By Sun and Candlelight

What's your favorite autumn dessert?

Earlybird and I are working on "charts and graphs" this week, and I thought it would be fun to do a little poll on such a timely, tasty subject. If you have a moment, would you consider leaving your answer below? :)

And speaking of autumn desserts - today happens to be National Indian Pudding Day - and Indian pudding happens to be one of my favorite autumn desserts! In fact, I made some today, using the recipe found in Autumn from the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch ...

 It's really a perfect dish for this time of year! So autumnal, spicy and sweet ...

It's an easy recipe and not all that time-consuming. (It bakes for three hours, but the prep is pretty quick.) And it calls for things you most likely already have in your pantry (cornmeal, molasses, maple syrup, ginger and cinnamon). The only thing I had to buy was whole milk since we usually only have lowfat on hand.

This is how it looked just before I put it in the oven. It may not be the prettiest of desserts, but it sure does taste good ... and MY does the house smell heavenly as it bakes!

Here's how it looked coming out:

Personally, I think it's best served with vanilla ice cream or maybe a dollop of freshly whipped cream. :)

❤

As a native New Englander, I kind of grew up on Indian pudding - not that we had it all the time, but I remember it on many a family occasion. Here's a little more about the dish from Punchbowl.com:

"Celebrate National Indian Pudding Day! Indian pudding is a delicious custard made with molasses, cornmeal, milk, butter, spices, eggs, and sometimes apples. Once baked, Indian pudding looks like an inedible mush, but after one bite you'll be hooked!

This scrumptious recipe has been around for centuries. Early American colonists did not have the necessary ingredients to make plum pudding, so they created an alternative using cornmeal. Indian pudding is still a popular dessert around New England and other parts of the country. Celebrate your American heritage today and enjoy some Indian pudding on National Indian Pudding Day!"

I also found a recipe online for making Indian Pudding in the crockpot, and I think I'll make that version on Thanksgiving Day. For one thing, it won't take up oven space - on a day when oven space is at a premium! - and for another, the house will smell fantastic as our dinner guests arrive!

And continuing with the "autumn foods" theme, for tonight's Sunday supper, I'm serving "Cranberry Chicken" with salad and long grain/wild rice. I've never tried this dish before and though the ingredients seem kind of ... well, strange ... it got such rave online reviews, I figured I'd give it a go. It makes a whole lot, so I hope it's a hit! 

Well my friends, dinnertime is fast approaching, so I'd best get myself back in the kitchen. I hope you all had a lovely weekend, and as always, thanks so much for stopping by ... I'll see you all again very soon!

:)

November is upon us ...

"November comes 
And November goes, 
With the last red berries 
And the first white snows.

With night coming early, 
And dawn coming late, 
And ice in the bucket 
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn 
And the kettles sing, 
And earth sinks to rest 
Until next spring."

~ Elizabeth Coatsworth

Just after 8 p.m. last night, as we sat down to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, we noticed the cats staring out the back window, peering into the darkness with a look of absolutely enchanted curiosity. We flipped on the outside lights to see what was up, and lo and behold - it was snowing! 

I had just finished telling the boys about my favorite childhood Thanksgiving, when all the cousins went for a long walk after dinner and on our way back it started snowing. I've always held that memory dear - for the family togetherness as well as the perfectly timed first snow of the year. I do love a late autumn snow ...

But this is just crazy.

Snow in October? Snow before Halloween? We have a storm heading our way this weekend ... bringing with it anywhere from 1-3 to 3-6 inches, depending on its ultimate track ...

C-r-a-z-y!

But let's focus on calmer, happier things, shall we? Let's embrace the season before us, and make ready for a new month to enjoy. I spent some time perusing my November notes recently, and I thought I'd share a few themes and plans for next month ... things that make November special for our family.

~*Learning/Living/Faith/Nature/Home*~

Give thanks to the birds ~ make them some homemade suet treats. Set them out on Thansgiving day morning.

On All Soul's Day (11/2), create a remembrance altar - tiny tealights (rosemary candles if I can find them/make them), marigold blossoms, framed pictures of departed loved ones.

Celebrate the Full Beaver Moon (11/10): walk to the river, look for dams or other evidence of beavers; watch this fun movie.

Collect woodland goodies so the kids can make "Thanksgiving Potpourri."

