Favorite Things: Jensen Bluetooth Wireless Speaker...

Remember that post I wrote last year about how revolutionary it was to have a little music dock in our playroom so that we could listen to books, Sparkle Stories, and music?  Well it got much easier today!  It became so frustrating to remove my phone case (an Otterbox) every time we wanted to listen to something that we just reverted to our old ways of listening to things in the car.  My sister mentioned that she thought that they now had bluetooth speakers that eliminated the need to plug the phone in and boy was she right!

On our trip to pick up school supplies at Target today, I swung by the electronics department and asked the guy to point me in the direction of something wireless that didn't cost more than $40.  He really didn't think that such a thing existed, but then we found two different options.  I took the more expensive of the two ($30) since it truly was wireless and while the kids were playing in the toy aisle, I checked out the reviews.  There were only 3, but they were all 5 star ones!  I decided to take the plunge and brought it home with me.  After only a couple of tries, I was able to set it up by myself (a huge feat!) and I can tell you that this thing is great!  It has good sound quality and decent range (the phone was in the living room and the speaker was in the playroom two rooms away and there was no trouble).  It is a tiny little thing and very light.  If you are in the market for something like this, I recommend it!

Reading...

If only each one would take as much as he requires to satisfy his immediate needs, and leave
the rest to others who equally needed it, no one would be rich, and no one would be poor."

Saint Basil the Great

Plummy...

I tried to make plum clafoutis today and it was not good.  All was not lost though, because I made another batch of that delicious pulled pork and Grandmother Hawkin's coleslaw to eat after church tonight.  I can't wait!

Some things:

::  Katherine's new blog

::  April Cornell's autumn nightgowns.  I have my eye on the Simplicity Ladies Nighty and my little girl is hoping for the Megan Girls Dress 

::  We have several smaller Bolga baskets already, but I am thinking that a very large one would make a great laundry basket.  Currently I take a large armful of clean clothes and run/walk them through the house back to my bed (reverse that for dirty ones) and my children trail behind me scooping up items that I drop.  It's not really working, but for eight years I have looked for a well made wicker laundry basket with no luck.  I also like the wheeled ones from Pottery Barn, but I can see things going very badly with three little ones and an expensive wheeled cart!

::  I can't believe that it has been a week since my baby sister's wedding! 

Favorite Things: Scrubbing Brush...

It has been over a year since I found this style of scrub brushes at a William Sonoma store (this is my second one) and I really like washing dishes with it.  When I was growing up, my sisters and I washed the dinner dishes for our family and we liked using a Chore Boy  scrubber to get things really clean.  This is better!  Not only is this scrub brush a beautiful tool (look at that wooden handle!  It doesn't get gross in the water!), but it works!  I think that every kitchen sink should have one! 

Sunflowers and Delphinium...

On the eve of Dormition, I scurried out after the little ones were tucked in to find flowers to have blessed after the Liturgy.  It was so nice to find these sunflowers and delphinium in the flower department of the store.  The vibrant yellow of the sunflowers looks so good when paired with the blue delphinium for the Mother of God .  I put them on our nature table after Liturgy and they have really brightened up the playroom!

Dormition...

In giving birth thou preservest thy virginity, 

In falling asleep thou did not forsake the world, O Theotokos. 

Thou wast translated to life, O Mother of Life, 

And by thy prayers, thou deliverest our souls from death.

:::::

The Learning Basket for Dormition can be found HERE.  

Yarn Along: A Few More Inches...

A few more inches on my Shale Blanket!  It's proven itself to be a good knit for this unseasonably cool autumn.  I needed a sweater when I went outside to take this photograph!  

We're reading Nurse Matilda as a family...  thanks to Ginny who recommended it! 

What are you knitting and reading?

Learning Basket: Watermelon...

Books

Eating the Alphabet

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Watermelon for Everyone

One Watermelon Seed

The Watermelon Seed

Activities

Make watermelon scented playdough using Kool-Aid 

Create a watermelon slice using half a paper plate, bits of red, white, and green construction paper, glue, and watermelon seeds

Enjoy lots of watermelon (taste test different types and varieties of watermelon:  seedless, seeded, yellow, sugar baby, etc)

Find a farm that sells watermelon and see if they will take you on a tour of their watermelon patch

Save seeds from the watermelon that you eat and use them to in math related activities:  sorting, counting, estimating, etc.

