Monday, October 31

Overheard


While discussing the advances of medical science over the years, Sugar Plum (age 10) commented, "We are very fortunate that we no longer live in a time like, say, 1999."
 

Sunday, October 30

This Week's Menu


Breakfasts  
Fried Eggs, Bacon, and Toast
Pancakes  
Cold Cereal  
Toasted Bagels

Lunches
Sandwiches 
Leftovers 
Chipotle
Chili Cheese Dip

Dinners  
Chili  
Chicken Fajitas 
Macaroni and Cheese
Chicken, Loaded Potatoes, and  Salad

Baking
Apple Cake

 

Saturday, October 29

Dwell


We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwelling shapes us."

Winston Churchill 

Friday, October 28

A Quiet Friday

 
 

Last night, Sam had a great night's sleep and it carried through to two great naps today!  The children and I were able to wrap up their eighth week of lessons today during his morning snooze.  It's hard to believe that we've been in school for two months already.  

The chimney sweep came by this morning to get our fireplace ready for all of the fires we plan in the coming months.  Everything looks good, so now all we're waiting for is cooler weather.  I read The Brambly Hedge Autumn Story to the children during lunch today to get us in the autumnal mood.  I'm glad that sweet stories like these still captivate our trio.

Father John has been slowly watching the Star Wars movies with the kids every Friday night and tonight was the final movie.  While they watched The Force Awakens, I gave Sam a night long bath and we diligently worked through a massive laundry pile with a few breaks for snacks.  

It's hard to believe that we only have two days left with Sampson before his mama, papa, and baby sister return.  We're going to miss him!

 

Thursday, October 27

Getting into the Groove

 
 

  We've been getting into the groove with Sampson.  We still have to do our school work and attend various classes outside of the house, and though it is more complicated to get things done with a toddler in tow, it has been a great week.  Sam takes a morning nap and we have found that time to be perfect for getting our most essential work done.  The older children are able to get a few things done on their own, which has freed me up to be available to help our youngest son and Sam with whatever they need.

Thursday is our busiest day with gym and violin lessons and so we had a little lunch at Chipotle.  It was so delicious and I was happy that the big kids were such a big help with their little cousin! 

Wednesday, October 26

This Boy

 
 
 

Sammy-cakes has been visiting us this week while his mama, papa, and baby sister are on a little trip and we have been having so much fun with him!  He's a darling little boy who loves the toy censer, going into the church, ice cream, and our daughter's little dolly from when she was his age.   

Tuesday, October 25

Overheard

 

Overheard...

After observing his 20-month-old cousin bow and cross himself nearly constantly during our morning prayers, Little Man remarked, "He's very religious!"
 

Living and Learing: The Week Ahead

 

In the Kitchen
Our nephew, Sampson, is visiting us this week and I have discovered that he loves apple cake!  The children polished off the last of the Apple Sharlotka I made on Saturday, so I decided to make Brin Wisdom's Fall Apple Cake.   I discovered this delicious recipe last year and it has earned it's place in my recipe box.  Yum!

Listening 
I just finished listening to Jeremy Poldark, the third book in the Poldark series and am already looking forward to ordering the next one, Warleggan.  I enjoy watching the television program and it is nice to read the books that the series in based on.

On My Bedside Table  
 I'm reading the last hundred pages or so of A Very Private Eye:  An Autobiography in Diaries and Letters.  I really enjoy reading compilations like this and Barbara Pym's diaries and letters are quite interesting to me.

Watching
Have you begun to watch The Durrells in Corfu?  It is very entertaining and I am looking forward to reading the books that the series is based on. 



In My Knitting Basket
I can hardly believe it, but I finished the first sleeve on my black pullover on Sunday night.  I've just begun the second sleeve and am hopeful that i'll be able to wear this sweater before long!

 

Sunday, October 23

Renaissance Faire 2016

 
 
 

We took the Merry Trio to the Renaissance Faire today!  What fun it was! 

Saturday, October 22

The Perfect Saturday

 

Just I was heading off to bed last night, rain started falling in torrents.  By morning, it was gloriously cool and windy and so I pulled out my favorite Serious English Librarian uniform:  cardigan, skirt, tights, and brogues.  Perfection.

