks we're soaking in the artistic and religious beauty.

All the paintings in the book are owned by the National Gallery of Art, so to finish up we'll take a trip downtown to see them in person. They're not all on display, but I am able to search online to find out which pictures are up and (this is key!) which rooms they're in. I'll map out our visit so we can maximize enjoyment without exhausting attention spans.

I did this project years ago with an earlier batch of students, so I know it will be meaningful and fun. A museum visit makes a great field trip for the whole family (maybe Easter break for us) or a group of friends. We'll see other works, too, but I prefer having a focus for our outing.

About the book: my county library has only four copies left (many more years ago), so I bought a used one in very good condition for a great price from Amazon. If you want to try this, it's not too late to get started!

About the gallery: If you're interested in my chart of paintings currently on view at the NGA, send me an email and I'll get it to you once I've completed it. My address is LRice31 trash at cox dot net (take out the trash). In addition to location, the nga website also has a few paragraphs of information about most of the pictures. I'm adding the commentary to my document, but you may be interested in looking it up for yourself in the meantime.

About picture study: Here's a quick "how to" from Simply Charlottle Mason:

Picture Study

Art appreciation was one part of Charlotte’s “spreading the feast” before her students; and her method, as always, was gentle and inviting. Display a picture and mention the artist who created it. Have children look at the picture until they can see it clearly in their minds’ eye. When all children are ready, turn the picture over or close the book and ask them to describe the picture. When their narration is finished, display the picture again and notice together any new aspects. Summarize any accompanying information if desired, but be careful not to interfere with each child’s forming his own relationship with the artist’s work. This study is not a lesson in art criticism. Display the picture in a prominent location in your home so children can look at it throughout the week.

Continue to study works by the same artist for several weeks until the children become familiar with that artist’s style. If possible, read a short biography about that artist sometime during your study of his or her work.

Restaurant Rave

2011-03-26T22:04:00.000-04:00

Because their birthdays are close together, my sister- and brother-in-law traditionally receive dinner out (for 4) as a gift from Len and me. (Yes, my children, Grammar-Mom says "Len and me" here where one could substitue "us." But I digress . . .)

They usually reciprocate by taking us out to celebrate our own close-together birthdays. We're almost guaranteed to have two quiet evenings each year for the four of us to connect.

Tonight we commemorated the February birthdays. We had intended to visit a Cajun restaurant recommended by the newspaper, but Len had misgivings after calling to try to make a reservation. Then one of our parish priests mentioned and praised a new Vietnamese place. It's called Pho Aura, and it is fantastic!

We shared appetizer rolls, pho (soup), crispy noodles, lemon grass chicken, shaking beef, and fried bananas with tropical ice cream. Everything was delicious! The meats were tender, the vegetables fresh, and the sauces flavorful but not overpowering. Thuan, the owner, was friendly and helpful, guiding us through the menu. (It probably didn't hurt that we mentioned Fr. S!) And Pho Aura's prices are great, especially considering the high quality of the food.

This is definitely a restaurant worth visiting. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Yes to Life

2011-03-25T23:42:00.003-04:00

I had my planner out as I signed up to pray with my family outside an abortion facility in support of 40 Days for Life. I needed to pick a "good" time--avoiding traffic, a violin lesson, club meetings, etc. Logistics was my focus.

So it was sweet to realize this morning that we would be praying for life on the Feast of the Annunciation, the commemoration of Mary's great "Yes."

Annunciation by Maurice Denis, 1912

Our parish is responsible for two (long) days of vigil, so our family showed up for an hour. This year we're at a new location, along a highly visible, busy road (three lanes each way!).

I've been involved in pro-life activities over the years, but had never prayed publicly in front of a facility until today. Standing there in a small group with a few signs felt so different from participating in the March for Life; it felt more public, more outspoken. That doesn't make sense except that it was more ME out there than US (hundreds of thousands) together. We clustered for a few minutes, then faced the traffic and began praying our (20 decade!) rosary.

Those first minutes of facing the cars were intense. I felt that I was truly reaching out, praying for others, hoping a heart might change. The March is upbeat and hopeful and prayerful, but almost everyone downtown is pro-life that day. This morning a wide variety of attitudes drove by.

We received some positive horn-toots, one negative yell, and one long honk/thumbs down. All received friendly waves in response. :-)

(Much later) I think I'll always remember the cold (low 30's!), the bright sunshine, the noise of the cars, and the rhythm of the rosary recited with my family. And the emotions--peace, and near tears of hope (for changed hearts) and gratitude (for gifts of encouragement from passers-by). It was an amazing experience, a special way to take part in the Annunciation.

Prayer

2011-03-20T15:26:00.001-04:00

Catchy title? Not so much. Oh, well.

Last weekend, when I realized our 25th wedding anniversary was nine days away, "Novena!" jumped into my mind.

I searched online for a novena of gratitude, but found nothing. I thought about praying (in thanksgiving) to the patron saint of happy marrianges. I found St. Valentine, but no novena, and he is so romanticized that he probably wouldn't have been my top choice anyway. Len looked over my shoulder at the list and suggested a novena to the Holy Family. Great idea! I added a beginning line of thanks for our sacramental marriage.

All the novenas I've seen include a petition. My inspiration was purely gratitude, but rather than rework the given prayer, Len and I have been praying for our children (6) and godchildren (11!). They are on my mind and heart daily, anyway.

We've almost finished (Tuesday is our big day!), but I must tell you about something beautiful. We almost bailed on this novena on the 2nd day. I came to bed much later than my sensible husband and felt rude demanding he turn the light back on to read and pray with me. I knew I would be disappointed, though, and so (not very graciously, I must admit) insisted we stick with it.