Alex and Juliana...

 

I cannot believe that my little sister is married!  It was a beautiful wedding and a wonderful reception.  As it seems to always happen, I forgot the camera in my hotel room, so these pictures were taken with phones (the top by me and the bottom by my sister).   

The neat thing about this wedding was that we were able to enjoy ourselves for several days.  Juliana worked it out so that the hotel (which was terrific, by the way!) gave us a special rate and put everyone on one floor from Friday afternoon through Monday morning.  It was very exciting to be able to visit with all of our relatives and family friends whenever the mood struck.  We were there for a wedding, but it was really like a family reunion! Father John was terrific this weekend.  He watched the children pretty much the whole time and gave me the chance to really feel like I was part of the wedding festivities!  It was a wonderful weekend!

God Grant You Many Years, Alex and Juliana!!

Yarn Along: Shale Lap Blanket...

I love knitting this blanket!  It was supposed to be something that I would knit on once in awhile and would start now and leave the bulk of the work until autumn's chilly nights, but I can't!  I'm not even reading anything because knitting this is so much fun!

Transfiguration...

Thou wast transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God, 

Revealing Thy glory to Thy disciples as far as they could bear it. 

 Let Thine everlasting Light also shine upon us sinners, 

Through the prayers of the Theotokos. 

O Giver of Light, glory to Thee!

:::::

The Learning Basket for Transfiguration can be found HERE. 

Preparation...

Getting ready for the feast of Transfiguration was on the agenda today.  We bought groceries:  festal things like grapes (four types), flowers, and salmon and also normal things like oil for the lampadas, cereal, olives, hummus, and bread.  We took a leisurely trip to the park to enjoy the mild temperature in the early afternoon and then I spent a little time winding a new skein of wool for my blanket, making eggplant caponata for dinner, and tidying up.  Tomorrow is the feast and we'll bring baskets of grapes to be blessed and have a little bring-your-own-lunch pool party with our friends.    Then it will be time to prepare for the wedding!

Newly Illumined...

Today we welcomed a new little one into the Orthodox Church!  My friend's seventh child was baptized today on the feast of the Seven Holy Youths of Ephesus (a totally unplanned blessing!)!  May God Grant August (and his whole family!) Many Blessed Years!

A Four Star Parishioner...

 Fr. Bohdan Hladio

The success (or failure) of a parish is dependent upon the synergy among pastor and faithful. Successful parishes aren’t dependent upon any one person (this includes the priest!) for their success. In a successful parish the parishioners cooperate with each other, they fulfill their own obligations, and contribute what they can into the common treasury of deeds, wisdom and finances.

I used to work in a restaurant. It was a nice place with good food, a pleasant ambiance, and class. We had many “regulars”;, but one of them stood out. The owners called him the “four-star customer”. He would visit often. He’d bring business clients there. He’d come for dinner with his family. He’d celebrate important occasions there. He was a good tipper. He was always pleasant to be with, and a pleasure to serve.

I’m sure you see where this is going. What would a “four-star parishioner” look like?

A Four Star Parishioner. . .

. . . prays. The whole point of being a member of the Church is to know God. Union with Christ is the goal of all Christian endeavor. We must therefore seek to always have God in our thoughts and on our lips. This is prayer. A four-star parishioner prays (privately or with their family) upon arising in the morning, before retiring in the evening, and before meals during the day. They might do more, but they won’t do less.

. . . worships God. If we know God we will worship Him. We are created to worship Him. He commands us to worship Him. Why? Worship creates unity and feeds us spiritually. Worship teaches us who we are and who God is. All human beings worship – either the one True God, or an idol, and every idol is fundamentally an image of ourselves. God, or me? Which will it be? A four-star parishioner attends the worship services of the Church. Unless it is impossible to do so they’re in Church every Sunday and Great Feast Day, and on as many lesser holy days as is feasible.

. . . partakes in the Holy Mysteries. Just because I must approach for Holy Confession and Communion once a year doesn’t mean that I should only approach for Holy Confession and Communion once a year. If Confession and Communion is a good thing, why not approach more often? The Church exists (among other things) in order to make the Holy Mysteries – Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, Communion, Marriage, Ordination and the “Oil of Prayer” (anointing of the sick) available to the faithful. A four-star parishioner lives a sacramental life: approaches for Confession/Communion as often as possible, gets married and buried in the Church, has their children baptized in the Church, etc.

