For No Reason...

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday.  It was gray and drizzly today, but that was fine with me.  We are in the midst of tightening our belts for various reasons, so staying home was on the agenda anyway.  It was nice to putter around lighting candles here and there, dancing to music on Pandora, flipping through the Christmas (!) catalogs that came in the mail, and sneaking a few pages of reading in between breaking up the fights that my children were getting into throughout the day.  Who knew that making forts out of couch cushions and blankets could be sooooooo aggravating for every child involved?  Me.  But I was hoping that this time it would be different!

So.  I often find myself at loose ends on Saturday afternoons and happily baking fills the void.  Today I baked a carrot cake. I have never done one before (I don't think) and so it seemed like a good challenge (especially since Button was on the outs with his siblings and wanted to help).  I found this great recipe and miraculously had everything I needed (I had an extra can of crushed pineapple for Pascha and finally found a use for it!).  If you make it, go all out and do layers.  They make things more fun!  Our cake has pecans instead of walnuts and no raisins.  Also, I bought baby carrots at the market this week and briefly considered grating them with the cheese grater... but it didn't seem like that would end well.  I just pulsed them in the food processor for a bit and saved my fingers.  I also chopped up the crushed pineapple that way too so that it would be less chunky in the cake.

Now, it is time for a slice!  I wish that you were here to join me!

Great Beauty of Spirit...

 I have seen great beauty of spirit in some who were great sufferers. I have seen men, for the most part, grow better not worse with advancing years, and I have seen the last illness produce treasures of fortitude and meekness from most unpromising subjects."

 

C.S. Lewis

Knitting at Night...

 Sugar Plum and I went out to our first Knit Night of the school year tonight!  It was so much fun to visit with our dear friends again!  We've missed them so much!  It was good to get out with my girl and get to talk to her and see how much she has improved in her knitting since we started last summer!  She was enamored with all of this gorgeous yarn and took a photograph of a few of her favorites...  maybe one or two skeins will make their way into her Christmas packages this year!

Glorious October...

 Sugar Plum and I took a little walk around the property to gather a bouquet of autumn foliage for our nature table.  It was a perfect day!  The sky was so blue and we could really see the leaves turning...  I think that they will be at their peak in the next week or so.

Yarn Along: The Kinfolk Table...

I spotted The Kinfolk Table on Alicia's blog first, and then it kept popping up on other favorite blogs as the week wore on.  I have been enjoying it very much!  It is a large volume with thick pages.  The photos are heart-stoppingly beautiful and each story is just wonderful.  The recipes are just the icing on the cake.

I cast on for my Honey Cowl in the Tern colorway.  I love it so far and cannot wait to finish it!  I bought three skeins so that I could make it extra long and extra wide.  I cast on 260 stitches and will repeat the pattern until the yarn runs out!

In the Kitchen...

I always forget about these pretty little snack trays that I bought several years ago.  They are so handy for lunch and snacks!  We usually use the cups for soup, but they would be nice for hot chocolate too!

Faith...

On Saturday night, I received the following comment in my inbox from a young woman named Faith:

 I'm 15 weeks and 1 day, I'm 16 years old and afraid about things because I might be really young, and praying is one thing that can make me stronger so thank you for this prayer it has made me feel better.
God bless you.

She had commented on a post that I wrote in 2007 when I was expecting Little Man.  Please keep Faith and her unborn child in your prayers.  Faith, if you are reading this, please contact me with your e-mail address!

Tern...

I bought this MadelineTosh yarn at ImagiKnit, a San Fransisco yarn shop that my sister recommended.  I literally had ten minutes to hop out of the car, find what I wanted, and dash back to Father John between the wedding and the reception.  I knew that I wanted a gray color and that I would be knitting a Honey Cowl (for me this time!), so it was easy to scan the shelves to find exactly what I  envisioned.  Tern fit the bill nicely!  I really love the slight variation in Madeline Tosh yarns...  it almost makes the fiber sparkle a little.  ImagiKnit was such a beautiful store with friendly staff!  I love that they sorted their yarn by weight because it made it easy to not be distracted by what I was there for!

Teach Them to Love True Wisdom...

Let everything take second place to our care for our children, our bringing them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. If from the beginning we teach them to love true wisdom, they will have greater wealth and glory than riches can provide."
 

St. John Chrysostom

Eternity Loop...

 I bound off on the Eternity Loop (I cast on 220 stitches) on Wednesday night and immediately blocked it.  Because of all the rain that we've been having, it took until late Saturday afternoon for it to be dry enough to be unpinned, but I really like how it came out!  It was quite a simple knit (only knitting and purling), but the ribbing gave me fits for some reason.  I ended up knitting from the bottom up because I was having so much trouble.  By the time the ribbing came around, I really just focused on that and was able to pull it off without making too many mistakes.  

