Countdown to Advent

11 days to Advent!  

(said in a slightly enthusiastic and slightly overwhelmed tone) 

I am so unprepared.  Can I even find the Advent box?  I remember seeing it somewhere at some point in this move, but where it has ended up is not so fresh in my mind.  Perhaps hubby knows.  I sure hope so.

So, anyway - a countdown to Advent, or rather, MY countdown to Advent.

1. Find the Advent box (makes a good number one, wouldn't you say?).

2. Determine if my candles are in good shape for this year's wreath or if we need fresh ones.

3. Decide if I want to use the pewter wreath or one with greenery this year...I do have a lovely holly bush this year.

4. Think about other ways to decorate the house for Advent (less, more, or the same as previous years?).

5. Consider other celebrations for this year's Advent...or just keep to the ones we know and love.  Also, I hope to focus on the penitential nature of the season by keeping a modest fast, so I'll consider what that will look like, too. (personal only or with the family and how will we fast?)

6. Gather my St. Nick and St. Lucia books, recipes, etc and organize our plans for those celebrations.

7. Make a shopping list for supplies needed (candles, baking needs, wreath needs, decorations).  Shop for those we need before the start of Advent.

8. Make the advent wreath, or at least just dig it out of the box. Then decide where to place the wreath: dining room table, kitchen table, buffet (in kitchen), or somewhere else.

9. Torture myself by downloading someone's "get ready for Christmas" calendar that starts in September, in a
fit trash it and make my own.  Surely, 27 days is plenty, right?

10. Plan Advent season meals (we will try a modest fast for Advent).

11. Breathe deeply and remind myself that a little is better than nothing, then: Celebrate our first evening of Advent! 


What are you doing to get ready for Advent...something I've missed?

Will she be a famous herpetologist?

You know she always has surprised us with her lack of squeamishness concerning creepy-crawlies.  (Just ask me about the giant bin of massive plastic bugs she got as a two year old.)  She loves bugs and spiders and, apparently, lizards.  I mean green anoles are pretty harmless lizards, but still I won't touch them!  

Just so you know, this is now the image on  my computer desktop!

I'd like to introduce you to a new member of the family...

This is King Louie (we think Louie is a "him" otherwise we'll call the cat Louise, I guess) .  H found him  in a dumpster at a nearby home site a week ago.  He was feasting on all the scraps left by the builders, I guess, because he was not a scrawny cat.  Slightly thin, but pretty darn healthy. 

We took him on a temporary basis, but darn if he isn't a sweet cat!  His purr is Mack Truck loud and he's a pretty decent cuddle-buddy.  Not only that he's already used to doing "his business" outside - half the battle of a new pet!

Anyway - it was up to Erik if we kept him permanently or not as he had the most objections (well-founded ones, seriously - do we need one more creature in this house?).  I guess Louie worked his kitty-magic, cause Erik decided last night that he could stay!

Now he's got to make peace with the dogs.  Really, they just like him a little too much for his comfort.

This week while we've been enjoying getting to know him a bit, H found this funny video.  The cat looks quite a bit like Louie:

I'll just let you know - Louie is NOT a mean kitty.  :)

What a face!

Two years ago she was a little one on the other side of the Atlantic who needed a family.  The agency called to tell us they had a referral and would we like a photo?  (Um, YEA!)  When the photo came through, we all crowded around the computer to see her precious face - our soon-to-be daughter and sister.  
At the first glimpse, we giggled and danced with joy - and we still do!

We give thanks for you, Baby L!

Daybook - Saturday, October 16th (New House Edition!)

outside my window . . .  new grass is gingerly creeping up from the straw-strewn ground and the woods are mosaic of autumn colors.

in the kitchen . . . boxes full of long-ago packed away items wait to be opened and their contents remembered and happily stored away.

around the house . . . pictures are finding their way to new spots, new furniture in and some old furniture out.  A bit of order is emerging from the packing chaos.

listening to. . .  the heat whistling through the vents taking the chill off a night-chilled house.

thankful for. . . the joy my kids have found exploring the woods and creek with new and old friends.

one of my favorite things . . .  knowing that we have finally moved everything out of our old house and storage unit.  We are officially all moved in...now just to get unpacked and sorted.

milestones in the past week . . .  