Field trip! Visit a local cranberry bog ~ make a fragrant relish for Turkey Day.

Look under logs ... visit a bog.

Go on a nest walk: look for squirrel dreys and all kinds of (now visible) nests.

Observe varieties of moss and lichens in the woods (and backyard). Sketch in journals ... make a tiny terrarium for the Nature Shelf.

Display our Thankgiving books.

Launder soft throw blankets and place them in a handy basket.

Make watercolor post cards using soft, autumnal colors - russet, amber, gray, olive - and write Thankgiving greetings to send to friends and family.

Look for the returning juncos, our little snowbirds that herald Winter's return. (We spotted one the other day - so I guess this snow should not be surprising!)

Push our clocks back (11/5) and make way for shorter, darker days. 

Read about animal homes, hibernation, and how they survive the snow.

Take time to enjoy the sound of geese flying overhead.

Organize the pantry early in the month - make sure we have our holiday baking supplies in order.

Order mixed dried fruit for making fruitcakes.

Mix up mulling spices:

Mix: 2 cups dried orange peel, 2 cups broken cinnamon sticks, 1 cup whole allspice berries, 1 cup whole cloves, 4 broken star anise. Store in closed jar.

To use: Mix 1/4 cup spices per gallon cider, wine or apple juice. Simmer 30 minutes before serving.

(From China Bayles' Book of Days)

Clean, shop, cook for Thanksgiving. (That's oversimplifying things, but that's a whole 'nother post!)

Set up a knitting basket - start working on scarves for Christmas.

Hang our Gratitude Banner to work on all month.

Write out different autumnal and thankful words on small pieces of paper. Let EB make his own "November poetry." 

On Martinmas (11/11), gather donations for the Parish Food Drive. 

Work on Advent Calendar Project (ready to go 12/1).

~***~

A couple more "snow" pictures from this morning ...

It might be crazy ... but it sure looks beautiful!

And as I finish this post (10 a.m.) the snow is all gone. The sun is shining and a seasonable day is ahead. Snow or no, I hope you all have a nice Friday ... and a happy last few days of October.

Take care, keep safe, and be blessed ... 

I'll be back again soon!

:)

Autumn Feast Fun

First let me say thank you for all the lovely comments on my travel journal post ~ I'm so glad it made nice reading for some folks! It's hard to believe it was just a week ago today I was returning home from Maine - how time flies! And now here I am a week later, juggling a change of season, as well as a whole new set of books, schedules and plans ... we've been quite busy, but so far our year's off to a good start. :)

So in truth, I should be lesson planning right now ... but instead I'm sitting in my comfy corner chair looking over photos from the past few weeks. The following pictures were actually taken on September 14th ~ Holy Cross Day. We had some "faith at home" fun that afternoon, but I never got around to posting about it!

The first thing we did was to haul out the cross-shaped cake pan and whip up a simple box mix: 

 

(Unfortunately the cake split as it cooled, but that just prompted a whole bunch of interesting thoughts and analogies.)

I also had this little craft project waiting in the wings for some time ... a very simple prayer box.

 

You know the saying, "Give it over to God?" Well, that's just what this box is for. Often I'll say to the boys, "Let's make sure to remember [name or need] in our prayers" ... or ... "Let's give that problem to God and see what He comes up with." I thought it would be nice - especially for Earlybird - to have a hands-on activity to go along with those prompts. It serves as a gentle reminder for them *and me* to pray and trust in God.

This is a small unfinished wooden recipe box and a small wooden cross craft piece (both purchased at the craft store).

We didn't bother with painting the wood - though I did have some neat glittery, golden paint on hand ... "plain" just seemed to fit with the project itself. (Not to mention most of our learning room is adorned with unfinished wood ... and paint fumes and EB don't mix well.)

Inside I attached a prayer card on the left (a bit of the Serenity Prayer) and then set up some pieces of index card to use for prayer notes. (Any scrap paper would and will do - it's just that I had all these colorful index cards leftover from planning projects gone awry.)

And so that was a neat and easy little project - EB helped glue the cross, attach the card and cut up the index cards. And then we added our first prayer note - for a dear friend of mine, a fellow homeschooling mom, who suffered a heart attack on Labor Day. (She's home now and doing better, but of course we're still praying for her continued healing. I'd be grateful if you'd remember "Debbie" in your prayers.)

