Our Halloween - 2009

Our old neighbors (Dear Neighbor's family) joined us for Trick-or-Treating. It is a tradition and wouldn't be Halloween without their company! Here are some photos from our day . . .

Everyone is anxious for the Trick-or-Treating to begin!

Here's our Jack-O-Lantern.

Daddy and LoveBug (dressed as a flower - the flower headdress made by her big sister).

The Whole Gang!

The HAUL. Our kids have three days of unfettered candy access (and then it all gets tossed out).

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Peter Piper's Picks: Oct 31st - Halloween Edition

All Hallow's Eve

Fast Facts about Halloween 2009. 23.8 lbs of candy consumed per capita by Americans in 2008. Whoa.

So, how much do you know about candy? Take the Candy Quiz and find out. Did you beat my score of 12 out of 15.

Some fun Halloween recipes. Our family favorite Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (we sprinkle ours with Old Bay Seasoning for some kick!)

This is a creative and FUN professor from Biola University. Enjoy his Halloween math lecture.

Want a meaty read while you sit by the front door passing out Halloween candy? Try Monsters and the Moral Imagination.

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Embracing All Hallow's Eve

My husband and I have decided that, whatever the original basis for this holiday (a debate in itself), since it has been a Christian Holy Day since the 9th century (actually as early as the 4th century, but on another day of the year before it was transferred to Nov 1st) we are going to continue to celebrate All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween.

We will carve our pumpkin tomorrow and roast the seeds.

Our kids will dress up as Rambo, a Native American, the Little Mermaid, and a Flower. I'll sit on the front porch enjoying talking with the neighbors as they shepherd their little masqueraders around. Hubby will take to the streets with our gang catching up with some of our neighbors, including those we only see on this night. (Ah, modern life!)

The kids will return with smeared face paint, pounds of candy, and funny stories to tell about the Fun and Spooky house one neighbor runs each year. (The people who run that house are considered the nicest in the neighborhood by all the kids!) We'll talk about some of the scary costumes they saw and some of the funny ones. And we'll have a chance to talk about our victory over death and all the evil of the world, and why we take this night to poke a little fun at that which, as Christians, ultimately has no dominion over us. But also about the reality of evil in this world and our need to keep our guard up.

Many Christians will not agree with us, and that is OK. I'm not going to try to convince you one way or the other, but if you are interested in reading some of the reasons Christians choose to continue celebrating Halloween, read on . . .

A good basic, protestant apology:

"Thus, the festivities on All Hallow's Eve were the Christian's way of laughing at death and evil, something we can do in certain hope of Christ's victory over the powers of darkness. The Church for centuries, however, has seen All Hallow's Eve not as a glorification of evil, but as a chance to affirm eternal life in the face of the death of our mortal bodies. Just as Easter is a celebration of Jesus' victory over death and evil, so is Halloween!"

Some background on the early Christian celebration of All Saints:

"At the end of the third century and the beginning of the fourth the most vicious of all persecutions occurred, that of the emperor Diocletian (284-305). The martyrs became so many that in some places it was impossible to commemorate even the most significant of them. The need for a common feast of all martyrs was becoming evident. This common feast became a reality in some places, but on various dates, as early as the middle of the fourth century."

Image Source

A North Carolina Homeschooling mother I'd really like to meet, Sally Thomas, and one of my favorite First Things contributors offers her thoughts on The Drama of Hallowmas:

"To step outside on Halloween dressed as someone—or something—other than yourself is to step into a narrative that acknowledges that the membrane between our workaday, material world and the unseen realm of spirits is far thinner and more permeable than many of us like to think."

iMonk has a provocative post (My Annual Halloween Rant):

"It bothers me that the Biblical message about Satan would be co-opted by the fear-mongering and manipulation of the hucksters. (Read The Screwtape Letters for some real Satanism.)"

and a The Great Pumpkin Proposes a Toast (don't miss it!):

"Particularly painful for many of us are the escalating attacks of religious people on the realm of the imagination. We have suffered from those who see the imagination as a gateway of evil, rather than a canvas on which human nature itself paints the picture. We have been blamed for violence and even death, things we would not even know were it not for human beings investing us with those actions in their own minds. It is as if some religious people actually believe that we exist- that we are real and were somehow a threat to them."

