Edible Bird Houses...

 

 

 

 

The trio and I took a little class on making edible bird houses tonight.  It is quite easy to make these sweet little things!  We were given small wooden bird houses that we spread with peanut butter and dipped into different tubs of birdseed.  We pressed raisins and cranberries into the peanut butter to add some color and then decorated the tops with evergreen trimmings, cinnamon sticks, and ribbon.  We'll put these little houses out tomorrow and once all of the edibles are enjoyed by our feathered friends, I think that we will replenish the peanut butter, birdseed, and fruits throughout the winter.

Saturday Pursuits...

 

 

 

Today was another glorious day to be out-of-doors.  I took a little trip to the market this morning to buy birthday provisions:  tuna subs, chips, pickles, and things to make another lenten chocolate cake.  I love grocery shopping and it is such a nice indulgence to take a leisurely trip to the store in the early morning on my own.

The afternoon was spent doing the things that I like best.  The children played outside while I knit on the porch swing waiting for cake to finish baking, we tossed the football around a bit, planted the daffodil bulbs (that have been waiting patiently since early autumn), and enjoyed our boy's birthday.  

We wrapped up the day with church and a session for the boys at Papa's Barber Shop...  it was over three months since Papa trimmed hair!  Our little fellows look so handsome now and are all ready for Christmas!

Birthday Cake...

 

 

We upped the ante for today's cake by adding chocolate chips to the batter and decorating the towering birthday confection with mini knight figures...  it was a winner!

Eight!

 

Happy eighth birthday to our darling blue-eyed boy!  We love you so much!  

Friday Night...

 

Warm December Days...

 

 

 

I've been counteracting time spent writing lists, buying gifts, and wrapping up schoolwork with lots of time outside..  The temperatures have been so warm (in the upper sixties!) and the light has been glorious!  

Reading...

 They step  into a narrow entry.  Marie-Laure hears the gate clang shut, then the woman latching the door behind them.  Two dead-bolts, one chain.  They are lead to a room that smells of herbs and rising dough:  a kitchen.  Her father unbuttons her coat, helps her sit.  "We are very grateful, I understand how late it is," he is saying, and the old woman- Madame Manec-is brisk, efficient, evidently overcoming her initial amazement; she brushes off their thank-yous;  she scoots Marie-Laure's chair toward a tabletop.  A match is struck; water fills a pot; an icebox clicks open and shut.  There is a hum of gas and the tick-tick of heating metal.  In another moment, a warm towel is on Marie-Laure's face.  A jar of cool, sweet water in front of her.  Each sip a blessing."

All the Light We Cannot See

Anthony Doerr

 

Living and Learning: The Week Ahead...

 

 

Church in the Home
Now that Saint Nicholas Day has come and gone, I am thinking ahead to December 13th and the feast of Saints Lucia and Saint Herman.  In addition to the lovely storybooks we have about these two saints, I like to put up some twinkle lights in honor of Saint Lucia and buy a little table top tree for our nature table for Saint Herman.    

Reading
On our weekly library trip last week, I noticed that there was a book discussion scheduled for All the Light We Cannot See for December 11th.  Since the library provides the book, I decided to borrow a copy and try to read as much as I could of the 530 pages before the deadline.  It is such a good book that I have been reading it in all of my spare time and only have a little over a hundred pages to go!  

On My Needles
I am still working on my black version of the Palmyre shawl and it is coming a long nicely.  I only have a few more rows before I begin the lace portion and am really looking forward to wrapping myself up in it on these cold December days.

Watching
I have been enjoying a few episodes of Friends on Netflix after the little ones go to bed and am really enjoying the show.  It's lighthearted and funny which is just what I need right now!  I only have another season and a half to go and need some more suggestions!

Celebrating
 Little man is going to be eight in less than a week!  It is so hard to believe that he is getting so big.  It feels like yesterday that he was my roly-poly, mischievous, little baby.  I think that we'll have a reprisal of the yummy cake we made for his namesday last week!

 

A Very Happy Saint Ncholas Day!

 

Hymn to Saint Nicholas

O who love Nicholas the saintly,

O who serve Nicholas the saintly,

Him will Nicholas receive,

And give help in time of need:

Holy Father Nicholas!

He who dwells in God's holy mansions,

Is our help on the land and oceans,

He will guard us from all ills,

Keep us pure and free from sins

Holy Father Nicholas!

Holy Saint, hearken to our prayer,

Let not life drive us to despair,

All our efforts shall not wane,

Singing praises to your name:

Holy Father Nicholas!

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The Saint Nicholas Learning Basket can be found HERE.

 

Reading...

 

 

 

If our thoughts are kind, peaceful, and quiet, turned only toward good, then we also influence ourselves and radiate peace all around us - in our family, in the whole country, everywhere...  Love is the most powerful means of defense there is.  There are no weapons and no powerthat can measure themselves against love.  Everything is defeated by love."

-Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

Lenten Chocolate Layer Cake...

We made my mother this vegan cake for her birthday in July, using a recipe she had found.  After just one bite, I just knew that it would make a wonderful confection for our middle son, an avid chocolate lover.  It was terrific with Cool Whip and strawberries in the center and chocolate icing on top (we found a dairy-free vegan one at the store).  Enjoy!

