By Sun and Candlelight

Friday Felines & Other Fun Things ... :D

All together now:

Awwww ...

Why yes, we did put those boxes under that bench, just for you guys. Why else would those boxes be there?

This picture just cracks me up: Archie laying on top of Earlybird's stuff - backpack, sneakers and hat. He has a thing about being smack dab in the middle of things ...

Ollie, meanwhile, likes to curl up somewhere out of the way - for instance, in the basement windows:

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Today we had our last Book Group meeting of the year (June's title: A Wrinkle in Time). Bookworm gave the moms a break and led the kids' discussion this month (he's going to do this next year, too). After the meeting ended, my friend Jenney and I took the kids out for ice cream ...

A Beautiful Spring Friday - a great day to enjoy ice cream with friends. :) And while we were there we were visited by a red-winged blackbird.  

Later, back at home, we spotted this cool little moth(?) in the clover patch.

And I'm very happy to report the lavender is blooming!

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Friday is desk day ...

 ❤ I'm a little in love with my desk. ❤

And guess what this is?

It's Crackerjack's new Lego Store Lego set!

He got this "exclusive set" last Saturday at the grand opening of a local Lego Store. It wasn't free, but you would get it for free if you spent $30 - which CJ was fully prepared to do. He and Bookworm had been saving money for some Lord of the Rings sets, so all in all, it was a pretty big day in this Lego neighborhood. :)

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Well, my friends, I hope you've all had a nice Friday. Boy, did that week fly by fast! And now another weekend is upon us ...do you have any special plans? Bookworm is taking the SAT again tomorrow (prayers are much appreciated!) and Crackerjack's team (tied for 1st place) has its final regular game of the season. Also, my "little" brother turns 40 (40!) this Monday so we'll be having a special little dinner for him on Sunday.

Lots of nice things to look forward to ...

See you all again very soon!

Some Thoughts on the Weekly Routine

Some from me, and some from Cheryl Mendelson, author of Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House (one of my favorite domestic how-to books). I must admit I've not read the whole book - which is exceedingly thorough - but I have a special fondness for the first chapter in particular. It's entitled, "Easing into a Routine," and I've read and re-read this section so many times, my book is now falling apart ...

"For at least a hundred years and probably much longer, the heart of housework was a weekly routine that assigned each of the major housekeeping chores to one day of the week. You see variants of the routine, but in my childhood people did washing (laundering) on Monday, ironing on Tuesday, sewing on Wednesday, marketing on Thursday, cleaning on Friday, and baking on Saturday. Sunday was the day of rest. For those of us who can remember the universality with which this system was followed through the mid-1960s, or even later in some areas, the speed and totality of its disappearance are breathtaking."

I do start my laundries on Monday (I say start, because I never finish in one day) but I neither iron nor sew. (At least, not with any regularity or skill.) Bill takes his work clothes to an environmentally-friendly dry cleaner and if we need something sewn ... well, I go to my mum, lol. I do do my major marketing on the weekend (when I can go sans children) but I'm starting to really dislike my whole Saturday "running errands" routine. It just takes up too much of our family weekend time, and by the time I get home I'm exhausted. I'd like to change things up a bit and do my marketing mid-week if possible.

As for Friday cleaning, this makes sense because I like to get the house ready for the weekend - for potential/spontaneous entertaining and hopefully lots of family relaxation. (Though in reality, I spread my cleaning out because A. we're home much of the week so I actually can clean a little each day and B. we're home much of the week so we do tend to make messes each day!) Saturday baking is a wonderful idea - you'll have something lovely to serve with Sunday Dinner of perhaps after church, and hopefully there will be some nice baked goods for breakfasts and lunches through the upcoming week. I bet if I give up my Saturday errands I'd have more energy for baking!

Ms. Mendelson goes on to further discuss the weekly routines ...

"But there is still room in the home for a weekly housekeeping routine, and I strongly recommend you devise one for yourself. This is the main thing you can do to make your home work well. Your list of weekly chores will still include marketing, house-cleaning, laundering, and sometimes, ironing. However, in place of a sewing day, you might have a day for doing odd jobs, such as mending, sewing on buttons or hemming, cooking ahead food for freezing, paying bills or balancing your checkbook. You may also want a "minicleaning day," or a day on which you do an abbreviated version of your regular housecleaning. This is a particularly good idea for households that are very active or in which there are children, pets, allergies, or other situations that might make extra cleaning desirable."

(Not to mention, necessary!)

Ok, so there's some food for thought! I thought I might post quotes from favorite housekeeping books every so often. I happen to love reading these books, and often find myself inspired and invigorated after soaking in these little nuggets of wisdom. :)

I'd love to know what your favorite homekeeping resources are ... please leave a comment below, if you have the time!

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Well, my friends, we've got a busy day ahead of us, but I'll try to pop back in again later today. Till then, have a good one!

See you again very soon ...

❤

And the book goes to ...

 Cristina!