What are you doing for Halloween?

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Fun Latin Phrases

While I'd like to start my kids on Latin early in their academic careers, that hasn't happened, yet. So, instead of kicking myself, I've found another way to at least get some Latin into their heads. Memorizing verb conjugations, noun declensions, and vocabulary is certainly another way, but we are having a blast with fun Latin phrases.

Want to give it a try? Here are some resources:

• Latin For Fun this blog has a link to the list I use.
• Modern Life Latin Phrases (there is at least on curse word, so don't just print this and hand it to your kids)
• For older students
• Quotes with a sense of humor

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Daybook - Monday, October 26th

Daybook for October 26 , 2009

outside my window . . .

the trees here are almost in full autumn color; lots of green tipped with yellow and orange.

in the kitchen . . .

the weather looks like "soup weather", probably a potato soup.

around the house . . .

unpacking from my weekend retreat in Myrtle Beach.

from our studies . . .

added some "poetics" to our studies: picture study, composer study, poetry memorization, book of centuries, and nature study. The younger kids (7 and 10) really enjoyed the new activities.

thinking about . . .

Christmas only being 9 (or is it 8 now?) weeks away.

~~~

listening to. . .

my kids watch "To Catch A Thief".

thankful for. . .

a long walk on the beach.

pondering the words . . .

"He leads me beside still waters"

reading . . .

rereading my notes from my weekend retreat.

~~~

one of my favorite things . . .

a cozy, warm wrap my mom gave me for my birthday.

milestones in the past week . . .

my first overnight away from Baby L. It was a little stressful for her, and I missed her, but she did fairly well.

a few plans for the upcoming week . . .

two birthday parties for DD7 this weekend, and of course Halloween!

You might enjoy reading more Daybooks at Peggy's place.

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A new wind blowing in our homeschool

Yesterday was one of those homeschool days you'd like to encase in plastic and pull out every now and then when you need some encouragement. I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but it did, and it was delightful!

How long I'm not sure, but with growling intensity I've recently felt the keen lack of the more "poetic" in our homeshcool. It came to a "head" of sorts in a discussion on an online classical education group and on Cindy's blog. So, over the past week, I've spent some time reviewing what we are doing and what we are missing.

I'm quite committed to the classical model, but there are aspects of Charlotte Mason that go along well with that model: nature study, picture study, composer/music study, poetry memorization, and some others.

On Thursday, I rolled out a new plan for my younger students incorporating these. Here is our basic plan (new stuff in italics):

Morning Time
Bible reading (at breakfast)

Music (just enjoying while we do our chores: Brahms' Hungarian Dances this week)

Tongue Twister (for enunciation)

Poetry (reading)

Memory: a bible verse and short poem for DD7, and Pslam 23 and "Song of Mr Toad" for DD10

Latin Phrase (we are "memorizing" a latin phrase each week, some quite funny)

Saints & Seasons: Reading from _Trial and Triumph_ each day, or a saint bio on their feast day

Individudal Studies with each student

Math and English Studies, now including narrations and eventually dictation

and what I am calling "Copia", meaning abundance. One of the following each day:

Shakespeare (_Tales from Shakespeare_ for DD7, 1 play per semester, slowly read with DS10. ),

Historical Tales & Bios (_Fifty Famous Stories_ for DD7, _Augustus Caesar's World_ by G Foster for DS10),

Literature (_Winnie the Pooh_ - DD7, _The Hobbit_ - DS10), and

American History stories (various biographies for DD7, starting with _Pocahontas and the Strangers_, and _This Country of Ours_ for DS10).

