I'm late! I'm late--for a very important date!

Nicole of Frontier Dreams is generously hosting a giveaway for our shop, Frost Lane from today through Saturday in honor of Michaelmas (September 29th).  We are giving away a very lovely sword and shield set (or toddler-sized dagger and small shield set, winner's choice) and offering a discount in the shop for the rest of the month.  Stop by Frontier Dreams and leave a comment to enter!

Beautiful, busy days

I am posting this in Internet Explorer--for some reason, Google seems to have swallowed the button that allows me to choose photos from my computer.  I don't know if it will resolve itself or not, but at least I can catch up a bit.

The weather has been exceedingly pleasant since Sunday, and since Bret has been out of work this week, he has been using the time to catch up on things around here, things like fixing the pasture fence, at no small expenditure of money and labor; luckily we have some helping hands around here, even if some of them only pick flowers and play in the dirt.

Yesterday was Sebastian's 12th birthday and in spite of my having the worst allergy attack so far this year, I was apparently able to make it a good one.  Sebastian broke with tradition and decided to bake his own birthday cake, with a little assistance from me.  He made a chocolate cake with mocha buttercream frosting, did the decorating mostly on his own, and we even hand-dipped the beeswax candles for the cake (thank you, Ginny, for the idea!)  His requested breakfast was pancakes, and dinner was homemade pizza.  He's such a great kid...I love you, you wonderful boy!

20+C+M+B+13

The three kings made the journey across the dining room to the nativity some time last night.  This morning we had a "King Cake" for breakfast (actually made from my cinnamon roll recipe, but formed into a ring) and crown cookies and chocolate coins for dessert.  For years now I have strung chocolate coins and hung them on the tree along with the other decorations and we have made a tradition of taking them down and dividing them among the children on Epiphany, to represent the gold brought to the Christ Child.  It is a tradition the children relish, naturally.

Tomorrow we get back into our school routine.  Truth be known, I am not really looking forward to it.  I've been enjoying the more relaxed pace, and not having to whine and nag quite as much as I do when trying to get the children to tackle their studies.

Maybe I will even get back on track with this blog...!

On the Feast of Stephen

All of my Christmas knits wrapped up

A happy and blessed Christmas to all of you!

I have decided that the day after Christmas might just be my favorite day of the entire year.  All the hustle and bustle of the 25th is done with, the kids are all content and busy with their new things, there are leftovers for dinner, and one can just kick back and enjoy the next 10 days of Christmas with none of the pressure of the first.

After three years in a row of going to a rather loud and crowded vigil Mass, this year we opted for a Christmas day Mass at the Chapel of Divine Mercy.  This meant that the children had to practice heroic patience and wait until after Mass to open their presents (they were permitted to look into their stockings and  they opened the knit things I made them).  The Mass was quiet and beautiful.  We got home, had a bite to eat and then the kids finally were able to open presents.

It looks like a huge number of gifts under the tree, but there were eight knit items, a number of pairs of socks and several packages of goodies from my mom.  Bret and I made several of the gifts this year, but that will have to be another blog post.

We went into Gallatin today in order to exchange a couple of items, pick up Bret's sharpened router bits and stop at Goodwill (seems I am always searching for some article of clothing for one child or another), and as we were on the road, it began to snow.  No, it isn't a lot, and it probably won't stick around, but it's rather nice for Christmas.  The wind is howling out there, and the dusk is coming on quickly, and the words, "In the Bleak Midwinter" come to mind.  Sebastian has to go out and milk in a moment, and he has his long underwear on and is taking a hot cup of (decaffeinated) coffee out with him.  Poor lad...

I'll try to get back to this blog soon...but right now I am enjoying the lull.

Ring out, Solstice bells!

Yesterday was grim; the sky was dreary and the wind howled all day, bringing much colder temperatures.  It was a good day to be indoors, baking Pepperkakkor and Coconut Buttons, watching Heidi and reading from The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  The day has dawned still very gusty, but with that piercingly bright  winter sun.  The children, other than Una, are all sleeping in rather late.

We don't "celebrate" the solstice, but as with the summer solstice, we do acknowledge it with joy.  On the heels of the longest night of the year comes the return of the Light of the world...and that is cause for joy.



