By Sun and Candlelight

Themes & Plans for July

Hot July brings cooling showers, apricots and gillyflowers ...

Well, I hope you are all enjoying your summer! Has it been hot where you live? Stormy or dry? We're having a good old-fashioned summer up here in New England: hot and humid, with afternoon storms nearly each day. These midsummer days are slowy creeping along, and the landscape is showing the effects of time, warmth and rain  ~ everything's popping to life! In the gardens, at the farmstands and all along the roadsides.

And, now that it's the very last day of the month, here at long last is the final installment in my seasonal series ... Themes & Plans for July.

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Nature:

• daylilies burst into bloom by the 4th
• muggy mornings melt into hazy afternoons
• fireflies wink in the darkness
• bats swoop overhead at dusk
• dragonflies are on the hunt
• damselflies gleam in the sunshine
• toads lie in the cool grass
• spiders spin in shady corners
• baby birds beg at the feeders
• morning glories encircle the lamppost
• roses are withered by the heat
• weeds wage battle on the garden
• chipmunks are everywhere, chirping and scurrying along
• garter snakes sun themselves on the lawn
• thunderstorms rock the afternoons
• cicadas buzz in the woods
• crickets strike up the chorus by nightfall
• greenheads attack at the beach

Folklore:

• July's birthstone: ruby
• July's flower: larkspur
• "St. Swithin's Day if it do rain, for forty days it will remain; St. Swithin's Day if it be fair, for forty days 'twil rain no more."

Food:

• hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill
• icy cold watermelon
• corn on the cob
• fresh lemonade
• ice-cream sandwiches
• flag cake
• peaches
• plums
• nectarines
• apricots
• raspberries
• cherries
• basil
• beans
• picnic foods ~ devilled eggs, chicken salad and dilled cukes

Faith:

• July devotion: Precious Blood
• Liturgical Season: Ordinary Time
• Blessed Junipero Serra (1)
• Saint Thomas the Apostle (3)
• Saint Benedict (11)
• Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha (14)
• Saint Swithin (15)
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel (16)
• Saint Mary Magdalene (22)
• Saint Bridget of Sweden (23)
• Saint James the Greater (25)
• Saints Joachim and Anne (26)
• Saint Martha (29)

Houseold & Garden:

• lawn mowing - careful not too cut too short!
• constant weeding of the garden
• tie and stake up growing plants
• keep van packed with beach/park supplies
• replenish sunscreen supply
• check AC units; clean filters/screens
• check/replace batteries
• clean out coolers; place ice packs in freezer
• curb water and energy usage
• write educational plans and end-of-year reports
• begin curriculum orders
• harvest and dry lavender
• purchase/replace canning supplies
• begin Christmas notebook
• deadhead flowers
• plan an autumn tea
• add all those vegetable and fruit peelings to the compost

Life:

• National Hot Dog Month
• National Baked Bean Month
• National Ice Cream Month
• Anti-Boredom Month
• Canada Day (1)
• First zeppelin flew (2)
• Dog Days of Summer begin (3)
• Wimbledon
• Independence Day (4)
• National Sugar Cookie Day (9)
• Bastille Day (14)
• Beatrix Potter's birthday (28)
• JK Rowling's birthday (31)
• Harry Potter's birthday (31)

Book Basket: For summer-inspired reading, please see my Summer Basket at left. :)

Field Trips & Outings:

• a day at the beach
• a picnic in the park, to fly kites
• attending the town parade
• watching a fireworks display
• fishing along a shady riverbank
• a weekly stop at the farmer's market

Crafts & Activities:

(First, let me direct you to the Fourth of July and Summer archives of The Crafty Crow, a fabulous place to get ideas for things to do with your children (at any time of the year).)

And, also ~

• decorate the bikes for the 4th
• make herbal honey
• net (and release) butterflies
• catch fireflies
• make a storm candle
• start a shell collection
• make sand castles
• have a Peter Rabbit luncheon on the 28th
• nap in a hammock
• make popsicles
• make a daisy chain
• go to a baseball game
• make a sundial or shadow clock
• press summer flowers
• make homemade ice cream
• make sun tea
• play croquet or bocce on the lawn
• stargaze on a warm dry night
• outdoor concert
• go raspberry picking
• make peach butter

My aplogies again, that this is so late - really, too late, I guess for this year. But I hope these themes and plans will get tucked away till next year, when we'll be blessed with all the hot, summery pleasures of July all over again. :) In the meantime, please check out my August Themes and Plans ... for that month begins tomorrow! (Can you even believe it??)

