Pondered In My Heart

Some Favorite Gifts

 Now that it's three weeks past Christmas I thought I'd get around to posting some of the favourite gifts as Bridget suggested. Since I'm so late I can be sure they are really favorites, see?

Like Bridget, we tend to get practical gifts and I figure that the gifts the kids make each other are the fun stuff. I try to get in some fun stuff too of course, but I can't really compete with their cleverness and creativity and ability to delight and amuse each other. I do almost all of the shopping online and just about everything came from Amazon (books!), Sierra Trading (basics like wool socks) and Dick Blick (art supplies!).

The books are listed in my sidebar on the left and I think they have all been read by now. The color fairy books were a big hit - we've since added The Yellow and The Pink Fairy Books, purchased with Christmas gift money. Definitely a favorite genre around here. I was delighted when I finished writing that post with the fairy books in it I clicked over and saw that Auntie Leila (now Grandma Leila) had just written about the importance of fairy stories. Alas, she has taken the post down for now, but not before I saw her recommendation for some of George MacDonald's fairy stories. We have long been fond of The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie and The Light Princess, but somehow these other books had somehow escaped my radar. You know how it's always so exciting to discover new books by a favorite author - I quickly ordered up The Wise Woman,  The Gray Wolf, The Golden Key and The Light Princess. They are really lovely volumes with beautiful type and pleasing covers.  I have started reading The Wise Woman aloud to the whole family in the evenings and from the very first sentence it is simply delicious. We are enjoying it immensely.

Mary Rose also bought the BBC Narnia movies with her Christmas money. I realize many people despise these, but we watched them recently for the first time and were very amused. I think after seeing Voyage of the Dawn Treader in the theater we were all delightfully surprised to find Narnia movies that actually follow the stories in the books, and we found them quite entertaining. (Josiah reviews them here.) The Silver Chair is particularly nicely done and Puddleglum is as charming a marshwiggle as you can get on screen. And that eel stew is something to behold. Ew. (It's like the complete opposite of Eowyn's soup.)

I got everyone stainless steel water bottles from Sierra and these have all been in use daily. Jonathan especially likes to have a water bottle when he goes off to college or off to sing in church and he is happy to stop using the crinkly plastic kind. I got mini bottles for the little girls and also one for my purse.

I made these wool covers for the bottles to make them more pleasing to hold and so we could tell whose is whose. Don't laugh at my primitive needlefelting skills - Lydia makes it look so easy (did you see her barn owl?)  I thought I would give it a try. ahem. The boys just have their initials (in elvish). (you can't see Mary Rose's apple tree - I had to add apples to the 'tree' because it looked like a haystack...)

.

Another practical gift is these hankies I made for the girls. They each got half a dozen in these cheery cherry prints - I just chose some clearance fabrics in thin soft cotton and edged them on the machine. Naturally these are a big hit and in use every day.

Eliza's had to get some new music of course and I was happy to give her Cake for Dinner. I first heard of Scythian on Alice's blog, and then I was delighted to learn that their mother Mrs. Fedoryka (may her soul rest in peace) was a friend of Bridget's, and then I found out that our favorite local musicians have performed with them as well. I love how the internet lets you discover little connections like that. Anyhoo, the little girls absolutely love it and I enjoy the Eastern European flavor to much of the music (being just a bit akin to a gypsy myself).  In our quieter moments we are also enjoying Mary Kate's new CD of mostly solo harp, Mirabilis.

And finally, another small sized gift that has been a big hit is the little book of meditations, My Daily Bread. I first learned about this gem from Christine. I started out with two copies that we were sharing, but some children asked for personal copies so I was happy to get two more. The book is arranged into brief but powerful daily reflections, and I find it's just perfect for mid-afternoon when I need a bit of targeted meditation to re-focus. It is very blunt and straightforward and we like it. Example (in the voice of Our Lord):

 Knowing all things, I know your most important needs. I want you to gain the perfect and unending joy of Heaven. For this reason I will place you at times in a spiritual darkness of doubts and confusion. Then again I will let you enjoy the light of My truth and joy. One day I will console you, and on the next day you may find life hard and sorrowful. But through all these changing conditions, remember that My hand is leading you on toward Heaven.

Follow My Will in all things. Be just as ready to experience suffering as to have joy, just as glad to be poor and needy as to be well off. If you prefer My Will in all these things, you will be preferring the Perfect Wisdom and the Highest Good.

God made me for the perfect life of Heaven. Whatever He sends me is sent with this goal in view. Some things I can remedy and improve in my daily life, while other things are beyond my control. After I have done my best, I should accept the results as God's Will for me. Be it hard or easy, pleasant or disagreeable, I can always be sure that God knows, wants and permits what is good for my soul.

Goodness, methinks that's quite enough linkiful rambling for one Friday night - from the mundane to the meditative!

Lessons in Sickness

 
Things I've learned in the last three weeks:

• There is a mathematical formula by which you can calculate how much extra sleep you need to compensate for each time you are awakened during the night and how long you stay up. I don't know what this formula actually is, but I do know the compensation needed is about tripled if you are over forty.
• A shower is worth at least three hours sleep.
• Even if you have numerous boxes and bottles of every age and dosage of Tylenol in the house you can still run out.
• If you pray enough continuous Hail Mary's it is possible to keep praying them in your sleep, and when you wake up again in the middle of one you just automatically continue.
• My pediatrician's telephone number. (For the first time in twenty years I have it memorized.)
• Sometimes fairy tales do come true and those stories you read in books about children who cook and clean and tidy and wash dishes while you are blissfully sleeping through the night really happen. And you don't even need to pinch yourself when you wake up because you can smell the raisin biscuits for real.

 
(rice pudding recipe here )

Things I've known for years but have had greatly reinforced the last three weeks:

• Always keep a plastic basin in the car and under every bed, especially your own bed. Always. I learned this many years ago from a sweet Irish nurse, bless her heart. And if a child seems the slightest bit off in any way the basin comes out from under and stays on the bed for the night.
• A temporal scanning thermometer is worth every penny and then some.
• Vaporizers are fabulous.
• A med chart is a must when you have various children on various drugs.
• My pediatrician is truly wonderful. And when I call him over and over again he meets our needs and when I say thank you he replies, my pleasure.

I would do well to learn to answer my pleasure whenever someone asks something of me, especially when I am asked for the same thing over and over again. Thanks for everything, Dr. B.

Weekend Sightings, Visitor Version

We had a splendid weekend enjoying a visit from the Doodle Acres gang. Getting to know this fun and faith-filled family has been one of the greatest highlights of being in this bloggy mom world. We first met Heather and Hope at a FCL conference, and then they came to visit us for the first time about a year ago. I recall being slightly apprehensive back then, wondering how the children would all get along for a whole day as they hadn't even met each other before. Heather and I were just reminiscing about that first visit, how we sat in my kitchen watching the little ones play and hearing constant outbreaks of riotous laughter coming from the bigger kids in the cellar below us.

It is a dangerous business going out your front door.

Indeed they got along. The children all share a great mutual fondness for many things from LOTR and literature to Shakespeare and sewing, thrifting and theater, Latin and music. Josiah filmed some impromptu scenes during that first visit, and in subsequent get togethers they produced a short film with a script written by Hope, directed and edited by Josiah, made complete with a score composed by Jonathan. This time around they started in on a new and larger project, again written by the multi- talented and lovely Hope. It's kind of like Lord of the Rings meets As You Like It, and the mixture of Ganymede and Aliena and Sam and Frodo with a little Aravis thrown in suits them all very well.   