With the craft project wrapped up, it was time to embellish the cross cake ... 

... with good things like fresh whipped cream and homegrown raspberries!

Delicious and (hopefully) memorable. A little bit of faith at home, a little bit of chocolate ~ a very nice way to spend an autumn afternoon.

:) 

And so now we're heading into one of my favorite weeks on the Catholic calendar - we have Michaelmas (or the Feast of the Archangels), the Feast of St. Therese (special to Bill's beloved late Grammie) and the Feast of the Guardian Angels. And peeking into next week we have our family patron saint day ~ the Feast of Saint Francis ~ and it so happens our church is holding a "Blessing of the Pets" next Sunday. A wonderful activity for sure - but there is much debate over whether or not our Archie and Ollie would tolerate such an event!

(We'll probably skip the parish blessing - though I'd love to do it, I don't want to stress out my cats. We'll come up with something simple at home.)

So many fun things to honor and celebrate with the children all year round, but Autumn brings so many wonderful days like these. I'll be posting more on our plans for the coming season in another day or two ... for now though, I'd best wrap up and be off.

I hope you've all had a very nice weekend, and thanks so much for stopping by!

I'll see you all again very soon ...

:)

October's Fading Glory

I took this picture on our way home from the library late this afternoon. It's a landscape I drive by numerous times in any given week but something made me stop my car and really look today. Maybe it was the vibrant colors, maybe it was the low gray sky ... most likely it was the feeling that this autumn moment will be over and gone all too soon. In a week or two this pretty vista will be bare and dull, maybe wet or even frosty - as only November can be. Time flies, seasons change, life moves on ... I'm glad I spent the three minutes it took to pull over, park and snap a few pics. :)

On a completely random side note, did you know today is World Pasta Day? I happened to read that in China Bayles' Book of Days. (Fyi, I often find quirky holidays like this at this website here.) And, as it just so happened, I made baked ziti for supper tonight - a quick and easy meal before the boys headed out to soccer. It's not my favorite pasta dish, but the boys absolutely love it. Plus it's the one thing I make that all THREE of the kids agree on! (Except that Crackerjack doesn't like cheese baked on his portion of the pasta, lol.) It's also hands down the easiest meal I make. Perfect for days when we've been super busy or out and about ... or the rare evenings when one or some of us have somewhere to be.

Personally I love a good old-fashioned lasagna - meat yes, veggies no - but I haven't made one of those in a long while. I think it makes an especially nice cold weather dish. When I was younger I absolutely loved fettucini alfredo - but I find it too rich for me now. A nice angel hair spaghetti tossed with garlicky oil and sauteed shrimp and vegetables would be another preferred pasta of mine.

So now that I've given you all kinds of *ahem* food for thought - :) - I find myself wondering ~ what kind of pasta does your family enjoy? Do you make your own sauce? And have you ever made pasta from scratch?

Well, I'm going to head out, but I'll be back again soon. I hope you're all having a good week - the very last week of October!

Cornstalks and Moonlight ~ Fun on the Farm

We had SUCH fun last night at the corn maze! The weather was perfect for this tradtional fall outing - if maybe a wee bit cold. (OK, make that freezing, lol!) But the Hunter's moon was a hair's breadth from full and it was just rising as we approached the farm ...

I know that photo is a little fuzzy, but I had to post it, if only to remember how incredible it was to drive up to the farm and see this *enormous* moon rising up out of the low purple clouds.

Here are a few scenes around the farm ...

Wasn't the sky just beautiful?

 We met several homeschooling families here, who came from all over to enjoy the corn maze together. After a short instructional video, our large group was split up into bands of 5 or so. Each band received a puzzle/clue map as well as a flag which could be waved if you happened to get lost. Then we all entered the maze ... which was HUGE! It was dark of course, so we all had flashlights ~ though really, with the bright moonlight the lights weren't all that necessary. As it so happened, after all the kids were split up and parent chaperones assigned, Bill and I were left to ourselves! Lol, we were a cozy band of two, so we joked it was like a "date night" for us. (And this being our anniversary - 17 years today! - it was an especially nice treat!)

The maze was bustling in some places, and fairly quiet in others. We encountered a few bats flitting through the stalks, which was quite a surprise!

 

This was the view from the top of one of the bridges somewhere deep in the maze.