Have a great summer, everyone ~ or what's left of it ~ be safe and keep cool!

Themes, Thoughts and Apologies~

This morning, Colin asked about my July Themes & Plans, and I thought it a good time to publicly apologize for the extreme tardiness of that particular post! I was so busy with so many things at the end of June I just never had the time to pull it together. I am going to carve out some time this week to get that post up - and before the end of July, I promise! It will be the last installment in my Themes and Plans series; you can access the rest of the monthly posts here.

Now, about those long ago Mittenstrings posts ... ahem. ;) That series, too, had to be moved to the back-burner for a while. Sometimes I am too ambitious for my own good, and I probably should have noticed how full my plate was becoming last spring, before embarking on so many "projects." I do fully intend to return to the book study - the chapter, "Stories" will be next. When, I can't say for sure - but soon. :)

And while we're talking blog thoughts and apologies I'd like to just say that - to be perfectly honest - this spring was a bit trying for me and for a while I considered not blogging anymore. But I realized I would miss it too much, and even if I can't post as zealously as I once did (old-time readers might remember when I posted at least once a day!) I would still like to come here and chat with you all when I can. It's not as often as I used to, I know, and those meaty posts are slower in coming and I feel badly that I can't always address every question or fulfill every request. I do appreciate your visits - and all your comments - so very much, but I'm just a mom like everyone else, and my time is hardly my own. If you've asked a question in the past and I never answered it, please feel free to leave a comment beneath this post. I will do my best to address any queries just as soon as I can.

Well, that's all for now; I'd best be off and turn my attention back to my family. :) Thanks, everyone ~ thanks for being such a lovely and encouraging audience. You make it a very happy place to be here in my little corner of the web, and I am grateful for your patience and support. Have a great day, and I will see you all again sometime soon!

Themes & Plans for June

June brings tulips, lilies, roses, Fills the children's hands with posies ... 

Well, Spring has been lovely, but Summer is hot on its heels! Just a few weeks more and it will be official ...

Does it feel like summer yet where you live? It's getting very close here: warm (and ever warmer) days, thunder now and again, later sunsets, calling birds, trilling insects and frogs - the natural world is alive again! This is an exciting time of year to be outside, there are so many fun places to visit ~ the seashore, the meadow, the garden to name but a few ...

I have but one more month to go after this, to finish up a full year's worth of themes and plans, (how fast that year flew!) but here, for today, are a few ideas for this first month of summer, the lovely and lingering June...

Nature

• The world is green once again.
• Peonies and roses are blooming.
• Azaleas and rhodendrons are bursting.
• Daylilies are growing tall, setting buds.
• Deep purple irises are growing now.
• Ants appear (annoyingly) in the house.
• Birds are singing (madly) at dawn.
• The Full Strawberry Moon rises on the 18th
• Longer days, shorter nights ...
• The lawn needs mowing weekly.
• Dragonflies hunting at dusk.
• Frogs singing boldly at twilight.
• Raccoons prowling after dark.
• Spiders spinning webs in the garden.
• Inchworms dangling from the trees.
• Baby birds appearing in nests.
• Lavender blooming in the knot garden.

Folklore

• Birthstone: pearl or moonstone
• Flower: the rose

Food

• Strawberries (at last!)
• Rhubarb
• Peas
• New potatoes
• Carrots
• Asparagus
• Flower punch & fairy cakes
• Strawberry shortcake
• Homemade strawberry ice cream
• Strawberry-rhubarb pie (crisp, jam, etc.)

Faith

• Month's devotion: The Sacred Heart
• St. Anthony (13)
• St. John the Baptist (24)
• Sts. Peter & Paul (29)

Household & Garden

• File end-of-year reports.
• File ed. plans for next year.
• Refresh the file crate.
• Get any last seedlings planted
• Hang our American flag.
• Fill terracotta pots with red geraniums.
• Re-hang windowboxes.
• Restock sunscreen and bug spray.
• Clean and set up birdbath.