:-: Toddler L beginning to try out new words "fishy" which sounds more like "shishy" and "sitka" ("kitka") - two of her favorite stuffed animals.

a few plans for the upcoming week . . .  

:-: Tomorrow we head up to my Aunt and Uncle's cabin on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.  We are celebrating my grandmother's birthday and expect lots of our extended family to come!

:-: Unpacking, unpacking, unpacking.

We've been in the house for about 3 weeks and most of the big items are placed (furniture) with a few pieces to add in from the storage unit.  We are enjoying a bit more privacy and the beautiful woods behind and beside us.    Sometimes I feel we'll be unpacking until summer.  Maybe we will!

Daybook - Monday, Sept 13th

outside my window . . .  the grass is crisp and crackly from the late summer sun and lack of rain.

in the kitchen . . . recipe books laid open looking for a barbecue sauce recipe - a newly discovered favorite!

around the house . . . boxes are slowly filling and anticipation is growing!

listening to. . . my two middle ones enjoying a mid-day movie.

thankful for. . . 18 years of a joyful marriage, yesterday was our anniversary!

creating . . . plans in my mind for our new house

one of my favorite things . . .  leaving the windows open to the cool, dry air of fall nights.  

milestones in the past week . . .  

:-: Toddling L (previously known as Baby L) has begun to be a real flirt out in public.  She's waving hello and good-bye to everyone she sees!   

:-: Our house is complete!  All but the touch-ups to paint, etc.  We are expecting to have the walk through next week and close Friday or the following Monday.

a few plans for the upcoming week . . .  

:-: Tomorrow is Holy Cross Day.  I've planned nothing, yet, but I just might be able to manage a small celebration of some sort.

:-: Wednesday my middle son, H, turns 11.  We are planning a "with friends" party in October (after we are moved in), but we'll still have a nice family celebration.

:-: Thursday all the kids head to Va Beach to visit grandparents.  Toddler L will stay home with Erik and me, but it'll be like "old times" to have just one. :)  Erik and I will have a more proper celebration for our anniversary then.

:-: PACKING!

:-: And finally, one of my best friends was just diagnosed with lymphoma.  She starts chemo Thursday.  Pray for her if you would.

Peter Piper's Picks - Sept 9th

Mary at Evlogia has posted about her family's use of Praying the Hours.  She has compiled a Children's Book of Hours that you can download in two formats.  Read her post and then scroll down to see the link to the files.  Thank you, Mary, for sharing!

From a Study in Brown, an archive only blog, this lovely reminder for those of us introverts:  Survival Guide for the Quieter Species.  HT: The Introverted Church

I've been thinking about making my own detergent for sometime.  While I was at the beach in the summer, my good friend Beth brought hers to use.  It worked well and smelled great.  I have a full jug of store-bought detergent not, but as soon as it runs out I'm making some of this!

I don't really like "Because I said so", but sometimes I just don't know what to say.  I intend to try this the next time I'm tempted to use that phrase (or an even less kind one).

Lots of Recipes added!

As I'm thinking about this whole blogging thing, I'm trying some new things out.  Tell me what you think...

I've added a whole bunch of recipes from an "old" cooking blog.  (The only reason I've updated that blog at all as is a place to store recipes online.)  You can select the "In the Kitchen" label and see them all.  Let me know if you like this addition to the Ten O'Clock Scholar.

Gratitude: Sept 8th

:-: an unexpected afternoon get-away for hubby and me (a trip to IKEA for shared dinner and shopping)

:-: the slight chill of soon-to-be-fall air in the late evening air

:-: my favorite part of the road around my new house: where it dips down low by a large creek.  The air is always sweet smelling and slightly cooler.

:-: my silly dog with a rediscovered ball

:-: the last of summer's peaches all dressed up and delicious in cobbler batter.
 