:::::

 

Andie's Chocolate Cake

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 t baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup oil

1 1/2 teaspoon vinegar

1 1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans or one 9x13 (I also greased cut parchment paper circles to put in my round pans.)

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl

In another bowl combine wet ingredients.

Mix wet into dry until well blended.

Pour into prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until done.

Happy Namesday, Little Man!!

 

 

Overheard...

The Trio is in the midst of taking the first hot baths since the hot water heater broke five days ago. So far, I've heard the following exclamations:

"Ahhhhh. This is glorious!" (Button, age 5)

"What a hot, delicious bath!" (Sugar Plum, age 9)

"I'm addicted to this hot water." (Button, age 5)

"I never knew washing my hair could be so wonderous!" (Little Man, age 7)

 

December Sponsor News...

 

Welcome back to Liturgical Time! 

Liturgical Time provides handmade infinity veils, chapel veils, mantillas, and Christian headcoverings for their patrons to wear in church, at prayer, or in everyday life. They are the creators of the Eternity Veil - the original infinity scarf style head covering. They are able to take special orders, and to provide some customization, so don't hesitate to make special requests. Their veils are made with prayer and packaged with care. Please stop by their shop to buy a beautiful headcovering!

 

Remember:  Ten percent of gross sales from Chapel Veils at Liturgical Time Veil Shop is always donated to charity. At the present time, this money is being used to provide emergency assistance to the victims of the recent earthquake in Nepal.

Graduating to Knitting a Baby Blanket...

Last week, Author left a question for Kate and me to answer:

I've just begin to knit and want to go beyond dishcloths. I'd like to knit a baby blanket. Any suggestions for an easy pattern and what yarn to use? I can't afford and don't need to use the expensive yarn, but is there a brand/store that you would recommend? I've looked at Hobby Lobby and Michaels and just end up confused. Patterns I've seen call for a certain needle size, but the yarn has a different recommended needle size. What to do??? I'm about to give up :(

I thought that it might be better to answer your questions through a blog post rather than a video so that I could easily share links.

When you are ready to move on to more complicated knitting, the first step is to chose a pattern.  Here are a few easy (and free) blankets that might appeal to you:

Easiest Baby Blanket
Garter Rib Baby Blanket
Project Linus Security Blanket 

Once you choose a pattern, you must look for materials.  All patterns list the weight of yarn and size of needles you will need for the pattern.  For all of these patterns, the yarn that is worsted weight.  

Yarns:  One of my favorite yarns that comes in worsted weight is Cascade Superwash 220.  It is available in a lot of lovely colors and can be washed in the washing machine, making it quite a workhorse.  You will need to buy around 4 skiens of the Cascade 220 to make any of these blankets.  Another option is to buy Patons Classic Wool at Michaels.  You will need 5 skeins of Patons.  

Needles:  Each blanket calls for a different sized needle (Easiest Baby Blanket: size 15, Garter Rib baby Blanket:  size 7, Project Linus:  size 10).  When you choose the blanket you would like and get your yarn, buy the needles you need in a circular size with a 24" cord.  

Notions:  It is helpful to have stitch markers (to help you keep track of where you are in your knitting), scissors, and a crochet hook (to weave in the tail once you cast off).

I hope that this little post helps you, Author.  Please let me know if there is anything else that you would like to know!

Reading...

  The aim of life is appreciation; there is no sense in not appreciating things; and there is no sense in having more of them if you have less appreciation of them."

G. K. Chesterton

Saturday Pursuits...

 

When I went to draw a nice hot bath on Friday night and only cold water came out of the faucet, we discovered that the hot water heater was broken.  No hot water in our house doesn't just mean no hot bath... it also means no heat!  Due to the nature of the problem, we won't have the hot water heater fixed until Tuesday (at the earliest).  Instead of grumbling, we are focusing on the good things:

1.  We still have water!  

2.  The dishes can still be done in the dishwasher (which heats the water for every load).

3.  Laundry can be washed in cold water.

4.  We have a fireplace for heat and lots of wood to keep it going.

5.  Baking bread warms the kitchen and fills the house with it's mouth-watering scent

6.  The dining room roses are lasting longer in the cool air.

7.  It's still in the 50's out-of-doors.

8.  We have down comforters and good books to read beneath the covers.

9.  It's a gloomy, rainy day...  perfect for snuggling down.

10.  The beeswax candle my sister scented the air and added a pretty glow to our evening table.

Readers' Questions Answered...

In today's video, I answer two readers questions about household budgets, feminine exercise, supplements, and forging a good sibling bond.  Enjoy!

Show Notes

Super Mom Vitamins by Beeyoutiful

Late November Beach...

 

It was 65 degrees when we arrived home from our Thanksgiving travels, so we emptied the van, dealt with the mail, and then headed for the boardwalk to do a little bike riding.  We have to take advantage of these lovely days while we can...  cold weather is coming!

In Thanksgiving...

 

In November, people are good to each other. They carry pies to each other's homes and talk by crackling woodstoves, sipping mellow cider. They travel very far on a special November day just to share a meal with one another and to give thanks for their many blessings - for the food on their tables and the babies in their arms.” 

Cynthia Rylant

In November 

:::

A Blessed and Joyful Thanksgiving to You All!