I did get a chance to go to the market for the last few things on my grocery list this morning and spent the rest of the day engaged in my favorite activities:  baking (an apple sharlotka), cooking (broccoli cheddar soup - debuting with mixed reviews), knitting (still the first sleeve on the black pullover), and watching (last week's Poldark and an episode of Foyle's War).  So basically, the perfect Saturday.

We're hoping to take the Merry Trio on an outing tomorrow and I absolutely cannot wait!

Friday, October 21

In the Fading Light




There are dishes piled in the sink, a mountain of laundry to be folded, and the bathrooms need to be cleaned, but I am content because I did all of the menu planning and marketing for this coming week (including a run to get bulk items from BJs).  It's been awhile since I was as thorough as I was this evening with the shopping, so it feels especially good to have this monumental task mostly squared away going into the weekend.  I'm hoping to slip out tomorrow for a few extras (flowers, olives, and a bottle of wine for chicken marsala one night this week), but that will be a pleasure rather than a chore. 

The light is fading earlier and earlier.  We're still waiting for the temperature to drop, but have scheduled the chimney sweep to come and prepare the fireplace because we hope that we'll be using it soon.  We have our wood stacked and ready for the minute it is cool enough.

I've been slowly preparing my autumn wardrobe.  All of my summer things are folded into a high basket in my closet (where I can get them easily during this Indian Summer) and my warmer clothes are hung and stacked right in front.  I always feel more like myself when I'm dressed in the autumn and winter. 

Thursday, October 20

A Few Eastern Pennsylvania Churches

 
 
 
 

Father John filmed five churches in Eastern Pennsylvania  on Tuesday and Wednesday.  He's still editing the video and photography, but here's a sneak peek of what where we were!

Wednesday, October 19

An Apple Cider Mill

 
 
 
 

While Papa was busy filming a church, the Merry Trio and I searched a bit for something to do.  We finally found a small cider mill.  Though they only make cider on the weekends, we were able to watch apple cider doughnuts be made, take a walk through a corn maze, get up close and personal with some farm animals, and play on hay bales.  The fresh cider and doughnuts were delicious and though we weren't able to pick apples, we did get a nice variety of local ones to try.  It was a wonderful outing and experience for all of us!

Monday, October 17

A Few Hours North

 
 

We're on a wee work trip with Papa and were able to spend Sunday and Monday visiting family.  The temperature is warm here, but the autumnal foliage is glorious.  The leaves are just beginning to gild at home and judging by what's happening a few hours north, we're in for some lovely color!

Sunday, October 16

This Week's Menu

Breakfasts
Eggs, Toast, and Bacon 
Pancakes
Cream of Wheat with Bananas
Toasted Bagels

Lunches
Salad
Leftovers 
Tuna on Toast
Caesar Salad
Garden Salads

Dinners
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Fajitas
Spaghetti and Meat Sauce 
Chicken, Gravy, and Noodles served with peas and sauteed mushrooms
Chicken Caesar Salad

Baking
Brownies
Blueberry Galette
Pumpkin Pie 

Saturday, October 15

With Thanks to Grace

For at present we all tend to one mistake; we tend to make politics too important. We tend to forget how huge a part of a man’s life is the same under a Sultan and a Senate, under Nero or St Louis. Daybreak is a never-ending glory, getting out of bed is a never-ending nuisance; food and friends will be welcomed; work and strangers must be accepted and endured; birds will go bedwards and children won’t, to the end of the last evening."
 

G.K. Chesterton

Friday, October 14

Comforting Things

 

Yes, I love September,’ agreed Belinda, guilty at having let her thoughts wander from her guest. ‘Michaelmas daisies and blackberries and comforting things like fires in the evening again and knitting.” 

Some Tame Gazelle
Barbara Pym

Thursday, October 13

Just a Regular Thursday

 
 

  Our daughter baked a blueberry galette and it was so good.  We're going to experiment with some different fruit combinations in the coming weeks and I can't wait!

Wednesday, October 12

Fresh and Clean

 
 

  The bedroom carpets have been cleaned!  I just hung the freshly washed curtains in the bedrooms and am one happy homemaker!
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