Congratulations, Cristina! I absolutely loved your apron comment:

"I've recently come to appreciate aprons, the more feminine and lovely, the better! They help me to embrace my work at home as something special."

How beautifully put, Cristina! I'll be in touch soon to sort out mailing details. I hope you enjoy Apronisms as much as I have!

And thank you to everyone who shared their apron sentiments with me. I so enjoyed reading each comment, and I truly appreciate the time you each took to participate!

Oh, and by the way ... author EllynAnne Geisel has a website that looks chock-a-block full of fun things. I'm looking forward to checking it out later today. :)

***

Well, my friends, I hope you all have a nice Wednesday ... I must be off for now, but as always thanks so much for stopping by. See you again very soon!

❤

Tuesday Tidbit: On Housekeeping

Good afternoon, everyone!

Wow, has my day ever been busy so far! I feel like I've barely had a minute to think. Well, that's not entirely true ... I did have my chance. Crackerjack had an orthodontist appointment this morning, which went rather long (as these things tend to do) and so I got to sit (SIT!) and just relax. So I perused their extensive magazine selection, and once I'd exhausted that, I dug into the book I had stuck in my bag ... The Apron Book, which I mentioned to you all yesterday. And as I really enjoyed this particular quote, I thought I'd share it today with my readers:

Everything in Its Place

You can say what you want about housework - dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and so forth - but besides having dinner together every night, there's nothing more valuable to a household than order. A tidy home provides structure for family life and an oasis from the chaos of daily living. And these sorts of household chores keep us in touch with our possessions, ideally in a constant state of measuring their value in our lives. Housekeeping chores are made for divvying up among family members - cleaning gets done more quickly, everyone is invested in the care of the home, and good habits are established and shared all the way around.

That said, white-glove tests and the like have no place in busy, happy homes. Schedule top-to-bottom, inside-out housecleaning for twice a year, in springtime, and then again in the fall. And in the meantime, just be systematic and efficient, addressing a small handful of straightforward chores every day (say, kitchen and bathroom cleanup, and a daily sweep for surface clutter) and keeping larger chores few and simple and less frequent (dusting, vacuuming, or laundry, for example). 

I love reading such a positive, practical attitude toward housekeeping! Especially when it's expressed so eloquently. We all have to do it - keep house that is, in some form or another - so we might as well try to appreciate its value. (And think of ways to make it easier!)

Well my friends, the afternoon's ticking on, and I must be off ... but I want to thank you all for sharing your "apron thoughts" with me in yesterday's post. I'm having such fun reading through them. :)

See you all again very soon!

❤

"A Bit of Cloth and Comfort"

 (And another giveaway!)

It's National Apron Day, my friends!

Are you wearing yours? I'm wearing mine ... or I will be, later today when I head into the kitchen to start supper. It's a national holiday after all!

In the spirit of the day, I'd like to share a quote from a book I am enjoying right now, The Apron Book: Making, Wearing, and Sharing a Bit of Cloth and Comfort:

"Even though women are now fully entrenched in the workplace, they are also back to cooking and sewing and crafting and nesting like never before. Seems like there are whole cable channels devoted to what amounts to the very fine art of homemaking! So aprons are coming out of the attic and back to the kitchen. And if we aren't lucky enough to uncover a handed-down family apron, we're scouring thrift stores for them or sewing them up for ourselves. It's not just some retro trend or nostalgia for a simpler time that makes us want to take up our aprons again. It's part of a movement to reconnect to our love of home and family, as ever expressed in the many shapes and colors and adornments of the humble but lovely American apron."

❤

I do have a handed-down apron - as I've blogged about before - but I don't wear it regularly. Since I'm a stay-at-home mom, on an average day I'm usually wearing "house clothes" to begin with - i.e. clothes that can stand to get messy. But I like the idea (and look) of an apron. It's useful of course, but I also like how wearing an apron makes me feel. I know some of you (many I'd suspect) know what I mean by that. :)

So, now about that giveaway!

The above mentioned book is really quite lovely, but I don't own a copy - my local library does. :) I do however own a tiny little book called Apronisms (by the same author) and it's full of bits of "Pocket Wisdom for Every Day." And when I say tiny, I mean it can fit in the palm of your hand! Its small size makes it all the more charming, however, and it's full of sweet sentiments and pretty pictures. I've read it enough times that I've fully enjoyed it, and now I'd like to pass it on to someone else to enjoy.

***

So to enter the giveaway, simply leave me a comment and answer me this:

Do you own an apron? And/or do you have any apron memories to share?

If you have no apron, or apron memories to share, you are still welcome to enter the giveaway ... just say 'hello' and you're in. :) And on Wednesday morning (my assigned kitchen day) I will post the winner of Apronisms.

Till then, I wish you the very best luck ... and I look forward to hearing from you!

What's in Your Library Bag this Week?

Our haul this week includes:

Let's Go Home: The Wonderful Things About a House by Cynthia Rylant

(This one's for Earlybird, part of our ongoing "homes and shelters" study. I love Cynthia Rylant books and I adore Wendy Anderson Halperin's illustrations - so cozy, inviting, and nostalgic.)