Okay, I'll admit it: I have seriously eclectic taste in music...
Happy solstice!  Christmas is nigh!

The stars on her mantle and in the December sky

Few things are as evocative of the 9 years I spent in Tucson, Arizona as it the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Perhaps only saguaro cacti are more so.  Our Lady, in that representation, appeared everywhere: in grocery store windows, in colorful tiles by front doors, even tattooed on young Hispanics.

I am hoping to read this beautiful book on Our Lady of Guadalupe to the kids today.  Adrian also received this lovely pop-up book from his Godparents.

Gabriel has an interest in the night sky, and tonight--12/12/12--is the peak of the Geminid meteor shower, one of the best of the year.  We've clear skies, a moonless night, and look forward to spotting a few, although we'll have to bundle up to stay out for any length of time, as the low will be 25 degrees tonight.  Somehow my mind keeps making a connection between the falling stars and those on the Blessed Mother's mantle.

I don't have EWTN, but I found The Cloak of Juan Diego on GodTube, and am embedding the three parts here for your viewing pleasure (and for my kids as well!).

And for those of you whose kids enjoy stargazing, this is a fabulous book, (by the author of the Curious George stories, no less!) and I found a couple of good online resources here and here.

.The Cloak of Juan Diego - EWTN Special - Part: 1 of 3 from objektivonemusic on GodTube.

The Cloak of Juan Diego - EWTN Special - Part: 2 of 3 from objektivonemusic on GodTube.

The Cloak of Juan Diego - EWTN Special - Part: 3 of 3 from objektivonemusic on GodTube.

Sorry I haven't made much of an appearance here this week--just busy with Advent!

One more thing:  I would like to call your attention to a fantastic, huge, giveaway on Small Things.  It isn't your usual giveaway, it is to help a family that is being forced to leave their home this month, a family with young children and no money.  Please, please check it out!

The days of waiting

Every year Advent has come and gone with a lot less spirituality and a lot more fuss than I can feel good about.  But things are changing...my youngest is 3 1/2 now, so it is a bit easier to get things done.  My oldest kids are now old enough to give a hand with some of the preparations.  It's getting easier to enjoy Advent more without the anticipation of Christmas being bypassed in a blur.  Yes, I still haven't mailed or even written a single card, I have not yet baked a single cookie.  I still have some gifts to make and some to buy.  but I am just trying to pace myself and not go nuts.  Insanity is not a good way to celebrate the Incarnation.

Inspired by other bloggers, as I always am, I came up with a list of my own.  Mine is not it any sort of order, and certain items--reading books, watching Christmas movies or baking cookies--will be repeated a few times during Advent.

Things to do during Advent
Read the stories for our Jesse Tree and make ornaments for it
"Open" the days on the animated Advent calender from Jacquie Lawson
Unwrap and set up the nativity scene
Listen to Gregorian Chant for Advent
Create a seasonal story book basket (include books for O.L. of Guadalupe, St. Nicholas, St. Lucia, and the   Immaculate Conception)
Ask Papa about his favorite Christmas memory
Clear out our toy boxes and remove broken toys to the trash, and those no longer loved to the box to donate
Watch a favorite Christmas or winter-themed movie together
Read a favorite book together
Pick a gift to give from the World Vision catalog
Make Christmas cards for family members
Bake and/or decorate cookies
Make some batches of cocoa mix and chai mix
Go to a Christmas Parade
Buy and decorate the Christmas tree
Make birdseed ornaments for our feathered friends
Cut paper snowflakes to decorate the windows with
Rent The Nutcracker from Netflix

Some of our favorite Christmas movies:
Little Women
It's a Wonderful Life
Scrooge
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Polar Express

Jessica at Shower of Roses has the biggest list of St. Nicholas/Christmas books I think I've seen.  I definitely need to add some of these to our collection!

Monday Musings--26 November 2012

Right now...it is nearly half past six and beginning to get light.  Bret has left to work, and all the kids are still abed.  It is very quiet.

This weekend...was a very nice Thanksgiving weekend.  My sister's family and my mother came over, and we had a delightful meal.  The weather was quite nice, and so the kids were able to go outside for a while as well.

Friday I did nothing, and no one else did anything either, except for Bret, who went up to the new house to put on siding.  The kids played and I sat in my chair and knit--finished one had and began another.  I browsed online for Black Friday sale items, but the kind of things I tend to purchase are never included in those sales!