At about 11 pm on Friday night, after tidying and cleaning the whole house in preparation for company, I beheld these daunting book stacks. I asked Michael if I should bother attacking The Pile, and he very kindly replied, Nah, they're homeschoolers too - they know about book piles. Isn't he a sweet husband? And upon seeing it dear Heather said something to the effect of, Oh, you left books out for me to look through! Isn't she a grand friend?

Behold the filming crew, from right to left, Arwen, Andrew Adamson, Mr. Tumnus, an Atmospheric Extra, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Macready (those aren't characters in the new film, that's just who everyone looked like at that moment):

Beware the evil Count Brone. You only get a head shot as his surcoat emblazoned with his coat of arms is Top Secret (not to be confused with the chapel in my cellar which is a Deadly Secret). I do love his scruffy villain look:

But never fear,  'Amon' escapes (thank you so much dear Hope, for not breaking your legs or anything whilst climbing out my living room window):

Here we have Lord Thaddeus making applesauce with the help of Eudora (Will she try to steal the apples to feed the horses? Nah, she'll forget.):

 
This is Radel, the Half Dwarf, obviously quite tired out from a day of forging tools in the mines (or from filming):

These are two of the little people, who played together delightfully all weekend while staging a covert Cuteness Competition (no winner was declared):

 

This is not Josiah. Nor is it the Ranger Giles, nor the Captain Gorlias, but Nicodemus, son of Lord Thaddeus and brother to Lady Gelasia (even rangers, captains and foot soldiers like to dunk their peppermint sticks in cocoa):

This is the lovely Handmaid Miriam, servant of Lady Gelasia, wearing a lovely gown crafted by said Lady (and everyone knows drippy sleeves are so exciting):

Besides filming, there were also games to play:

 
And lots of food to eat. Here they are all doing their best Oliver while I serve the soup (this is a merry band of folks, I tell you):

 

When it got too late at night for eating or filming or playing games we took to singing. We sang Christmas carols in English and the more talented among us sang chants in Latin. Jonathan was pleased they could pull off Lo, How a Rose Ere Blooming in four-part harmony, and he kept our guests from leaving on time Sunday night as they sang the Byrd Kyrie from the Mass for Three Voices.

 

It was quiet and lonely after they had gone, but we were left with lots of warm, happy and hilarious memories (and lots of film footage as proof).

So you see, Bilbo had come in the end by the only road that was any good.

And a jolly time was had by all, indeed.

Personal Mini-Calendars

Do you have your copy of Alice Cantrell's lovely calendar yet? Alice was so kind and generous to share this little gem -  a whole year's worth of her delightful watercolor illustrations in a handy calendar. I've printed one out for myself, and it's fun to see them popping up on other people's desk's as well.  I enjoy the cheery pictures so much I thought of another use for them. You know how we girls like to keep track of certain things from month to month, but not necessarily on the wall calendar? ;-) Behold the mini-calendar-

I printed out Alice's calendar in miniature - I adjusted the page scaling to 'multiple pages per sheet' and set it to print four pages per sheet like so-

 
Then I cut them with the paper cutter and prepared to connect the pieces in a year-long line. I needed to trim a bit from the top and bottom of each section to get them to line up properly - check them out before you actually tape them to make sure everything matches. You can leave them with three months on a page, or fold them tiny into a twelve way accordion style:

 If you want to fold them down to one month on a side you need to also trim the side edges of your sheets before you tape them - hold your pieces up to a window and make sure all the months are aligned properly.

Once I was sure everything was trimmed up evenly, I taped them together on the back with packing tape, leaving a tiny gap so they fold easily.

 I gave them a final trimming after they were taped to square things up.

Then I folded the little one up. A scoring blade in the paper cutter or folding tool is handy, and voila - a sweet little mini-calendar for you or your girls. Thanks again, Alice!

 
 

Ready!

The sets are ready. Here's just a peek at Lady Dendroica's throne room-

Josiah's camera died but he got a new one just in time-

We have lots of ale-

 

And even cheese-

 

 Please feel free to disregard this blog post if you are not the family coming to visit us tomorrow.  But you do get bonus points if you know where the name Dendroica comes from. :-)

Early Day, Late in May Daybook

 Outside my window...It's an overcast, misty, chilly morning. I can see Mrs. Killdeer scuttling about searching for breakfast, and a lonely tree swallow sitting atop the nest box post. It lost its mate a few weeks ago and is still in mourning. Soon the four geese will waddle up the road like they do every day for their morning stroll.

I am thankful for... Wednesday mornings. We started attending the TLM daily during Lent, so now on Wednesdays we go to Mass in the evening. I really enjoy having one day a week where we can start the day with a leisurely morning at home.

 

From the kitchen...A triple berry coffee cake is in the oven and the freezer is full of berry pops. Something about spring makes me want to eat berries, and that is what good little bunnies eat after all.

 

I am wearing...a floral skirt with mixed violet and lavender tones on black, a white tee topped with a lacey lavender cardigan, black Mary Janes.

 

I am creating...lots of rosary and chaplet special orders.

 

I am reading...Shakespeare. We just finished up As You Like It and have started the Merchant of Venice. Reading Merchant took me right back to high school and memorizing soliloquies, and I could vividly recall one of the girls in my glass (I can see her dark curly hair and glasses but, oh, what was her name?) giving her dramatic recitation of Shylock's speech, complete with costume, and my other friend telling our teacher a long a convoluted joke just to say 'The Koala tea of Mercy is not strained' as the punch line. Presently we are all enjoying the read alouds, and I follow up with a bit of Tales from Shakespeare every day to help Mary Rose follow things. Mary Rose has started writing a play of course -the heartless and blood thirsty Tropedes are about to invade the harbor!

 

I am hoping...That the newly hatched killdeer survived the cold rainy day yesterday. They spent the day in their 'nest' safely tucked under their mother, and we avoided disturbing them so they could stay warm. I also hope the hawks will stick to mice when they want a little tidbit and leave the fluffy little killdeer alone.

 

I am hearing...The mockingbird and a host of other bird songs, but Lydia is not awake to tell me what they are.

 

Living the Liturgical Year - Veni Sancte Spiritus!

 

A few plans for the rest of the week...I need to start working on portfolios in preparation for the end of the school year evaluations. Jonathan has been finished for a couple of weeks and everyone else is anxious for summer break as well.

 

A picture thought I am sharing... Lydia at this year's Fort Killdeer.

 

So Lovely

I've just visited an inspiring new blog written by Louise's lovely daughter Lydia, a homeschool graduate who is now a college student. Her reflections on how her happy childhood have shaped the woman she is today - a lover of beauty and nature and words and music and family and life - are a reassuring comfort and peek ahead to those of us still in the throes of raisings little ones. With beautiful photographs of birds and blooms and even laundry, it promises to be a beautiful, soothing spot to stop for tea, already living up to the title:  Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace. I think my Lydia will like it too.

Handmade With Love

 

Inspired by the always creative and ever so generous Charlotte (aka Matilda), my girls and I have done some 'crocheting for a cause'. If you have some dollies who could use a poncho to keep warm, head on over to Hillside Education where all proceeds will go to help a family in need.  There are other lovely handmade items as well. Do your shopping in your jammies while supporting a family in crisis - you can't beat that!

7 Quick Takes Saturday

1. Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!

Hope you are having a blessed, joyful feast day. The blogs are just bursting with wonderful ideas for celebrating this special day, and it's delightful to peek at so many diverse family traditions. There's a wealth of information at the St. Nicholas Center, and a St. Nicholas Fair over at Catholic Cuisine. An extra special 'Happy Feast Day' to all of the Nicholases (Nicholai?) and Nicoles out there.