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

(I saw this book mentioned and/or reviewed in several places a few weeks ago - it's set against the Titanic tragedy, so it garnered a lot of buzz. It's an interesting premise and I love historical fiction, so ... I'll give it a try!)

The Apron Book: Making, Wearing and Sharing a Bit of Cloth and Comfort by EllynAnne Geisel

(This looks like a colorful and interesting book! I'd love to make myself an apron ... a potential summer project ... I'll choose a very simple pattern, since I have little to no sewing experience. ;))

Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson

(The younger boys and I are studying/exploring fruits & vegetables this spring ... and Bill loves fruit desserts best of all ... plus I love cooking "in season" ... so this book seems a good fit! First to try: an "apple and rhubarb pandowdy.")

The Miracle Worker

(Crackerjack is learning about Helen Keller at the moment. We'll view this movie as a family over the weekend.)

Farmer Boy Days adapted from The Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder

(A read-aloud for EB, who's learning about farms and farming this year.)

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Also on the hold shelf, to be picked up later today or possibly, this weekend:

Shakespeare's Flowers by Jessica Kerr

(I mentioned this book in my Shakespeare post ... I'm pondering a summer unit study.)

At the Farmers' Market with Kids: Recipes and Projects for Little Hands by Leslie Jonath

(This goes hand in hand with the farming study *and* the fruit and vegetable study. :))

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

(For Bookworm's "Brit Lit" discussion group; this is the May selection.)

... and, finally ...

The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making by Alana Chernila

(As discussed in yesterday's post - this actually isn't available yet, but hopefully it will be soon. I love to make stuff from scratch ... one of my "Earth Day" resolutions this year is to use less packaged/convenience foods and learn how to make/bake more things at home using preferred ingredients. I think this book will help me with this endeavor!)

So I'm in a curious mood today ... a little later on I'm going to ask you about file folders, but right now I'm wondering ...

*** What's in YOUR library bag this week? ***

Leave a comment if you'd care to ... but either way, have a great day!

:)

John James Audubon's Birthday ...

I just found out it's today!

The Massachusetts Audubon Society was asking its members to report in on chipmunk activity, and since we just spotted our first chipmunk of the year, I jumped into the conversation ... and that's when I noticed another member wishing the late Mr. Audubon "best birthday wishes."

:)

Well! As long-time members of the MAS (and life-long nature lovers), I consider this a great day to celebrate in some small way or another!

First, we could learn more about the man himself, and the society set up in his name. There are things to read online, but I also found a 55-minute documentary called, John James Audubon: Drawn by Nature. It is available on Netflix as "streaming" video, which means you can watch it immediately if you subscribe to that service (which we do). This will be something nice to watch with the kids after dinner!

There are (of course) a few books at the library I'd like to check out ...

The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon

John Audubon: Young Naturalist

John James Audubon's Journal of 1826: The Voyage to the Birds of America

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And naturally, we took extra-special care to fill all our birdfeeders today!

Now, speaking of special days that are nature and history related ... tomorrow is Arbor Day ... and I have a very special post planned for that. :)

Hope you're all having a great day!

❤

Wednesday is Kitchen Day ...

And here is what I just requested through interlibrary loan:

The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying & Start Making by Alana Chernila.

The Boston Globe has a big article today about this book, and that's how I first heard of it. (How I love Wednesdays - it's Food Pages day!) I immediately looked Homemade Pantry up at Amazon, and then checked my local library's website ... and sure enough, there are a couple of copies in circulation. But since both are checked out, I added myself to the wait list ... and I can be patient ... when I must.

:)

Well, I hope you all have a nice day. Wednesday is my "kitchen day" which means I spend some time in there cleaning and taking stock ... starting a shopping list for the weekend and a menu for next week. Oh, and did you know it's National Zucchini Bread Day? That seems like rather odd timing since zucchini is such a summer garden staple ... but it also freezes well, so chances are one might have a package of shredded squash stashed away in the deep-freeze. Two cups worth would fit my quick bread recipe quite nicely!

Have a great day, everyone ... I'll be back later to check in.

❤

A Tea for Shakespeare's Birthday

As I mentioned in my earlier post, today is England's National Day (aka St. George's Day), and it is also the birthday of one of the most famous Englishmen, William Shakespeare. As an American of English descent (on both sides!) as well as a self-confessed Anglophile, I feel this is a fantastic day for my family to celebrate! (It's also the feast day of a great Catholic saint - Crackerjack's favorite - so there's that as well. :))

So I pulled out my olde Norton Anthology of English Literature from my college years (which I've since given to Bookworm for "Brit Lit") and perused some of the Bard's sonnets. I even read a couple out loud in case anyone was listening. (I don't think they were, lol.)