A day later I received a call from someone dear requesting prayers for one of our godchildren, especially over this weekend and Monday (the final days of our novena)! I'm so grateful we didn't quit! Not only are we praying for this child on the specially requested days, but also for the week leading up to them.

I often don't follow through with multiple days of prayer (novenas, O Antipons, Jesus tree, etc.), so this episode is one I'll remember to encourage me to "stick with it" in the future.

Small Successes

2011-03-17T21:33:00.001-04:00

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

I faithfully clean clothes and get food on the table, but there are many days when I believe that's all I've accomplished. Our academic day more "un-" than "schooling?" Struggling (in vain, as it humiliatingly turned out) to stay awake through Bible study? A bare (after a week) Lenten Jesus tree?

Ah, well. Sometimes it's better to focus on the positive. In that spirit, here are some successes:

I made our crown of thorns the day after Lent began. We hung our purple ribbons today. Most of our other decorations are up, too.
So far I've kept my Lenten resolutions.
I made a tasty Irish dinner tonight, BEFORE Len and the boys drove off to their Catholic boys' club meeting. Bonus: I posted the recipe!

If you want more inspiration to look on the bright side, check out Faith and Family Live.

Pi Pics

2011-03-15T07:07:00.005-04:00

Because you asked (okay, not really), here are some Pi Day results:

The flavor of Joe's brown sugar chess pie reminded me of pecan pie filling without being as sweet. The texture was different, too--not gooey, but semi-solid. It was thickened with corn flour (very fine), which added a subtle graininess. Joseph loved this dessert. Although fine for what it was, it's not making my favorites list . . .

Aren't the cherry pies adorable? Rebecca rolled and shaped two of the crusts.

I had some extra filling so I made a mini cobbler, too. That was easy since I keep homemade biscuit mix on hand. I added a little cornmeal and sugar, then buttermilk to make a loose dough/batter. Sprinkled it with coarse sugar, and voila! "Winging it" while baking isn't usually a recipe for success, so it was fun to play. The photo is from before baking; the after shot was too fuzzy even by my standards!

And since you're here already, enjoy a shot (pre-baked) of the cheddar/green onion (with a tiny bit of parsley) biscuits from Sunday's supper. Again with the biscuit mix . . . just added sharp cheddar, etc. and then buttermilk until it was the right consistency. Easy!

BTW, I use this recipe inspired by Leila, mostly for biscuits and pancakes. My changes: 6 cups white, 5 cups white whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 tsp (vs. Tbsp) salt, 6 Tbsp (vs. 1) sugar. For pancakes I use 1 egg per cup of mix (vs. 1 egg per 2 cups).

Happy Pi Day from the Surprisingly Reluctant Baker

2011-03-14T08:29:00.003-04:00

Today (3.14.11) is Pi Day. Apparently it is traditional to celebrate with pie . . .

Joseph mentioned this a few days ago, remarking that his CHESS (Centreville Homeschool Enrichment Support Services) science teacher had suggested her students bring pie to class.

Great. I was less than enthusiastic (already a lot of baking/cooking going on this weekend). Joe doesn't like fruit pies (except for our Summer Blueberry), and I would need something non-messy for sharing in class anyway. Pumpkin? Eh. Pecan? Nah.

Then inspiration struck. I remembered that there is a category of classic Southern dessert called chess pie! Get it? CHESS class/chess pie? I found a recipe for a brown sugar version that should work in tiny slices.

David is home for spring break, so I asked my math major (currently sporting a double minor in computer science and physics) what kind of pie HE wanted. Answer--cherry.

Great. I don't make cherry pie any more. It's too messy. You take out one slice, and all the filling gushes all over. And filling thick enough to stay in place would be pasty or gummy. Cobbler is now my cherry dessert of choice.

Anyway . . . I decided to make David a personal pie, with cobbler for the rest of us. Later realizing that was a silly amount of extra work, I divided the crust dough into multiple pieces. Today I'll be rolling it out to fill custard cups. We'll all have individual pies, so there's no more worry about errant filling. I need to tiptoe down to the big freezer (in David's room) now to gather the cherries to thaw.

THEN, last night at dinner (I'd been cooking all day--chess pie, pie crust, beef stew, cheese biscuits, pound cake) the subject of Pi Day came up, and there was Daniel, who had been gone all day. Did he need pie for school, too? He didn't push, but was it fair to send one with only Joe?

Great! I had to leave soon, to teach NFP, and would be gone from 6:30-10:00!! But the wheels started spinning, and I found a recipe for a pie that used a crumb crust required no baking. No way was I going to make another traditional crust! So Joe and I quickly prepped the crust, which needed to chill. After class (we actually got home around 9:30) I sent David out for the second block of cream cheese (the only thing not already in my house for creating three different pies plus the biscuits and citrus cake--bake much?) and stirred up the filling.

In the end I had fun brainstorming and baking. I'm a little nervous about sending out two desserts I've never made before. Hopefully they're either delicious or middle schoolers and 10th grade boys don't have the most discerning palates . . . ;-) Our family's first celebration of Pi Day may not, after all, be our last.

Milestones

2011-03-06T00:11:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrated the ribbon cutting ceremony at the clinic's new location. The mayor and chairman of the Board of Supervisors were both in attendance, and seemed to enjoy their tour of the building.

I don't have a picture of the actual severing, as I was part of the group of onlookers.

In other news, our 25th wedding anniversary is coming up this month! Sometime between last year and now, I passed the married-for-half-of-my-life mark. How's that for wonderful?

