On the Second Day of Christmas . . .

"One the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
Two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree."

Chers Amis,

Christmas is an unhurried, multi-day celebration a notre moulin, arriving with the Sunday vigil mass and lingering sweetly until Epiphany. We have never celebrated the holiday all in one day. Rather, we draw the festivities out over the 12 days of Christmastide with one gift a day until they are all gone or we hit gratitude saturation. Many a gift has been put away for a coming birthday! While a bit quirky from the outside, this has been a wonderful, stress-reducing tradition chez nous. There is no rush to the mall to buy last minute presents and when Granpa's reindeer become fatigued over St. Louis and must stop for a few days of respite, all is well. Of course we can do this because all our family is either up north or out west and it is just us non-conformist chickadees au moulin. So today still feels very Christmasy, there is just more room in the fridge :-)

We did have a lovely relaxing First day of Christmas. The girls' choir sang at the 7 pm Christmas Vigil mass on Sunday and dh took a slow, winding way home for maximum Christmas light viewing. Once jammies were donned, each of the eager faces got to open one special present - cozy full-length bathrobes. Pippin had spent much of the last week palpating a large, strangely-shaped package from his Gramma. We let him open it. Such joy. Soon, "The Force is with you," and "Your powers are weak" drowned out "The Holly and the Ivy." Note for next year - no gifts with microphones.

Surprise, all three kids slept well and we didn't traipse downstairs until 7 AM for cocoa and coffee. Stockings are a must, followed by the Chocolate Chip Scones (I wanted to change to cranberry orange but was vetoed). Note for next year - if you use powdered buttermilk, do not assume the liquid measurements will be the same. Splurge and buy buttermilk. Tummies full and excitement brimming, we took turns opening one present each with lightning and thunder crashing outside! Only one gift sounds brutal, but it's not! The kids - and parents - have time to really appreciate and play with each gift. Caddie, having handled and jiggled most of her presents, choose the loudest - a bag of assorted buttons. ($4.99 at Michaels - a 40% coupon). You would have thought it was a bag of gold coins. She asks for buttons every year and spends hours examining each one, sorting them and placing them in her button collection. Scarlett opened a gift from Gramma. A crazy mask with interchangeable eyes, antennae, noses and mouths - with a MICROPHONE. Note for next year - no gifts with microphones.
The kids took turns wearing the mask and pretending to be: undersea divers, traffic reporters, pilots, singers, radio personalities and myriad of other characters. This of course morphed into a duel between "Marsupial Man"?? and Darth Vader. Did I mention that too much auditory input drives me wacko? Add to that, I bought dh an MP3 player. HA!

I opened a gift basket of bath gel/lotion and a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. (Is my MIL great or what!), grabbed the new potions and hid - luxuriated - in the tub while dh helped an enraptured Pippin put together his Star Wars Legos ship. The rest of the day was loud :-) but relaxed: Cheddar vegetable strata for lunch, more playing, phone calls to family, misty eyes talking to distant family, a hour figuring out the how-to of MP3 players, more playing, dinner, and an early bedtime. Today we spent most of the morning trying to clean up and finish making Pippins ship - which promptly fell apart in sections. Note to self - next year use superglue when assembling Legos. Now what did I do with those Turtle doves?

-- Marjorie

PS - As you can see I have spent some of my time playing with my colors. I still don't have it the way I want it so bear with me. Shh! I might try out Typepad for the free month to see if it is worth it.

A Christmas Lullaby

... Then, to a chorus of moos, baas, and peeps, the cat and her kittens purred Him to sleep.
-- Nancy Jewell from Christmas Lullaby


Merry Christmas et Joyeux Noel from our house to yours.

-- Marjorie and Co.

The Magic of a Make-Ahead Christmas

Chers Amis,

Pippin asks me constantly, "How many days until Christmas, Mom? What day is it today? When will Christmas be tomorrow? Oh, and what is for lunch?"