 Now, I have a St. George's Dinner planned for tonight, but I thought I might incorporate some kind of dish to represent Shakespeare. So I googled a little but alas, all I could find was a "Shakespeare's Tea." Apparently it was mentioned in The Winter's Tale (act 4). I don't have the specific herbal ingredients on hand, but I thought I might add them to my garden plans this year. They are all readily available, easy-to-grow plants.

Here's the recipe, just in case you're curious:

Ingredients

• • 1 cup dried lavender flowers
  • 2 cups roughly cut dried peppermint
  • 1 cup dried summer savory
  • 1 cup dried sweet marjoram
  • 1 cup dried whole calendula flowers

Directions

1. Here is a dried tea blend to keep you young and warm-blooded all winter!
2. Collect your herbs mid-summer and rub off the stems when dried.
3. Crumble the Peppermint leaves to match the size of the other greens.
4. If your Calendulas are huge, break in half when dry.
5. Use 1 tsp per cup.
6. In a pot add 1 tsp per person and 1 for the pot!
7. Steep 3 minutes.

How neat! 

And if you happen to have a copy of China Bayles' Book of Days (an absolute favorite of mine) for today's page there is a checklist of herbs and flowers to include in a Shakespearean-themed garden. They all show up in one way or another throughout his works.

(If you don't have that boo,k and you're intersested in the checklist, let me know in the comments below - I'd be glad to type it up and send it to you. :)

Now, I may not devote a whole garden to this particular theme, but a few planter-pots would be fun! Maybe a windowbox devoted to the herbal tea mentioned above? Ooh, I can just imagine the possibilities! This would make a great summer homeschooling project, methinks! I can see a whole notebook devoted to Shakespeare ... poems, narrations, research ... nicely embellished with pressed herbs and flowers related to his works. In fact, I just requested this lovely little book from our library, and I've added a project page behind the May tab in my Yearbook binder ...

But I'm getting carried away now (as I'm wont to do), so I'll wrap up what was meant to be a quick mid-morning post!

I hope you're all having a lovely Monday - rain or shine, busy or no. Thanks so much for stopping by ... I will see you again very soon!

Irish Blessings

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

I'm a little early for St. Pat's, but I was looking for Irish prayers this morning and came across the lovely one above. I just had to share it with you all. :)

And speaking of sharing, I so wish we could all sit down and have a cup of tea together, and maybe one of my freshly baked bran muffins ...

These are really nice with tea ... and a dab of maple butter. :)

Also wanted to show you this pretty Celtic cross EB and I made this morning ...

And here's a charming book I've been paging through ...

(Note: The above link takes you to Amazon, but I picked up this softcover version at Barnes & Noble for $8.98. The illustrations alone are just gorgeous! Very colorful and "vintage" looking.)

*†*

Now, St. Patrick's Day is this Saturday, and that's nice because the whole family can celebrate together. First off, I have a new book to share with Earlybird: Saint Patrick and the Three Brave Mice. It's a very sweet tale (the mice help St. Patrick chase the last snake from Ireland), but he's a little skittish about snakes, so we'll see how it goes!

Another idea for the day - especially as the weather is supposed to be nice - would be to go for a "Green Walk." While walking the neighborhood or perhaps through the woods, we would look for a bit o' the green here and there i.e. - signs of spring life! And to make this walk even more "green" we can take along a trash bag and do a bit of "earthkeeping" as we go along ...

Back home, in the evening, we'll enjoy an "Irish" supper ... and I'm not exactly sure exactly what that means yet, but I've got my thinking cap on! After supper we might watch this old movie because not only is it old-fashioned fun, but the Irish scenery is so very lovely ... and of course, Bill and I will enjoy a traditional cup of Irish Coffee before bed.

❤

Well, what started as a "quick morning post" became something rather lengthy! But now I'd best be off ... but I'd love to hear about your St. Patrick's Day plans! And I'll have more "Irish" to share tomorrow when I sit down for my weekly tea. :)

Until then, have a good one, my friends! See you again very soon ...

Two Lovely 'Lady' Reads

One is tiny, one is big ... both are just delightful!

Vintage Notions: An Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing, Fashion and Fun ... is a book I take out from the library every so often. Eventually I will buy it, I think, as I'm only allowed to keep it for two weeks at a time! It's a thick, hardcover book, filled with old-fashioned illustrations and essays on all matters of homekeeping and femininity. Written for the woman of the 1920's (but completely enjoyable no matter the age), the book is divided by seasons, and a wide range of topics are addressed. Topics include: "The Secrets of a Perfect Pie," "Hats for the Season," "Planning Meals without Meat," "Making a Summer Purse," "The Festive Touch at Yuletide," and "The Well Dressed Table," to name just a few.

There's a good deal of information about sewing and needlework - particularly clothesmaking - and many patterns are included. And sprinkled throughout are feel-good, can-do messages, all set against a most charming design.

A quote I love is this ...