Small Successes

2011-03-03T19:45:00.001-05:00

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

Looking back, I can find some satisfying accomplishments:

I tidied up the pantry. Not the whole thing, of course, but the floor (yes, I have a nice, big pantry!) is visible and some important shelves have been reorganized.
The girls and I are ahead of our plans in science! Even better, our latest Netflix science movie has arrived--great viewing, with just a bit of parental commentary needed when the narration gets overly Darwinian.
Yesterday was a busy day with lots of driving and time out of the house--not the most comfortable for this confirmed homebody. Even though I'm doing what needs to be done, I often look back on a day like that (especially if I'm still preparing dinner at 7:00) and wonder if I accomplished anything significant. At least last night I could glory in the fact that I had managed to get to the post office and ship three items, including a box to Greece. Hurrah!

Look back and find out what you've succeeded at this week. Be inspired by other moms here.

What Are You Doing for Lent?

2011-03-02T12:53:00.006-05:00

Lent is starting so late this year (next Wednesday, March 9) that I haven't spent much time thinking about what I'm going to offer (or offer up) in an attempt to grow spiritually.

A few ideas are percolating (limiting blog reading, fasting--but not enough to make me nuts, spending time In Conversation With God ); I may or may not let you know what I decide. My goal for today was to get you thinking about Lent if you have procrastinated, too.

Hoarding

2011-02-25T21:55:00.001-05:00

By guess who?

Last night Len tossed bits of popcorn to Dusty and Lucca. Lucca doesn't actually eat the stuff, but she eagerly grabbed her prizes and ran off with them. I laughingly remarked that she was probably taking them down to the basement, as I've noticed bits of plastic wrap and shredded napkin down there lately.

Ha ha.

Tonight I needed to clean up a mess of mine, and this is what I found in the basement bathroom as I plugged in the vacuum! Quite the stash, huh? Plastic wrap and napkins, of course, but also the bag from 5# of carrots and chicken packaging. What a cat!

And, no, Mom, this is not the Lucca story I promised you this morning. Yes, there's more . . .

Small Successes

2011-02-24T16:13:00.001-05:00

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

It's been many weeks since I've participated, but here are some recent happy accomplishments:

I managed two field trips in a row--to the zoo on Friday (glorious weather!) and Mount Vernon on Monday (damp and cold, but free for Presidents' Day).
On both days I drove far from my comfort zone and made some wrong turns (my directional instincts are not the sharpest). The up side? I didn't panic, and recovered quickly without even needing a map. I missed a really important turn on the way home from the zoo, but "winged it" well, taking a different route, and getting to the last light before our neighborhood right behind my friend who had taken the correct path!
We celebrated some family birthdays this weekend in addition to having a second commemoration of my in-laws' 50th anniversary. I made a hazelnut cake and (bonus round) some hazelnut ice cream. After soaking over 6 ounces of ground hazelnuts in cream and sugar, I was supposed to discard them, but could not deal with that much waste. I put some in scones (tasty), made chocolate-dipped hazelnut shortbread (delicious), and am finishing the rest by adding it to portions of hot 10-grain cereal (can't tell it's there, but that's okay!). Hey, I had that hazelnut meal shipped here from Oregon; I am not going to toss it without a fight!

How's your week going? See how other women are succeeding over at Faith and Family Live.

Aegean Dreams

2011-02-23T20:06:00.004-05:00

A stormy evening during our December visit.

Lauren is on her way to Paros by way of Spain. She's studying at the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts again this spring, but right now is visiting Annette, her roommate from VCU.

Before flying to Europe in the fall, Lauren created a blog which she never wrote in. Now she has a new one called Aegean Dreams with three posts on it already!

It should be a handy place to find out what's going on. Skype is great, but with internet access only available at school, plus the time difference, it hasn't been the best method of keeping in touch. I'm hoping to enjoy many bloggy visits this semester . . .

The student lounge!

It's Time for a Step Can

2011-02-19T10:41:00.001-05:00

Persistence paid off for Lucca.

Going to the Zoo

2011-02-18T09:12:00.001-05:00

Today's forecast for Washington, DC: high of 74 degrees, 10% chance of precipitation!

Thanks to weather.com and a think-ahead friend, we're joining some other homeschoolers at the zoo today. I'm guessing there won't be too many February field trips crowding the walkways . . . :-)

My older children grew up with a Raffi soundtrack. As they aged, we switched to mostly audio stories, so the younger ones have missed out. As we planned today's trip, Raffi's "Going to the Zoo Tomorrow" kept playing in my head. I found some old cassettes and the little girls started dancing. I'll bet I know all the words to 4 or 5 albums' worth.

In case anyone else is old enough to feel nostalgic, here's the best I could find on YouTube on short notice. It's a random family's zoo trip, and I didn't listen to the second song, but it was a treat for me to hear that oh-so-familiar voice singing about Mommy taking us to the zoo . . .

Dreams of Summer

2011-02-17T21:24:00.001-05:00

When the girls and I went shopping to replace our bird feeder, we spied the garden seeds and snapped some up.

Every year our perennials return: chives, thyme, and mint. Traditionally we add parsley and basil, but last year I got a (too late) hankering for cilantro, and Lauren's Greek dishes have inspired me to try growing dill as well. Besides, our favorite Eastern black swallowtail caterpillars eat both parsley and dill (and carrot tops).

I was having so much fun admiring those seed packets that I decided to hang them up. It was that or consignment to the black hole of my desk . . .

