A Little Milo

 I made this darling little Milo Vest for the newborn baby of a friend.  It was such a quick knit (it only took two days!).  I used Plymouth Yarn Company which is the softest DK Merino Superwash in white.  I cannot wait to see the wee one in it! 

Living and Learning: The Week Ahead

 

Church in the Home

We're starting to gear up for the March for Life next Friday!  We're planning on joining our fellow  Orthodox Christians for Life on the National Mall in Washington D.C.  I hope to see you there!

On My Bedside Table
I began reading I Capture the Castle years ago (this blog reminds me it was 2012) and though I remember enjoying it, I never finished it.  I decided that it was time to begin again this past week and am enjoying the story and am in the last hundred pages or so.

Watching
A few weeks ago, my husband and I began watching Downton Abbey from the beginning.  I saw it as it was first airing on PBS, but he didn't.  We were between shows and decided to see what I thought...  we just wrapped up season three and he is enjoying it very much!


In My Knitting Basket
I finished up my first Song of the Sea cowl early last week and quickly whipped through a white merino Milo Vest for a friend.  I've already cast on to my second Song of the Sea for myself and though it's getting off to a slow start due to our busy weekend, but I should be able to get a good amount of knitting done this week.

Inspiration
One of my favorite features in The Wall Street Journal is Flower School, a monthly article where Lindsey Taylor takes a work of art and creates a floral arrangement inspired by it.  Luckily, Taylor has an instagram page where one can be sure to catch all of her work:

Inspired by the pale palette of Whistler in today's @wsjoffduty @frickcollection #jamesmcneillwhistler 📸 @stephenkentjohnson #wsjflowerschool

A photo posted by Lindsey Taylor (@lindseydtaylor) on Jan 14, 2017 at 5:31am PST

 

This Week's Menu

Dinners

  Chicken Stew with Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Chef Salad

Asian Salmon, Baked Sweet Potatoes, and Salad

Roast Chicken, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, Peas, and Gravy

Auntie Claudia's Tuna Pasta Salad

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Why I March

I wrote the following on Facebook last night, explaining why I did not march with the Women's March on Washington on Saturday and why I hope to attend the March for Life later this month.

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There are many good reasons that people have for wanting to march and demonstrate, but I think that the only thing to keep in mind is to be sure that the cause that you are marching for is in line with (Orthodox) Christian teaching (and is, of course, non-violent). In the case of the Women's March, I felt that I could not support or attend an event that was expressly pro-choice. There were many good people there who had good intentions and it is not my place to judge them. Perhaps it is time to redouble our efforts to encourage our daughters and sons (both physical and spiritual) to use the gifts that God has given them well, practice Christian virtues and sexual morality, and help instill upon them the courage and strength to stand up for those being mistreated. The effect of children raised in a Christian home will have a more lasting impression on society than a day or two of demonstrating and marching... Meeting President Trump's vulgarity with the vulgarity of pussy hats, foul language, and the glorification of abortion won't.

(The above photograph is from the Orthodox March for Life Facebook page)

Tiny Green Shoots

 

Last year I was given a little clump of snowdrops that my friend, Autumn, dug up from a nearby wood.  After enjoying them indoors for several days, I planted them in the small garden outside our dining room window.  I've been checking the ground for signs that the snowdrop bulbs survived for the last few weeks and was rewarded this morning with the sight of tiny green shoots popping up!  It will be a little while before they actually bloom, but I am cheered by the fact that they are on their way.

Tea with Lila

 

I was given the wonderful gift of a day to spend with dear Lila today!  We met for tea at a  historical tavern (built in 1737!) that serves afternoon tea.  We decided to order what the tavern calls a Colonial High Tea.  It included an individual pot of loose leaf tea (I chose one called Buckingham Palace Garden Party, which was a "delicate Earl Grey with jasmine notes"), a bowl of the soup du jour (green tomato) and an assortment of savory finger sandwiches, tarts, tea cakes and pastries. Everything was simply delicious and both Lila and I were charmed by the decor and mismatched china that we used for our meal.

After our tea, we wandered around the city, browsed in a few shops (one of the highlights was a shop with a bookstore on one side and a yarn shop on the other), and talked, talked, talked!  It was a wonderful day to recharge my batteries and enjoy the company of an inspirational friend who I am very thankful for!

Extending the Liturgy

Song of the Sea, Part One

 

 

 

 

  

I was given some lovely Madeline Tosh DK yarn in the Pavement colorway from my brother-in-law for Christmas and I excitedly cast right on for Song of the Sea, a lovely lacy cowl.  It was a fun knit that I followed the pattern for exactly and I am happy with the result.  I have decided to give this cowl to my friend, which I hope she likes.  I happen to have quite a bit more of this yarn and have decided to cast on to a second one.  For this next iteration, I will be knitting a bit more of the ribbing (maybe in a 2x2, rather than a 3x1) to reduce the rolling that this first cowl tends to do.

Reading

I shouldn't think even millionaires could eat anything nicer than new bread and real butter and honey for tea.”   

I Capture the Castle

Dodie Smith

The Right Foot

 

 

Monday morning is off to a good start. 

Bright and Shiny Copper

 

 

I had to run an errand for my husband at Staples and wandered in to Marshalls the other day.  I found these gorgeous copper pots on clearance, with was a very exciting find.  There were many different sizes of saute pans and small saucepans there.  Copper pans have been on my wishlist for years and I have given a great deal of thought to the size pots I would actually use.  I was able to resist buying pots and pans that I don't need and will be on the lookout for two larger lidded pots in the future.