On Saturday Bret took Una and Sebastian to the library and worked for a couple of hours on the house.  I made a batch of kombucha, made a turkey pot-pie, wrapped up a few orders that came into the Etsy shop, and took a shower.  In the evening we watched some old WWII movie Bret had gotten from the library.  I say "we", but I was shopping for a few Christmas gifts online, and didn't pay much attention to the movie.

Yesterday was a lovely Mass for the feast of Christ the King.  Dominic fell asleep during the Mass, and the rest of the gang was perfectly well behaved, which I do not take for granted.  It's not that they are dreadful, per se, only that they have a tendency to need to go to the bathroom [again] or get a drink, or inform me of various aches, pains and other bizarre symptoms that suddenly develop when we are at Mass.  We stayed after Mass longer than we wanted to, due to a book-giveaway (I'm such a glutton!) and our kids enjoying the company of their friends.

We did some grocery shopping before heading home, and once home I unpacked the groceries, printed out shipping labels for the Etsy orders, and then sit down to watch The Sandlot with the kids and work on my knitting.

Some plans for this week:  we are keeping the "normal" schooling to a minimum: math drills, handwriting, reading.  We will be doing a bit more "unschooling" from now until after Christmas, as there is always so much to be done this time of year.  On the agenda for this week: make my card list; make my baking list; try to find a few more gifts (I order just about everything, living as we do in a rural area); make a birthday card for my Goddaughter, whose birthday is on Friday; wrap gifts for Gabriel, whose birthday is on Friday; try to find my way through the mess in the attic crawlspace for access to our advent wreaths and nativity figures.  On Friday I'll be baking a birthday cake and wrapping gifts for our celebration Saturday.

If I find some time for myself, I would like to...make a few Christmas gifts.  I am getting the knitting done, but I have a few other things I would like to make as well...

I am grateful for...faith, friends and family.  Those are the big ones, the ones that really matter.  On the less-important end of things, I am grateful for some sales in our Etsy shop this weekend.

Some prayer intentions for this week:  for Gabriel and my Goddaughter; for the health of my children and Bret; for our friends to sell their house--which they've been hoping to do for a couple of years now--and for new friends,who are supposed to close on their house tomorrow; for my nephew Jamie who is under the weather; for blessed sleep: I have been having sleep problems again for the past couple of weeks.  I can't seem to get more than 5 and an half hours.  I really need seven to feel okay!  Last night I took valerian at 9:30, went to sleep at about 10 and was up again just after 11--and awake for over an hour.

Something that makes me smile: Gemma and her cousin Mariana

Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful for those I've come to know through blogging, and for friendships made across the miles.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Pie

                                 

Rosemary Apple Pies

Getting ready for Thanksgiving!

The Feast of All Saints

I'm one of those wishy-washy folk who can't seem to decide whether I like Halloween or not.  I know I certainly don't like what it has become, and I don't like the kids having all that candy.  In our home we have always foregone the whole Trick or Treating thing (we live in a rural neighborhood with no near neighbors, so that's easy to do) and had a little at-home party.  The kids would dress up and we would play Halloween Bingo, Pin the Head on the Headless Horseman, watch a bunch of old Scooby Doo cartoons and finally have a treasure hunt with clues, with each child getting a bag of candy.  It's a good plan, and I rather like it.

 The only real trouble is that the next day is All Saints, and we just can't seem to have two celebrations in two days.  The other trouble is that I alone am in charge of any celebration, and just in November and December there are Thanksgiving, Gabriel's birthday, St. Nicholas Day and Christmas.  I am in charge of shopping, cooking, baking, gift-buying, decorating, card-writing, and anything else connected with any holiday.  I get burnt out.

This year I hoped Halloween would go unnoticed.  I didn't buy candy (as we are moving away from sugar as well as we can) and I didn't do the clues for a treasure hunt, and our VHS player is dead, so no Scooby Doo.  Well, the older kids noticed and passed the information to the younger kids, and there was a great deal of disappointment, and naturally, I feel guilty.