. . . supports their parish generously. If the Church can’t pay the bills it can’t “stay open”. If it doesn’t have the money to do outreach work or educate the children it will die. A four-star parishioner treats their parish financial obligations with the same seriousness they treat their taxes. Don’t pay taxes, go to jail. Don’t support the parish, go to . . .

. . . helps the poor. At the Last Judgment Jesus is going to ask us “did you feed me? Did you clothe me? Did you visit me when I was sick?” etc. (Mt. 25:36) All our “religious" acts should lead us to charitable acts on behalf of the suffering, the poor, and the needy. A quick reading of the 1st epistle of St. John or the epistle of St. James will underline this point better than I ever could. A four-star parishioner gives their whole life to God – not just two hours on Sunday morning (if that!). This includes sharing their wealth with God’s beloved – the poor.

. . . respects their leaders. The days are gone when men become priests because they’re seeking some type of “status” in the world. Neither do people join the parish council because they’re seeking fame, or riches. The least we can do is respect those who lead our communities. Even when we disagree with them, we should do so respectfully. They’re not perfect – but neither are we. A four-star parishioner always speaks respectfully to and about their parish and Church leaders. The words of Abraham Lincoln bear repeating: “No one should criticize unless they’re willing to help.”

. . . respects their fellow parishioners. I once heard this terrible riddle: “What happens when a member of the Church is wounded (either spiritually, emotionally, or personally)?” Answer: “Someone from the parish comes along and finishes them off!” It’s a terrible riddle, because it’s often true. How often do we hear people spreading malicious gossip, or delighting in the troubles of their “brothers and sisters in Christ”? A four-star parishioner doesn’t gossip, doesn’t impute evil motives to the actions of others, doesn’t try to build themselves up by tearing other people down. If we do love each other we should speak positively and respectfully about each other, and help pick each other up when we’re down.

. . . fasts. There’s an old saying – “the spiritual life begins with the stomach”. Fasting is a sign of our obedience to the Church; fasting builds unity within the community (just look at the example of the Jews or Muslims); fasting builds discipline (all discipline is fundamentally self-discipline); fasting brings God’s blessings upon us. A four-star parishioner offers their table to the Lord. How we fast may occasionally differ due to individual circumstances, physical needs or illnesses. But if we wish to be close to God, if we are obedient to God and the Church, we will fast according to the apostolic teaching and practice of the Church.

. . . works for their parish. In order for a parish to function much needs to be done: singing in the choir; sitting on the parish council; teaching religion; visiting the sick; cooking; working with youth; preparing the bulletin; organizing social events; cutting the grass, painting the walls, preparing tax receipts, paying bills, etc., etc., etc. God has blessed every one of us with talents that can be utilized for the growth and benefit of our parish. A four-star parishioner offers their talents and abilities to the Lord, and to the parish.

. . . reads the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word to us. The only condition necessary to successfully read the Bible is that we must read God’s Word in order to put it into practice. Reading the Bible simply in order to discuss it, or even worse, discussing the Bible without having read it, will not help us draw near to God – in fact, the opposite will probably take place. A four-star parishioners reads the Bible every day: a passage from the Gospel, a passage from another New Testament book, and a reading from the Psalter as a minimum.

. . . takes responsibility for their children’s souls. People often send their children to “religious" schools – Catholic or Protestant – and figure they don’t need to send them to Church school. If we send our children to non-Orthodox schools, they won’t learn the Orthodox faith. Every parish child should be taking part in the religious lessons offered by the Church, as well as being taught to pray at home, and seeing the example of parents living a deep and authentic Christian Spiritual life. A four-star parishioner makes sure that the young people of the parish are given a solid education in the Orthodox faith – by parents (or other family members), clergy, Church school staff, and participation in the liturgical life of the parish.

. . . never stops learning about their faith. The Ukrainian saying goes: “A man must spend his whole life learning so that he can die an ignoramus”. Bible study classes, religious seminars, spiritual retreats and adult education classes should be just as integral a part of the life of every mature Christian as professional development programs and in-service seminars are for teachers, doctors, auto mechanics, etc. This goes double for those in positions of leadership in the parish. A four-star parishioner takes part in every bible-study, seminar, retreat and adult-education class they are able to. When people fall in love they want to learn everything about each other. If I love God, I’ll want to learn as much as I can about Him.