CC Memory Work and Literary/Classical stories

Quick review of Timeline, Math, Science, Bible on Th, Fr and Timeline, Math, History, Geography on M, Tu.

Alternating between worthy children's literature and classical stories: _Wind and the Willows_ and _The Children's Homer_

Afternoon Time

Science reading and activities (Th, Fr) and History reading and activities (M, Tu). These readings go along with our CC history and science memory work.

Composer Study (Tu)

Nature Study (Tu, Th) - very brief observations, but with "Park Days" here and there.

Picture Study (Thurs)

Book of Centuries (Fr)

Most of this new stuff comes from Ambleside Online's suggested rotations and resources. If you are not familiar with Ambleside and would like to add the poetic to your day, you'll find Ambleside an excellent resource. And it is Entirely Free.

This post is part of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschooler's Weekly Wrap-Up.

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Daybook - Monday, October 19th

Daybook for Monday October 19th, 2009

outside my window . . .

it is frosty! The early morning frost has melted off, but the thermometer still says it is c-c-c-old!

in the kitchen . . .

oh, my kitchen is an absolute MESS. No cooking will be attempted or even thought about until I manage to get the dishes done.

around the house . . .

the house is a bit the same as the kitchen. I think we are going to have a "clean up" day around here. (Very Busy Weekend - always leads to a Very Messy House)

on my iPod . . .

more CiRCE conference CDs. Also, two episodes of CharlotteTalks - one with Richard Dawkins and the other with Bishop John Spong. If you are around me and I'm muttering angrily to myself, I'm probably listening to one of these two guys.

from our studies . . .

hopefully, an India Lapbook. Also, we are thoroughly enjoying getting to know Tien Pao from "The House of Sixty Fathers".

~~~

listening to. . .
hubby's conference call . . . daughter "flying" her paper mermaid around the house, I suppose she is "swimming" her about rather than flying . . . creaking of the floor upstairs means another child may be rousing.

thankful for. . .

a beautiful drive through the mountains yesterday to see family. The mountains were topped with a delicate frosting of snow that melted into gorgeous fall colors further below.

pondering the words . . . From Cindy at Ordo Amoris (Dominion Family):

II Corinthians 3:6 "the letter kills but the Spirit gives life."

In fact, as much as we need systems, ultimately they will kill us. The life is in the blood. This can almost be applied across the board.

Grammar is a good thing. We cannot write without it. We cannot communicate without it but it isn't the only thing. If we approach writing as a purely grammatical exercise we will kill ideas.

Systematic theology is a good thing. We cannot understand the Bible without it. But if our theology is merely systematic it is dead.

The law (Pentateuch) was a good thing but it was powerless to save.

Systems are tools. They help us find the real things. Unfortunately, many people are happy when they have found a system. They never look up from their scavenging in the rubble to see the reality of the thing they are searching for.

Very often it is the conservative, Christian wing of the world that enjoys substituting the tool for the thing. The problem is that you can have a measure of success with a system but in the end you are left bankrupt and confused (Col 2).

Read the rest.

~~~

reading . . .

a new First Things magazine came in the mail this weekend! Still reading Divine Comedy, Four Loves (re-read), Flannery O'Connor's collected stories, and Lost to The West. And probably another book or two I've forgotten about.

creating . . .

finishing up a crochet hat for DD1 and starting one for DD7

praying . . .

for our women's retreat team and a dear family coming up on a difficult anniversary.

~~~

to foster rhythm and beauty . . .

after an unusually busy weekend, we are going to take the day to get our home and routine back in order.

to live the liturgy . . .

adding night prayer to my daily prayer.

to educate faithfully . . .

feeling a lack of the poetic (and I don't just mean poetry) in our homeschool, so I'm reviewing what we are doing a bit to see where we might foster that a bit more.