I am not much of a decorator, but all my hours of reading other peoples' cool blogs inspired me to create something more attractive than pictures held up with masking tape. That little garland on my pantry door makes me smile both because it's cute and in anticipation of the growing season to come.

What's your summer dream?

Quick Knit

2011-02-16T15:12:00.003-05:00

Having done a crummy job filling our Christmas stockings, I tried hard to make this year's Valentine's Day treats special. I baked our now traditional giant, heart shaped linzer cookies, and spent a month or two dreaming up and acquiring "sursies."

When Adam joined us at the March for Life, he wore a hat I had knitted for Joe years ago. That gave me the idea of making one for his very own. I couldn't find my previous pattern, so I located something similar online, bought yarn, and started knitting.

Fortunately it was a quick project--by the time my supplies were gathered, I had only a few days to finish. Here it is (modeled by Joseph), in Notre Dame colors:

The hat isn't perfect. It's too big, for one thing. I hear Adam was able to wear it OVER another hat (maybe a good thing in a South Bend winter)! The top is also sort of weirdly flat, but that's okay, too.

It was fun to knit something so simple. I could pick it up anytime, watch Netflix, hold a conversation, etc. It was also portable, unlike the cabled lap blanket that's my on-again, off-again project. I'm considering creating more hats and felted potholders soon. They're not necessarily impressive, but I so enjoyed having a short-term, portable craft in the works.

Trash Can Transformation

2011-02-14T22:19:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time, we had an ordinary trash can. Then came the, um, improvements:

1. Set can on stool so the dog won't grab items (napkins, food wrappers, yogurt containers . . . ) from the top.

2. Fill bottom of can with heavy weights so the dog will not tip it over in search of "treats."

3. Bungee the lid so the cat will no longer climb in and retrieve goodies (butter wrappers, bloody plastic wrap, napkins . . . ).

4. I don't know what's next. A step can?

BTW, Lucca can still tease a few bits out past the barely opening lid. I found a little stash in the basement this afternoon. Good grief!

Progress

2011-02-12T11:34:00.000-05:00

Wednesday: Final permits signed.
Thursday: Appointments seen at Market Street until 1:00 p.m., then moving, moving, moving. (Len home after midnight.)
Friday: Open for business at Plaza Street first thing in the morning. A busy day with clients, patients, unpacking, and organizing.
Today: More unpacking. More organizing. More appointments. Hurrah!

Congratulations, Towne!

My Sister is Awesome!

2011-02-11T20:13:00.002-05:00

I'm a good family cook.
So is she.
I bake.
So does she.
I detest sewing.
She doesn't.

Look, look, look what she made for me:

They're called cozies and are filled with feed corn (My 'ster bought herself a 50# bag!). Microwave them for three minutes and enjoy long term heat. We (I sometimes share . . .) have enjoyed their soothing warmth on laps, sore legs and backs, and (best of all) under the covers at our toes. Aaaah . . .

Okay, those fabric squares may look simple to you, but I'm telling you they're too much project for me. Luckily I have a generous sister who's not afraid to thread her sewing machine. Thanks, girl!

If You Give a Girl a Camera

2011-02-06T18:59:00.001-05:00

By Rebecca, age 6:

Dusty doesn't usually look at the camera. This is better than many shots we try to get!

Mom: "Why did you take this picture?"

Becca: "To show how big our family is."

I had never noticed this part of Becca's play fridge!

Lucca

The encounter

The view from below

What I Love About Homeschooling

2011-02-04T11:46:00.000-05:00

Rebecca was so engrossed that she didn't even know I took a picture (okay, three--and this is the closest one to being focused!) until she saw it on the computer days later.

Works of Mercy

2011-02-02T19:57:00.002-05:00

Allow me to ramble a bit . . .

From the Baltimore Catechism: "The spiritual and corporal works of mercy are acts of love which we show to Christ in the members of His Mystical Body. Whatever we do for a member of the Body of Christ, we do for Christ."

The corporal works of mercy are "acts of love which come from the heart to help our neighbor in his bodily needs."

Feed the hungry.
Give drink to the thirsty.
Clothe the naked.
Visit the imprisoned.
Shelter the homeless.
Visit the sick.
Bury the dead.

The spiritual works of mercy are "acts of love toward our neighbor to help him in the needs of his soul."

Admonish the sinner.
Instruct the ignorant.
Counsel the doubtful.
Comfort the sorrowful.
Bear wrongs patiently.
Forgive all injuries.
Pray for the living and the dead.

I've always been more Martha than Mary, so I'm naturally drawn to corporal mercies. That sort of hands-on, hospitality driven work isn't always easy, but it suits me.

I've been thinking about this subject lately because a friend of mine recently set an inspiring example. She drove to another state to care for another friend undergoing her first round of chemotherapy. M spent days away from home ministering to a family in need. (BTW, this amazing woman and her family were one of the first reasons I considered homeschooling; just watching their lives made me want to try to be like them!)

I still remember a talk Elizabeth gave many years ago, during which she pointed out how parenting babies and toddlers requires many corporal works of mercy, while teens need us spiritually. Maybe that's why I believe I'm a better parent of little ones. Cleaning and feeding can be exhausting, but is relatively simple.

To admonish the sinner and instruct the ignorant, in love, takes patience, strength, and grace. If I am to counsel the doubtful, I'd better know my faith and be steeped in it on a personal level. Raising teens has also proven that I need a thicker skin, the better to bear wrongs patiently and forgive all injuries. Not that they're so mean, but that I must not take offense so easily.

Anyway--these random thoughts that have been on my mind lately--thanks for reading along!