Daybook - Tuesday, Sept 7th

outside my window . . .  we woke to a subdued, slightly foggy morning.

in the kitchen . . . a new dishwasher is sloshing away.  I think a batch of 5-minute artisan bread dough is in order this week. Haven't made it in a very long time!

around the house . . . packing, packing, packing.  I started on my china cabinet, but it is not nearly as rewarding as one would hope.  Four boxes later and I've barely made a dent. I think I'll have to work in some other areas to get the feeling of accomplishment that will spur me on to keep at it.

thinking about . . .  our new home and how we'll "live" in it differently.

listening to. . . "Charlotte Talks" on NPR.  Something about war prisoners.

thankful for. . . kind words from a few of you - you've encouraged me to at least keep at the blogging a bit longer - if only modestly, and a chance to finally be in bible study!

one of my favorite things . . .  my son's new MacBook.  He doesn't like me liking it, but I do!  

milestones in the past week . . .  
:-: Baby L has officially left "babyhood" - she is now 2 and a TODDLER.  
:-: Eldest son, S, started high school at a small, Charlotte Mason private school nearby.  
:-: We started our 8th year of homeschooling with H in 6th and E in 3rd grades.  
:-: Our new home is almost complete!  We expect to have our first inspection late this week, or early next.

a few plans for the upcoming week . . .  
:-: packing 
:-: Daughters of the Holy Cross meeting 
:-: packing 
:-: maybe a walk through of our new home 
:-: packing 
:-: our 18th wedding anniversary coming up on Sunday.


and a photo . . .

We learned about the cave paintings of places like Lascaux this week
and decided to give it a try, too!

The Rest of Summer

We've had a busy, busy summer in which we've rested and played and visited and more!   Would you like to see?

Sent H and Farmor off to Sweden for nearly 3 weeks!  They toured churches, castles, museums.  H also got to meet extended family on his Dad's side - lots of them!

Made forts and watched movies on rainy days.

Watched our house go from dirt to nearly completed.

Picked blueberries in Little Rock, AR with our good friends.  And then made some awesome blueberry pies to celebrate Jeffrey's 13th birthday (in the white shirt).

Enjoyed playtime with friends.

Felt a little sassy.

Got some sand under our feet, some sun on our skin, and some saltwater in our noses.

Celebrated 40!

Sent our eldest off to High School!

Started another year of homeschooling the other two.

And welcomed our Baby L into the Terrific Twos!

Is This Thing On?

*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK* - is this thing on?

Yea, blogging hasn't been a real priority this summer...and frankly, I'm not sure it will be this fall either.  I wasn't even sure I wanted to publish this post, but sometimes you just have to start putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and see what comes out.

I've loved blogging the past few years, but in the past 6 months or so my desire has waned.  Honestly, it had become a bit of an obligation and chore and that is certainly not how it started, nor how I want it to continue.   So, I don't really know what is ahead for this teeny-tiny blog.   I'm praying and discerning if blogging here is in my future or not.  I am keeping up with our family blog: The Potter's Shed, so you can come on by there and see what we've been up to this summer.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear from you!  What have you been doing this summer?  Have you ever had blog-burn out?  Or a mid-blog crisis?  (And if so, what did you do?)

Classic Ratatouille

Adapted from by Julia Child’s Ratatouille

1 lb eggplant
1 lb zucchini
1 tsp salt
Slice zucchini into half-moons about ½ inch thick. Peel and slice eggplant to similar size. Place in mixing bowl and toss with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towel and set on plate.

3-4 T olive oil, as needed
1 yellow or Vidalia onion, thinkly sliced
2 bell peppers (red, orange, yellow), seeded and thinly sliced
2 cloves mashed garlic
1 bay leaf
1 T fresh rosemary (2 tsp dry)
1tsp fresh marjoram (1/2 tsp dry)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat oil in a large skillet. In one layer at a time, briefly sauté the eggplant and zucchini (about a minute on each side – slightly browning). Remove to side dish. In the same skillet, cook onions and peppers slowly in the olive oil for about 10 min.s, or until tender, but not brown.