~~~

one of my favorite things . . .

my delightfully cozy flannel sheets!

milestones in the past week . . . Baby L has learned her first sign: "More"! She's found this particularly helpful when asking for second sharings of ice cream from big sister. (We've decided to teach some "baby signs" to help her with her language which can be delayed in international adoptees. We haven't necessarily seen any signs of that, but hope it might help to get out in front of it, as they say.)

a few plans for the upcoming week . . .

getting ready for our church's annual Women's Retreat this weekend!

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Peter Piper's Picks: Oct 17th - From my Google Reader

A great post from Jen at Conversion Diary about going against God's will and what you do when you have. Here's a snippet:

"I've stopped spending so much time asking 'Was this God's will?' and am trying to spend more time asking, 'How can I serve God in love at this moment, right now?' Maybe the situation I'm in is the result of a bad move, but as long as I keep turning to God there will be an opportunity to bring love out of it."

Cindy at Ordo Amoris has me rethinking my homeschool "toolbox":

"Systems are tools. They help us find the real things. Unfortunately, many people are happy when they have found a system. They never look up from their scavenging in the rubble to see the reality of the thing they are searching for. "

A new-to-me blogger, Parchment and Pen, is celebrating his 3rd anniversary running down Top Ten Things I Know About Blogging and Bloggers Three Years Later.:

"7. Writer's Block for Bloggers: Blog about Blogging"

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Feast Day of St Terese of Avila: Oct 15th

This is a repost from last year. The Feast Day of St. Teresa of Avila coincides with an event called "Blog Action Day". Last year the subject of Blog Action Day was "Poverty". This year's is on "Climate Change" . . . and I just don't have it in me to blog about this. It just seems like too much of a modern-day bogeyman: possibly based on real concerns, but exaggerated to grotesqueness and used for its fear impact.

Today is Blog Action Day. Today is also the Feast Day of St. Teresa of Avila - a woman who embraced poverty.

St. Teresa was born in the 1500s to a wealthy family and eventually became a nun. In conjunction with St. John of the Cross, she founded a reformed order of nuns called the Discalced (Shoeless) Carmelites. (Shoelessness is a symbol of humility and poverty.) She believed her call from God was to "Holy Poverty".

When I think about the calling to holy poverty, I think of it as a specific Vocation (that is vocation with a most definite capital "V") - not something that the average Christian is called to, but perhaps I don't have the right understanding about that.

When we embrace the truth that all our possessions are only given to us to enable us to do the Lord's work - God's provision for us - suddenly we are in the midst of a dichotomy: ultimate poverty and ultimate wealth. We are entirely poor because nothing we have truly is ours - it belongs entirely to God...and yet, we have a God who "owns the cattle on a thousand hills." He owns it all and can provide for us all that we need and more.

This attitude toward belongings may not lead us to a vocation of Holy Poverty (big H, big P), in which we eschew owning anything, but it might lead us to holiness in poverty (little h, little p) by allowing us to look at our belongings and money as not "owned" but "held in trust". When we hold our belongings "in trust" we are able and willing to freely give to those in need because we understand that "it" all belongs to God anyway.

Want to read more about Holy Poverty?


In honor of St. Teresa of Avila's Feast Day, here are some links and bits of information for you to learn more about her, her order, and her call to Holy Poverty.

A prayer for St. Teresa of Avila's Feast Day
Father, by your Spirit you raised up Saint Teresa of Jesus to show your Church the way to perfection. May her inspired teaching awaken in us a longing for true holiness. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A retelling of her story geared toward young children. And one for older kids and adults. And one more if you'd like a more complete biography.

She is a patron saint - against bodily ills, headaches, sickness, and heart disease, of lace makers and workers, of those who have lost parents, of people in need of grace, of people in religious orders, and of people ridiculed for their piety, of those in opposition to the Church authorities. She also authored two great spiritual works: The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle.

Meals are always a fun way to celebrate a feast day (it is a FEAST day, after all). I love gixing something from the Saint's home culture. Maybe you'd like to start the day off with St. Teresa's bread (similar to french toast). Or enjoy a Spanish feast for dinner (paella, gazpacho, or a tapas meal, and don't forget flan for dessert).