Snow Slam

2011-01-30T13:32:00.002-05:00

The roads were a bit icy Wednesday morning, but as the day warmed up, all was fine. Our predicted snowfall began in the late afternoon--just in time for rush hour.

It came down thick-n-quick, blown sideways in the wind. Commuters clogged the roads before the plows could clear them, so conditions deteriorated almost immediately. Nearly every ramp was blocked by immobilized cars or trucks, and vehicles were abandoned, making plowing and driving more and more difficult as time ticked by.

In a typical story of this storm, it took Len seven hours (seven!) to make the usually 35 minute drive home. It took our neighbor six hours to make his 15 minute commute!

Our power was out for several hours, but we can't complain. It came back before the house froze and the freezers thawed. I mean, we were still in the "scones and tea by candlelight" phase. ;-) Less fortunate souls in the metro area lost power for days.

Since then, it's been winter fun-time. Here are some pictures from Thursday:

These two shots show the effects of the wind: snow concentrated on one side of the trees. In fact, I'm not used to seeing snow all down the trunk . . .

This was heavy snow. Many trees are down in the neighborhood, including this one that fell from the woods onto a fence. As of today, plenty of heavily damaged front yard specimens have already been cut down and carted away.

Lauren and I went walking under a brilliant sky.

A typical Lauren pose!

The ice at the pond looked so strange. Do you see the color variation/pattern? I haven't yet tried to find out what caused it. It hasn't actually been super-cold, either; the water under the dock didn't freeze.

Marianna and her friend built a snowgirl.

Happy Winter!

Cat TV

2011-01-20T21:54:00.001-05:00

Lucca is an indoor cat, but she's got plenty of wild instincts (Don't get me started!). A favorite pastime is what we call "watching kitty tv." She'll survey the birds at the feeder or the squirrels on the deck with riveted attention.

And she chirps! And squawks! I have never seen or heard a cat vocalize like this before--it is nothing like a meow or a hiss or a growl.

I've tried several times to record this crazy phenomenon. These little bits are the best so far. The first clip shows what Lucca is doing, while the second has more audio. Sorry for the poor quality; I'm no great technician . . .

Me and My House

2011-01-18T21:49:00.001-05:00

A mini update:

Len is in Leesburg nearly every day, preparing for the transition to the new clinic. This weekend he'll supervise pre-moving of shelves, basement storage, etc.
Lauren is engaged. Her cat is insane (now eating and vomiting plastic bags--yay!).
David is back at SMCM, starting his 2nd semester classes today. Haven't heard yet how it's going, but I did get his teapot to the post office today.
Daniel had the day off due to icy roads. He slept in, watched a movie, and kept the homeschoolers company.
Joseph is annoying, but last night my sister-in-law said he's annoying in just the same way her brother was. My darling husband turned out better than fine, so there is hope for Joe yet!
Marianna has had two productive school days in a row. Her secret? Mom finally filled out a detailed checklist! Shocking news: a written plan helps some people stay on task. Who knew? (Okay, I did. I tried to deny the truth and just slide by, but this ways works so much better . . .)
Rebecca can't decide whether she's a big girl (excellent reader, focused student) or a toddler ("Warm up my clothes," "Stand next to me while I practice the piano," etc.). It's an interesting stage.
Speaking of vacillation, I run the gamut myself: weight lifting then eating extra cookies, waking at 5:30 then zoning on the couch later, planning meals but nearly running out of produce b/c I don't make it to the store, praying a daily rosary but slacking off on the Bible reading . . .

What's new with you, my friends?

Bold and Voracious

2011-01-12T22:15:00.002-05:00

Paros is overrun with stray cats! Lauren adopted and brought home a kitten (actually, Len and I performed the actual transport, but whatever . . .) named Lucca (for both an Italian town and a sculptor).

This cat is the crazy-hungriest I have EVER seen. She attacks her bowl as if it's the first food she's seen in a week. She loves eating more than a dog, and let me tell you, that's saying something.

Little Lucca still needs some training in the decorum department:

No, it's not good manners to have your kitty-self with your kitty-paws in the parents' fridge!

If she can get there first, Lucca will eat Dusty's food right out of his dish.

The crazy thing is that Dusty won't chase her away! Poor puppy . . .

Once we rescue the bowl and present it to the dog, he will keep Lucca out of it. In the picture below she is busy trying to consume a piece of stolen dog food. It's too big, but she will keep at it until it's been pulverised and eaten.

Here's a bit of her passionate attempt. Unfortunately, you can't hear Lucca's growling. Yes, she sounds like a little lion when she thinks her food possession is being threatened. Beware!

The latest trick of Lauren's little darling is retrieving choice bits from the trash can (she must get on the island first--yuck!) and dragging them back to her lair (the mudroom). Last night she got blood all over the kitchen when she found the plastic that had wrapped a beef roast. We're starting to lock Lucca up at night (mudroom or girls' room), but she's up to her antics even during the day. Tonight I caught her pawing through the garbage while I was working in the kitchen!

The other night she knocked the lid off the cake keeper and nibbled on pound cake.

Last week she dragged a package of Afghan bread around, opened numerous holes in the bag, and chewed up various edges.

Before that she chewed her way into two foil-lined bags of doggy treats (now kept in plastic containers, thank you very much), consuming nearly everything inside.

I've wielded the water spritzer several times today, so I'm definitely not on Lucca's favorite person list (if growling and hissing are any indicator). On the other hand, she can be affectionate and entertaining. Maybe I'll be able to capture some video of her squawking while she watches the birds at the feeder--uniquely silly!