Today we will have a simple celebration of All Saints Day...the kids have the day off (that is always a popular choice), and I printed out an All Saints Bingo Game.  I will bake something special, and we will go to Mass this evening. I think that we'll do an actual All Saints party next year...I think that if there is enough fun and baked goods, the kids will be okay with not celebrating Halloween.  The truth is, I can't manage to do both, and a Holy Day of Obligation takes precedence.

Happy All Saints Day!

Monday Musings--8 October 2012

Right now...nearly 7 a.m., just getting light.  Una is online doing her history course and Gabriel is dozing on the sofa.  I think someone is in the bathroom.  The house feels really chilly this morning.

This weekend...was a whirlwind of activity centering on Adrian's First Holy Communion.  On Friday and Saturday I mopped floors, baked three cakes (I had two failures due to what turned out to be a baking powder fail), and cut hair on four boys.  I bathed little ones, grated cabbage for coleslaw, made batches of lemonade and iced tea, decorated the cake...both days found me completely wiped out at the end of them.

Yesterday was, however, perfectly wonderful.  Adrian awoke so excited, and was so happy to put on his suit and get ready for Mass.  He received his missal and the rosary I made for him before we left the house.  He went to confession and after communion he remembered to pray for a number of people and intentions.

After Mass there was a procession and crowning of the statue of Mary in front of the Chapel of Divine Mercy in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary.  Una had been asked to crown the Blessed Mother and was terribly nervous, but managed to look very calm and composed, even going up the rather tall ladder to crown Our Lady.

Once home, we had family come over to help us celebrate.  The kids played with their cousins and the adults chatted and it turned out to be a cool but sunny day in spite of the gray chill of the early morning.  In the evening, after cleaning up, we sat down to watch For Greater Glory.  What a wonderful ending to a perfectly lovely day!

Some plans for this week:  bill-paying, necessary phone calls, order yarn for a few Christmas gifts, do school and just pretty much take it as easy as I can after the last weeks madness.  I do think I would like to make a batch of yogurt and some granola.

If I find some time for myself, I would like to...work on a cardigan for Gemma I have just started and cast on another hat.

I am grateful for...Adrian's joy in receiving Our Lord; a perfect Sunday; my family and my faith; confessors who take their time and offer much good spiritual direction; fresh eggs, butter and milk.

Some prayer intentions for this week (and what a long list it is!): for Gabriel, who has been having pain in one knee every morning, so that walking is impossible until he lies with a heating pad on it for a while.  Seems fine by afternoon, and then is bad in the morning again. My first thought is arthritis, since Gemma has JRA, but with Gabe the pain is more in the back of the knee..tendons?  I don't know.  For my friends Cindy and Dale, and for their children and first grandchild, Aiden Christopher, who was just born at 30 weeks, but who is a strong little mite and at just over 3 lbs is breathing well on his own!  I am praying for Rylee, for Matthew and for the soul of my dad, who passed away four months ago today.  And I am praying for this country and the elections.  I can honestly say that although I will not vote for Obama, I don't feel so great about voting at all this year.  I feel that there are some very important issues that are being completely overlooked and which need to be addressed. Such are the inherent frustrations of a two-party system...

Something that makes me smile:  this great kid's gappy grin.

Twenty-Five Years

Yesterday Bret and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.  Since we are not in the habit of big celebrations, we opted for going out to eat with the kids, which we never do on account of the cost involved, the unpleasantness of active children in restaurants and the difficulty in finding a menu that pleases everyone.   So...Gemma's three and has never been to anything but the occasional fast-food place when we are stuck away from home mid-day and forced to stop and feed the ravening horde. Bean burritos from Taco Bell is what she knows.

We all cleaned up, dressed nicely and went out.

We went to a nice Japanese grill/buffet place, thinking that this would be best--everyone could find something to enjoy.  I got lots of sushi and steamed shrimp and vegetables.  Bret got all his favorites.  I was amused by just how much the kids enjoyed picking out what to eat.  Sebastian was true to form and had twice as much dessert as dinner.  Adrian took the prize for Adventures in Gastronomy, trying the steamed mussels, the sauteed clams, the craw fish (Sebastian was more interested in turning them into finger puppets) and even a tiny octopus (he came back to the table so excited: "They even have octopus here!"--the couple at a table nearby was so amused).  The kids behaved so well, and we had such an enjoyable time.

Fortune cookie, anyone?