Updated: Hey - my friend Amy at Splendor in the Ordinary has a nice post on St Teresa of Avila, too! And if you are interested in Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change, check out the home page for links to lots of bloggers.

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Daybook - Tuesday, October 13th

My Daybook for October 13th, 2009

(yes, a day late!)

outside my window. . . the sun is just about at its midpoint for the day. Warm, bright, and sunny with no clouds.

I am listening to . . . my kids taking their lunch break and watching "Leave It To Beaver"

I am wearing . . . jeans, pink short-sleeve top with a long sleeve cream top underneath. Somewhat messy curls pulled back by a headband. Danskos as usual.

I am thankful for . . . a relaxing evening at the bookstore.

I am pondering . . . the idea that that which is built on the solid rock of Christ will last, but this doesn't only apply to spiritual things! "...by the grace of God you may write a poem that will last through eternity...." James McDaniel. What an impetus to the creative spirit!

I am reading . . . finally spent my birthday book money: Czeslaw Milosz's collected poems, a collection of Flannery O'Connor's stories, and Lost to the West (a book about the Byzantine Empire). Still reading Dante and still re-reading the Four Loves (CS Lewis).

I am praying . . . for our mission team in Ghana.

from the kitchen . . . hubby made venison chili last night, and it is delicious!

around the house . . . pulling out the lap blankets and warm down comforters for the coming cool weather.

on my iPod . . . the usual NPR downloads and James McDaniel's CiRCE talk on the Incarnation of Christ's the impact on education.

living the liturgy . . . trying to get back on track with morning and night prayer using the Divine Office podcast. If you don't know about this podcast and are trying to pray the office, I highly recommend it.

educating faithfully . . . learning about ancient India this week, reproduction in animals, reading The House of Sixty Fathers, Children's Homer and Wind in the Willows. We've finally started nature notebooks! I hope I'll keep them up. I think we'll alternate these with our arts studies each week (2 days on each). I'm unsatisfied with our science right now. I'd hoped to do more hands on lapbooks and such. We've done one (and it was a hit), but I just feel unsettled about this area of our studies. Considering using Apologia's Zoology 3 for the rest of this semester.

one of my favorite things . . . my recently rediscovered sunshine yellow cafe au lait cup. Perfect for my morning coffee (au lait, of course).

milestones in the past week . . . Baby L went right into one of her godmother's arms without a second of hesitation!

a few plans for the upcoming week . . . Saturday middle son has his first "Club 56" event (club 56 is for 5th and 6th graders, sort of a pre-youth group), hoping to meet my Dear Neighbor for coffee Saturday AM, and Sunday is a celebration of my grandmother's birthday! We'll be heading back to the mountains for a big family celebration at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin. This will be the first time she's met some of her more extended family.

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Novel Nobel Nod

(Ok, do you not love my catchy title? Doesn't remind you of those snappy newspaper titles from the 1920s? All right, enough of that....)

By now you've likely heard about the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to President Obama. So, what do you think about that?

I thought this post from the New York Times did a decent job of reporting the varied responses (world wide and from previous Nobel Peace Prize winners) to the Nobel Peace Prize announcement.

I have great respect for President Obama, but find that his nomination and subsequent award so early in his presidency does make one wonder about the Nobel selection process. I have no doubt that he is fully capable of achieving the Nobel Peace award in his lifetime, but I am dismayed that he has received the award for intentions and not results. Our previous two sitting presidents who have received the award are Woodrow Wilson for the founding of the League of Nations and Theodore Roosevelt for the 1905 peace treaty he drew up between Russia and Japan. You can read more about other prize winners at the Nobel Peace Prize home page, if you are interested.

My dismay is no reflection of my opinion of President Obama, but rather on the selection process of the Peace Prize. To give it for less than herculean or lifelong efforts and actual achievements cheapens its impact, in my opinion.