2. TypePad Woes

I just want to mention that I am having difficulty leaving comments on TypePad blogs since they've switched to their new 'Next Generation' platform and profiles. So please excuse me for not leaving comments as I read your lovely blogs. After investigating the problem and having numerous exchanges with TypePad tech support, their most recent advice states:

When an issue is reported, we go through a specific, formal process in which the issue is discussed with the development engineers and a priority assigned. Once we can determine the cause of the problem, the code changes must be made in development, tested, and verified. Finally, they are assigned to a release and pushed into production. Since this process does take some time, we are unable to give a specific date at this time when the change would be made. This will be determined during the development process, as we mentioned.

Translation for when this problem will be resolved - Not Anytime Soon.

3. Snowman

Sometimes someone in the family does something that just begs to be blogged, almost like I bet there's no way you can resist blogging this...

For example:

 

You may recall how my dear husband enjoys trying to get the grass to grow. Look at this dedication and hard work! He actually told me with an almost-straight-face that it's easier to apply fertilizer in the snow because you can keep track of where you've already been. But do note that he is grinning for the picture above.

 

4. About Last Night

Did you hear excessive screaming and laughing and roaring and generalized very loud hoopla? That was us. There is something about Friday-after-a-long-busy-week (aka Fried-day) that naturally invites a bit of blowing-off-steam in the form of some fun rowdy play and happy hullabaloo. We started off by piling on top of dear old Dad who was trying to get a little un-fried in typical Dad fashion by resting on the couch -

 

You have to love a guy who can support six womenfolk.

We also had the rare treat of having Jonathan home for an evening. The girls jumped, quite literally, at this opportunity and coerced him into being their horse. 'Macintosh' took turns giving rides to his sisters, sometimes stubbornly dragged by his lead ropes-

 

but most of the time galloping wildly through the house (hence the screaming). The girls were quite kind to him and fed him sugar cubes whenever he got a rest. A good time was had by all.

5. The Cook

 

You have to love it when Gandalf comes and makes soup in your kitchen.

6. Advent

 

I haven't blogged about our Advent devotions this year because they are the same as last year. As Alice pointed out, families may add something new occasionally but it is the things we do every year as we have always done - that's what makes it tradition. We are praying the beautiful St. Andrew novena prayer, doing our Jesse Tree readings each evening, lighting our Advent Wreath, and singing the same Come, Lord Jesus that we have sung for years and years. It's always lovely to watch a new toddler learn this simple song and sing it every night with all her heart, bowing her head at the Holy Name. We also just started listening to just a little Christmas music, beginning with our friends' CD, Eventide Lullaby.  Soon the children will start crafting in earnest, as they've been doing 'handmade holidays' for years  and I hope to blog some of their projects. And right before Christmas we will make cookies the same way we always do.

7. Et Moi - Quick Takes

It was Jen at Conversion Diary who started the 7 Quick Takes, but you may know that it is supposed to be a Friday thing. You may also know that I have trouble doing anything on time, which is why I rarely post in blogs fairs and things that normal, organized bloggers do.

 

New Beads

 

New rosaries have been listed on the New Items Page at Beads of Mercy.

Bloggy Love

Once upon a time Heather of Doodle Acres gave me this sweet blog award and I am finally getting around to responding. I hope she still hearts my blog after all this time. I got to meet Heather and her lovely daughter last summer - what a treat! I'm supposed to answer the following questions with just one word, and then pass the award on to three others. I don't think I can stick to one word for all of them... The questions are as follows: 1. Where is your cell phone? tote bag 2. Where is dh? reading 3. Your hair color? brown 4. Your mother? tired 5. Your father? requiescat in pacem 6. Your favorite thing? joy 7. Your dream last night? strange 8. Your dream/goal? heaven 9. The room you’re in? office 10. Your hobby? making rosaries, crochet 11. Your fear? sudden death, causing harm 12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? here 13. Where were you last night? home 14. What you’re not? indifferent 15. One of your wish-list items? vacuum 16. Where you grew up? Connecticut 17. The last thing you did? nursed Kateri to sleep 18. What are you wearing? skirt, sweater, boots, scarf 19. Your TV? just DVD's 20. Your pet? meow 21. Your computer? shared 22. Your mood? peaceful 23. Missing someone? Jonathan 24. Your car? Suburban 25. Something you’re not wearing? hat 26. Favorite store? thrift 27. Your summer? flew by 28. Love someone? many someones, lots 29. Your favorite color? green, brown, blue 30. When is the last time you laughed? short while ago 31. Last time you cried? the other day

 I now pass this heartfelt on to back-in-blogland Diane (or Banana Head, as Eliza calls her when she begs to hear her sing) at The Journey of a Mother's Heart, Bridget at Our Magnum Opus (everyone loves Bridget - there's no need to explain), and Susie at Susie's Ramblings even though she doesn't really ramble, she writes beautifully.

Next I'm supposed to go and tell those bloggers that I heart their blogs - can you see why this has taken me so long? I'm not very good at getting my homework done on time...

Once upon a time Heather of Doodle Acres gave me this sweet blog award and I am finally getting around to responding. I hope she still hearts my blog after all this time. I got to meet Heather and her lovely daughter last summer - what a treat!

I'm supposed to answer the following questions with just one word, and then pass the award on to three others. I don't think I can stick to one word for all of them...

The questions are as follows:
1. Where is your cell phone? tote bag
2. Where is dh? reading
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? tired
5. Your father? requiescat in pacem
6. Your favorite thing? joy
7. Your dream last night? strange
8. Your dream/goal? heaven
9. The room you’re in? office
10. Your hobby? making rosaries, crochet
11. Your fear? sudden death, causing harm
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? here
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you’re not? indifferent
15. One of your wish-list items? vacuum
16. Where you grew up? Connecticut
17. The last thing you did? nursed Kateri to sleep
18. What are you wearing? skirt, sweater, boots, scarf
19. Your TV? just DVD's
20. Your pet? meow
21. Your computer? shared
22. Your mood? peaceful
23. Missing someone? Jonathan
24. Your car? Suburban
25. Something you’re not wearing? hat
26. Favorite store? thrift
27. Your summer? flew by
28. Love someone? many someones, lots
29. Your favorite color? green, brown, blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? short while ago
31. Last time you cried? the other day

WHOO HOO!!!

Hip

Hip

Hooray!!!

Simple Woman's Daybook: August 25

Stop over to see The Simple Woman who has all of this week's links here.

Outside my window...It's dark  and quiet. I wonder if Mr. Groundhog is sleeping soundly in his newly dug home in our garden, or if blocking the entrance to the hole deterred him. (Harrumph.)

 

I am thinking...about how fast the summer flew by, just as it always does.

 

I am thankful for... this one last week of summer vacation.

 

From the kitchen...planning on cinnabuns for tomorrow. Eliza found a bowl of cinnamon sugar sitting on the counter along with a stick of butter on a dish. She naturally knew these two delicacies belonged together so she nicely covered the butter with the sugar, patting it on gently. This delightful concoction shan't go to waste.

 

I am wearing...a black skirt with a viney pattern in shades of brown, a cafe au lait colored top, and my favorite teapot earrings.

 

I am creating...order and cleanliness before the school year starts.

 

I am reading...Haystack  Full of Needles (isn't everyone?). Today Mary Rose showed me a little miniature she made of this book for her Miss Clavel. I'm sure Madeleine and Danielle and Nicole and all the others will glad to read it as well. :-)

 

I am hoping...to get a lot of work done and still enjoy this last week of 'summer'.

 

I am hearing...Kateri's heavy breathing as she sleeps peacefully in my arms, her still-damp-from-nursing curls glowing in the light of the computer screen.

 

Around the house...not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse.

 

One of my favorite things...seeing my children have a good time together.

