Snip, Snip

I got my hair cut yesterday!

Misty, Moisty Morning

Infusion Day

Balducci's is our favorite lunch to have after an infusion! We ate our sandwiches in the courtyard and it was a perfect autumn day.

Autumn Rose

Blue Skies

A Christian Ending

Father Thomas Soroka was at our parish giving a retreat entitled, A Christian Ending.  My husband filmed it, so I'll be able to share a video of the lectures he gave in a few weeks!  Our daughter made a batch of blueberry muffins and I made some beef stew to share at the retreat's luncheon. 
We had a bonfire after the retreat and Vespers last night. The food was simply just hot dogs roasted over the flames with s'mores for dessert. I unearthed a ton of sparklers in a cupboard and we let the kids go crazy with them. It was a really fun day!

Embellishment

Our daughter embellished a plain white tee shirt with these gorgeous embroidered roses and leaves this afternoon. I love how they turned out!

Thrift Store Luck

We have had terrible luck at our thrift stores lately, but things turned around today! Our daughter found tiny copper Moscow mule mugs for her dolls, a wooden table top frame to use for embroidery, and a wee wooden travel chess board. I found this GORGEOUS handpainted tray from Italy that was only marked $2!

Golden Autumn

Hi, Ho! Hi, Ho! It's Off to Work We Go!

I spent the morning in the kitchen and working a bit in the garden, which means that the afternoon will be spent on schoolwork. It was worth it though!

The Black Apron

I gave this boy the black apron I bought for my husband when he became a priest thirteen years ago. I thought that Father John might wear it when he baked prosphora (the bread for Holy Communion), but he never did. So now our son wears it all the time to make himself breakfast or to assemble his lunch.

The Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

We're at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Washington D.C. today so that my husband can videotape the world premiere of Benedict Sheehan's Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom.  Videos will be forthcoming!

Apple Pie Oatmeal

 

I love having apple pie oatmeal for breakfast! This is a Bobby Flay recipe, but I make the oatmeal with water so that it will be fast friendly!

Kapla Installation

The boys are fond of setting up elaborate scenes for their army men (many of these little men belonged to my brother when he was a boy!).  I found these guys scaling a wall in the sun room last night and couldn't wait to document the installation in the morning light.  I love the creativity that simple toys foster.  I bought these blocks for the boys over the course of a couple of Christmases.  They are natural colored Kapla blocks and despite their uniform shape, really lend themselves to the creation of amazing structures and designs.  Here's to many more years of finding these little vignettes all over our house!

I See Fire

Recently I was listening to Pandora radio and "I See Fire" sung by Ed Sheeran came on.  I was shocked to discover that it was a song from the Hobbit soundtrack.  Our boys are on a huge The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings kick, so of course this has become a favorite song to listen to while we're in the car.  Here are the lyrics and two separate music videos that I enjoyed watching.

:::::

Oh, misty eye of the mountain below
Keep careful watch of my brothers' souls
And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke
Keep watching over Durin's son

If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together
Watch the flames climb high into the night
Calling out father oh, stand by and we will
Watch the flames burn on and on the mountain side

And if we should die tonight
Then we should all die together
Raise a glass of wine for the last time
Calling out father oh
Prepare as we will
Watch the flames burn on and on the mountain side
Desolation comes upon the sky

Now I see fire, inside the mountain
I see fire, burning the trees
And I see fire, hollowing souls
And I see fire, blood in the breeze
And I hope that you'll remember me

Oh, should my people fall
Then surely I'll do the same
Confined in mountain halls
We got too close to the flame
Calling out father oh, hold fast and we will
Watch the flames burn on and on the mountain side
Desolation comes upon the sky

Now I see fire, inside the mountain
I see fire, burning the trees
And I see fire, hollowing souls
And I see fire, blood in the breeze
And I hope that you'll remember me

And if the night is burning
I will cover my eyes
For if the dark returns then
My brothers will die
And as the sky's falling down
It crashed into this lonely town
And with that shadow upon the ground
I hear my people screaming out

Now I see fire, inside the mountain
I see fire, burning the trees
And I see fire, hollowing souls
And I see fire, blood in the breeze

I see fire, oh you know I saw a city burning (fire)
And I see fire, feel the heat upon my skin (fire)
And I see fire (fire)
And I see fire (burn on and on and mountains side)

::::

Parent/Teacher Conferences

I just can't believe these grocery store roses.  They were only $4 and stun me with their beauty anew each morning. I think they are the perfect shade of pink and I hope that the shop will stock them again.

Tonight was our first parent teacher conference of the school year.  Our daughter is doing extemely well so far and loves her teachers.  Eighth grade has been very kind to us.  She is more familiar with the public school setting and is also feeling much better physically than she was last year.  It is hard to believe that it has been nearly a year since her Crohn's Disease diagnosis.

I feel like the transition from homeschooling to public schooling has been fairly smooth for her and for me.  I had a lot of anxiety about the changes she would face and was fearful that I had not prepared her for a different type of schooling or that she would not be at the same academic level as her peers.  Thank God, that was not the case.  She is keeping up with everyone and has made a number of friends.  The teachers love her!  They have also not sneered at our choice to home educate.  Her science teacher even suggested that I make homeschooling my career since our girl has turned out so well!  Ha!  If only it were that simple!

Ivory Pumpkins

I finally found the ivory pumpkins that I have been dreaming of!  They look as lovely as I thought that they would in the pewter bowl I found in a junk shop last year.  It is a reproduction from Colonial Williamsburg and I feel so fortunate to have been able to save it from a dusty shelf so that it can have pride of place on our dining room table.  I know that these colors (peachy pink, white, silver, evergreen) are not quite what one would think of when autumn comes to mind, but they are my favorite ones and I really do think of them as the most wonderful of neutrals!  Perfect for any time of year in any setting.

A Colonial Fair

There was a wee Colonial Fair held nearby today, so we popped in to the historic house. I am always drawn to the kitchen first.

Sunday Dinner

Chicken stew and buttermilk drop biscuits served with lashings of butter and strawberry jam

Autumn Festival

A Simple Life

Theology of the Home: Finding the Eternal in the Everyday

 The power of finding beauty in the humblest of things makes home happy and life lovely." 

                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                              -Louisa May Alcott

Have you seen the new book, Theology of Home: Finding the Eternal in the Everyday? I was intrigued by it and decided to purchase a copy. It finally came in the post yesterday and I eagerly read the first few chapters last night while sitting on the bleachers during the children's basketball clinic. It is a gorgeous book full of lovely photographs and encouragement for all Christians (even Orthodox Christians, like me!) to invest the time to create an atmosphere that is truly a Little Church... not only for those that dwell within the walls of your home, but also for those that you offer hospitality to.

Flowering Pumpkin

I slipped out very early on Saturday morning to the Farmers' Market to purchase this year's dried flower pumpkin and I have been enjoying it's cheery little presence on our dining room table this week!

A Misty Autumnal Day

Beef Stew for Homeschool Hot Lunch

Hiking in Middle Earth

We had a doctor's appointment for our daughter at a far away hospital, so we spent the morning hiking.  We live in such a flat area by the sea, that it is a real treat to find a place with rocks, hills, and rivers!  The place we found was enchanted and really felt like Middle Earth or Narnia.