Christmas Feasting

 

I finalized our Christmas menu today.  We'll be enjoying all of our favorite feasting dishes, including a Christmas bread (which is the Pascha bread recipe styled after the gorgeous loaf that features prominently on the Christmas breakfast table in the 1994 film version of Little Women).  I would love to hear what you are planning to serve for your Christmas Day festivities!

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After Liturgy Nibbles

 Ham Sandwiches on Tiny Rolls

Vegetable Platter with Bacon Ranch Dip

Sausage, Cheese, and Crackers

Clementines

Dinner

Roasted Turkey

Mashed Potatoes*

Stuffing

Gravy

Cranberry Sauce

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Green Bean Casserole  

Christmas Cauliflower

Creamed Onions

Christmas Bread and Butter 

Desserts

Christmas Cookies 

Christmas Chocolate 

 

*Made by my mother-in-law

A Complete Nativity Scene

 

For the last seven or eight years, my father-in-law has gotten the Merry trio a piece of the Osthehimer Mini Nativity Set for Christmas.  This was the final year and here it is in all its glory!

Holly and Jolly

 

I spent a little time after lunch today flipping through the Christmas sections in On the Estate:  Memoirs of a Russian Lady Before the Revolution.  We only just began putting out our Nativity decorations today...  the stockings are hung, Nativity Scenes have been set up, snowflakes dangle, and the little fax mistletoe I bought from the hospital giftshop when Little Man was in the NICU has been pinned up.  We'll choose a tree on Sunday or Monday which will be thrilling.  Last year was the first year that we've had enough twinkle lights to satisfy even me.  Eeeek!  I love this time of year!

The Small Things of Life

 

The small things of life were often so much bigger than the great things . . . the trivial pleasure like cooking, one's home, little poems especially sad ones, solitary walks, funny things seen and overheard.” 

 Barbara Pym

Joyous Feast!

 

Joyous Feast of Saint Herman of Alaska! 

GIVEAWAY: The Jesse Tree

I was so happy to receive a copy of Lynne Drozdik Wardach's new book, The Jesse Tree:  A Family Guide Through the Season of Advent and Philipovka in the mail last week.  It is a brand new guide for families that wish to delve deeper into the Nativity Fast with daily Scripture readings, prayers, and crafts for each of the 40 days of the fast.  I love that this book includes lessons for the full 40 days and not just for the typical 25 that most Advent guides do.

Ancilla Press would like to give one Charming the Birds from the Trees reader a copy of The Jesse Tree:  A Family Guide Through the Season of Advent and Philipovka.   In addition, they are offering a 20% discount on The Jesse Tree:  A Family Guide Through the Season of Advent and Philipovka (just click on the link and your discount will be added automatically) .   In addition to their online store, you can find Ancilla Press on Facebook.
 
For your chance to win, leave a comment WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS on this post. (U.S. Residents only) Comments will close and a winner will be randomly selected on Saturday, December 17. The winner will be notified via email and announced within this post.

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"As any young Catholic mother, I strove constantly to weave the threads of the faith into the fabric of our daily lives wherever I was able.  With the shopping, and baking, and wrapping, and visiting and every other secular activity that seemed to occupy the minds of my little disciples at Christmas time, it occurred to me that the preparation for the season seemed the perfect time to do just that, but how?"

Are you spending too much of your busy time piecing together Advent devotions for your family from blogs and sites all over the Web? Do you have a Pinterest wall full of pictures but still no idea where to start?

With daily Scripture readings, prayers and crafts lovingly compiled over a decade and a half, Lynne Wardach has put together an amazing spiritual and fun way for busy Catholic families to commemorate Advent and prepare for the holy feast of Christmas. The Jesse Tree draws from the rich Byzantine tradition and unfolds over the season of Philipovka or Philip's fast that begins on November 15th. This mini tour of salvation history is easily adaptable to any calendar or hectic family schedule, simply by choosing whichever of the themes you want to highlight on a particular day. With 40 themes and symbols to choose from—about twice the number of most Jesse tree guides—this book is not only a complete devotion in itself but also an excellent template for starting your own family Advent traditions right away.

Each theme features representative icons and the ornaments that Lynne's children made during what she calls "the busiest, craziest, messiest, most emotional" but happiest time of life. A complete craft supply list is also provided in the appendix.

Nine!

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

Snapshots from a Visit with Guests

Saturday Pursuits

One of my chief Saturday pleasures is running out to the market on my own.  Today I bought some roses, olives, and a bottle of wine to give as a gift.  I arranged the flowers with some sprigs of eucalyptus that I bought last weekend and the whole thing is so pleasing to the eye.  The grocery store where I often do my Saturday shopping labels the plastic sleeve holding the rose bouquets together with a little sticker announcing the color.  These are 'White Mikado' and 'Osiana' and I just cannot get enough of how delicate they are.

Garlands of Stars

This week was a week filled with garland of stars.  My little girl and I spend several days cutting out and punching out different shaped stars out of scrapbook paper from Michaels.  Once we had a nice pile of stars, she sewed them all together with her sewing machine.  The result is so lovely...  we'll be keeping a few for our house and giving a few away.

A Pen in My Shoe

Saint Nicholas brought me a beautiful new fountain pen for my shoe and the ink finally arrived in the post today.  I've been having a lot of fun writing lists and trying to get the feel of using it.  I really love the color (deep forest green) and the ink flows nicely out of the medium nib.  I'm far from a connoisseur of fountain pens (the only other one that I've used is a Lamy Safari), but this pen is far superior to the gel pens I normally use.  I like that the  Kaweco one is good for carrying around in my bag (the lid screws on, so the ink won't ruin anything).  Do you use a fountain pens?

Little Things

 

Love little things, and strive for that which is modest and simple."

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

Saint Nicholas Came!

Joyous Feast of Saint Nicholas!

 

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.

Saint Nicholas Eve

We're back from church for Saint Nicholas Day.  The children put out their shoes and are tucked into their beds and I am itching to start putting out treats for the feast!

My sister and her little ones left this morning after visiting us for a little over a week.  We were bereft and lonely once they were gone, so rather than swing right into our schoolwork, we spent some time dusting shelves and reorganizing books and toys and art supplies.  It was a nice way to spend the fifth anniversary of our our move to this rectory. This is, by far, the longest we've ever lived in a house. Our children were so tiny in 2011 (one, three, and five). This is the house that they will remember when they reminisce about their childhood.

Happy Namesday, Little Man!

 

 

December on the Boardwalk

 

On the Last Day of November

 

 

 

Our crape myrtle is nearly devoid of leaves now.  When we were working hard to get our occupation on the church property nearly five years ago, we were required to plant some trees.  Father and I chose four crape myrtles and four thundercloud plums.  The crape myrtles are the gift that just keeps on giving.  They flower in mid-summer and the blooms last for weeks and weeks through the hottest days of summer when everything fades in the strong sun.  Then, in the autumn the leaves are a riot of color from October through November.  

My little girl is knitting a spotted Jack Russell dog for her brother's upcoming namesday.  In order to complete the project, Auntie Kate needed to teach her a new skill called "intarsia," which is something neither Kate nor I have ever done.  I'm amazed and impressed by how quickly Sugar Plum is able to pick these skills up.

Reading Aloud

 

Auntie Kate, reading aloud from Little House in the Big Woods. 

Snapshot of List Making