Now that our home is relatively calm, with our youngest child a mature six years old (!), I suppose it's time to have a new creature to train. This bold, amusing, incorrigible, voracious, and affectionate kitten is presenting an interesting challenge. Wish us luck!

Recipes

2011-01-04T15:40:00.001-05:00

For the first time in five months, I've posted a new recipe--for stromboli--on Come to the Table.

There are so many more I'd like to write up (soft gingerbread cookies, chicken picatta, flank steak, an ode to scoops, etc.), but my energy runs out before I manage it. Plus, there are duties that take priority. Plus, it's hard to get "my turn" on the family computer. Anyway, there's something new now! :-)

Martin Luther King, Jr.

2011-01-03T06:21:00.003-05:00

The entry below was originally posted in March 2010, but I thought it might interest some folks now since Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday will be celebrated January 17th.

We did read along (silently) with the audio, and it was wonderful. MLK was a mesmerizing speaker! I highly recommend studying this speech . There's so much more depth to it than the few phrases you hear on the radio now and then.

We're studying American history this year, and finished up the Civil War last week. Inspired by a fifth grade teacher, I borrowed all 5 discs of Ken Burns' PBS series from the library. Joseph, Marianna, and I spent weeks (the series is over eleven hours long!) watching, listening, and learning. With pauses for discussion and review, we all absorbed a lot of information.

Anyway, when we finished the dvds, we covered the era of Reconstruction. Then instead of moving on chronologically, we jumped ahead to the Civil Rights era and Martin Luther King, Jr. The Civil War and Reconstruction should have given all races equality in America, but that's not how it turned out. One hundred years later, the fight was active again.

Our library has an audiotape of MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. It's stirring and poetic and inspiring, and I can't wait to listen to it again.

In preparation, the three of us are reading a biography of MLK. I'm not patient enough to read it aloud (it's too long, and I want to keep moving), so we're sharing the book for our quiet time (the homeschoolers have a minimum of 30 minutes of approved/school topic reading each day).

Together, we're reading another book (Becca, too): I Have a Dream by Scholastic Press. It contains the entire text of the speech, along with paintings by 15 different artists. I highly recommend this book! We covered the first half today, analyzing and explaining

the meaning (the promissory note and the bank of justice),
the poetry (Why does he repeat "one hundred years later" four times in one long sentence?),
the context (explaining his urging of nonviolence with the picture of ketchup being poured on people sitting-in at a lunch counter),
the Biblical references ("I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places shall be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together."),
and the symbolism (Why does he begin with "Fivescore years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation."?)

We'll finish up tomorrow and then Friday listen to the speech while reading along (as I remember it, the tape is scratchy). Reading and analyzing is educational, but actually hearing that preacher proclaiming will touch our hearts.

I know lots of folks study MLK in January, around his birthday, but his life and efforts will make more sense to my students right now, when the Civil War and its aftermath are still fresh in their minds.

New Year's News

2011-01-01T18:14:00.002-05:00

The call came soon after midnight.

On his knee in Central Park, Adam proposed and Lauren accepted. Just like that, they're engaged!

We don't have many details yet:

The ring is beautiful, with a diamond and two sapphires (their birthstone) set in white gold.
A summer 2012 wedding is planned.
Some of their friends knew what was coming, so photos were taken.
Lauren and Adam are happy, happy, happy, and so are we. If we didn't think he was a great guy, he wouldn't have been invited to attend our last two family reunion/vacations.

CONGRATULATIONS to all of us!

fireworks in the court

Roman Moment

2010-12-15T15:41:00.002-05:00

It was our third day in Rome. We had been to the Pantheon,

Piazza Navona and its fountain,
the fountain of Trevi,

and two basilicas: St. John Lateran

and St. Mary Major, as well as the church that houses the original image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

(This is a mosaic outside; the painting is inside.)

As darkness approached, Len and I prepared to make our way across town to our bed and breakfast.

Footsore and weary, we planned our route--three separate buses were required.

Bus stop #1: We find the correct place to stand, but the electronic info board shows a 12 minute wait for our vehicle. We decide to walk on to our connection.

Bus stop #2: We can take the #46 or #60. Okay. Here comes a #60 Express--what about that? Doors open before we can decide, but it doesn't matter. This bus is JAMMED, and no one gets off. Oh, well.

Check the sign. Yes, the express will work. We'll be ready for the next one!

Waiting. Waiting.

Now what? Down the hill, there are blue police lights blocking the street. What's going on? I didn't hear the crash of an accident. Maybe a pedestrian was hit. Look at all those cars and buses (buses!) completely blocked down there. We are far from our destination. How long is this going to take now?

Okay, wait a minute. There is no traffic from the side street above the lights, either. I wonder . . . Can it be? He was at the Spanish Steps today . . .

Oh, my goodness! Here comes a hoard of motorcycles from the side street! We're being motioned to stay on the sidewalk. It must be! Yes! Here he comes in that glass topped car!

And just like that, Pope Benedict XVI rode right past us as we stood on the curb amidst no crowd (unless you count his extensive entourage).

Len cared more about watching than filming, which is why the pope leaves the frame for a few moments. It was a great decision--I'm a bit sorry I've only seen Lauren receiving her high school diploma on the small screen.

Viaggio Sicuro!

2010-11-30T10:42:00.000-05:00

Len and I are flying to Rome on Sunday! We'll spend four days there celebrating our 25th anniversary (coming in March), then travel to Paros to visit Lauren. My parents will be here driving, cooking, cleaning, schooling, and spoiling. ;-)

This trip is coming together quickly. We didn't decide to go and start making plans until mid- to late-October, so right now life is CRAZY, trying to prepare ourselves and our family (school, groceries, to-do lists) while still working through our "normal" routine.

