By Sun and Candlelight

Signs of Life

Hello my friends, and Happy Sunday!

Yes, there are signs of life here again, inside and out ... we are slowly making our way back to 'normal' and thank the good Lord, Bill and Earlybird have remained healthy. (Thank you SO much for your prayers! May I be greedy and ask for your continuance?) The older boys are just about A-ok - though Bookworm is still eating far less than usual! I myself am still feeling shwiped (another one of those 'family vocab' words) and my stomach is tolerating a little bit of bland food, but considering how poorly I felt on Friday and even yesterday, I'll take it! (To give you a good picture just how aggressive this bug really was ... I lost seven pounds over the past three days. o.O)

Anyhoo! It's a cold and sunny Sunday here - lovely, really - and I wanted to share a few photos with you ... as you see above we spotted "signs of life" in our front yard ... crocus shoots under the big maple!

And early this morning I spotted a pair of male robins engaging in what I assume to be spring courtship behavior. They were fighting - over territory or a female I couldn't be sure - but they were big and red and just looked like Springtime itself sitting high up in our tree.

I so wished I would hear them sing - nothing says Spring like robin song - but they were far too busy sparring to sing for me.

Here's a picture of my lunch, kindly made and arranged by Bill (who has picked up a LOT of slack these past few days while I was down for the count).

There's chicken noodle soup in the mug, and that's a half a grilled cheese sandwich. Bookworm got the other half. ;)

After lunch I found I had a little energy so instead of cleaning as I really NEED to do (using cleaners I bought specifically for anti-viral cleanup), I sat at my desk and did a little "pretty puttering."

(What you see directly above has to do with couponing ... and I can't wait to show you all about it. This was an idea I got from my friend, Kim. :))

I can show you the spine of the binder, though ...

And before I go, how about a couple of cat shots, since I didn't put up a Friday Felines last week?

Focusing on a fluffy finch at the feeder.

Archie, aching for avian achievement.

Ollie, wondering where I went ...

And Ollie again, basking in a basket.

>^.^<

Well I think that used more brain cells than I have to spare at the moment, so I'll wrap up, now, lol ...

Before I go, I can tell you all, I will definitely be watching Downton Abbey tonight - provided things stay status quo. That special I mentioned a while back - Secrets of the Manor House - is on at 8, so we'll record that while watching Once Upon a Time with the boys. (For Lost fans, the actress that played Claire - mother of Aaron - is guest starring tonight on OuaT. She's playing Beauty (as in, Beauty and the Beast).)

So, you may expect my "Morning After" Downton post to go up early as usual tomorrow.

:)

Until then, my friends, have a good night and stay safe and well. I'll see you all again sometime soon ...

Happy Winter!

Sometime last night (12:30 a.m. to be exact), Winter arrived - and not as quietly as one would think - but with violent thunder, lightning, and a hard pouding rain! The storm woke up both Bill and I - though surprisingly the boys slept through it - and my first thought when I looked at the clock, was: Wow, Winter's really coming in with a bang!

Just a few hours later, though - storm over, sun on the rise - Bill slipped outside and plugged in these lights ... such fun for the boys to see when they first woke up!

And while Bill fired up the suns, I started the Solstice Cider:

This is just a blend of apple cider and cranberry juice, which I brought to a boil on the stove. I placed mulling sachets and cinnamon sticks in our pinecone mugs ...

And five minutes later the cider was ready to sip, so it was time to rustle up some boys! I also toasted some cranberry English muffins and lathered them with Crofter's Blood Orange spread. (This stuff is SO good. If you like marmalade, as I do - but are not fond of the chunky peel, as I'm not - you'll love this spread! I bought my jar at Whole Foods.)

:)

Now our day will be pretty quiet, but I do have a few things planned. This morning we'll set out treats for the birds (our favorite Winter friends) and a bit later on, the boys will make a gingerbread house with Nana. (That's the "surprise" on their Advent scroll today!)

And while the boys are out, I'll do some pre-Christmas cleaning - it will be a nice day to open windows and air things out a bit. After my 4:00 tea break, I'll start supper: a beefy cottage pie. And for dessert, I'll bake a yummy "oats & apples" crisp. 

*☀*

Now, today's weather is not very wintery at all - not for New England anyway. In fact, today will be sunny and rather mild, in the 50s. And while I can appreciate the unseasonable (but comfortable) weather, Crackerjack is just distraught we'll likely not see a white Christmas! Of course I reminded him that before long we'll have more snow than we can shake a fist at - for goodness sakes, remember last year?

So I'm off for now, but I do wish you all a Happy Solstice! And whatever Winter brings to your corner of the world, I hope it's kind to you this year! Which now has me wondering ... what is Winter like where you live?

Also, please, if you have the time and inclination, stop by this post and take part in our "Cookie Poll" today ... I'll be drawing a winner tomorrow morning!

Have a good day, my friends... see you back here sometime soon!

Brew me a cup for a winter's night.
For the wind howls loud and the furies fight;
Spice it with love and stir it with care,
And I'll toast our bright eyes,
my sweetheart fair.
~ Minna Thomas Antrim

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!

Nature Study Club ~ September 2010

Our Nature Study Club met for the first time this (academic) year, yesterday here at our home. We started the meeting in our backyard, but then walked the kids down to a trail behind our home. Our September mission ~ to say goodbye to Summer and look for signs of Fall ...

As usual, we had a wide range of ages attend Nature Club - a few teens, several middle schoolers and plenty of little ones. Twenty-eight children in all, which was a fantastic turn-out! I made up a trail checklist* for the kids to work off of, listing things they might be able to observe on our walk. I also prepared a bunch of clean baby food containers (small plastic tubs with fitted lids) to serve as miniature collection boxes. 