"Cultivate a sense of appreciation. Love your work, trust your work, keep in touch with today. Teach yourself to be practical, up-to-date and sensible. You cannot fail." ~ Henry van Dyke

Now, Apronisms: Pocket Wisdom for Every Day ... was an impulse buy at Amazon. It's a tiny little book - it fits in your palm! - but chock-full of sweetness and good sense. There are many colorful pages and cheerful thoughts and lots and lots of pretty aprons. It's filled with tips and funny little theories on life.

I liked this quote:

"Change the dishtowel. Hang a fresh dishtowel and your kitchen will look neater and cleaner, even when it isn't! Note the satisfaction you feel when draping an ironed towel on the oven door. Vintage tea towels. Embroidered beauties. Simple renewal."

{And while we're on the subject of aprons, here is a long-ago post I did on my apron - or my apron for the day. You know, that might be a nice Lenten project ~ making a 'spring cleaning' apron. Hmmm ... }

x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x

Well, Happy Friday, my friends! Today begins the Great Backyard Bird Count and also, this Sunday brings National Chocolate Mint Day. (Yes, I have plans for both!) Monday is President's Day and - I can hardly believe it - this week we begin Lent! Has time ever flown this winter ...

And I'm happy to report Earlybird is feeling MUCH better this morning. It seems he's past the worst of it ~ now for some rest and rehydration. (And perhaps a little fresh air, too - it's supposed to be 50 degrees here today!)

I may be back later today with some Friday Felines ... I have some cute photos saved up. But we'll see what the day brings. I do hope the day brings you, my friends, much joy and good health. 

And thanks for stopping by ... I'll see you again very soon!

❤

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!

:)

A Few Friday Thoughts ...

First of all, Happy Weekend, my friends! Any special plans on the docket?

As I sip my coffee this morning (I'm on cup #2), I've got lots of thoughts tumbling around in my head ~ so here I am to share them with you all!

❤

Our last soccer game of the year is tomorrow ~ and the weather should be terrific!

We must not forget to "Fall Back" bright dark and early Sunday morning ...  

Crackerjack has Book Group today; the kids read Thimble Summer this month. Next month will be Bud, Not Buddy - and since I'm leading the December discussion I'd best get reading! :)

Speaking of reading, I'm also working through Last Child in the Woods - our homeschool support group meeting this month will focus on this book. (A topic about which I feel quite strongly!)

I'm also having a haircut today - just a trim, but I'm well overdue!

We've been watching that new show "Once Upon a Time." It's pretty interesting, and the boys are enjoying it. Bill and I also checked out "Grimm" but that's definitely a grown-ups only show. 

What's the next movie in your Netflix queue? Ours is Thor - Bill and I will preview it and then see if it's OK for 12 yo Crackerjack to watch (it's rated PG-13). (If you've seen it, I'd love your opinion!)

As for going TO the movies, I'm looking forward to seeing Breaking Dawn, pt. 1 later this month (date night with Bill!) and the boys are eager to see Sherlock Holmes 2, coming out in December.

In planning news, think I have a new weekly planning sheet "prototype" in the works! I'm tinkering with it and trying it out with next week's folder. I'll keep  you all posted!

We simply MUST get those spring bulbs in the ground this weekend! That ground won't stay "diggable" much longer ...

Bill's taking some time off next week so he can get the flooring done in the dining room. (It's the same wood we used in the sitting/learning room.) Think he can get it done by Thanksgiving? Let's hope so!

As for tonight's supper menu? Grilled turkey burgers, cornbread stuffing, maple carrots & parsnips, and cranberry sauce. You all must think we eat nothing but turkey burgers, lol - but honestly, we love them. And it's supposed to be a nice day, so we'll take one more grill if we can!

And looking ahead to next Friday ...

Martinmas, or, the Feast of St. Martin, will be here! The legend behind this saint is lovely, especially for this time of year. As per tradition, I'll bake horseshoe cookies and we'll place our lanterns in the window, to spread light against the darkening sky. (Ours will be fairly humble, but here are some pretty "lanterns" that would make beautiful holiday centerpieces.) Despite a predicted warm spell ("St. Martin's or Indian Summer"), I'll have new pajamas for each of the boys - a symbol of warmth and caring in the face of a coming winter. We'll also spend the week filling a box with donations for our parish food drive.  

❤

Well, my boys are up now, and breakfast requests are being made, so I'd best be off. (My breakfast? Well, there's COFFEE ... and then, toasted tuscan bread with just a bit of butter - delicious!)

I hope you all have a GREAT Friday, dear readers ...

Take care, and I will see you all again very soon.

:)

Wordy Wednesday

 

I am so sad to have to return this lovely library book today, but I've renewed it as many times as I could! It's one of those rare books that is as pleasant to read as it is just to look at ...

And while I'm certainly no seamstress, I got much more than just sewing advice from this book. I also got household advice, seasonal suggestions, old-fashioned recipes, and hints for making ends meet ... but most of all, I got a renewed sense of how important my "work" as a homemaker (and tender of dear hearts and souls) really is. And best of all, all of this domestic delight is wrapped up in a very charming package. I highly recommend Vintage Notions to anyone who relishes all that's entailed in caring for one's home and family, whether you're handy with a needle or not!