I used Quince & Co. Lark yarn in the colorway Kumlien's Gull and am pleased with it.  I think that it will be a great yarn to make some woolen things for my little ones...  it seems like a workhorse and there are so many colors to choose from.  If I was making this cowl again though, I think that I'd try it with some MadelineTosh.  That yarn has such a great drape and the hand dyed aspect makes things just a little bit more special in my opinion.

A Few Free Hours...

We had a few free hours in San Francisco on Saturday, and so we had lunch and then took an hour long boat ride around the Gold Gate Bridge before heading to Vigil at Joy of All Who Sorrow Cathedral.  Honestly, it all seems like a dream!

Yarn Along: In-Flight Entertainment Edition...

 I stocked my handbag well for the long flight to the wedding this weekend.  Into it's rather copious depths went:  September's UK Country Living, a copy of Atchafalaya Houseboat, and my Eternity Loop.  I spent most of the flight west knitting away on my cowl ( am now on the dreaded ribbing section) and most of the second flight back east reading some of the book (excellent, by the way) and watching The Way, Way Back (heartbreaking).  

What are you reading and knitting?

Sweet Sleep...

We took a flight to San Francisco on Saturday at 6am and returned home on Monday morning at 8:30.  Since our trip was such a quick one, I figured that though we would be tired, we would be able to skip the jet lag.  Yeah right.  I was completely out of it!  Father John and I took turns napping yesterday afternoon while the little ones played outside and then I hit the hay pretty early and slept until nine this morning!  Mad props to Button for sneaking into our bed in the wee hours and snuggling in for a nice little sleep in with Mama.

Today was so much better!  I felt like a new woman and we got a lot done:  school, laundry, homemade meals, and an afternoon in the park.  It was chilly and overcast with a bit of wind and I got to wear my cords and a jacket...  Autumn is here!  Hooray!

Button has his annual physical tomorrow and I cannot wait!  It seems like he has really grown in the past few months and I love to hear how tall they've gotten and how much weight they've put on since their last visit to the doctor.  We love our doctor and nurses, so it will be good to see them.

See you tomorrow for Yarn Along!

John and Alix...

We had the honor of attending the wedding of a dear family friend yesterday!  May God Grant the Servants of God John and Alexandra Many Blessed Years!

Reading...

The chairs and sofa were loose-covered in coral linen, and an ebony cabinet, its doors standing open, was lined in that same coral, and contained a collection of Famille Rose porcelain.  Everywhere he looked, Noel's eye fell upon a clutter of either enviable or practical objects, the squirrel hoard of an elderly lady, gathering about her, like a store of nuts, the comforting possessions of a lifetime.  Here were hand-worked cushions, a wicker basket filled with logs, a brass fender, a pair of bellows, her sewing box, her little television set, stacks of magazines, bowls or pot-pourri.  As well, every horizontal surface was cluttered with small and decorative objects.  Enamel boxes, jugs of fresh flowers, a copper bowl filled with purple heather, silver-framed photographs, a small arrangement of Dresden china."

 

September

Rosamond Pilcher

Embracing Discipleship: Principles of Evangelization

 

Taken from Father John's Sunday Bulletin

Before undertaking a parish evangelization effort, there are three clear prerequisites.

1. Know God. Our first task in proclaiming and sharing the Gospel is entering into and living in the reality of God -that is, existing in personal communion with Him. The goal of evangelization is "growth in the life and faith and spiritual understanding" and, ultimately, life in the eternal Kingdom of God. Such growth finds its beginning in our knowledge of God and our conviction that Jesus Christ is not only "the Son of the Living God, Who came into the world to save sinners," but the very center of our lives. "Let your life testify to the presence of God within you," wrote Saint Gregory of Nyssa. Evangelizing, in a nutshell, cannot take place if the evangelizers have not been evangelized, if they are not fully immersed in and committed to living an Orthodox Christian lifestyle in the Holy Spirit that, ultimately leads to the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ.

2. Build community. Our second priority is to acquire a spiritually-based communal attitude, to manifest a spiritual quality of life, rooted in and revolving around the person of Jesus Christ, within the entire community. Where there is hatred, bitterness, resentment and hostility, the community of love is destroyed; and without love the spiritual character of the Church is destroyed. Evangelization efforts will be useless without a receptive and caring parish.

3. Proclaim and serve. Our third prerequisite is to go out into the world proclaiming the message of God by serving human beings in distress and providing for their essential needs in this world. The light of God must be allowed to shine through us and God's goodness must be made to season our life by our active ministry to others. We must proclaim faith through actions that shine in the surrounding world.