Bill and I found the exit in about 30 minutes - we were the first of our group to make it out, so we got ourselves some hot cider and settled in to wait for the rest of our gang. 

It was such a great time - some wonderful memories were made - and let me tell you - after all the (frosty) fresh air and exercise, we all slept very well last night!

The Full Hunter's Moon will be rising once again tonight, so don't forget to take a peek. Try to look close to rise time (5:47 p.m.) because the moon is especially magnificent when it's low in the sky ...

 

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)

Happy Monday Morning

A few nice things on my mind this bright Monday morning ...

We have a field trip today to a nearby forest reservation. I plan to take LOTS of pictures! Our foliage is at its peak right now and the day is just gorgeous - sunny and crisp.

***

As you can see from the picture above, our front steps are overflowing with mums in all shades of the autumn rainbow. There are some kale plants and pumpkins tucked in along the steps too.

***

Yesterday at the nursery I picked up a whole bunch of daffodil bulbs. We have plenty of crocus and snowdrops in our yard but not even one sunny little daffodil. Hopefully next spring will be a different story (if I can get these bulbs in the ground before frost!).

***

Monday is bedroom day, and I have a new set of flannel sheets in the dryer at this very moment. They're the prettiest shade of soft maroon and gray-blue plaid. They match the floral quilt and shams we have on our bed perfectly, and they are so incredibly soft. I can't wait to make up our bed fresh later today.

***

In the refrigerator I have all the fixings for a meatloaf. It's such a fall supper I think, homemade meatloaf with potatoes and some other vegetable (tonight, probably squash). Earlybird will beg for mac and cheese on the side, because he's not all that big a fan of meatloaf lol.

***

And finally, I'm very excited for my new file folder bin that Bill installed for me over the weekend. For some time now I've been wanting a better place to display my current week's folder rather than just tucked into the back of my planner. I needed to have the materials inside more accessible and I wanted to see the post-it notes I have stuck all over the front cover. This new bin seems to be the perfect solution! (A post on all this to come one day later this week.)

***

Hope your week is off to a good start ~ I'll check back in again soon! :)

Domestic Bliss ~ Morning at the Door

Looking out my front door, very early in the morning ...

It may seem old-fashioned to some, but I do this every weekday morning ~ I stand at the front door, and wave to Bill as he goes off to work. In my slippers, clutching my coffee and the Globe (which Bill has just thrown up from the driveway). Often there are smaller bodies beside me, waving as well. Earlybird just poked his head outside - it's chilly and crisp - took a big sniff and declared, "It smells like Halloween!" Lol. I know what he means. Autumn air smells so distinctive. A spring, summer or winter morning would smell nothing like this.

The door stays open throughout the early morning hours - it's comforting to see dog walkers go by, neighbors leave for work, a school bus trundle down the street. It's a small way to feel connected to the world as the new day unfolds. I also walk through the house and open window blinds, filling the house with soft light. Bedsheets are straightened, pajamas put away, the bathroom's wiped up ...

A second cup of coffee's is poured, and the day really begins. :)

I hope you all have a fantastic Friday! Any plans for the holiday weekend?

An Ode to October ...

Dear October, how I love you ...

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October." ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

Brilliant leaves in the trees, on the ground, whirling in the air ...

At the orchard we pick the last of autumn's apples ~ for sauce, for pie, for just plain good eating.

Squirrels scamper and chipmunks scurry - preparing for hard times ahead. We watch and an ancient instinct kicks in ...

There's a distinctive crunch underfoot; weekends are spent raking (and jumping in) the leaves. Tiny bulbs are planted in fertile hope of a distant spring.

Lazy days are over - it's all bustle and busy-ness now. Our thoughts turn from sandcastles to schedules.

The mornings are much colder ~ a sweater is a must before the sun rises and warms the air.

And sometime overnight, Old Frost left his kiss on the last blooms of fall ...

We return from a walk in the earthy damp woods, our pockets full of acorns and other fall treasures. We relish time spent outside before winter shuts us in.

But more often, the kitchen is the place to be these days ~ warm, bright and smelling so good. A hearty supper lures us inside before dark ...

Pumpkins are plentiful in the field and at the farmstand ~ which one should we pick? 