So, I ask again, what do you think?


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God's grandchild

from Dante's Inferno: Canto 11

"Turn back again, " I asked, "to where you said
that usury offends the Power Divine,
And pray explain to me this knotty point."

"Philosophy," my master answered me,
"To him who understands it, demonstrates
How nature takes her course, not only from
Wisdom divine, but from its art as well.
And if you read with care your book of physics,
After the first few pages, you will find
That art, as best it can, doth follow nature,
As pupil follows master; industry,
Or art is, so to speak, grandchild to God.
From these two sources (if you call to mind
That passage in the Book of Genesis)
Mankind must take its sustenance and progress.

The moneylender takes another course,
Despising nature and her follower,
Because he sets his hope for gain elsewhere."



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Daybook - Monday, October 5th

October 5th, 2009

Outside my window... chilly air, dripping sky, croaking crows.

I am thinking... about the young family that looked at my Dear Neighbor's house yesterday (Dear Neighbor has moved and their house is still for sale after a year!). I almost can't imagine someone else inhabiting those rooms that are so familiar and dear to me.

I am thankful for... the beautiful, fall-colored flowers hubby brought home this weekend. They are lovely on my dining room table.

I am wearing... dark denim jeans, white "peasant" blouse under a pink, ruffle-edged cardigan,and my favorite shoes: brown Danskos.

I am remembering... our missionary friends in the Philippines suffering through the worst typhoon in 40 years and another one arriving quite soon.

I am going... to the vet's office today. One of our kitties has a nasty looking tooth. Then art class later today with my eldest daughter (7).

I am reading... Divine Comedy, The Edge of Evolution, catching up on my "First Things" subscription, and re-reading The Four Loves.

I am hoping ... to listen to another CiRCE Conference CD today.

On my mind... a man at church whose oddly-inappropriate behavior has worried a few of us.

From our studies... enjoying our tour through Ancient Rome (Horatio at the Bridge, Hannibal and the elephants, Julius Caesar, Brutus, Antony and Cleopatra).

Noticing that... while I lost many of my files in my recent computer "exorcism", the dear does seem to be a happier machine.

Pondering these words... "As they go through the Bitter Valley, they make it a place of springs. The autumn rain covers it with blessing." from a version of Psalm 84:6.

From the kitchen... Bran-Banana Muffins for breakfast and probably a pot of soup for dinner.

Around the house... enjoying my new candles, they smell heavenly!

(Slatkin and Co - on sale 2 for $20 at Bath and Body Works - worth the price! I burn them daily and the 14.5 oz will last me 3 months or more. Thanks to Dear Neighbor who introduced me to these wonderful candles on my birthday!)

One of my favorite things... the cozy way my baby daughter slumps on my shoulder as we rock at night.

Have a blessed Monday!

Enjoy other daybooks at Peggy's A Simple Woman's Daybook

Saturday Evening Blog Post

Here's a fun round-up of posts from the last month.

Swing by to read and/or submit your own!

I chose to submit the 8 Habits of a Happy Homeschool Mama post since it has gotten a number of comments, and it is really the only substantial content I've posted in September.

St. Francis of Assisi: October 4th

Saint Francis of Assisi is a popular medieval saint associated with animals, nature, and vowed poverty. He is the patron saint against fire, of animals, those dying alone, ecology, families, fire, lacemakers, merchants, peace, zoos, Italy, and Assisi, in particular.

There are not any specific foods associated with St. Francis or traditionally served on his feast day, but since he was from Italy, perhaps an Italian feast might be appropriate! I did come across a reference to a trial by fire that St. Francis endured, so perhaps a flaming dessert of some sort might be a fun adventure!

Assisi is located in the Umbria area of Italy. Perhaps you would enjoy learning a bit more about this part of Italy? The Basilica of St. Francis has wonderful architecture and frescoes.