Discipleship. Ultimately, evangelization, while rooted in these fundamental principles, will not take place without the serious commitment on the part of God's People to accept the call to discipleship, to learning and sharing all that has been revealed by Jesus Christ and entrusted to us in the Tradition that we have received.
In Matthew 16:13-16, we read, "Jesus asked His disciples, 'Who do men say that the Son of man is?' And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!'"

Peter's answer must be our answer if we are to share the Gospel, which is rooted in nothing other than the person of Jesus Christ. Before we can share the Good News with others, then, we must know and love God, enter into communion with Him through Jesus Christ, and allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Knowing and accepting Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the Living God" - in a word, discipleship - is the very foundation of evangelization. Discipleship presumes action: in short, we cannot proclaim the Gospel to others if we have not fully embraced it in our own lives.

Living and Learning: October...

Faith
Protection of the Mother of God
Saint Innocent
Saint Tikhon

Homemaking
Purchase Cold Weather Clothing for Everyone
Wash and/or air out bed linens needed for colder weather
Replace Washcloths in the the Kitchen
Stock up on Beeswax Candles for Winter Evenings
Make a batch of beeswax polish for wood
Waterproof Children's Boots
Switch from Summery Handbag to Leather One
Thoroughly Clean Car
Put away beach things: umbrella, blanket, towels, toys, etc.
Create autumn menu
Begin planning for November's Feastdays (Saint Michael and Saint Martin)
Work on Costumes for Saint Michael's Day Party
Visit large farmers market a few time before it closes for the year
Begin Serving Warming Meals
Spend Evenings Outside by the Fire Pit
Organize Out of Season Children's Clothing
Decorate Porch with Mums and Ornamental Kale
Put Out Autumn Decorations
Tidy up the Attic
Finish knitting Eternity Loop
Knit Honey Cowl
 
Learning Basket Themes
Leaves
Squirrels
Seeds
Pumpkins

Read Alouds
Little House on the Prarie
My Father's Dragon

Special Days
Fr John’s Namesday – 6th
9th Anniversary of our Engagement – 9th
12th Dating Anniversary -10th
Full Hunter's Moon - 18th
Grandfather's Namesday – 22nd

Learning
Practice being still and quiet during services and prayers
Practice Venerating Icons Properly
The Sign of the Cross for Button
Nature table scene
Seasonal book basket
Gather colorful Autumn Foliage for Nature Table
Harvest Festival at local farm
Encourage imaginative play by not over-scheduling our days
Enjoy the beach and the boardwalk on fine days
Polish wooden toys together
Create a toy library and donate/toss items no longer needed
Weekly Library Trip
Take Morning Walks
Care for Plants and Bird Feeders
Visit the Pumpkin Farm
Pumpkin Day in Lieu of Halloween
Dip Autumn Leaves in Beeswax

Candlelight and Starlight...

Last night, just as I was finishing up the bedtime routine for the little ones, the power went out.  I lit the vigil lamp in our bedroom and my little trio fell asleep all snuggled up in our big bed.  I sat in the living room watching the candles flicker and just enjoyed the quiet.  Later, I went out to check on the power workers and was so happy to see a sky full of stars!  It reminded me to download Sky Guide onto my phone...  now that it is getting so dark in the early evening, it would be the perfect time to take the children out to star gaze!

Yarn Along: Eternity Loop, Take Two...

I'm working away on the Eternity Loop.  For some reason, the ribbed section was hard for me (though I've done it before!), so after ripping it out several times, I just decided to start with the third section (stockinette) and work backwards.  Hopefully it will work out!

I just finished re-reading September.  It was good!

What are you reading and knitting?

Overheard...

"Mama, the big curious is: where is my wallet?" Sugar Plum, Age 7

A Day at the Apple Orchard...

It was a gorgeous day to go to the apple orchard!  We've gone several Septembers in a row since Sugar Plum was tiny and every year it gets better!  This was the quietest it has ever been at this orchard (normally we go on a Saturday in September).  When we arrived, we spent some time just watching the farm waking up for the day.  There was the smell of apple cider doughnuts frying, the bustle of the workers (many of them Amish) getting all of the produce set out, and a chill in the air.  We were given a ride to the apple trees on a wagon pulled by a tractor (a huge thrill for these little people in my life!) and picked about half a bushel.  Once we finished picking (why does apple picking go so quickly?) we spent some time at the little Fall Festival area where they had hay bale mazes, John Deere trikes to ride, water pump rubber duck races, a deer corn pit for playing in, and zip lines to ride.  We had lunch and headed for home and my little trio conked out on the ride home.  We'll have a quiet afternoon before church tonight (for The Protection of the Mother of God)...  maybe I'll even get a cup of tea and one of those cider doughnuts!