He is my personal reminder that some things are closer than they appear and they usually entail food - and shopping. Luckily, I love to cook, especially at the holidays. I am my holiday happiest in my thread-bare William Sonoma apron, lightly-dusted with flour, chocolate smears on my cheeks, and warm promises of buttery decadence wafting from the oven. Oh, yeah, there is also my non-existent counter space towering with batter encrusted bowls. Hmm, I don't really like the clean-up part, but preparation is fun :-)

This afternoon, the kids and I will be trekking over to Kroger for (hopefully) our last grocery run before the Red and the Green. Shopping is always an adventure. Pippin wanders constantly and I have to threaten to take away his Lego.com time every minute or two. He rarely returns home with any Internet "credits" to his name. Stopping in the tiny toy section across from the coffee display is de rigeur for all three. They each make a selection that they shlep around the store for the next 45 mins before depositing them cheerfully at the register to be returned to the shelves. Usually it is a mini-Etch-a-Sketch or a stretchy lizard. The worst are the squeaky dog toys and Pippin's favorite - the whoopie cushion. We are not the quietest shoppers - but the kidlets are happy!

So, what are you all serving Christmas day? What's for breakfast chez vous? Over the years I have found that the more I can make ahead, the more magical the morning. This is what I have planned as of now:
Breakfast:
Coffee, cocoa (Ovaltine), assorted juices
Chocolate Chip Scones
and
Cheddar, Vegetable and Sausage Strata

We also love Blueberry and Pecan French Toast. All three can be made totally ahead of time, stowed in the fridge so all I have to do that bleary-eyed morning is pop it in the oven and enjoy the aroma. My kind of breakfast!

Instead of having a big diner a la dinde (turkey) or ham, we have opted for heavy hors d'oeuvres:
cheese, fruit, nuts, crackers
herb bread rolls
Lemon-Rosemary Chicken Skewers
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
deviled eggs
turkey and ham wrap pinwheels
assorted cookies
chocolates
good wine

Most of this can be made Sunday so Christmas will be tasty and relatively care free. Bon Appetit! We are off to shop. Wish me luck!

-- Marjorie

A Little Advent Sewing 101

Chers Amis,

About seven years ago I made my biggest ever over-the- top purchase - a Bernina virtuosa 150. Over-the-top because I do not sew frequently, but at that time I was expecting #3, quilting quite a bit, making window treatments and recovering a couch. Also, I received a very generous gift from my equally frugal grandmother. I had been using a 1950's Singer that still had spunk but was growing lethargic. My husband had inherited it from his great-aunt, a dress designer with her own boutique on Palm Beach for 30 years. With i, she crafted finely tailored garments for the well-heeled and glamorous. It taught me how to sew. I made crib linens, quilts, curtains and little girl dresses. I still have it and will pass it on to my girls when they are ready. When the Singer declined, I splurged and I am so glad I did. Berninas last and are well made.

Alas, the beautiful machine's foot pedal had been quiet for a long time, so I decided to do a little Advent sewing this year. Nothing grand - I still have a queen-sized quilt I need to finish piecing - something simple that I could use - place mats. We use place mats for every meal and I have made several sets for my sloppy eaters. This time I wanted something liturgical that we could throw in the wash when the lemonade, milk or gravy spilled and puddled. Purple is a great choice because it can be used for both Advent and Lent - and it doesn't show stains :-) As you can see, these aren't fancy - or difficult, but I was pleased. Here are some simple directions in case you want to make your own set.

• I purchased @ 1.5 yds pre-quilted, double sided fabric at JoAnns. I loved that I didn't have to cut backing and batting and bind the whole project. Easy and fast.
• Using a ruler, marking pencil or a white colored pencil, draw cutting lines - 16.5 in x 11.25 in
• Cut using pinking shears if possible
• Edge the mats with a straight stitch to stop fraying.
• Add a decorative stitch in white or a contrasting color thread @ .5 inc from your edging.
• Clip loose threads and apply Fray Check along edges.
• Fini!

-- Marjorie

The Spread of Faith - History of Religion

Chers Amis,

I am such a visual person so this was intriguing to me. Click here to see 5,000 years of religion in 90 seconds. Wow!