"October is nature's funeral month. Nature glories in death more than in life. The month of departure is more beautiful than the month of coming - October than May. Every green thing loves to die in bright colors." ~ Henry Ward Beecher  

Standing in the bleachers, watching the big game, clutching a cup of hot cider to warm us inside and out.

Distant honking draws our eyes to the skies ... a familiar V passes overhead and pulls at our heartstrings.

The landscape is ablaze with color - from orange to yellow to red. 

We make journeys big and small ~ a leaf peeping tour through the country, a canoe trip down a quiet river, a hay ride through the farm.

We visit the Country Fair and come home sticky and tired and grinning ear to ear - remembering giant pumpkins, ferris wheel rides and prize-winning hens. 

At home we dig out candles, and craft baskets and change cotton for wool.

Our thoughts turn to the holidays ... and making plans for guests, goodies, and gifts.

We create cozy corners to invite readers and nappers alike. Our need to nest these days is strong ... 

October's blessings are many ... as rich and varied as the palette itself.

How lucky we are it returns every year. 

Happy Autumn to all of my readers ... I hope your October is off to a great start!

Happy First Day Back-to-Homeschool!

It's the day after Labor Day ~ which, for us, means "Summer" is (un)officially over and we return to our homeschool routines. Are you back to business this week, too? 

Now, we don't usually need to pack lunches (unless we have a field trip or a class to attend) but I do like to have handy, nutritious snacks available for my active, hungry boys. Here's a perfect treat for that late-morning math break. I've been craving oatmeal-raisin cookies lately, but I wanted to make bars rather than cookies and this one really fit the bill ...

>>Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars from the Baking Bites blog<<

(Note: I cut the cinnamon and nutmeg by half and it was still very tasty.)

There's nothing cozier than the smell of something warm and delicious baking in your oven, especially when it involves spices, oats and brown sugar ... 

And speaking of cozy, I made our bed up fresh yesterday with our lovely fall linens, and our down comforter too ... 

Are there certain rituals you keep at this time of year? Things that mark that annual passage from Summer to Fall? 

Well, wherever you are and whatever your plans, I hope you all have a wonderful week. I'll check back in again soon! :)

When the frost is on the pumpkin ...

 

Nevermind frost! We had our first SNOW here this morning!

I honestly can't remember the last time we had snow this early in the year!

***

It's been a while since I posted and I have lots to tell you about, so I will carve some time out this weekend to write. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the weather ... whatever the weather ... wherever you are. :)

"Oh it sets my heart a-clickin like the tickin of a clock, when the frost is on the pumpkin and the fodder's in the shock ..." John Whitcomb Riley

Don't forget ~ The Harvest Moon rises this Sunday!

From SPACE.com: Traditionally, this designation goes to the full moon that occurs closest to the Autumnal (fall) Equinox.  The Harvest Moon usually comes in September, but sometimes it will fall in early October as is the case in 2009; the next time won't come until 2017.  At the peak of the harvest, farmers can work into the night by the light of this moon.  Usually the full moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later for much of Canada and Europe.  Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice -- the chief Indian staples -- are now ready for gathering.

A few books to pick up at the library this weekend ...

Hello, Harvest Moon

Possum's Harvest Moon

By the Light of the Harvest Moon

... and because I love any and all Tomie dePaola books I plan to buy a copy of this during Educator Week at Barnes & Noble (begins 10/10):

Strega Nona's Harvest

Sunday would be the perfect night for a harvest-themed supper. A slow-cooked vegetable soup maybe? Served with homemade cornbread and a slice of orchard fruit pie?

Or make a point to stop at the local farm stand to pick up whatever catches your fancy - everything looks so good at this time of year and it won't be long before the growing season is officially over and done.

And finally, here's how the moon looked last night, roundabouts 6:30 p.m.

 

 

The weather looks to be rainy this weekend with hopefully some clearing by Sunday's moonrise - wherever you live, be sure to look for it. It's sure to be quite a sight!

From the Autumn Kitchen ...

A batch of yummy cookies ...

Oatmeal-Dried Cranberry (left) and Iced Pumpkin (right).

One I found thanks to the Angry Chicken; the other I found at Google.

I had meant to make oatmeal cookies for Bill last week on our anniversary (they're his absolute favorites) but somehow that loving little gesture never came to pass. So this past Tuesday, which was a dark and rainy day - just perfect for baking - I decided the time had come. I had no raisins on hand, but a whole tub of dried cranberries, a fresh container of oats, a new carton of unsalted butter - all I needed at this point was a recipe ...