 

A few plans for the rest of the week...more cleaning and organizing and planning for school. Hopefully we will get together with some new friends to play on Thursday. Jonathan starts his orientation activities on Thursday as well (gulp).

 

Here is picture thought I am sharing...sisters.

 

Wordless Wednesday: My Sweet Husband

She's Not in Minnesota Anymore

But I sure hope she feels better soon!

Hellooo!

Well, we are finally done!

We had our last two evaluations Saturday morning and we turned in our four portfolios yesterday. It's been a bit bittersweet this time as Jonathan kept reminding me it was his final one. And I've been too tired to jump up and down this year. Besides excavating the kitchen table we went on to spend six days cleaning this huge house from top to bottom. It's been a piece of work, as the inside had been quite neglected while we worked so hard outside all spring. But things are looking fresh and tidy again, at least for the moment. Cleanliness can be quite fleeting around here. The day after I polished the wood floor in the foyer my littlest two were playing soccer in the nice clean open space.

With tomatoes. :-0

But progress has been made.

Moods are lightening.

People are decompressing.

 

Summer is finally here!

 

Now as Gandalf has said, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'

Hope you're already having a terrific summer!

 

Who's Counting

As we traipsed across the parking lot for our Saturday-morning-after-Mass grocery run I noticed the nine of us were being watched. Three times I saw the attractive woman in impeccable business attire turn her head to glance back at us. Feeling just a bit roguish I shouted it out in a jolly playful way,

"SEVEN!"

And then we went on our merry way into the store enjoying a good laugh. Suddenly feeling sheepish I asked Jonathan, "Was that wicked?" "It was just a little mischievous," he replied. Whew.

The Simple Woman's Daybook: June 2

                                             

Grab your sun hat and stroll over to see The Simple Woman who has all of this week's links here.

Outside My Window...I hear the raucous coming and going of a very loud red winged blackbird. It seems to be singing the praises of the sunflower seed we put out on the deck.

 

I am thinking...about how hard it is for me to make sentences with all of the singing and dancing going on in here at the moment...

 

I am thankful for...the lovely weekend we had celebrating a birthday Friday, a special day Saturday and topped off by the boys' piano recitals on Sunday.

 

From the kitchen...we made chocolate chocolate chip scones for tea time.  I'm planning on a salad of fresh lettuces and spinach from the garden with a tomato and rosemary focaccia for supper.

 

I am wearing...a sky blue knit skirt topped with a watercolory floral shirt in mixed blues, black Mary Janes with lacey patterned socks, little blue earrings.

 

I am creating...the beginnings of the picture in my mind of what our summer break will look like. We still have school work to finish up and then evaluations to get through before we are done, but I can dream!

 

I am going...to get more seeds in the ground despite a busy week ahead. I am determined to keep 'planting in succession' to keep the harvest coming in our vegetable garden. 

 

I am reading...Prince Caspian still (blush).

 

I am hoping...to get a decent amount of work done this week despite the many outside engagements

 

I am hearing...The bread machine whirring and my little girls dancing along to Dvorak, adding a few extra notes on the piano now and then for good measure.

 

Around the house...warm breezes are flowing in through billowing curtains along with streaks of late-day sun.

 

One of my favorite things...enjoying the first produce from the garden and seeing the first blossoms from the flowers I grew from seed.

 

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...cardiologist appointment, dentist, take dinner to a friend, first Thursday Caelorum, spreading more mulch, catching up on laundry before the rains due later in the week...

 

Here is picture thought I am sharing...anticipation.

The Simple Woman's Daybook - May 19th

                                             

This is such a delightful way to share the pages of our days and to peek at those of other mothers. Many thanks go to our thoughtful hostess, The Simple Woman, who has all of this week's links here.

Outside My Window...The sky is overcast and threatening to rain on the three loads of laundry I have hanging outside. But there are little bits of hazy blue that give me hope the rain might hold off.

I am thinking...how thankful I am that right now in my life I can think about these simple things.

The joys and cares are all of the everyday, ordinary variety and as Alice once said, I am grateful for the status quo.

I am thankful for...Eliza munching on Cheerios at the moment. It is so hard to get her to eat - it is downright exciting whenever she feeds herself something. How's that for simple?

From the kitchen...I made raisin muffins this morning so Jonathan would have a snack to take with him as he went off to play organ for a funeral Requiem Mass. I will refrain from telling you how many I just ate with a cup of tea for 'lunch'. :-)

I am wearing...A very old cotton floral skirt that I made many years ago, a yellow top and matching cardigan, and my new brown Mary Janes. 

I am creating...New flower, vegetable and herb gardens.

I am going...To be staying in until the sniffles and such around me subside.

I am reading...Prince Caspian, in hopes of seeing the movie like my children want me to.

I am hoping...the colds and mild fevers that the children have resolve just as suddenly as they arrived, and that if Eliza gets sick too it won't be severe.

I am hearing...Eliza singing along with the Flower Fairy Alphabet, tooting on her pretend horn in all the right places.

Around the house...Is a lot of evidence that we have been spending many weekends working outside and not getting the inside chores accomplished.

One of my favorite things...Watching my children have fun together, from the two littlest singing and dancing together to the big ones working on an Edward Lear inspired film: Once there were five children named Franz, Violet, Gertrude, Amelia and Porkpie George who wanted to dig to China...

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Finish planting, get the floors scrubbed, tweak the chore routines, buy more seeds, get some beading finished and start some sewing.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...First Chore:

HT: to Elizabeth and Dawn who always share so many lovely pages with all.

Congratulations!

To Suzanne of Gladdest Hours who has a new little baby girl. Pop over to see the beautiful pictures and wish them a happy babymoon.

To Suzanne (who is so young and lovely) of Blessed Among Men has re-appeared in Blogland with a new home and a new little blessing on the way.

Maybe I could change my name to Suzanne?

A Little Disenchanted

Here is a thorough review of Enchanted (including spoilers). It does still seem like a wonderful story but there's a fair bit of icky stuff thrown in for, well, I don't know what for. Just wanted to clarify that we have not yet seen this movie, and you should check out all the details and see how they mesh with your family's movie standards.

You Just Never Know...

...where the blogosphere will lead you.

I just ordered our first animated Disney movie (besides Mary Poppins (40th Anniversary Edition) , of course). Yes, my five daughters are so deprived they couldn't tell Belle from Jasmine from Mulan.

I couldn't either - I just looked those names up on the web. ;-)

But dear Mrs. Foss posted this delightful clip on her blog and Kateri was, well, Enchanted with it. She wouldn't fall asleep last night so the blog post in my head dissolved as we sat watching the lovely Giselle over and over. I clicked over to find this charming number and we watched that several times as well, and every time I found myself breaking out in a grin. Today Eliza danced along with the clips and asked for mess! mouse! again and again. Imagine, a movie where the only warning is about scary mice, and we surely are not afraid of mice.

So, sometime soon we will all be taking in all of this:

I am having too much fun teasing telling my children (especially the boys) they are going to watch a Disney princess movie. They do think I'm completely off my crumpet.

And I do hope no one noticed me singing and sashaying around the garage this morning, with a little jeté thrown in here and there.

A grand tip of the tiara to Elizabeth!

Edited to add: Please see my next post and read the comments on both posts for more information about this movie.

That Football Game...

...is one of a great series of books we enjoy, written about a hundred years ago by Father Francis Finn, S.J.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. You didn't really think I was going to post about sports, did you?

When in Blogland...

...do as the Bloggers do.

Everyone is doing this meme of trivia so...