"How has the geography of religion evolved over the centuries, and where has it sparked wars? Our map gives us a brief history of the world's most well-known religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism. Selected periods of inter-religious bloodshed are also highlighted. Want to see 5,000 years of religion in 90 seconds? Ready, Set, Go!" Maps of War

-- Marjorie

Our Hawk is back

Chers Amis,

When is a dead squirrel carcass on your lawn good news? When there is a hawk perched directly above it silhouetted against the light. I need a zoom lens on my camera!! Our noble visitor came for "lunch" Sunday afternoon and stayed for at least an hour. We think he was too full to fly away or that happily satiated by the furry feast, he chose to nap in the sun. Later that afternoon we heard cawing and saw above us another hawk being pursued by three wheeling crows who dove at the much larger bird. We could only guess what caused that ruckus. Our guest peered up from his branch, nonplussed by the spectacle. When he did fly away we found the squirrel (may he rest in peace) on the ground. Caddie, Scarlett and Pippin spent a good quarter hour examining the remains, poking it with sticks before dh scooped it up and disposed of it. Scarlett asked if our unwelcome, very dead possum skeleton was "ready." Ahh, not yet. "Darn!" she replied. This is my delicate, artistic child. Go figure! This morning the hawk was back. I am just waiting for him to land where I can catch a good shot. I think he was disappointed that his squirrel was gone. C'est dommage.

-- Marjorie

For a Good Laugh

Chers Amis,

Are you feeling a bit stressed with all your holiday preparations or lack thereof? Visit Margaret at Minnesota Mom for her husband's hilarious responses to the pediatrician's annual inquisition. Very funny!
-- Marjorie

A Little Spiritual Reading

Chers Amis,

It is dark and quiet in the house. At least for another fifteen minutes. I try to get up around 5:15 of 5:30, well before everyone else so that I can have a cup of coffee, center my thoughts, plan my day, write (if the coffee has hit bottom), but mostly to say my morning prayers. I used to say my "morning" prayers mid-morning while the kids had quiet reading time, but it was rarely quiet and prayers were often postponed or foiled altogether by some squabbling in need of a referee. Early is better. My mind is still quiet from slumber and there is less of "me" and more of Him. I am a simple soul. I admire people who can quote scripture or ponder complex theological thoughts. Truth is, I am a tiny vessel however profound I would like to be. I learned this felix culpa when I was ill after surgery several years ago and I realized I couldn't remember the words to a single prayer. All I could do was be present and reach out for God. It was very humbling in a positive way. It showed me that faith isn't complicated, it is you at your core, stripped of all worldly abilities and concerns in your truest form with God. He doesn't tower over you to abase or belittle, but he comes and sits by your side to be with you. Even if your heart isn't ready for Him, He is there.

Where are I going with this? Morning prayers, spiritual reading and a few book recommendations. This fuzzy morning I meditated on a book I would give to anyone and everyone - if the title were different, The Hidden Power of Kindness: A Practical Handbook for Souls, Who Dare to Transform the World, One Deed at a Time by Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik. If you receive a gift certificate to Borders or Barnes and Nobles this Christmas this is the book to buy. No one is going to buy it for you for fear of insinuating you are not kind, but couldn't we all work on charity? I have wanted to give this to many people, not because I don't think they are kind, but because it is so enriching. Fr. Lovasik breaks kindness down to all its elements and offers practical ways to grow in charity in action, attitude, thought and speech. Unless you are Mother Theresa of Calcutta you probably need this book. I am meditating on it for the umpteenth time (today was destructive criticism - ouch!) and will probably read it until the book or I fall apart.

Another book I keep close to my heart - and prayer area - is He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter J. Ciszek, S.J. This is the story of a priest who was taken prisoner by the Soviets at the close of WW II in Poland and accused of being a Vatican spy. He spent 5 years in solitary confinement in the KGB prison before being sentenced to 15 years in Siberia for his "crime." This is such a rich book about faith, tenacity, abandonment, providence and true unvarnished love of God. Here is a man with every reason to give up hope who saw his imprisonment and suffering as his vocation. It sounds heavy, but it is wonderful. This book is good for anyone, but it would be an excellent gift for a man. Many spiritual books are too - feminine. This is real and strong - a great read for someone going through a difficult time or a soldier far from home. My copy is dogeared and triple underlined. Well, I am very awake now and I can hear little voices upstairs in need of corralling. I'm off!