SO . . . posting here will be light or non-existent for the next few weeks. ασφαλές ταξίδι!

What Are You Hungry For?

2010-11-22T19:40:00.001-05:00

Our team (from Teams of Our Lady) is currently reading and discussing Fulton J. Sheen's slim book The Seven Capital Sins. So far, the chapter on gluttony has been the most attention-grabbing for me.

The archbishop composed this as a series of addresses in 1939, but you'd swear it was actually last week. For example:

"If there is any indication of the present degeneration of society better than another it is the excess of luxury in the modern world. When men begin to forget their souls, they begin to take great care of their bodies. There are more athletic clubs in the modern world than there are spiritual retreat houses; and who shall count the millions spent in beauty shops to glorify faces that will one day be the prey of worms. It is not particularly difficult to find thousands who will spend two or three hours a day in exercising, but if you ask them to bend their knees to God in five minutes of prayer they protest that it is too long."

He points out that the difference between dieting and fasting is intention: Christians fast "for the sake of the soul" rather than the body (looking good). "The Christian does not fast because he believes the body is wicked, but in order to make it pliable in the hands of the soul." And again, "We are to mortify bodily hunger and thirst not because the flesh is wicked, but because the soul must ever exercise mastery over it, lest it become a tyrant."

Archbishop Sheen asserts that we are called "to cultivate a spiritual hunger and thirst. Mortification of the bodily appetites is only a means, not an end. The end is union with God, the soul's desire."

"Tell me your hungers and your thirsts and I will tell you what you are."

"The great pity is that so many have been so concerned with the body that they neglect the soul, and in neglecting the soul they lose the appetite for the spiritual."

After reminding us that God Himself is waiting for us in the tabernacle and in Holy Communion (every day!), the archbishop wonders why more of us don't avail ourselves of this opportunity: ". . . what does it winess to but the deadening of our spiritual sense? Our body would miss a dessert more than our soul would miss a Communion." Ouch!

This isn't meant as a finger-wagging to make you feel bad. Maybe it's a wakeup call. Since our team reviewed this chapter, I haven't been better about getting to Mass myself. I have, though, set aside more time for prayer and made a few quick visits to the chapel. I'm trying to pay more attention to body AND soul and how they interact.

What are YOU hungry for?

The Dollhouse

2010-11-19T22:34:00.000-05:00

I had misgivings about spending money on (and making space for) a dollhouse for a six-year old. Would she outgrow it too soon to be "worth it?" With my older children, this was never a concern; younger siblings kept coming along to get more use out of toys, clothes, and homeschooling supplies. I could convince myself that almost anything was an investment.

But Rebecca REALLY wanted a dollhouse. And she's always been good at occupying herself and at imaginative play.

I found a house with lots of accessories on Craigslist, reducing the time needed to accumulate furnishings. In fact, there are so many pieces that they've been divvied up as gifts from four different groups! That, plus some extras from party guests, has given Becca quite a jump-start.

So here's Rebecca with the dollhouse that has "changed her life." She has plenty of furnishings (not all seen here), but is already supplementing. Just now she's adjusting a movie screen made of colored tissue paper. Mom is riding her horse to the theater today.

A Homemade Birthday

2010-11-17T23:42:00.003-05:00

I only had a few birthday parties as a child, and that's fine. That's how it was back in my day. Now we know lots of children who have a party every year; I'm not sure if it's because our culture has changed or because we live in such an affluent area.

Anyway, the compromise tradition for our family is that you host your first birthday party when you turn four (before then, a party is more for the adults than the kids, in my opinon), and have another every other year. Rebecca turned six on Sunday (!), and hosted a princess tea party.

The vast majority of our birthdays are celebrated at home. (Right now I can't think of any "away" parties, but it is past my bedtime, so I could be forgetting something . . .) This week I noticed one of the things I like best about a homemade party: the anticipation and excitement of preparation.

Becca loved thinking about and planning her party. We talked about the pinata for weeks. We were going to make one, but in the end I bailed and bought the perfect castle at the party store. Instead of waiting for Sunday, we hung it (empty) over the kitchen table so we could enjoy it right away.

The castle pinata led to the cake design decision. I had lots of helpers (and audience) for cake decorating--a cone icer/sprinkler, marshmallow sorter, drawbridge constructer, etc. By the way, those pink marshmallows tasted awful--not even one child liked them!

Marianna and Becca spent days culling their Halloween candy for pinata donations. We took our big board off the table, revealing a perfectly sized venue for tea time (Marianna called it "tiny and pathetic"--we miss our college kids). Rebecca squealed with delight when she came downstairs Sunday morning to find the table prettily set.

She and Marianna made and arranged place cards. See what I mean about anticipation? Spreading out the getting ready and sharing the preparations made the fun last so much longer.

Rebecca also came downstairs to find her family presents on display. She had to wait until after Mass to open them. The big one is a dollhouse (wrapped in a tablecloth)--Craigslist, yeah!

We served a three course tea: sandwiches, scones, and cake. For details of fancier tea parties, go here or here.

Cardboard buckets serendipitously found at Target:

Len hung the pinata outside. Becca wanted to save it, so the girls pulled the ribbons one by one rather than beating the castle to pieces. None of the ribbons actually opened the trap door, so Daniel opened it (the door) with a sword and shook and shook and shook to rain the candy onto the girls.