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE ? I like to think St. Anne.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?  When we got home from the Emergency Room on Epiphany and saw the posts and emails from all the blogging friends who had been praying for Eliza.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Not particularly.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? I don’t eat meat for lunch. Or any other meal ;-).
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?  Sure thing. I have seven here on earth.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Well sure, but would I have to share my teacup with that other me?
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? I do but I wish I didn’t. 
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?  No.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?  No thank you. I don’t like heights.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Cream of wheat or oatmeal with lots of brown sugar on top.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?  My shoes never wear ties.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? I used to think I was until I had two teenaged boys who are much stronger.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Vanilla (with chocolate sprinkles on top).
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? What they are wearing and what their eyes look like.
15. RED OR PINK? Pink, but red is growing on me in my old age.
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF?  I am not naturally neat or organized.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? The very saintly pastor who just retired from the church where we attend daily Mass.
18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? An olive green skirt and black boots.
19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Cranberry ‘pie’ with whipped cream on top and a cup of tea. Thank you to Kristen for advising us to stock up on cranberries while they were available.
20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Eliza watching Rachel while she eats her ice cream.
21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? A fresh box of sixty-four.
22. FAVORITE SMELLS? Chrism is the most wonderful smell in the world. I also like sandalwood, almond extract, a clean baby just washed with Baby Magic, fresh laundry just brought in from outside, and especially my husband.
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My husband.
24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? My children sword fighting or shooting arrows or unicycling. Does that count?
25. HAIR COLOR? Brown.
26. EYE COLOR? Brown.
27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?            Can’t see a thing without ‘em.
28. FAVORITE FOOD? Anything freshly baked and a cup of tea.
29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings, please.
30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Narnia
31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?  A green floral shirt to match my skirt and a cream colored lacey vintage cardigan.
32. SUMMER OR WINTER?  I prefer spring and autumn.
33. HUGS OR KISSES? Both.
34. FAVORITE DESSERT? Fresh raspberry pie with vanilla ice cream.
35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The Hobbit.
36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Eliza’s Pediatric Cardiology Group
37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Don’t watch TV.
38. FAVORITE SOUNDS?  My children making music, Eliza giggling, Kateri’s sweet high-pitched toddler voice, my husband’s deep smooth one.
39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?  How about Bach or Brahms or Beethoven? Or Mozart or Chopin or Liszt?
40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?  Canada.
41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? God gives everyone special talents. 
42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Connecticut.

I tip my hat to all my fellow bloggers for sharing this meme!

Deo Gratias!

Just having a very thankful kind of day here...

On our way home this morning there was a bit of snow. It wasn't even an inch but the road conditions were suddenly very slippery. Driving along a sloping part of the road I saw that several cars had come to a virtual halt, both on my side and the opposite lane. Do you know how very strange it feels to be gliding down a hill in a car containing all of your seven children unable to stop as your anti-lock brakes screech and grind and yet there is no stopping, only further sliding, and you just wait for the seemingly inevitable crunch?

But I was able to run off the road a bit into the embankment forcing us to stop, just squeezing by the van stopped in front of me.

I couldn't believe we didn't crash.  But then it seemed certain the cars behind me would come plowing into us. But they didn't. They stopped. Like this:

We looked out our window to see this right behind us. That is Josiah's head looking out the window. I was too shaken to even call 911 and had to have Jonathan find the phone and dial.

But thanks be to God the driver of the overturned vehicle was uninjured. The passenger door opened straight up into the air and the driver climbed out!!!

We are still thanking the Lord and His Blessed Mother and our dear Guardian Angels who help with steering when the brakes fail.

I don't think Jonathan is likely to forget those three Hail Mary's his driving instructor recommended every time the key goes in the ignition.

May God bless and keep you as He so mercifully kept us safe today.

A Little Something

I've just put together the beginnings of a cooking blog. I'd like to have a place to collect and share all of my family's favorite recipes. I also hope to be motivated to write down the recipes I create so that 1. I can find them, 2. I can read them and therefore hopefully 3. Make them again. Like the yummy almond things I invented today - the consensus was they should be made again if only I remember how I made them. For now there are some Thanksgiving favorites of ours, including an unconventional pumpkin pie.

Please stop by for A Little Something.

And the Winner Is...

We put all of the names from the birthday comments into my black hat and Kateri was given the honor of picking one.

Is it any surprise that Kateri Therese chose

Rose!

Congratulations Rose and thank you again to everyone for the birthday greetings. You all made my day extra special.

Thank You!

Many, many thanks for all of the lovely birthday wishes! The comment box can be a warm and fuzzy place and as downright cozy as a cup of tea on such a day. I had a nice day starting with Mass followed by a talk as part of the parish mission. We came home with an ice cream pie someone at church had made for me. I found dozens of birthday notes all day, courtesy of a contingent of Birthday Fairies. In the evening we enjoyed cake and pie and a reading of Chapter IV In Which Eeyore Has a Birthday and Gets Two Presents. I received several nice gifts, homemade of course (but no bits of damp rag or Useful Pots).

People are always emailing me asking how my children got to be so creative. I wonder the same thing.  Never in a million years would I have expected to receive not one, not two, but three pairs of handmade earrings! These were made with shells the children found on Chincoteague, neatly matched in pairs. They didn't want to ruin the surprise and ask me for earring findings, and they were too nice to steal from my silver box, so they are made out of Paper Clips!

I have never had paper clip earrings in my entire life.

(People might stop asking about creativity after reading this.)

I also received a lovely woodburned plaque with my logo on it

and this beautiful Birds in the Garden Calendar from my mother-in-law.

It makes it seem easier to bear that it will soon be 2008, as I have all of these gorgeous pictures to look forward to.

In the meantime, I will do my part to let time pass slowly. Dear Margaret implied that I should celebrate all week, so I am keeping the comments open on the bracelet post all week and we will not draw a name until Saturday.   

Maybe the Birthday Fairies will keep baking cakes all week as well. One can always hope!

Good night and God bless!

HIPY PAPY BTHUTHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY

To me.

(Pardon my spelling, but what do you expect from a girl who once sent candles and pink sugar to a certain Princeton grad student on his birthday? I think I also gave him a Useful Pot to put things in and take things out of.)

Yes, it's time for Gaiety. Song-and-dance. Here we go round the mulberry bush.

In keeping with our family's tradition I am finding cheerful little notes all over the house. I need a translator for some of them as I don't read Angerthas Moria (or any other Angerthas for that matter) but that's okay. People keep feeding me candy and making me tea. That's okay too.

In honor of my birthday I would like to give someone a present. I have made this decade rosary bracelet of autumn jasper and Swarovski pearls with bronze for a nice fall look. Leave a comment for this post and we will draw one of the names to be the recipient.

Now I must get back to my family, and my teacup is also empty.

Aren't you all amazed to see something posted here before midnight?

New Beads

New items have just been added at the Beads of Mercy site!

I got quite a bit of beading done in the car on the drive to Chincoteague, and I'm almost caught up on my special orders, so I am finally able to post some new pieces. And Tech Support was available this evening to upload the new items for me. I just had to provide tea and a bit of crumb coffee cake. Thank you Dear Husband!

Lonely

Regina Doman, I want my husband back.

Your latest frigate has carried my beloved off leaving me to fend for my family on my own. Just tonight I had to venture off with my five girls in tow to far away lands the grocery store to obtain provisions (eight gallons of milk) whilst my dear husband sat reading, unable unwilling to tear himself away from the pages. Even now he lies awake in the wee hours pressing on.

He didn't even know the title but Regina Doman's third novel was at the top of Jonathan's birthday wish list. Happy to oblige, though knowing full well my folly, I purchased the desired treasure. Michael got to it first.

At least he should be finished soon, and then I'll have my true love back.

Until the time comes for me to leave him. Not soon enough - alas, I'm third in line.