Now, I know I have a recipe for oatmeal-cranberry cookies somewhere in my bajillion cookbooks and cooking mags, but where it might be I have no clue. I didn't have the time or the energy to locate it (and this is a subject for another post), so instead I turned to good ole Google. Lickety split I found an easy recipe and an hour later my kitchen was all spicy and warm.

And the iced pumpkin cookies I made just because. (I find that roundabouts Halloween every year I have a constant craving to bake. Which is a good thing considering the holidays are right around the corner.) I saw these at the Angry Chicken and knew we had to try them. They would make a perfect Thanksgiving week treat, but truth be told, they are delicious with your morning coffee. too. ;)

A few notes about these two cookies:

*First of all, I omit the nuts called for in the oatmeal cookie recipe. Strictly speaking, we are a no-nuts kind of family - not that we have any allergies to speak of, we're just picky.

*And for another thing, actually, our pumpkin cookies are not made with pumpkin but with squash. Not for any other reason than that's what we had on hand. And even though all we grownups know pumpkin and squash are entirely interchangeable, try telling that to the kids - so I waited until after a few had been devoured (and the verdict was good) before telling the boys they were, in fact, squash cookies. Lol.

Now this is kind of cute if I do say so myself. I sprinkled the tops of a few of the cookies with some candy snowflakes and we called them, Frost on the Punkin cookies:

"Oh it sets my heart a clickin like the tickin of a clock, When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock." ~ James Whitcomb Riley

So, are you baking these days, and if so, what are you baking? Do you have a favorite autumn cookie to recommend? :)

In the KinderGarden: Seeds & the Autumn Wind

Right now we're exploring the seasonal themes of wind and seeds, so I thought I'd share a few of my ideas with you on this fine autumn morning. I hope something here might be useful to you, whether you're teaching your own children, or just looking for ways to tap into the rhythm of the natural year ...

And remember: I'm not planning on doing all these things with Earlybird! I just can't contain my enthusiasm for the seasons ~ I always brainstorm more than I could possibly do. ;)

Books to Read ~

• The Story of the Wind Children
• A Seed is Sleepy
• The Tiny Seed
• The Carrot Seed
• Seeds
• How a Seed Grows
• Pumpkin Circle
• A Fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds
• Woody, Hazel and Little Pip
• Feel the Wind

Fun Things to Make and Do ~

• Make and float bark boats on a stream.
• Find milkweed pods growing along the roadside or in a field.
• Pick and make wishes on "fairy clocks" (dandelions).
• Go on a seed scavenger hunt.
• Organize a seed collection in an empty egg carton.
• Look for and collect acorns:
  • Set out a pile for squirrels.
  • Plant one acorn in a little pot. (Tall oaks from little acorns grow.)
• Hang sunflower heads for birds to eat.
• Open various fruits and vegetables and look at the seeds inside.
• Roast pumpkin seeds (lightly tossed with butter and cinnamon-sugar - yum).
• Find the magic star inside the apple.
• Lie on your backs and find shapes in the clouds
• Make seed-folk out of natural materials; add them to the nature shelf.
• Make seed ornaments for the Christmas tree.
• Go kite-flying on a windy day.
• Make simple pinwheels.
• Make potpourri (to give as holiday gifts).

A Poem (or Three) to Know ~

In their husks, their shells and clusters,

In their pods, the seeds on high,

Wait to hear the Autumn whisper

“Little seeds it’s time to fly.”

Then they lightly leave their branches

Pop and burst and tumble down,

Hasten, hurry, rush and scurry,

Hide in Mother Earth’s warm gown.

              (J. Mehta)

In a milkweed cradle all close and warm,

Little seeds are hiding safe from harm.

Open wide the cradle now, hold it high.

Come along wind, help them fly!

(A fingerplay from Earthways by Carol Petrash)

Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling
The wind is passing thro'.

Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads
The wind is passing by

(Christina Rossetti)

And now I'm off to tend to my boys who are in the midst of preparing themselves breakfast while their mum sneaks in a few more minutes on the computer ... :) Thanks for stopping by this morning ~ I hope you all have a wonderful day!