-- Marjorie

O Antiphons - Our Altoid Advent Revealed

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Chers Amis,

At the beginning of Advent I mentioned that we were planning a special craft using the many cinnamon Altoid tins we found sprinkled through the house. Et voila! Our O Antiphon shadow boxes. It took a bit longer than we expected as the girls have so enjoyed working on them, finding just the right background and symbols to include.

Here they are from the outside adorned with rhinestones (on my Advent sewing project) Aren't they adorable! Of all the crafts we have done this year this has definitely been their favorite. Part of the fun was searching the house (and yard) like the Borrowers, looking for found objects that could be used to illustrate their scene. A piece of lichen with a silk leaf became the burning bush, a draw pull, a candlestick holder, a toothpaste cap, a vase, etc. All the kids love the Look-Alike books, especially Look-Alikes Christmas: The More you Look, The More you See! The author/illustrator uses everyday objects to illustrate charming vignettes. Try your hand at making a shadow box. It is addictive! Here are some directions for using Altoid boxes for your own creation.

• Wash and dry Altoid boxes
• Carefully remove tops from boxes using a butter knife to gently bend the "latches" if necessary
• Spray paint box exteriors gold- interiors are optional and the paint seems to pool
  
• Punch two small holes in box to allow ribbon for hanging if using as an ornament
  
• Reassemble boxes (butter knife helps with tightening)
• Using Microsoft word draw a basic shape of a rectangle with rounded corners
• Format auto shape so it measures 3.33 x 2 in.
• Cut and paste text for each O Antiphon into the shape.
• Format shape for "Colors and Lines" and pick outline size/color
• Cut out text boxes and past on inside lid of the Altoid box
• Cut a background measuring 3.33 x 2 in for the shadow box. We used images from the web, old Christmas cards, magazines and workbooks
  
• Make small shadow box opposite each reading using found objects and a glue gun
  
• Decorate outside cover with symbols/fruits for each Antiphon
• Add glitter glue, trim, rhinestones etc.
• Let dry!
• String with ribbon and display

Have fun!

-- Marjorie

PS -This is my first year really paying attention to these beautiful liturgical gems and they have added richness and depth to our Advent celebrations. Jenn at O Night Divine has a fabulous piece on the history, music, meaning, and symbolism that you must see and Katherine has a wonderful Parade of O Antiphon houses.

It's Begining to look a lot like Christmas

Chers Amis,

It is starting to look like Christmas around here - even if was a balmy 73 degrees and sunny this afternoon. Yesterday morning we got up early and went looking for a Christmas tree. For the past three years we have gone to a small local tree farm called the Lazy J. The kids adore running through the fields hugging the trees until they find just the right one. Daddy does the cutting, although he did let Pippin carry the saw yesterday and a few small trees may be missing limbs as a result. Big sigh. Once the tree is cut, the owner loads le sapin vert into his wagon and three happy children pile in for a bumpy ride back to the parking lot where there is hot cocoa and cider. The children's favorite part of the tradition is feeding the Lazy J's goats while the tree is trimmed and wrapped for the pilgrimage home.

This year was totally different. Blame it on global warming or a late start tree hunting. It was so warm it felt like early October and the Eastern bluebirds were flitting through the meadow from tree to tree. Definitely not Christmas-like. The girls found a tree with the right "hug," but it was a Leland cypress - not a good match for heavy ornaments and dh's beloved bubble lights. The farm only had a few cut Frazier firs and they were overpriced, too tall and shedding heavily. I would like to say the girls took the news that we would have to go elsewhere to find a tree gracefully, but they didn't. Many tears, tree-clinging and pitched negotiations. We tried another farm to no avail. More tears. More cypresses. No tree. More sighs. Finally, on the way home we passed an old fashioned farmers market where "Mr. Jim" had the perfect fir waiting for us next to the pyramids of hot house tomatoes. Hallelujah!

While the tree enjoyed a long overnight soaking, dh searched the basement and attic for the various and sundry boxes of lights, linens, garland, ornaments, hangings and creches. Five minutes later the entire house was covered with packing materials and decorations. A holiday tornado with little warning. My head hurt and I had to retreat to the kitchen. I do NOT do well with total visual chaos added to the cacophony of loud holiday singing paired with the demo mix from Pippins plastic piano. A few hours and a glass of white wine later, some peace and holiday cheer had settled over the house. A happy sigh.