Just Wondering

If you tell your seven year old daughter to settle down because she is chasing her two little screeching sisters up and down the hallway causing all three to run frantically and giggle wildly while you are trying to comb their elder sister's freshly washed hair and she replies that she'd rather drink fish oil than act like a proper young lady do you reprimand her for being fresh or do you commend her for quoting fine children's literature?

Never Enough Flowers

We enjoyed a lovely walk today in the splendid fall weather. As Monsignor said this morning, the cool, crisp autumn air is invigorating - even for a ninety-five-year-old. (!) It is interesting to walk through our neighborhood and admire the lushly landscaped yards interspersed with wild, overgrown empty lots. A bright splash of red caught my eye amidst the palette of browns in one of these barren parcels. Someone had prematurely dumped out all of their summer potted annuals and masses of flowers were resting peacefully in a tangled, colorful jumble, unaware of their rejection.

The girls started picking them up by their well-knit root balls, Look at this one! Look at that one! They are full of flowers!

Soon we were up to our old tricks. It amused me how the girls ran for the wheelbarrow with glee. They didn't question my intentions or marvel at my proposition. They delighted in hauling home all of the cast-offs, sticking them in pots and giving them a much needed dousing.

My deck has been transformed by the masses of adopted blooms. Here are a few:

It makes me think of a scene out of  The Gardener.

I've always wanted to learn how to overwinter geraniums. I should get plenty of practice!

A Little Shopping

The girls and I went out for a bit of shopping last evening.

My new fall hat:

(Do you know it is great fun to stick out your arm and try and take a picture of your own hat? It also provides slight entertainment for any passersby.)

New shoes for the littlest girls:

I found the puppies quite irresistible:

I do think of my boys even when I'm out with the girls.

So for Josiah, a new nose:

Successful outing, no?

Picture Post

Kateri just will not let me type. I am stuck with all of these posts rolling around inside my head that can't make their way out through my fingertips to the keyboard. So I will just share a few pictures for your entertainment.

Here we have Josiah's very practical solution for the coffee table in the sunroom. All you mothers of mountain goats toddlers understand full well the problem. Note the disappointed smirk on Kateri's face.

Next we have proof that sometimes girls really do just want to have fun. Even rosary ladies. How could I resist sterling silver teapots? Swarovskis and tea for me.

Bluebirds in the Fog by Lydia:

   

And finally, gratuitous picture of Extreme Cuteness.                 Very mischievous, but cute. Very cute.

Good night!

New Mouse in the House!

I'm back!

Our old mouse had died a slow and indecisive death - working merrily at times for my husband and then becoming totally useless whenever anyone else (like me) tried to use it. It probably had gotten hurled to the floor accidentally dropped a few times too many by a computer happy small person. But tonight my dear husband took us out to a dreadful techno store full of all things electronic and the happy result is that I now have a functional mouse. Yippee!

May the dead mouse rest in peace.

Ponderin' Rockin'

I don't know how this happened! Maybe I was spotted in my silver flats today or maybe it was yesterday's red Mary Janes? Perhaps I was heard singing Turtle Rock with Eliza and Rachel? Could I have been noticed dancing around the house when Jonathan plays his rock Rach (maninoff) music? I think it must simply be because Cay is so very sweet that she tagged me as a Rockin' Girl Blogger!

I am always amazed to realize this famous author has been reading my little blog and now this! I did have a lot of fun telling my family that I do indeed rock. Cay Gibson says I do and she wrote this very book so it must be true!

I would like to pass on this most Prestigious Pink Plaque to Muddy Mama. She is such a young and sweet and fresh faced (I never see any mud on it at all) mama! Just seeing her picture when I visit her blog makes me smile before I even read her funny, insightful and delightful posts. She rocks.

I would also like to name Sister Mary Martha - we can change it to the Rockin' Sister Award for her. Some days she just cracks me up with her hilarity and it is usually when I'm on the verge of cracking and it's nice to be sent into peals of laughter rather than remain dangling near the edge. (Let's hope she doesn't read my run on sentences - I'm sure she taught English at some point in her Catholic school career.) I'll never forget the first time I visited her blog and read this post and I laughed so hard until the tears came. Then I had Jonathan read it and I got to watch him smirk and guffaw and snort trying not to crack up out loud. Sr. Mary Martha writes about St. Rock and she rocks.

I also name Bridget who has probably already been tagged because she really rocks. She is happy and she is holy and she is funny and she is such a nice wife (look at that those joyful smiles!) and she is such a cool mom and I want to be just like her when I grow up. Well, sooner than that I hope.

Thanks again, Cay! And now it's time to rock to sleep...

This 'N That

I don't know if this happens to other bloggers but being a chronic night owl I wake up every morning to a chorus of voices high and low, squeaking and resonating, whispering and booming : Did you blog anything? I have been giving a disappointing No! for a very long time now. I didn't really plan on taking a blogging break but life is like that and break it was and here I am back again.

First I will show you Josiah who had his braces off on Friday in honor of his half birthday. He is now 14.5 and has beautiful teeth. I've spent the weekend telling him how handsome he looks while his brother repeatedly says he looks like he has someone else's teeth (!). Observe:

Corn on the cob and homemade poppycock coming soon.

We have had numerous workers in and out the past couple of weeks finally closing up the hole in the outside of my house, repairing my shower, and fixing the living room ceiling so that it no longer looks like this: (This picture is for Bridget.) It is so marvelous to have everything finally put back together again.

We had some unseasonably cool weather here recently - like wear long sleeves and eat hot soup and break out the crochet hooks even though its still August kind of weather. Last Saturday I ran into the craft shop to get a planter for my foyer. I had every good intention of just purchasing one item, but it was such a convenient container so I came home with all this:

This past week has been unbearably hot and humid, keeping the children indoors most of the time so we have

wee little critters fresh off the hook, just in time for Alice C's Homemade Toy Fair, coming on Tuesday to A Number of Things. We can't wait! This little guy dropped in looking for a puddle-

and all of that crocheting makes one hungry for a little smackerel of something sweet.

Does this count for Fine Arts Friday? Kateri thought I really needed purple hands.

Eliza concentrating:

And I will leave you with the colorful still life Pink Leaves, Flower, Worm and Sun by Eliza.

  Cheery, no?

Thanks for popping by and I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

   

   

Can You Tell What We've Been Watching?

I recently realized one of those gaps in my children's upbringing. The situation was easily remedied with a gift on Anna Ruth's birthday. True to form, my children are the obsessive types, preferring the immersion method when they encounter new things. They love to dive in and repeat and revisit over and over, savoring more and more until they are saturated. And so...

After the house began to pitch I found this scene in the sitting room:

In the name of the Lullaby League this little one danced in my bedroom this evening:

His head he was scratchin' while his thoughts were busy hatchin' in my foyer:

Ha, ha, ha, Ho, ho, ho and a couple of tra-la-las-pictures like this are scattered everywhere:

Yes, it's always very interesting around here because really, there's no place like home.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Katherine, one of my favorite bloggers, tagged me for this Five of My Favorite Things meme. It's always fun to tell others about things we enjoy or that make our life easier, and I am always grateful to others who recommend things that become my favorites.

1.Let's see now...Raindrops on roses and Children on Razors !

Mary Rose was the only big kid who didn't have a scooter, so she asked for one for her birthday. When the other children tried her shiny new Razor, they wanted new ones too to replace their old worn out models. So they all used their own money to buy new scooters and the Razor Rage began.I love toys like this that a wide range of ages can use to have fun together. Everyone from the seven year old to the almost seventeen year old

and even the fortysomethings have a great time. My children are very kind in letting me have a turn on their Razors. Boy are they fun! And it's good exercise! Whoosh!