 The above quote is featured on the "September" chapter's title page, and I think it's just perfect - so I thought I'd share it with you all today.

So enjoy your day, my friends ... and enjoy your work, too, whatever (and whomever) it entails! I will see you all again very soon.

:)

Sweet Summer Bites

~• Strawberries-and-Cream Mini Muffins •~

Kelly asked me to share this recipe, and of course I'm very glad to! I originally found it in People Magazine; it was featured in a special section about the Royal Wedding. The recipe is by Nigella Lawson (whose "Domestic Goddess book" I love) and very easy to whip up. Tender, fragrant and moist, these are perfect for this time of year - when local strawberries ripe and ready to pick!

Kelly, you can find the recipe here. Just click on the "recipe" tab. :)

Note: these are pretty sweet, so play around with the sugar amount if you'd like. I liked them as they were (they reminded me of the very best strawberry jam) but Crackerjack found them "too sweet." (Which stunned me, lol!) Also, in humid weather, they spoil quickly, so keep them someplace cool if you can ... or eat them all up in one go!

(Another side note ~ I remember one year for Mother's Day, back when Bill and I were first married, I baked fresh strawberry breads for all the moms and grandmoms. They were so very good! I'm pretty sure I followed a recipe from one of these two lovely cookbooks. I haven't looked at those books (shower gifts, if I remember) in a long time, but I treasured them for many years. I'll have to go digging downstairs this weekend.)

These days I've been in a real baking mood, which is kind of odd considering we're on the cusp of summer - hardly the time of year to enjoy one's "warm, cozy" kitchen! (Hot and stuffy, more like.) Earlybird and I enjoy watching food television together, and the other day we watched Martha Stewart prepare some gorgeous pound cakes. Now to my mind, pound cake is perhaps the perfect summertime dessert - it pairs so beautifully with sweet seasonal fruits and fresh whipped cream ... maybe a drizzle of lemon glaze or berry coulis. A cool - but still comforting - dessert. (I'm a cake girl, but I'll admit hand pies and fruit crisps make a strong case for perfection as well.)

Well, now that I've got us all dreaming of summer desserts, I'd best go check my oven. I have a lasagna baking for dinner tonight and boy, does it smell good in here!

Have a great night, my friends ... stay safe and be well. See you again here very soon.

:)

A Beloved Childhood Book

My mum found this tiny treasure in her attic the other day and I recognized it immediately ~ my little Kate Greenaway's Birthday Book!

I've been enthralled with Kate Greenaway for as long as I've "known" her (and thanks to my grandmother, I knew her at an early age). Throughout my childhood I collected little books - coloring books especially - that featured Kate Greenaway's lovely, old-fashioned drawings. I remember watching my mum (who was the best "colorer" ever, anywhere, hands-down) gently shade in the pretty pictures and bring them to life. I also remember honestly wanting to live in Kate Greenaway's world!

I had such fun flipping through this book the other day, I thought I'd share a few pages here with my readers. I'd imagine I have some kindred Kate Greenaway fans reading my blog!

Inside the book I have the names of all my family and school friends (boys and girls, young and old). I also have some cute "domestic" notes regarding family habits and my "babies" (i.e. dolls) and their basic needs. Lol, I guess I started young!

Each day of the year has a birthday verse, note space, and a small illustration. 

Some note spaces were assigned a birthday girl's or boy's name; some note spaces were filled with my third-grade thoughts. :)

And this is how I knew the book was from 3rd grade - that was the year we went to Disney World (1977)! That last note reads: Cynthia Betsy Riley, Newborn Gerber, Baby Aspirin, Jonson clothes. Lol, I was such a little mother - to my (real) baby brother and my baby dolls as well! Apparently, March 8th was "Cynthia's" birthday.

The book is also filled with beautiful, full page, full-color illustrations ...

Another note page ...

I have to smile at my eight year-old self, so earnest in her note-taking ... and seeing all the names of my grammar school classmates was a fun stroll down memory lane. 

 Now, if you'd like ~ tell me your birthdate in the comment box below, and I will "read" you the Kate Greenaway poem for your special day. (Check back this evening and I'll update the post.)

Here's the verse for today (June 1st):

Windmills, like weathercocks, turn with the wind,

And change, as indeed they may;

Some little folks are exactly the same,

Perhaps this is their birthday!

As always, thanks for stopping by ~ I hope you all have a great day!

:)

*Evening update: I've just left a comment with all the birthday verses - I hope you enjoy! I'm happy to do more - please feel free to leave me your birthdate if you'd like, it's fun reading all these quaint little poems. :)

Thoughtful Thursday ...

On Domestic Management and Systems:

"Housekeeping of today takes its place among the professions. The modern woman plans, directs, and guides the work of the home. She grasps the responsibility of her position, puts forth all her energy and ability in directing the home life as a business. Housekeeping is becoming more and more a matter of science, and the laurels are bound to fall to the woman who conducts her household in a business-like way.