Here's one of the tables I had set up in the yard:

 

In the left corner are the collection boxes and checklists.

And in the right corner is an assortment of autumn books and nature magazines.

*Here's the list of items I had on my handout:

 Ferns and/or moss?

Wildflowers ~ how many different kinds/colors?

A nest or sign of nesting activity?

Scat?

Fungii ~ where is it growing? What kind?

Trees ~ how many kinds can you identify?

Any sign of fall foliage?

Insects ~ see, hear, or other evidence?

Seeds ~ in travel, on the ground, on a plant?

Spider webs ~ what kind? Is the spider visible?

A fruiting plant and/or a vine?

An animal ~ see, hear or other evidence?

Migration in action? (Look up!)

Sounds ~ birds, squirrels, human, elemental?

Can you find the temperature by cricket song?

(Count the number of chirps in 15 seconds + 38 = temperature)

Is there a breeze? In what direction is it blowing ?

Any nice or nasty smells?

 Other observations?

Above is the "moms resource" table. I put out a variety of nature-related books, field guides, audubon guides etc. 

And here are some photos from our walk, as you can see it was an absolutely beautiful day:

Goldenrod, a plant that grows all over New England in September.

Milkweed - the pods have not opened yet, but soon ...

I believe this is pokeweed.

And wild asters (or Michaelmas daisies), another September favorite.

One of the very observant children spotted this incredible caterpillar, munching on some goldenrod (and completely unaware of the tiny spider stalking nearby!).

No idea what kind of butterfly he'll be, but he sure is colorful!

We went off-trail for a bit, meandering into a field to listen and look for insects. There were many, many dragonflies darting overhead, grasshoppers and locusts hopping about and just look what the children found here:

A praying mantis! 

I haven't seen one since I was a child! I remembered them as being green so I was surprised this one was pale brown. We wondered if he was camouflaged to blend in with the faded grass?

I couldn't get a close picture of this shy bird, but I think it is a flycatcher of some sort. Only rarely do we see them in our backyard.

The following picture shows the most startling discovery of all ...

Bill had spotted this animal jawbone earlier in the day. I told the kids to look out for it and sure enough, on the walk back home, they were able to find it. Out came the cameras and sketchbooks! 

We wondered what it might be - and what might have happened - trying to determine if the teeth were sharp or dull. Guesses included coyote, fox, dog and deer. Bill looked online last night and actually this most closely resembles a deer jaw. 

Do any of my readers have any thoughts? (Other than, ew, lol!)

Last photo - this a collection box that got left behind ... just look at all the little treasures that fit in here!

We made lots of neat discoveries, but the nicest part of the day was the friendship and good fun. When we returned home, the children played, the mums chatted and we all enjoyed some cold cider and cornbread. I'm just so thrilled to see another year of Nature Club off and running!

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope wherever you live, you're enjoying the blessings of this lovely time of year. :)

April's Awakening

It's misty here today, and cool - around 60 degrees - but the weekend promises much sunshine and warmth. (Or as warm as we can expect things to be at this time of year!) I've noticed that things have really popped here this week; the forsythia is vibrant and full, the azaleas and magnolias and other flowering trees are also in full bloom. The grass is finally greening and the leaves are just starting to come out on the trees. I think it's safe to say that Spring has finally sprung! Is it like this in your corner of the world - or are you still waiting on Old Man Winter's departure? 

While I'm here, I'd like to share some pictures of our Nature Shelf this month:

 

That plant is actually a few sprouted bean seeds, a science project the kids did last month.

 

Butterflies, Salamanders and Spring - our themes of the month.

 

 

 

Spring soccer kicks off here tomorrow, and I'm feeling an urge to visit the local nursery for some seeds and plants. Much laundry to fold, several lessons to plan and a breakfast with some dear friends I haven't seen in far too long ...

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend ~ until next time, be well and be blessed!

Fraught with Frost

Look very closely and you might notice the tiny bits of ice on this beautiful little bee. This picture was taken around 6 a.m. on an unseasonably cold September morning, before the sun had risen above the treetops. As I passed the sedum blooming beside our front door, on my way down to get the morning paper, I noticed a couple of bees perched atop the blossoms, seemingly already hard at work for the day. Upon closer inspection I realized they were, in fact, frozen stiff! The poor things must have been caught out after "curfew" the night before! 

But do not fret, for this tale has a happy end ... soon after the sun rose and cast its warm glow across the front garden beds, the brittle bees miraculously came back to life and went merrily on their way! One flew off, while the other went straight back to work where it sat. 

Isn't nature amazing? :)

While I wait for my new camera ...

... (which happily is on its way via USPS), I thought I'd dig into my files for a few pictures from Septembers past. I know it's kinda cheating, but hopefully I'll have new pictures to share before long ...

Labor Day Weekend is upon us ~ any special plans this year?

:)

Happy September!

My favorite month of the year is here! 

Let's celebrate with a pretty poem this morning, shall we?

The golden-rod is yellow;

The corn is turning brown;

The trees in apple orchards

With fruit are bending down.

*

The gentian's bluest fringes

Are curling in the sun;

In dusky pods the milkweed

Its hidden silk has spun.

*

The sedges flaunt their harvest

In every meadow nook;

And asters by the brookside

Make asters in the brook.

*

From dewy lanes at morning

The grapes' sweet odors rise;

At noon the roads all flutter

With golden butterflies.

*

By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With summer's best of weather,

And autumn's best of cheer.

*

~ "September" by Helen Hunt Jackson ~