Tonight we brought the tree in, turned on the Sounds of the Season and later "A Charlie Brown Christmas, " made a pot of Barnie's Santa's White Christmas coffee, opened a box of Godiva chocolate biscuits (from a gift basket) and decorated the tree. It was so lovely that I could almost forget that we had the windows open in December!

-- Marjorie

The Big, Fizzy, Slobbery, Test

Chers Amis,

Tuesday we had our last Adventures in Science meeting for 2006 and we went out with a fizz and a slobber - a cumulative test of all the material and experiments that we covered this semester. Yes, a test designed by my compatriot in this adventure who has a fabulous background in education (and a PhD to boot :-).

Our last class before the test was not an experiment or investigation, but rather covered how to take notes, how to study for a test, and how to read and outline material from a science text book. Dr. P had the girls brainstorm on studying techniques. They studied independently for 15-20 min and then discussed what they did, why they did it and how it would benefit their understanding of the material. The girls chose to take notes, make diagrams, review and re-copy vocabulary and unfamiliar material, come up with mnemonic devices and chart results. We were both surprised with how well they did as neither of us tests very often and then only for spelling and math! The girls then outlined a chapter of a science textbook with her and another by themselves for practice. Some of these skills are covered in the general curriculum for 4th grade and up in Georgia, but, according to Dr. P, many public and private school students never receive good training in these areas and have difficulty studying in later grade as years. Do our girls need this in 3rd and 4th grade as homeschoolers? Yes. The goal of our science endeavor in not only to teach our girls to understand the basics of chemistry and physics and to encourage a love of science, but also to develop their skills of observation, recording data, following directions, making /testing hypotheses and critical thinking.

Tuesday's test was so well put together - total hat tip to Dr. P! It had 50 questions including multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blanks, matching, short answer, use of periodic table and experimentation. The three experimentation centers were so much fun! At the first, the students were presented with three white substances and three clear liquids, they had to add a tsp of each solute to the corresponding solvent, stir and observe and a) determine the type of mixture created (solution/suspension) b) identify the solute and give evidence for their answers. One of the combinations was baking soda and vinegar. FIZZ!

At the second, they spit (slobbered :-) into a saucer and used litmus paper to measure the pH level, recorded the information, determined whether it was an acid,base or neutral. Based on previous experiments they had to say whether toothpaste is an acid or base and why that is important. (Hint, if you try this, remember to tell the students not to taste the solutes as it can affect the outcome of the pH results)

The final station required the girls to use different colors of modeling clay to represent the various atomic particles in order to make a model of the element that they "adopted" earlier in the semester. They also had to demonstrate to the teacher their understanding of what an ion and an isotope of that element would look like. Then they used the periodic table to help identify what element would be created if they added five protons or subtracted two protons from the element model they originally created.

The girls all did smashingly well, had a wonderful fizzy, slobbery time, and were thrilled to hear that Adventures in Science will start again in January with Archimedes, simple machines and physics. Such fun in the new year.

-- Marjorie

PS - a million thanks to Dr. P for all your hard work and ingenuity and to Dr. D for running interference with Miss S!

The Feast of Santa Lucia

Chers Amis,

Today is the Memorial of St. Lucy. I love this day as I have fond memories of dressing up in a hand-smoked white dress in second grade, wearing a crown of LIT candles, and delivering sweet rolls to my second grade class. (Try that in a public school now! HA!) We also lived in a town of the same name for several years so it almost feels like our "native" saint's day. I had great plans to celebrate Santa Lucia today which have been put on hold until this weekend. (Wednesdays are our co-op morning and the girls are singing a Christmas concert at a retirement home tonight. Today is a blur!) Besides, I think the feast of St. Lucy is best feted on a Saturday morning when we can make a special morning treat to surprise Daddy. Until then, I am dreaming of a steaming pot of coffee and these delicious rolls. Wouldn't you love to wake up to that!

-- Marjorie

PS - Remember to pray for all those with eye ailments today (and always). We have family problems with macular degeneration so St. Lucy is close to our hearts. Eat carrots too.