Good home management includes the selection and care of all materials used in the home and the keeping of accurate household accounts. If one is ignorant of the right kind of food to eat, of the proper clothing to wear, of the best kind of sanitary conditions of one's house, of the laws of health, of simple pleasures and the ways of right living, how can one spend wisely the necessary money for these things in order to make the home a happy, healthful place?

One of the most important features of good home management is a system. Another is a budget."

From Home Economics: Vintage Advice and Practical Science for the 21st Century Household (a neat little book I'm enjoying right now). 

***

A few random notes while I'm here ...

* Saturday is National Strawberries and Cream Day! I know just what I'm baking and what I'm going to splurge on while I run my Saturday errands. :)

* The first week of May was National Herb Week - so I'm late (we were in Disney that week) - but I'm currently working on my herb list for the year. Our lavender bed is coming back nicely, but the myriad herb pots on our deck are in need of much attention. Speaking of herbs, "Herb of the Year" for 2011 is horseradish. I don't know much about horseradish other than it's a hot/spicy flavoring for dressings, sauces and mustard. Next year's HotY will be Rose. Now that will be a much easier herb to work with! ;)

* Tomorrow, the 20th, is Endangered Species Day. A fun family activity would be to choose a species to "adopt." The kids could spend time learning about the species - doing research, writing reports, making art projects, and brainstorming ways to help. An awareness/fundraising event (such as a bake sale) could be planned for collecting contributions. 

* Also, Memorial Day is right around the corner - and that means a trip to the nursery is in order! This weekend I plan to take stock of the yard and see what's what. Next weekend, weather willing, will be planting time.

Well, that's all for now. Have a great Thursday, my friends ... see you again very soon!

:)

Friday Odds and Ends

Well, my posting plans went completely awry this week! Busy-ness got the best of me, I guess. It was my turn to host Book Group, so I found myself reading every spare minute I got - taking notes, preparing questions, etc. Our clubs met yesterday afternoon; in Crackerjack's group we discussed Hoot, while Bookworm's teen group chatted about the Maximum Ride series ...

(By the way, speaking of books - don't forget another Barnes & Noble Educator Discount Week begins tomorrow! Anything new on your can't-wait-to-read-list?)

We also had a late night Wednesday - I was a chaperone for a "Night Hike," that the older boys participated in. Really fun night! Pizza first, then as the sun set (beautifully, I might add) we headed into the woods where we hiked for an hour - with 17 kids, 5 adults and plenty of flashlights to see by. Kind of spooky, a little treacherous in spots - but so very cool. The waterfall was my favorite part. :)

And soccer started this week - our first game's tomorrow! Bill's coaching Crackerjack's team again this year (with my brother as co-coach and Bookworm as coach's assistant). I'm team "secretary," lol - photocopying schedules, field maps and fielding messages from players who need rides, etc. The weekend weather looks to be beautiful so it should be a great season kick-off!

***

Now, unfortunately, with all this running around, Earlybird and I didn't get to do many of the "Eggs and Nests" activities I had planned. So I'll stretch that theme into next week (which is tentatively our "Spring Cleaning" week). I know I've said this before, but "more on all that soon." :)

***

While I'm here I'd like to post the delicious Penuche Frosting my mum used for the Rose Sunday cake. This is for Jennifer. :)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

1 cup confectionary sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt vanilla in saucepan. Add brown sugar and stir until blended. Slowly add milk, mix well and bring to boil. Cool 10 minutes. Add confectionary sugar and beat until smooth.

This frosting - atop whatever cakey vehicle you choose - tastes especially divine with a cup of coffee. The flavors together remind me of a caramel latte. Yum.

***

My mum brought over some small picture frames for me yesterday, and among them was this - my 2nd grade school picture! The boys got a kick out of seeing such a "young" Mama, but Earlybird was insisting it was a picture of Crackerjack, lol! (Which, understandably, didn't please CJ too much.)

(I had long hair for most of my childhood, but this was that "Dorothy Hamill" so very popular in those days. And just look at those teeth, lol! This was pre-braces, obviously.)

***

Now, both Mary and Lynette have recently left comments about planners ... this is the time of year when the academic planners start showing up in the shops. Blue Sky was my favorite month-at-a-glance planner for years - and I'm always tempted to jump ship (new planners are like my kryptonite, lol) - but for now I'll stick with my homemade binder. It's working well for me so I'll keep plugging on. :) I do need to pick up new file folders for the crate, however - I do the change up next season (May-June) so I'll be needing fresh supplies very soon!

***

And before I go, I'd like to report in for Elizabeth (and anyone else who suffers from fruit flies as we do) that "Petey," our Venus fly trap, is not doing too much for the situation. Not yet, anyways. At last count - and to our best knowledge - he's eaten only one fruit fly so far. I'll cut him some slack, though - he is only one plant after all - and the fruit flies number in the dozens at least! I will say, Bookworm has found fair success using a handheld vacuum to chase the little buggers down, and I'm considering trying something like this. I really must get these flies out of here before Easter - they are completely obnoxious in general, but especially when it comes to dinner parties!

