Essential Films to Watch at Christmas

You've Got Mail 

While You Were Sleeping

Sleepless in Seattle 

Take Peace:  A Corgi Cottage Christmas

A Child's Christmas in Wales 

The Family Stone

Little Women

A Home for the Holidays 

The Nutcracker

  The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

 Rick Steves' European Christmas

Greenery and Our Little Retiree

Our youngest son marches to the beat of his own drum.  This morning he was dressed in this  unusual get-up.   My favorite part was the tube socks pulled up as far as they could go combined with his moccasin slippers. It looks like he's ready for a retirement home. 

There is a Christmas tree lot nearby that sells wreaths, garlands, and wildly expensive Christmas trees.  We bought our evergreen elsewhere, but that didn't stop me from swinging by and buying as sprig of mistletoe to adorn one of our doorjamb.  It's currently residing on the dining room table catching the golden light of morning. I almost hate to move it!

In other floral news, I bought a massive bunch of dried eucalyptus pods at our florist today.  They smell like fresh eucalyptus, but will last ever so much longer.  I think I'll put a vase of them in each bathroom and also some on the mantle.  Their color and texture are so unique!

Christmassy

A Little Decorating Here and aThere

We have a new Nativity Set this year.  It was my Great Great Aunt Helen's and my parents passed it on to us when my mother received a new one that was more to her taste.  I love how it looks with our trees.  I may add a little greenery around it when it gets closer to Nativity.

We have been reading a few Christmas books every morning with our breakfast.  I'm saving some of the longer ones for after Christmas Day.  I like to enjoy these stories during the whole of the Twelve Days.  I've set aside the December Country Living (UK edition) and Victoria Magazine to enjoy then, too.

It's so cheering to spy the Christmas tree in all her glory from the couch in the living room!  I do so love this time of year!

A Week Away

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

We went out this evening to buy our Christmas tree.  We found a lovely lot that was full of fresh trees for $25 each.  Just perfect!  Once the tree was home and set up in the stand, we began trimming it.  It was quite a feat to get the lights right.  I am a little embarrassed to admit that I re-did the lights three times.  I have three different sized strands of lights on this tree and as the tree we chose is a bit spindly, the cords show a bit too much.  I did my best to rearrange everything and am satisfied with the end result for the most part.  I think we may have reached the point that we don't need any more ornaments for our tree.  We began collecting them our second Christmas, buying one or two items each year.  I hope that the ones that we've purchased over the years become family heirlooms.

A Little Woodland Tree

 

I went to the edge of the forest today to cut down a little tree for our porch.  I will eventually add lights, a garland, and some salt dough ornaments, as well as ones made from dried citrus fruits.  for now, however, I am enjoying the simplicity of this little vignette.

A Tree of Books

I really like the Christmas trees made from books that I have seen here and there, so I tried my hand at making one using vintage Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books that we have on extended loan from friends.  These books are all roughly the same thickness and that made it quite simple to accomplish!

Better Late

Somehow I missed reading our books on Saint Herman and Saint Lucia on their feast days yesterday.  I decided that it was better late than never, so we read them after we breakfasted by the light of our special evergreen tree candle. 

Clinging on for Dear Life

 

Saturday's snow is still trying to cling on for dear life.  The snow was very wet and heavy when it fell and perfect for snowballs, forts, and snow men, but after a cold snap last night what's left has become very crunchy and satisfying to trudge through.  

This week has been quite busy.  The children had their first violin recital on Monday night, our middle son turned ten on Tuesday night, we have our homeschool review scheduled for Thursday morning, and there is basketball scheduled for four nights this week.  Add to that lessons, violin practice, church services, and other miscellaneous activities, and our plates are very full! 

In the midst of all of this, I have gotten a bee in my bonnet.  It has been very satisfying to sift through some of our things for a little bit of a clear out before Nativity arrives in less than two weeks.  We haven't really begun putting up our Christmas things at all yet, so it has been nice to try to make a little space for the decorations and presents that are starting to arrive already!

I had a little panic attack the other night when I started to look for presents that I had put away for our son's birthday.  For the life of me I couldn't find one of his gifts that I knew I had put in a box with several Christmas presents.  It was a hair-raising half an hour, let me tell you!  I prayed to Saint Menas (a saint that never lets me down when I am searching for something!) very fervently and in the end found everything I was looking for in a box that I had check three times previously.  Oy.  Hopefully we will not have a repeat of that when I start wrapping the Christmas things next week!

Joyous Feast of Saints Lucia and Herman!

Ten!

Happy, happy birthday to our darling Little Man!  We love you so much!

Their First Violin Recital...

Citrus Ornaments

 

I spent a little time to day baking oranges, lemons, limes, and pink grapefruit in a low oven.  After the slices had dried a little bit, I threaded a bit of twine through each one.  Eventually, we will hang these beauties on a little Christmas tree on our front porch.  I hope that the tree will bring some much needed cheer to our entrance way on the cold days of winter!

The First Snow

Warm and Alive

 

'...  What a traditional woman did that made her home warm and alive was not dusting and laundry...  Her real secret was that she identified herself with her home...  her affection was in the soft sofa cushions, clean linens, and good meals; her memory in well-stocked storeroom cabinets and the pantry; her intelligence in the order and healthfulness of her home; her good humor in its light and air.  She lived her life not only through her own body but through the house as an extension of her body; part of her relation to those she loved was embodied in the physical medium of the home she made."

Home Comforts

Cheryl Mendelson

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!

Let's Make a Lenten Cake!

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.

Saint Alexander Hotovitzky

 

In a time of fiery temptations for the Church of Russia, 

 you manifested Christ’s love to your flock through meekness and humility. 

As a good pastor you laid down your life for Him. 

 Pray for us, Hieromartyr Alexander, that our souls may be illumined!

Early December Walk