SWEDISH CARDAMOM ROLLS
For dough
1 1/4 cups warm water (105°F.)
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
two 1/4-ounce packages active dry yeast (5 tablespoons total)
3 large eggs beaten lightly
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup powdered nonfat dry milk
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons cardamom seeds, ground in a mortar with a pestle, or in an electric spice/coffee grinder
an egg wash made by beating 1 large egg with 2 tablespoons water

Make dough:
In a large bowl combine water, butter, and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over mixture and let stand 5 minutes, or until foamy. Stir in eggs, salt and dry milk until combined. With a wooden spoon stir in 5 sups flour, 1 cup at a time, and stir mixture until a dough is formed.

On a floured surface, knead dough about 10 minutes, adding enough of the remaining 1 cup flour to make dough smooth and elastic. Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat, and let rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and on floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll into a 15- by 20-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough and sprinkle with granulated sugar, cinnamon and cardamom.

With a long side facing you, roll up dough jelly-roll fashion and cut crosswise into approximately 1 1/2-inch-thick slices with a cut side down. Working with 1 slice at a time gently twist opposite ends of slice around twice to form a figure eight. Crimp ends together. Arrange rolls, a swirled side up, on a buttered baking sheet about 2 inches apart and let rise in a warm place until increased 1 1/2 times in bulk, about 1 hour.

While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 350F.

Brush tops of rolls with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake rolls in middle of oven until tops are pale golden, about 25 minutes.
Publish
Makes about 15 rolls.
Gourmet
You Asked For It; The Jenny Lind Cafe, Stockholm WI
December 1996

Let there be Light!

Chers Amis,

Once, many, many an August ago, some friends and I made an adventurous 3-week camping tour of the Isle of Corsica. Driving along the craggy coast, there was but a short gray stone barrier to keep the car from plunging down to the sea. (Which nearly happened on a road with NO barrier once.) But what a view! One summer's eve as the sun set and the darkness swallowed the road, tiny lights appeared ahead. Villagers had lined the wall with thousands and thousands of candles and luminarias - one every few feet - for mile upon mile. That breathtaking image of the string of lights has stayed with me. This year as I put together our Advent/Christmas reading and came across The Christmas Path: A Legend of the Luminarias by Sue Wright. It is nicely illustrated book that tells of how the innkeeper and his wife gather every lamp and lantern thy can to light the path to the Christ child. On the last page there is a button the reader can push to light up the luminarias much like the Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle.

Putting the two images together, I decided to try to make our own luminous path leading us to the Christmas stable. To that end, we began saving all our tin cans and, with at least one can a day grace a notre chien, our pantry now abounds in empty silver shells awaiting decoration. Outside in the frigid December air, a line of gold luminarias has started winding around our deck - very slowly, one by one. If you haven't tried your hand at making luninaria before, it is easy and the result is much nicer than my photo.
So far I have just used basic holiday shapes - holly, ornaments, a tree, snowflakes etc. The easiest way to add the design is to draw or trace it on a piece of paper, tape it around the can and use a hammer and nail to pound holes through the pattern. Last nite I found this site . It has a lovely collection of Christian theme patterns for creating Chrismon tree ornaments and other Christian hobby projects. It would be a great source for lap book elements. I copied several different crosses - including a papal cross - a chalice, butterfly, ChiRho, TriCircle and a Fleur de lis. As you can see from the photo, we have a pile of cans waiting to be decorated, spray painted gold, and lit. It may not be as stunning as that dusk drive en Corse, but it should illuminate our Advent journey nicely. Try it, its fun!

-- Marjorie





PS - This beautiful picture of is Dusk on mountain sea coast (photo #fran1352) photos by photographer Jef Maion" from his collection.

If I were a Christmas Movie. . . .

Your Christmas is Most Like: The Muppet Christmas Carol

You tend to reflect on Christmas past, present, and future... And you also do a little singing.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

Hat tip to Angel

St. Jerome

Chers Amis,

Saint Jerome, pray for us! Husbands, golf balls and windows are not a good mix, so St. Jerome - see lower left corner of window - has been watching over us for the last two months from one of Caddie's narrations used to cover the hole. But, no more! As I tap out these words I can hear the workmen removing the sashing, carefully lifting out the battered window, and installing a new window. Not only does it lack a gaping maw, but it opens and closes too! Hurray!