Goodbye, Tree

 

 

The children and I took down the tree soon after breakfast today.  They dragged it out to the Christmas Tree graveyard in the woods, while I tucked the ornaments into the attic and brought the stand to the shed.  Christmas has been put to bed!

The Mystery of Liturgy

Snow Tableau

Our middle son made a little snow tableau of Hoth, an ice planet in Star Wars, with his Lego figures today.

Wonderland

 

 

 

After two days of being snowbound, we were ready to get out today.  We had cleaned off the van yesterday while the snow was powdery, and so today we were able to take a little trip to the store for a few essentials and items to complete several projects. For the past few months, our dishwasher has been on the blink, so we also took a trip to choose a new one (which we found discounted 50%).  Mr. Miguel helped us cart the new one home, install it, and get rid of the old dishwasher.  We also fixed a bathroom fan and framed a picture for our daughter's bedroom.

Despite the busyness of tending to our lessons and taking care of all of those errands and projects, we were still able to enjoy the peaceful stillness that comes with a glorious snow day.  There was a fire in the grate, mugs of steaming cocoa, and wedges of cranberry crumb cake to accompany us with our knitting and reading.  Father John and I also started watching Downton Abbey together - me for the second time and him for the first.  I certainly hope that this is not the only stow we get this winter, but if it is, we took full advantage of these past few days!

January Nature Table

 

 

In a fit of frenzied tidying and cleaning last night, I put away the lovely Nativity set that graced our nature table in December and set out this pretty print of rabbits in the snow and the family of Ostheimer deer.  I spent a few minutes crocheting some scarves for the deer out of a little bit of scrap yarn while my husband and I watched a little Downton Abbey.  I love setting this little table up and surprising the Trio with a new scene every few weeks.  

A Winter Wonderland

 

 

  We awoke to a winter wonderland this morning!  Quite a bit of snow fell overnight and all day today...  so much so that we believe that we have about 10" with drifts of over a foot.  It' simply gorgeous outside, but sadly we'll have to cancel church services this weekend.  It is supposed to be quite cold until Tuesday, so hopefully we'll get to enjoy the snow for several days to come!

Cranberry Coffee Cake

 

 

 

I made The Kitchn's Cranberry Cake several times last winter, but I tried different toppings each time.  I think that I've finally nailed it!  

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Cinnamon Crumb Topping

1 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 Tbl. ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

1 cup cold butter, cut in chunks

blend flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt.  Cut in butter.  Sprinkle over the top of Cranberry Cake batter.  Bake and enjoy a wedge with a steaming mug of coffee or tea on a bitterly cold day.

Joyous Feast of Theophany!

 When Thou, O Lord wast baptized in the Jordan
The worship of the Trinity was made manifest
For the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee
And called Thee His beloved Son.
And the Spirit, in the form of a dove,
Confirmed the truthfulness of His word.
O Christ, our God,Thou hast revealed Thyself
And hast enlightened the world, glory to Thee ! 

Twelve Drummers Drumming

 

 And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans - and all that lives and moves upon them.  He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused - and to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins, He came down to earth and gave us Himself."

Sigrid Undset

 

Eleven Pipers Piping

 

 

 

In winter, the kitchen is the heart of the house.  It is a living place.  Kettles sing, pots simmer, pans bubble.  Visitors come to sit in the kitchen, children use the kitchen table, to draw at, paint at, model plasticine upon.  And to help with the cooking.  They hang about, waiting for the bowls to lick out.  There i a chair for quiet reading, and waiting for this or that to be put in or taken out of the oven to be ready, to be kneaded or turned or basted or stored." 

Through the Kitchen Window

Susan Hill 

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We've made hearty breakfasts several times this Christmas holiday and our current favorite is (and maybe always will be?) a fried egg, bacon, and buttered English muffins.  I love starting the day off with a good breakfast.  

I began my cowl today and I can't wait to get more done.  I brought my knitting with me when I took the children out to dinner at Chick-fil-a for a treat (it was a fast-free Wednesday).  We enjoyed our dinner and talked over peppermint shakes and finished up a couple of rows.  It was nice to have a little change of scenery!

Ten Lords-a-Leaping

 

 

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." 

 Hamilton Wright Mabie

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It was a quiet day today.  I tossed the Christmas roses into the bin, but happily, the seeded eucalyptus is still hanging on.  I potted some Narcissus bulbs from an early December trip to Trader Joes after being reminded of them by the glorious display of blooms at the garden last night.  There is nothing like wandering through a humid conservatory in the midst of winter.  

One of the best thing about Christmas holidays is the time to leisurely do whatever catches my fancy.  I read a little of my first book of 2017, Miss Buncle's Book.  I also bought a pattern for my new yarn, wound it into a ball, and gathered up my stitch markers and needles.  I'm going to be knitting a Song of the Sea cowl and I can't wait to cast on!

Nine Ladies Dancing

 

 

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”

Edith Sitwell

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We took a little trip today to visit my husband's side of the family in Philadelphia.  It was good to see everyone and eat the delicious foods that my brother-and sister-in-law prepared.  We had a lovely gift exchange between the adults and I was excited to receive some gorgeous MadelineTosh yarn. After the party, most of the family took a trip to Longwood Gardens and enjoyed the lovely grounds illumined with twinkle-lights and heavily perfumed conservatories.  It was a wonderful adventure!

Eight Maids-a-Milking

And now we welcome the new year.  Full of things that have never been."

Ranier Maria Rilke