~*Halloween Week Happenings*~

Monday, October 27, 2008

Housekeeping: clean bedrooms, change bedding, laundry

Dinner: turkey meatloaf, maple-roasted acorn squash, rice pilaf

Learning: math, vocabulary, spelling, history, religion

Activities: a visit with Gram after supper

***

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Housekeeping: clean upstairs bathroom, clean living room, laundry

Dinner: smorgasboard night (aka leftovers! J)

Learning: math, vocabulary, spelling, history, science

Activities: Earlybird’s therapy, Library stop

***

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Housekeeping: clean kitchen, start grocery list

Dinner: whole-wheat spaghetti and meatballs, salad, crusty bread

Learning: math, vocabulary, spelling, history, religion (tea)

***

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Housekeeping: clean dining room & family room, finalize weekend lists

Dinner: squash soup, grilled cheese & tomato sandwiches, garlic-rosemary homefries

Learning: math, vocabulary, spelling, history, science

Activities: orthodontist appointment, market stop

***

Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!

Housekeeping: Clear and organize learning spaces, neaten for the weekend.

Dinner: homemade mac & cheese, kielbasa, roasted autumn veggies, pumpernickel bread

Learning: A day off from formal lessons!

Activities: (See below!)

*  *

*

*****

~ Other Holiday & Seasonal Notes ~

***

Bill takes a vacation day on October 31st every year, so we can spend Halloween together as a family. We always take the boys to the town farm to pick out pumpkins, and then to a favorite bakery for “gingerbread” muffins. We take the muffins and coffee with us as we walk around a lake and visit a local cemetery (there are graves from colonial times here).

Back at home we carve our jack o’lanterns (out on the deck to minimize the mess) and spend time cleaning up the yard – raking, clearing spent growth, etc. We might even have a little chiminea fire if the day is not too warm. (The forecast right now is sunny and near 70.) Back inside, we'll pop in a holiday classic, pop up some popcorn and roast some seeds. I start mulling a pot of cider in the late afternoon so the house smells wonderful by the time the sun sets. Just before supper, the boys will don their costumes (Anakin Skywalker, a Clone Trooper and a Pirate this year) and we'll take them over to Mum and Dad's so the boys can trick or treat Nana, Papa and Damee. Later on, after supper, our friends will arrive – as well as our beloved Uncle Matt – and Bill and the boys will head out for tricks or treats, while I stay home to answer the door.

When the gang returns we’ll sip our hot spiced cider, nibble cookies and trade candy till the eyelids start to droop and the doorbell stops ringing. Then it will be time to snuff the candles and say our goodnights, and Halloween will be over till next year.

***

At our weekly tea (of which we’ve been neglectful lately) I plan to serve pumpkin muffins and Halloween Cocoa ~ basically a Mexican hot chocolate (dark and spicy) with special Halloween marshmallows the boys picked out. Over tea, we'll choose saints to study this year.

***

Make soul cakes (follow recipe in Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions).

***

Decorate mantel with tealights, marigolds and photographs of loved ones who have passed away.

***

Fall Back one hour (Daylight Savings Time ends).

***

Attend a Saints Day parade at church.

***

Make up book basket for November.

***

Serve Mexican for Sunday's supper.

***

Clear off and re-do bulletin board for November; set up Grateful Tree.

***

Well, that should keep us busy for a while ... good thing there are seven days in a week! I'll check back in again soon, but in the meantime, I hope you all enjoy a lovely last week of October. :)

When fall comes to New England ...

This past weekend was so lovely ~ temps in the low 50s, a brilliant sky, and a chilly breeze overall. When fall comes to New England,* it's time to bundle up and get out there to enjoy nature's last dance of glory.

And where does one find fall at its best? Well, everywhere and anywhere, of course - within the deepest of woods, at the peak of the hills, and right inside our own garden gate.

I hope you enjoy these random autumn pictures, taken on family jaunts to the woods, the seaside, the fair and the farm ... and a very happy fall to you all.

It will not always be like this,
The air windless, a few last
Leaves adding their decoration
To the trees’ shoulders, braiding the cuffs
Of the boughs with gold; a bird preening

In the lawn’s mirror. Having looked up
From the day’s chores, pause a minute,
Let the mind take its photograph
Of the bright scene, something to wear
Against the heart in the long cold.