Activities

Have a Blessing of the Animals for your pets.
Many Catholic and Anglican churches (and perhaps other denominations as well) offer a "Blessing of the Animals" on St. Francis' Feast Day. Here is a simple service you can do with your family and friends if your church doesn't have an official Blessing.

Provide your pets with some special treats.
If you don't have pets, or even if you do, consider taking treats or supplies to an animal shelter.

Consider a trip to the zoo.
Get up close and personal with animals from all over the world!

Care for wild animals in your yard and neighborhood.
Make a bird feeder, or buy one, and hang where you can watch your winged visitors. Put out special treats for other critters, too!

Color a picture or icon.
An Icon, from Waltzing Mathilda (a blog with lots of resources and particularly coloring pages for the liturgical year!). A coloring page with a prayer by St. Francis.

Read a story to your children.
A list of books for young children with links to lists for older children, as well. Here are two stories you can read online: God's Troubadour, a story for older children; and another by Amy Steedman that is a bit shorter and for younger children.

Give a lesson.
This is a nice lesson plan for a larger group of children or classroom setting focused on teaching kindness to animals.

Read the Bible.
The Anglican readings for St. Francis' feast day.

Learn more about St. Francis' legacy.
The Rule of St. Francis - I find it particularly interesting that he specifically addresses brothers who will be ministering to Muslims. It makes me want to read more on his writings about Christian witnessing and outreach to Muslims. GK Chesterton's treatis on St. Francis - This may be something you'll want to print out as it is a bit long to read on a computer screen, at least for me.

Pray.
A Collect for St. Francis' Feast Day:
Father, you helped Saint Francis to reflect the image of Christ through a life of poverty and humility. May we follow your Son by walking in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi, and by imitating his joyful love. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


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Peter Piper's Picks: Oct 3rd -

My blogging friend, Amy at Splendor in the Ordinary, has started a really lovely series of Tea Time posts for sharing the Church Year with your kiddoes. Our afternoons are such that an organized Tea Time will only cause me undue stress, but I'm thinking about incorporating her ideas into our evening "Family Time".

Another Anglican blogging friend, Jessica at Homemaking Through the Church Year, is showing off a beautiful head of hair ... a Crown Braid style that is making me long for long hair. If you scroll down on my blog you'll see how long my hair was last year...it is well above shoulder length now. I like it, but when I see Jessica's pretty do I get a little misty-eyed.

A new-to-me blog, Scholium, has linked to a discussion by Fr. Patrick Reardon on the importance of the family table. Now, I know you know this, but do you Know It? Recently, when listening to the CiRCE 2009 Conference CDs, I got to thinking about the Nature of a Meal and realized we (my family, I mean) were sometimes letting the dining slip into mere eating. Fr. Reardon has given me a bit more inspiration in the proper direction.

I stumbled onto Susan's blog: Susan's Pendulum. She's witty, interesting, and a rich thinker. She also knows a funny joke when she sees one. Check out Today's Laugh. Of course, that would be a today that is two days old, but still. . .

And two posts of a theme at iMonk this week: The Older Teaching the Younger - Part 1 and Part 2 just left me a bit slack-jawed. I see this happening in my own church a bit. There is a mooring that has been cut. How do we re-tie it before we are entirely adrift and lost at sea?


Blogging has been so spotty. Baby is doing wonderfully, but suffering through two new teeth. My eldest's study schedule is still needing LOTS of mom-guidance. And my computer has been in the hubby/tech support hospital lately. I now have a newly refreshed (read: entirely deleted and reloaded) hard drive. Currently, we have a severe lack of testosterone in the house. All the men are gone for the weekend. It is just daughters 1 and 2 and Me! Oh, and 2 female dogs and 2 female cats. Shhhhh..... don't tell my husband: We are going out for Krispy Kremes and Starbucks in the morning. I had big plans for my weekend, but I think this will have to do.

Don't forget tomorrow is St. Francis of Assisi's Feast Day!

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