I've been meaning (for months) to write posts about birthday parties. Marianna had a fun one this year, with a great plant potting activity. And Joe's 12th birthday (October 2009) was probably the best boy party we've ever had. Now that I've mentioned them, they'll have to be blogged, right?

This is What 2:40 Sounds Like at My House

2010-11-08T15:24:00.002-05:00

The scene: My room during flash card drill

Rebecca:
13.
13.
13.
13!
Mom! 13!
(with glee) hahahahahahaha
13!
hahahahahahahaha
13!
13!
Mommy, you need caffeine!
13.
13.
hahahahahahaha

etc.

More Blue Ridge Mountains

2010-11-02T22:32:00.003-04:00

On Friday, Day 2 of our outing, we hiked a 5.8 mile circuit up Cold Mountain, admiring spectacular views and high meadows.

I'm wearing multiple layers, while my husband has on shorts!

We encountered several old boundary walls.

The highest meadow had a 360 degree panoramic view of mountain and valley.

Random kid pics:

We gathered wild apples from a few windblown trees.

Random nature close ups:

On the way home, we stopped at Towne to pick up Dusty. Boy, was he happy to see us! Len took us into the building that will be the new clinic. Here he is explaining the plans.

Standing in Dad's new office:

We also had the opportunity to meet the building's tenant, who runs an international market and restaurant. We brought home some fabulous seasoned meat for a taco dinner. What a delicious place to have right next door!

Our Blue Ridge Getaway

2010-10-31T22:53:00.003-04:00

Len's been working hard on the building project and Daniel had a few days off school, so on Thursday we drove to the Blue Ridge Mountains for some relaxing family time.

The journey itself was lovely.

Yes, we've got another driver in training!

Here's where we ate lunch before our hike.

You know you're truly in the wilderness when . . . you find a pay phone? Well, the cell coverage was quite poor.

Crabtree Falls is purportedly the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi. We still don't know whether that refers to elevation or length of the cascade.

It did go on and on . . .

The trail switched back and forth multiple times on our way to the top.

A view of the valley and beyond

The trail was beautiful, if a bit treacherous (especially on the way back down), with damp leaves covering the rocks.

The view from above the falls is so much better in real life.

Here's the cabin Len found online. Isn't it adorable? The main level held a family/dining room, kitchen, and bathroom. Upstairs we shared a bedroom and tiny loft.

The cabin was fairly dark inside, but the kitchen and bathroom were add-ons with huge windows and tons of light. Note the hot tub on the patio!

More tomorrow . . .

Please Pray

2010-10-30T22:53:00.001-04:00

We were out of town for a few days and missed the news. Lauren told us tonight that her boyfriend's good friend (they had worked together filming football freshman year) died at school this Wednesday. What a loss. Please pray for this young man and all those who loved him. Thank you.

Road Trippers

2010-10-26T07:54:00.002-04:00

SMCM offered two "reading days" over Columbus Day, creating a four day weekend. David and three friends visited all their families; we enjoyed their company over parts of Monday and Tuesday.

They really are a great bunch--intelligent but not pretentious, tolerant of the attention of little girls ;-), and willing to hang out (instead of going out). I was happy to catch a glimpse of David within his chosen crowd, although some more focused time with just our family would have been welcome, too. I guess that's what Christmas break is for!

So this past weekend the group traveled to Winchenster to attend a friend's play. Since we are on the way back to school, David et al stopped by for lunch on Sunday. He alerted me to that possibility the night before, so I was able to prepare a bit, just in case. We were all glad to host the group, and David enjoyed surprising his siblings.

Hey you guys, come back any time!

More on Suffering

2010-10-22T20:42:00.000-04:00

It seems Elizabeth has been thinking about suffering, too. As usual, she is the eloquent one.

I started cutting and pasting quotes, but was coming close to reprinting her whole article. Go read it. You'll be blessed.

Words of Hope 2

2010-10-22T16:14:00.002-04:00

God can make good come from anything. While God can send us suffering, most of the trials we undergo come courtesy of the free will exercised by our fellow souls. What we do with that brokenness is up to us. Seeking and living God's will in the pain is one way to help Him bring good from it.

Excerpts from Magnificat's Wednesday meditation:

"The truth of God's love was shown on the cross of his beloved son, Jesus.

And the way to grow in our relationship with God in times of physical or mental stress is to strengthen ourselves by doing the things that God desires.

It is a sign of great holiness when one is resigned in everything to the will of God. Everything that God wills is for our good.

He knows how to console us when we least expect it.

If anyone hurts you, look on him as someone of great value and, with the eyes of one who loves . . .

Even when things are at their worst, keep your peace of heart and accept whatever God sends you as being for your good.

God is your guide, your father, your teacher, your husband.

In everything that happens the best thing you can do is abandon yourself to his will."

Saint Paul of the Cross

By the River

2010-10-22T02:41:00.003-04:00

After Mass on Sunday, all seven of us (that means Dusty, too) drove just over the line (to MD) to the Potomac River Festival, near the C&O Canal. With only a short time before our next events (We took 2 cars!)--school open house, grandparent visit, spice shop, vaccination of a friend's puppy--we managed to squeeze in some nature appreciation time.

Okay, maybe the organized bug walk didn't inspire the girls.

So we bailed and had fun our own way.

Hey! There's some more nature to appreciate!

An unnamed child ("Don't tell who it was on your blog!") was peed on by a caterpillar.

Daniel's oversized find:

Here's looking at you, kid.

Okay, maybe I am a little punchy. :-)

I wish I had taken more pictures. The weather was gorgeous and it was refreshing to share the time together before we ran our separate ways.