           ~ R.S. Thomas

*Please do take a moment to listen to Cheryl Wheeler's amazing song, When Fall Comes to New England. She is one of my favorite folk singers (introduced to me by my parents!), and her song - in a beautiful and sentimental way - captures the essence of autumn where I live. Click and enjoy. :)

Monday's Muse ~ First Frost

He comes, he comes, the Frost Spirit comes! You may trace his footsteps now, on the naked woods and the blasted fields and the brown hills withered brow.

He has smitten the leaves of the gray old trees where their pleasant green came forth, and the winds, which follow wherever he goes, have shaken them down to earth.

                           ~ John Greenleaf Whittier ~

We had a hard frost last night! Actualy, I must confess that I don't know the true definition of a hard frost - as opposed to a light one - but as I walked out early this morning to fetch the paper, I noticed the lawn had a silver sheen, and the leaves were particularly crunchy underfoot. An hour later I watched as Bill had to scrape his windshield before leaving for work. And sadly, our chrysanthemums have seen better days ...

So the Frost Spirit returns, and it's time once again to think winter thoughts ... what's your Monday muse this morning?

Off now to get our day rolling ~ hope yours is a good one!

An Autumn Amble ...

~*Amble: n. An unhurried or leisurely walk.*~

One of my favorite things about teaching my children at home is the freedom we have - generally speaking - to do what we wish with our days. Here's where our home learning took us today ...

”Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” ~ Eddie Cantor

Kinderweek ~ Leaves and the Letter F

This happens to be peak foliage time around here, so I planned some fun "leaf" learning for our Earlybird this week. Here are a few of my ideas:

Books to Read:

• The Leaf Man
• Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
• Fletcher and the Falling Leaves
• Why do Leaves Change Colors?

Things to Do:

• collect leaves
• make leaf rubbings
• rake leaves
• (then jump in the piles, natch)
• bake leaf-shaped cookies
• make a leaf mobile

Possible Field Trips:

• go on a family tree walk along the bike path
• stop by the nursery to buy fall flowers
• visit the farm to pick fruit

A Poem/Song to Learn:

Come little leaves said the wind one day ...

Letter F Activities:

• watch the falling leaves
• fall down in leaf piles
• talk about fall (aka autumn)
• play freeze tag
• fingerpaint (yellow/red)
• play follow the leader
• toss the football in the backyard
• work on Friends & Famly photo album
• flip Father Bear's Famous Flying Flapacks (Little Bear, anyone?)
• fly (and honk) like Canada geese
• find fairy homes in the woods
• smell the fall flowers
• look for frost in the morning
• fill the (bird)feeders
• buy fruit at the farmstsand
• arrange a fruit basket (cornucopia)
• play "fur or feathers?" re backyard animals

We are blessed with a warm and sunny week up here in New England - these Indian Summer days are always a treat. (Our winters are dark and cold, and ... long.) I hope these Kinder ideas give you some autumn inspiration, but most of all I hope you are enjoying these beautiful October days! :)

October's Moon

Theres a ring around the moon
Tonight
And a chill in the air
And a fire in the stars that
Hang so near ... ~ Dan Fogelberg*

It was just after the supper dishes were cleared when Earlybird called out from the family room:

"The moon! The moon! Come see the moon, Mama!"

And what a moon it was. We spent a good bit of time out on our deck tonight, a chill in the air, the darkness all aroud us, and that glistening orb suspended above ...

There's nothing quite like an autumn moon ...

*Who could be my all-time favorite musical artist, child of the 80s that I am. I mean, how can you beat The Leader of the Band? :)

Poetry Friday: October's Party

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
      ~George Cooper

I took this picture just a few minutes ago in the backyard - I just couldn't help marveling at the way the fiery foliage stood out against the brilliant blue sky. We're in for a beautiful weekend up here in New England - sunny, highs in the 60s. Football weather, we call this. :)

I am going to be take a blogging break over the weekend, as it figures to be a busy one for us. I've got about 101 errands to run and Bill is helping my dad with some house projects. I do want to remind you all that tomorrow begins the Barnes & Noble Educator's Discount Week - yippee! Definitely a good excuse to pop in for a pumpkin spice latte and maybe a little early Christmas shopping.

So for now, I wish all my dear readers a wonderful Columbus Day weekend, and I'll see you all again sometime soon ...