Notre moulin, like its owners, is starting to show the passing of time with creaky knees and floors, graying hair and paint. Sports injuries only add to the problem. When we were deciding whether or not to place an offer on this humble abode in the woods so many years ago, I gave my "Yes" if and only if we could redo the 1977 kitchen and baths. Three kids, 11 years, one dog, numerous snakes, salamanders, possoms, raccoons and laugh lines later, we still have all the soon- to- be antique original cabinetry and wallpaper. And one new window! Retro, it may be, but I sure love this house!

-- Marjorie

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Moms

The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men
Gang aft agley,
An'lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough
By Robert Burns

Chers Amis,

Even our best laid plans can go awry. So it was with our First Sunday of Advent. Scarlett and Caddie, enrobed in scarlet and white, sang at our parish Songs and Lessons in Advent program after the 8:30 mass. Humming with Advent glee, we all came home to Stir up our hearts by working on various goodies, crafts and devotions. This was to be followed by a delicious Sunday dinner of lamb with rosemary and garlic, a good bottle of red wine and the blessing/lighting of our Advent wreath. The first half of the day went well, dh puttered around in the garage and arranged poisettas in a hanging planter, contemplating how and with what to best paint the white one purple. I happily worked in my kitchen and pantry. (Both are still-lifes of projects in tin half-finished and gift baskets yet-to-be-arranged. I call the look "Joyful Holiday Chaos" or "Recycling 101 meets St. Nicholas." It is very festive but disorganized.) While dh and the girls went bike riding through the neighborhood with our pooch, Pippin and I started stirring up our Orange Mini Bundt Cakes . Suddenly the bike riders returned with urgent news, Scarlett had doubled over with abdominal pain and could hardly walk. Exit all Advent plans. Poor Scarlett spent the evening on the couch while I nervously debated whether to take her to the ER or wait it out. Luckily one of my dear sisters is a pediatrician (I love you, Soo-Soo!) and she determined that it was probably not appendicitis. I carried my little Scarlett up to bed and she fell fast asleep for the whole night. It must have been terrible gas, for she woke up her perky self, all blond curls and blue eyes. No signs of illness. Whew! Tonight we will light the candle and say the prayers, cut the cake, and hug each other even more tightly. Talk about Stir it up Sunday!

-- Marjorie

PS - I had never seen the source of the expression, "The best laid plans of mice and men" until today. What fun to read the poem with a thick Scottish accent. Click on the poem and you will see that there are hyperlinks from many of the difficult vocabulary words (like thole and craneuch) to definitions in English, French, Spanish and German. Neat!

Open the Doors: The Gates of Jerusalem

Chers Amis,

This morning we started our Advent journey by opening the doors to Jerusalem. This afternoon was book club so our study was fairly light, but we did a few activities. The girls and I read and discussed one of the oldest Advent prayers, Psalm 24. "Lift up your heads, O gates; rise up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may enter." (7)
.
The side notes to this passage said that Psalm 24 was written to accompany "a ceremony of the entry of God (invisibly enthroned upon the ark) followed by the people, into the temple." We imagined what the procession must have looked like as the Israelites followed the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple. What pageantry!

The Psalm also questions who can stand in His holy place, "The clean of hand and pure of heart who are not devoted to idols, who have not sworn falsely." (3-4) This lead to a good discussion of purity of intention, what it means to be clean of hand and the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, especially during Advent.

Pippin colored Palm Sunday coloring page of Jesus entering Jerusalem through a gate like a King and made a model of the city walls and a gate with his favorite manipulatives - Legos.

Caddie, who loves using a dictionary, had to find the perfect definition of a portal and we all took a virtual tour of the various gates of Jerusalem at Gates of the Old City and The Gates of Jerusalem It was short and sweet and interesting. I like that in a lesson!