What’s stopping you from becoming a star a four-star parishioner?

The Seashore Cowl...

I finished up the Seashore Cowl a few days ago and spent some time blocking it.  I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.  There are a few mistakes that I made, but I am finding that lacy patterns are so forgiving!  I am almost 100% positive that I am going to give this cowl to a friend this weekend.  I'm a little afraid that it won't be her style and she'll  feel obligated to wear it (I see her pretty regularly) and so that is why I am hemming and hawing.  The Seashore Cowl really was a fun knit and I am glad that I persevered even though the thinness of the yarn was difficult to get used to at first.  If you are looking for a beginning lacy project to try, this was a great one! 

Living and Learning: August...

Faith
Transfiguration
Saint Herman of Alaska
Dormition

Icon-Not-Made-By-Hands
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist

Homemaking
Serve meals outside
Visit farmer's market frequently
Buy Bigger Hangers for Sugar Plum

Organize Family Closet
Plan for Upcoming School Year
Order Second Grade and Kindergarten Schoolbooks
Purchase School Supplies
Continue Good Homemaking Habits
Begin Knitting on the Shale Baby Blanket
Print a Photo Book of Our Wedding

Read The Shell Seekers
Replenish Everyone's Undergarments and Pajamas

Learning Basket Themes
Watermelon
Circus
Bugs
Seashore

 

Read Alouds

Read the Nurse Matilda books

Rituals

Spend More Time Singing and Reciting Nursery Rhymes with the Children

Special Days
Six Years at Christ the Savior -1st

Oksana - 13th

Full Corn Moon - 2oth
Courtney - 22nd

Learning

Practice patience and love towards one another   Learn a new Blessing for Meals without a Priest Present   Learn The Sign of the Cross for Button
Tidy bedrooms each morning    

Tidy the playroom each afternoon
Put Away Own Laundry

Enjoy the Summer Book Basket

Nature Table Scene

Visit the Beach several times in the Evenings
Learning Basket for Transfiguration

Prepare baskets of grapes for Transfiguration
Learning Basket for Saint Herman
Learning Basket for Dormition
Purchase flowers to be blessed on Dormition
Go to the Movie Theater
Attend a few performances/concerts before summer is over
Look for Toads and Frogs
Catch Bugs
Take Morning Walks Before it Gets too Hot
Afternoon Waterplay - hose, pool, sprinkler, etc.

Have picnics Watch Thunder and Lightning storms Boardwalk rides!

 

Yarn Along: Shale Blanket...

This past week I was able to start and finish Miss Maggie Rabbit's little knitted dress and last night I cast off of my Seashore Cowl.  I know that I messed up the stretchy cast off for the cowl and I may try again once I see how it blocks.  I plan to wear it only as a cowl though, so how well it stretches may not really be an issue.  I cast on for a Shale Baby Blanket (though I am aiming for a lap blanket for long winter evenings by the fire) and it is a very easy pattern once you get into it.  I'm only a little in and I am still really having to concentrate, but I am hopeful that as I go along it will be a good knit to work on while I sit with my husband after the little ones go to bed.

I have only read the very first few chapters of The Shell Seekers.  It has drawn me right in again like I had hoped it would, but there was just been too much going on this past week to get much reading done.  This week I will bury myself in Pilcher's story!

Miss Maggie Rabbit!

Summer Camp: Day Six...

We took a trip to the farmer's market today!  I bought yellow plums (so delicious!) and a large bouquet of flowers (so beautiful!).  We had lunch at a little local restaurant and spent a little time trading off shopping by ourselves and watching the little ones play at a bookshop on the boardwalk.  After Vespers, we ate tortellini and meat sauce and crusty bread with butter.  We watched Jane Eyre and finished up Maggie Rabbit's knitted dress...  I can't believe that we were able to complete Maggie before our little summer camp finished!

Summer Camp: Day Five...

Oh how we needed a quiet day!  We began the day with an akathist to Saint Jacob of Alaska We took the little ones for a short ride to see a little town that was only a few minutes away, but even that was too much!  We turned around almost as soon as we got there and drove back to just spend the day at home playing and swimming.  After bedtime, Kate and I were able to stitch Miss Maggie Rabbit together and add the elastic to her dress while we watched The Magic of Ordinary Days and ate Chipotle (multitasking at it's finest!)