2.Bright copper stainless steel electric tea kettles.

Throughout my married life we've had a succession of tea kettles that whistled merrily on the stove. Inevitably someone would forget to close the spout so it wouldn't whistle and the kettle would boil dry and burn- time for a new kettle. Since we moved, water spills had been leaving mineral deposits on my new flat surface cooktop. So (gasp) we decided to try an electric kettle. It boils water super fast, has an automatic shut off, and a safety feature so you can't boil it dry. Wonderful! We don't even miss the whistle.

3.Of course all of that boiled water must be poured over dried leaves to make the most delicious beverage on earth. I would like to tell you how my favorite tea is this delicious Irish Breakfast Tea that I brew up in a proper teapot and then strain with my proper tea strainer. I do drink that tea and it is delicious, but really, most of the time I'm just a Tetley kind of girl. British Blend steeped five minutes, half teaspoon sugar and a splash of skim milk, piping hot please. All day long.Very simple.

4.Pink Baby packages tied up with slings.

This is another case of why didn't I get one of these ages ago. My trusty old sling that I contentedly used for years was getting rather shabby in quite an un-chic way. There are so many sling types available now so I wanted to do a little research before getting a new one. I read repeatedly that the kind I had was the worst type of sling! I decided on an Ellaroo as it was reasonably priced (especially a discontinued fabric on ebay) and pretty and received good reviews. I love it! I was amazed at how superior it is to my old sling! It is easy to adjust with one hand - I can snug Kateri up tight and be truly hands free or loosen it up for cozy nursing. If you've tried slinging and have had difficulties, try another type of sling. I love my sling!

5.I'm sure all of us would mention as favorites our digital cameras we use to capture so much of this interesting life we lead. Perhaps we use this handy little gadget so often that we take it for granted. I'm so old I actually remember this thin, delicate stuff you weren't supposed to touch called film! You would take one shot and hope it turned out okay and that everybody really did smile or at least refrained from making bunny ears and then mail this stuff off in an envelope and wait a week and a half to get back pictures printed on actual paper. Boy that was a long time ago. Now we are in the modern digital age where we take the camera with us almost everywhere and shoot dozens of photos a day.

Sometimes we get mystery pictures.

Sometimes I wish I could always keep the camera in my pocket, like this morning when Monsignor popped his biretta on Eliza's head. But often I do remember to grab it before heading out the door.

We are very grateful for our digital camera.

And now I tag Matilda, Margaret, and Michele and anyone else who would like to play (or sing). I hope this meme makes the rounds because I would like to find a new favorite vacuum cleaner and sewing machine. My birthday isn't for months but I can hint beg plan ahead, no?

Edited to add: If you can figure out what Josiah's mystery picture is leave a comment with your guess! :-)

Meez is Back ...

...or My Week in Pictures.

Like several other bloggers have noted, life has been rather busy IRL to keep up with blogging it all. I haven't really been standing still in a sunflower field drinking tea all week. It would be lovely if we could all get together to visit in person as easily as Ruth's virtual Meez party that she so kindly linked up.

Michael had time off from work last week and he used the time to work on lots of home projects. Step one was the managing of the Mulch Brigade:

Six scoops of mulch needed to be distributed to the various landscaped beds and eleven trees around our house.

Here's a little Mulchy Angel, with a pitchfork!

By the time they finished the girls were so mulchy they could have passed for a bunch of  sweeps straight out of Mary Poppins, which we enjoyed watching Friday night.

Josiah worked throughout the week to complete Our Lady's restoration.

He did a fine job on the paint, detailing in the menacing viper and continents on the globe. He even put rings on her fingers, which surprised us. But the always observant and faithful Josiah pointed out that Our Lady is depicted with rings on her fingers on the Miraculous Medal.

Our Blessed Mother is now in place, flanked by lilies that I transplanted from our old house. Every year my neighbor would place a lily at the foot of our cross on Easter morning, and I always planted them in the ground. I was quite pleased that they survived the relocating. I also transplanted a shrub rose, which really did not seem like it would revive after the traumatic transplant. But happily it recovered and is right behind the statue, with its first new buds just getting ready to open for Our Lady!

Michael worked very hard putting in a hundred foot long raised bed so we could also transplant and enjoy these, the one thing we miss from our old house:

Unfortunately we had some torrential rains that washed away some of the bed so he had to repair it, adding in drainage channels.

Let's see...what else..oh yeah, Otmin the minotaur showed up in my kitchen. I sent him outside to run around and he did no harm.

Lots of nature study... That's Lydia with a wee toad.

Literary pursuits always continue, of course. This picture is for Elizabeth, ;-).

Do you know how long two toddlers can sit still with a few sheets of unwanted address labels?

I'm sure you do.

Actually, since I just finished with portfolios, I could go on and on in educationese about the numerous benefits of said stickering activity- social skills involving sharing and taking turns, sensorial (sticky) stimulation, fine motor skills in peeling (stickers), creative expression in applying the artistic (sticker) medium ...but I digress. Do please pardon my lapse, as I did just finish documenting a mere week ago.

 

All six of our bluebirds hatched! This was quite a thrill after our adventures with claim jumpers and other nest troubles. Lydia went to check on the nest and she actually saw  one 'oozing out' of its shell. 

 

The eyewitness reported that it looked quite silly with half a shell stuck on its head!

I enjoyed some fast moves with my Honey:

And now I think said Honey will be somewhat pleased to return to work and sit still for a change!

We sure will miss him in the morning!   

   

Meet Tealady

As you can see, it is now summer vacation.

I must have done a pretty good job creating my animation because my husband thinks she's pretty cute. ;-)

H/T Kristen and Matilda, who does much more than waltz.

Turn Yourself Around and Do the All Done Dance!

At precisely 3 o'clock, the Hour of Mercy, four portfolios were duly turned in to the school district administration office.  We have an official signed and stamped receipt to prove it.

 

Mom has been seen jumping up and down.

Whoops! Where'd she go?

All done!

 

Yippee!

A Brief Update

Thank you for the kind comments and well wishes regarding my frazzled feline encounter. I am feeling much better today - I can bend my finger slightly, the fever is gone, the red streak that was creeping past my wrist and meandering up my arm is now confined to my hand, and it only throbs if I lower it below heart level. I am amazed at how sore my arm is from the shot - no wonder babies get so cranky after their vaccines! This morning my dear sons offered commentary- one son noting that he has two pairs of heavy work gloves sitting right there by the scene of the climb and the other queried, Don't you know you're not supposed to grab an animal from behind? Apparently I have passed all of my brain cells on to them.

My dear evaluator called to say she had to move our appointment up from Friday morning to Thursday afternoon. So we are scrambling to get everything finished up even sooner. And for those of you homeschoolers who don't know what an Evaluator is, be sure you say an extra prayer when you go to bed tonight thanking God for the wonderful state you live in. One of the abovementioned dear sons also commented that by the end of my career as the Supervisor of the Home Education Program I will have compiled 70 portfolios! Apparently I have also taught him how to add. 70!

Kateri appears to be asleep so it's back to work! Goodnight and God bless.

Just So You Know

If your new house suddenly starts dripping through the ceiling in the living room and this leak continues for months and even turns into a downright shower sometimes and your builder can't figure out where it is coming from until he finally realizes it's the crack in the shower stall upstairs in the master bath that you pointed out to him but he said couldn't possibly be the problem and he sends a worker to rip apart your lovely luxurious leaking shower, sending concrete and ceramic tile flying everywhere, so that the cat gets startled and frightened and runs away to hide in your teenaged son's room and you chase her all around the room to get her out of there and she goes berserk knocking over minotaur heads and swords and shields and starts climbing the walls and scrabbling up the windows, do not grab her.