***

Oh, and one more thing! I can't believe I almost forgot to tell you all about this ...

Last week, Erin left me a comment and linked me to an Etsy shop featuring lovely wooden saint dolls: Saint Anne's Pixies. You simply must take a look. The tiny dolls are beautifully hand-painted and there are so many to choose from! Something for everyone, very reasonably priced and a portion of the shop's profits go to Food for the Poor. I ordered a "Saint Francis" for our nature table and (shhhh ...) a "Saint Emily" for my cousin's daughter who'll make her First Holy Communion at the end of the month ...

***

Ok, so there are my "odds and ends" for this Friday. Rambling and random, but there you go. I hope your week has been a good one, busy or quiet, or somewhere in between. Thanks so much for stopping by ... I'll see you again very soon!

:)

Where do you keep the kids' "school" stuff?

 

And by "school stuff" I mean the textbooks, workbooks, notebooks (etc.) your kids need in a given week of learning at home. Their curriculum, I guess is what I'm getting at. Do you use a shelf, a cubbie, a bin or maybe a bag, as shown above?

I happened to be taking pictures in the learning room today and I thought I'd show you this spot - I had just neatened it up and it looked bright and cheery. :) Here is where I display seasonal picture books and just below, are parked the three "school" bags. (Lol, I feel compelled to put "school" in quotes. We're not trying to "be" or "do" school - we like the term home learners - but it's just easier to phrase it this way.) On the left we have Bookworm's bag in green, Crackerjack's in red, and finally, Earlybird's on the right in blue. (Isn't it convenient my boys all favor three different, primary colors?) By the way, their real names are embroidered on the other side of each bag. ;)

I should say I'm pretty sure I've shown you all their bags before but it's surely been a while, and I know I have a fair amount of new readers - plus we've only just started using the bags again after quite a long break. Last year we used the baskets in the cubbies shown beneath the bench - but they just got way too heavy! Now those baskets hold paper, coloring books and other miscellaneous softcover books.

We started this year by simply stacking the books on the top of the bench in three separate piles, but that got rather unruly. I finally decided to haul out those old Bean totes (cleaning out the materials left inside from a couple of years ago!) and neatly stacked the boys' materials inside. They work great - though Bookworm's bag is a pretty tight fit, I must say!

Bookworm and Crackerjack's bags hold their Oak Meadow materials and a few other books. Earlybird's bag holds a combination of books, workbooks, magazines, drawing and writing pads, puzzles and picture cards and a big nature encyclopedia. I also have a bag - on the floor to the left of the bench is a large tote which holds all my educational materials: manuals, teacher editions, catalogs, etc. 

Now, truth be told, we have books all over the house - in every room except the bathroom, lol! We have two bookcases in the living room - one holds mostly novels, the other holds mostly reference books (science, history, etc.). We have a bookcase in the learning room which holds all our nature-related books (field guides, idea books and the like), and there is a large bookcase in the family room that holds Figaro's cage as well as Earlybird's trucks, our religion books, and family dvd's. Quite an eclectic collection in that spot!

Earlybird's room has only baskets of books, but the older boys have - oh, what is it now? - three or four bookcases in their bedroom. These hold their ginormous library of personal reading - as well as plenty of Lego creations and video games.

In our basement we also have boxes and boxes of stored books - and they are in desperate need of sorting/clearing out. One of my spring goals is to pare down our book collection drastically. I should probably start now though, if I have even a whisper of hope of getting that chore accomplished!

So back to the bags for a moment - they are working well for us right now. The older boys do their assignments up at the kitchen island - I tend to stack their books on the counter in front of them before they dig in. As they finish a subject, the books go back in the bags. 

Earlybird and I work at the dining room table where we can really spread out. And with him, less clutter the better. I set out one activity at a time and (as much as possible) clean up after we're done before we move onto something else. Too much visual stimulation is distracting for EB.

OK, this post has grown VERY long, so I'd best wrap things up. I hope you've all had a nice Tuesday. The flurries have passed and now we have clear skies at sundown. The light is very pretty glinting off the trees and sparkling on the ice. I find myself itching to take pictures. ;)

As for tomorrow ~ well, they've downgraded the projected snowfall amounts to 9-12 inches (from 10-15) ... thank goodness for small favors, right?

Have a wonderful evening, and thanks so much for stopping by. I will see you all again very soon ...

Now this is neat news ...

I happened to see this article online yesterday announcing a new "official" Sherlock Holmes novel coming out this September! Bookworm's a huge Sherlock Holmes fan - he's read most (if not all) of the original mysteries. He's also read a few books by the new "approved" Holmes author, Anthony Horowitz. When I shared this neat news with him yesterday, his response was, "Sick."

I'm pretty sure that's a good thing. ;)

Have a good day, everyone!