Its Advent, Charlie Brown

Chers Amis,

I can be a bit of a Scrooge - or a Charlie Brown around the holidays. I am not materialistic by nature and sometimes it seems Lucy Van Pelt is right when she says, "Look, Charlie, let's face it. We all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It's run by a big eastern syndicate, you know." It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the barrage of circulars and advertisements, weighed down by society's Sally Brown attitude of,"All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share." To quote Snoopy after kissing Lucy[sticking his tongue out], "BLAHHHH!" Humbug.

But this year I am not humbuggy. I am in the spirit and excited about Advent, so full of expectation and promise. Why? In large part because I started preparing early this year, focusing on the true meaning of the season. Is all my shopping done? Have I mailed a single Christmas card? Have I decorated the house? No, no and no. But what I have done, made a few fun gifts, shopped online, bought fabric for next week's place mat project, scrounged the house for tins and empty cans for ornaments and luminaries, reserved books on St. Nicholas, and selected tags from the parish Giving Tree , I have done with an attitude of love. Love and peace with imperfection and the half-finished.

So often in the past I have gotten caught up in doing everything 100% and have felt like a failure when, of course, I couldn't meet my own expectations. Does this sound familiar? Blessings to all the ladies at O Night Divine, the 4RealLearning Forums and in the various Loveliness Fairs. Not only for your ideas and inspirations, but for your humor, for sharing when things didn't work out, for being human and humble and real. Isn't that what this season is all about? Even our Lord came to us as such - human, humble and real. Lucy and Sally's Christmas may be showy and bright and worthy of Martha Stewart, but I'm more comfortable in the stable. It's warm and true - and only a few weeks away.

-- Marjorie


PS - Leonie had this quote by Fr. Andrew Greeley on her Loveliness of Advent post and it really spoke to me:

"It might be easy to run away to a monastery, away from the commercialization, the hectic hustle, the demanding family responsibilities of Christmas-time. Then we would have a holy Christmas. But we would forget the lesson of the Incarnation, of the enfleshing of God—the lesson that we who are followers of Jesus do not run from the secular; rather we try to transform it. It is our mission to make holy the secular aspects of Christmas just as the early Christians baptized the Christmas tree. And we do this by being holy people—kind, patient, generous, loving, laughing people—no matter how maddening is the Christmas rush…"

Loveliness of Advent

Chers Amis,

Advent approaches. Anticipation builds as we journey towards the manger. Jenn at Family in Feast and Feria is hosting The Loveliness of Advent. Please take a moment in your crazy "The holidays are upon us!" day to sample some of the ideas she has gathered. Pick one, trim it, try it, make it your own and enrich your own experience of this holy season.

-- Marjorie

PS - Then bookmark Jenn's site. She is a treasure!

Fling open every door! An Altoid Advent

Chers Amis,

Advent starts this Sunday and it is time to "fling open every door" and prepare our hearts for our King's Christmas arrival. This is the theme for our Advent - Open the Doors! It comes from a little booklet by the same title that a friend gave me last year (oop). It is a series of daily Advent devotions for the Church's youngest members. Each day there is a little meditation on opening some door in joyous expectation of the Christmas season. Opening your hearts, mailbox, oven, church, home, nursery, the inn, etc. It is very simple and leads to natural rabbit trails. With this theme in mind, I wanted to find a craft that focused on opening doors beyond the typical Advent calendars that we have made in the past. I also wanted to do something lasting that would use materials at hand. Hmm. Caddie and I found the perfect solution at Stamp Camp of all places, while doing a Google image search on St. Gertrude the Great! They suggest making a miniature shrine
inside an Altoid tin using their vintage stamps of saints. My dh loves cinnamon Altoids so the girls were on a mission to find as many tins as they could. We are up to 7 and dh has a tin half full - that would make 8! We decided that we do not have enough to make a full Advent calender - that will have to wait until next year. But, it would work well with either the Sundays in Advent, the O Antiphons, or characters/locations from the Nativity story. We will spray the outside of the boxes gold and purple and the girls will make a tiny shadow box inside and place a bible verse, description, quote or design on the left hand side. I will poke two holes in the top and thread gold ribbon through so they can be hung. It should be a new twist on our theme of opening the doors for Advent. Now it's off to find some spray paint. Check back next week as I hope to post pictures of our creations. Si ca marche. If it works :-)

-- Marjorie

PS - Thanks St. Gertrude!