1 lb firm, ripe tomatoes: peeled & seeded
Salt and Pepper
(To peel tomatoes: dip tomatoes into boiling water – 10 seconds, max.; then peel. Seed by cutting horizontally and either gently squeezing or scooping out the seeds into a bowl.) Slice peeled & sliced tomatoes into pieces the same size as the zucchini and eggplant. Lay these over the onions and peppers. Salt with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cool over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to render their juice. Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise the heat and boil for several minutes, until juice has almost evaporated.

Scoop half the tomato/onion mixture out or to side of skillet. Spread the remaining half over the bottom of the skillet. Lay half the eggplant and zucchini on the tomatoes and onions. Return the other half of the tomato/onion mixture to the skillet. Put the rest of the eggplant and zucchini on top.

Cover the skillet and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip skillet and baste with rendered juices. Correct seasonings, if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavorful olive oil. Don’t let vegetables scorch in bottom of skillet!

*Can be made entirely the day before and becomes more flavorful when reheated. Serves 6 (as main) – 12 (as side)

Daybook - Monday, June 14th

St. Basil the Great


outside my window . . .  the sun is just past its zenith, I believe, and hot and white.

in the kitchen . . . zucchini bread is in the oven, bread dough is rising on the stove, veggies are washed and waiting to be transformed into ratatouille.

around the house . . . still slowly working on painting rooms here and there.   We stalled on little E's room before our vacation and haven't quite gotten back there.  Hubby says today is the day.

thinking about . . .  a new camera, maybe

listening to. . . the clatter of dishes being put away

thankful for. . . a hubby happy to be the dish-putter-awayer

pondering the words . . . "war-torn Afghanistan could become the 'Saudi Arabia' of lithium"

creating . . . temporarily lost my crochet mojo and had to restart Baby L's summer blanket 3 or 4 times.  I might have it finished before the leaves start turning colors.

one of my favorite things . . .  new purple bath mats (all cotton - no rubber backing) I picked up for $5 at Marshalls

milestones in the past week . . .  we are finally moving on the property!  After a ridiculous of red-tape from  one lender (one my hubby works for - not mentioning any names), we've switched to another lender and everything is going much more smoothly.  We went by the property (to see what other lots had been sold) and saw that we have a drive way and home site cleared!

a few plans for the upcoming week . . .  quick meeting with our new lender to sign some papers tomorrow,   taking Little E to one of the free summer movies Wednesday, working Friday, and H comes home Saturday (from nearly 3 weeks in Sweden with his grandmother).

How to Quit Planning Meals!

Are you looking for a way to provide economical, home-cooked meals for your family? Are you tired of the constant nagging question in the back of your mind, "What's for dinner tonight?"   I've got a radical idea to pass along to you:  QUIT PLANNING!

Well, at least, quit planning so frequently.

Mary at Evlogia has totally inspired me to make my meal planning and preparation easier by having one meal plan for a whole season instead of a new meal plan each week.  (She also has an amazing series of Household  Notebooks for each season of the Church year.)

Mary is Eastern Orthodox, so her meal plans accommodate her family's needs to maintain the fasting schedule of the Orthodox church.  At first I was skeptical about the lack of variety week-to-week, but then I reminded myself that we tend to eat pizza EVERY Friday night; Indian food on Saturday night, and nachos on Sunday night and we don't get tired of it!   Mary also mentioned one time that most people tend to stick to a handful (or two handfuls) of the same recipes anyway.  And really, Mary's idea might encourage me to have more variety on an annual basis.

I've started with our Summer Menu, and will continue to add seasonal menus during the year (as long as it is still working for us!).  Future Menu plans will probably include:  Fall, Advent (fast), Christmas (feast), Winter, Lent (fast), Easter (feast), and Spring.

Here is my planned Summer Menu (click on the table for a larger view)

I've posted this on my fridge - so everyone knows what is for dinner (and breakfast and lunch) and in my Home Binder.  Right behind it, I have the grocery list (how easy - I don't have to make a new grocery list every week...just look over the one I've already got prepared).  I've typed up the recipes and filed those, too.  No more flipping through cookbooks trying to find recipes in the middle of preparing dinner!

And, Mary, thank you for sharing your meal plan...and inspiring me to keep it simple!

I'll start posting the recipes later this week.