Because if you do her razor sharp pointed teeth will sink into your finger and she won't let go for what will seem like an eternity and your finger and hand will turn red and swell up and you will need to take antibiotics  and get a tetanus shot which will make your other arm hurt too so that you can't work on the fourteen custom rosary orders you have waiting nor the four portfolios you have to turn into the school district at the end of the week because you must keep your hand elevated and wrapped up in a heating pad.

Note that holding onto your full hot teacup while balancing it on your shoulder is a fine alternative elevated heat source and your children may even take pity on you and be extra attentive in keeping that teacup filled.

Also note that even if you usually abhor taking medications a bit of Motrin will decrease both pain and swelling so greatly that you can actually type some but not so much that you can string beads nor hold crimping pliers nor open and close three ring binders.

But tomorrow is another day. Just so you know.

Sounds Good

So while we're at the concert the other night Mary Rose leans over and whispers to me: We should hire someone to build a church behind the dirt mound in our yard and when Jonathan grows up he can be the priest there.

How convenient!

Eight Random Facts Meme

When I first started reading blogs I had never heard of the word meme and I didn’t know how to pronounce it. I thought it was me-me since a meme seems to be a post just chock full of the author’s self. I’ve been tagged by the lovely Laura at ...and if not...so here are some very random facts all about me me me. The rules:

For this meme, each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.”

1. I once gathered autumn leaves and spread them out all over the floor of my dorm room. I had seen workers raking and blowing and vacuuming up all of the leaves and I had to preserve some of that delicious crunchy beauty just a while longer. I ran outside and gathered up several bagfuls and covered my whole floor with them. I often remind Michael that he knew I was a little nutty before he married me. ;-)
2. I’ve gained and lost 350 pounds. It’s true – I gain close to 50 pounds with each pregnancy but then I always lose it all.
3. I drink lots and lots of tea and eat lots of candy. Chocolate of course, but chewy red candy is a separate must.
4. I would rather clean a bathroom than wash dirty pots and pans. Icky foodstuff gives me the willies. My dear husband has been the dishwasher for years, and now Jonathan has kindly taken over this horrid task. God bless them, my kitchen angels!
5. I don’t really like to talk on the telephone and really dislike making phone calls. Once again my Dear Angel of a Husband, Michael, often does the task for me.
6. I can’t sing. At. All. I’m so bad that if I start singing Eliza yells, “Mo-----m!” I wonder where she learned that from.
7. I’m a hopeless night owl. I have been so since high school.  There’s something about being up in the quiet of the night when all is in darkness save for one lone light shining on whatever it is I’m doing. Consequently mornings are a little slow for me. It often takes three Hail Mary’s just to get my eyes open and a couple more to actually get me out of the bed.
8. Large bodies of water frighten me. My childhood was plagued with nightmares of roads disappearing into the water. My godmother used to take me for lovely drives along a reservoir but I was always terrified we’d fall in, and bridges were the worst. I still don’t like bridges but I can drive over them now as long as I keep my eyes closed on the road.
9. I am an extremist. I like things black or white, all or none, yes or no, always or never. St. Augustine said, For many, abstinence is easier than perfect moderation, and I find that to be so true for many things in my life. I think it’s a sign of my weakness.
10. I can’t count to eight.

I tag: Bridget at Our Magnum Opus

Cheryl at My Thoughtful Spot

Katherine at Life in the Onion Dome

Elizabeth at Real Learning

Helen at Castle of the Immaculate

Suzanne at Gladdest Hours

Lisa at Joyful Chaos

Alice at Cottage Blessings

In My Dreams

You know the impact of this blogging stuff is serious when you start dreaming about fellow blogging friends you have never even met. The other night I dreamt I was looking at myself in the mirror and I pulled and tugged at the skin on my face until I made all of the wrinkles disappear.

And then I thought to myself, I look rather young without wrinkles. This is still in my dream of course - I said to myself,  Without any wrinkles you almost look like Suzanne Temple!  And everyone knows how young looking and pretty she is!

But alas, I woke up, and I'm still me. The only sons I have are quite a bit taller than I am, but they are really very nice to have around. When I relayed this amusing dream to my family Jonathan replied, "But Mom, you don't have any wrinkles!"

What a fine son!

For Grampy

These humble flowers, though their seed packet said viola, to me are Johnny-jump-ups. They were my father's favorite flower. He liked them because they were reliable little splashes of color and beauty that just bloom where no one plants them. No fussing over them, no special care needed, they would just appear every spring in the most unexpected places. Cracks in the driveway, an impossibly little bit of dirt between the rocks - there the little Johnny's would squeeze in their charm. My father was bemused by these little, lowly clumps because he really had no green thumb. So many years he tried to grow vegetables without much success, but he was always tickled by the Johnny-jump-ups which required no effort. He liked them so much he was always rescuing them - digging them out of the lawn lest their cheery blooms suffer the mower's doom. They never did well after a transplant, however, much to his chagrin, and there were never enough of them.

And so when I first began to garden many years ago, I planted these flowers labeled viola, though I knew they were really Johnny-jump-ups, in honor of my father and fond memories from my childhood. I still remember those eighty little paper-cupped seedlings, and how I painstakingly transplanted them into a shady bed alongside our house. And I'll never forget my father's amazement when he first saw my bed full of Johnny's. Where did I get them? How did they grow? How did I get so many of them? He wanted to know. My Johnny's always re-seeded themselves and jumped back up year after year. I would always dig some up to send home with Dad in a pot.

The magnificent full bed of Johnny-jump-ups has sort of petered out over the years, and there are just numerous clumps scattered throughout all of the flower beds at our old house. So in memory of my father I went over and dug up all the little Johnny's I could find. I've planted them here at our new house to brighten up the front shade bed. They make me think of my father, and they make me smile. The perennials planted by the landscapers when the house was built are finally starting to bloom and show their colors.

 

And guess what?

They match my Johnny-jump-ups!

 

Just Think...

As my father would have said, "Who'd 'a thunk it!"  I've been tagged for a Thinking Blogger Award by Elizabeth, who we all know Thinks For Real. So of course I've been thinking and pondering about who makes me think. The hard part is thinking of some thinkers who haven't already been thought of by all the other tagged thinkers.

If you get tagged with a Thinking Blogger Award, you are then supposed to do the following:

1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2. Link to this post so people can easily find the origin of the meme.
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote.

Let's see -

1. Matilda is very good at reminding me to look at things through the eyes of a little child. When you have Big Kids around, they tend to get a lot of your attention, as they are rather Big, and Matilda reminds me to think of the Littles. The simple things in life such as birthdays cakes and step stools and blankets are really very big things in the lives of little ones, and Matilda knows just how to connect with and delight the children in her care. And she makes me smile and remember to waltz.
2. Cheryl is already a wonderful wife and mother yet she is always thinking of new ways to grow in these roles. Whether it's cleaning and organizing, expressing her femininity, developing soothing routines for her children, developing manners, or even trying to overcome her night owl tendencies, she is always selflessly seeking ways to enhance her family life.
3. Helen inspires many of us to think deeply and draw nearer to Our Lady through meditation and prayer  that we may better imitate her virtues. Helen also makes me think about parenting and attachment and generosity and perseverance in love.
4. Alice is so full of love - for Our Lord and Our Lady and her dear family and her friends and all of God's creation. The thought of Alice makes me think of love - am I being loving enough? Am I expressing my love? Does what I'm doing or saying show God's love to others?
5. Louise makes me think of all things gentle and beautiful. She also makes me think of how to make each day A Time To Keep. How will my children look back upon their childhoods? What words will they choose to describe these days? This mother? This family?

So, there's plenty for you to read and think about for quite a while!