Life

• National Dairy Month
• National Rivers Month
• National Rose Month
• National Safety Month
• America the Beautiful Week (1st)
• National Fishing Week (1st)
• National Flag Week (2nd)
• Uncle Matt's birthday (4)
• Kung-Fu Panda (6)
• Flag Day (14)
• Father's Day (15)
• The Summer Solstice (21)
• Bookworm's (13th!) birthday (22)
• Midsummer's Eve (23)
• The Spiderwick Chronicles out on DVD (24)
• WALL-E (27)

Book Basket (please see "The Summer Basket" at left)

Field Trips & Outings

• Strawberry picking
• Fishing with Dad
• A picnic in the meadow
• Riverbank cleanup
• Nature Club meetings:
  • Tidepooling at the shore
  • Insects in the woods

Crafts & Activities

• Make a paperweight for Dad.
• Make a terrarium.
• Have a bonfire or campfire.
  • Toast marshmallows, make smores.
• Camp-out in the backyard.
• Pick herbs and hang to dry.
• Make sun tea.
• Learn about flag ettiquette.
• Make a flag cake.
• Make homemade ice cream.
• Build a tree fort.
• Start a club.
• Look for fossils at the beach; make fossils at home.
• Begin a shell collection.
• Make dandelion chains and leaf crowns.
• Go butterfly "hunting."
• Catch fireflies after sunset.
• Float bark boats along the river's edge.
• Work in the garden together.
• Attend a baseball game.
• Hang tiny white lights in the garden.
• Make fairy houses and gnome homes.

As always, I'd love to hear your plans for the month - drop me a comment if you have the time: What do you look forward to most this month? And thank you for stopping by - I hope you have a lovely first week of June! :)

"For stately trees in rich array,
For sunlight all the happy day,
For blossoms radiant and rare,
For skies when daylight closes,
For joyous, clear, outpouring song
From birds that all the green wood throng,
For all things young, and bright, and fair,
We praise thee, Month of Roses!

For blue, blue skies of summer calm,
For fragrant odors breathing balm,
For quiet, cooling shades where oft
The weary head reposes,
For brooklets babbling thro' the fields
Where Earth her choicest treasures yields,
For all things tender, sweet and soft,
We love thee, Month of Roses!"
-  Elaine Goodale

Themes & Plans for May

May brings flocks of pretty lambs, skipping by their fleecy dams ...

It's no wonder it's called the merriest month of the year - there is just so much to love about May! And it's no surprise this post is a day or two late - the call of "the wild" gets stronger every day. :) I hardly ever find myself at my desk anymore - and boy, does my inbox show it!

So, what follows is just a sampling - of things to do, things to notice, and things to remember this month. I hope you might find something useful in my ...

~Themes & Plans for May~

Nature

• Flowering trees at their peak.
• Lilacs bloom around Mother's Day.
• Tulips are up now.
• Violets and wild pansies in the grass.
• Warblers in the tops of the trees.
• Orioles passing through.
• Goldfinches are brilliant yellow.
• Cool rainy days are possible ...
• ... but so are 80 degree days!
• The lawn might need mowing ...
• ... but watch for toads in the yard!
• The orchard is frothy and white.
• Wood ducks are returning.
• Nests spotted at the pond.
• Tent caterpillars in the trees.
• Morel mushrooms sprouting.
• Spring butterflies are here.
• Watch for hummingbirds.
• Jack-in-the-pulpit in the woods.
• Last frost occurs this month.
• The Full Flower Moon rises on the 19th.

Folklore

• Birthstone: emerald
• Flower: lily-of-the-valley
• "A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay ..."

Food

• sweet onions
• rhubarb
• early strawberries
• new potatoes
• radishes
• artichokes
• asparagus
• baby lettuces
• morels
• peas
• spinach
• mint juleps
• pecan pies
• edible flowers
• spring herb soup
• first barbecue of the year

Faith

• May Devotion ~ The Blessed Mother
• Ascension Thursday (1)
• St. Joseph the Worker (1)
• Pentecost Sunday (11)
• Our Lady of Fatima (13)
• St. Isidore the Farmer (15)
• Trinity Sunday (18)
• Corpus Christi (25)
• The Visitation (31)

Household (& Garden)

• Mow lawn; leave grass clippings down as mulch.
• Clean and arrange deck/porch furniture.
• Clean the grill; fill the propane tank.
• Inventory/organize the kids' backyard toys.
• Hang hummingbird window feeder.
• Visit the family graves on Memorial Day ~
  • Tidy and add new flowers.
• Purchase citronella candles or torches.
• Famly physicals this month.
• Launder spring linens and hang in the sun to dry.
• Make travel plans for summer.
• Clean car and organize for summer activities:
  • Beach
  • Picnic
  • Road trips
• Plant garden on Memorial Day weekend.
• Hang the American flag.

Life

• American Bike Month
• National Duckling Month
• National Salsa Month
• National Strawberry Month
• National Egg Month
• National Wildflower Week (5-11)
• National Nurses Week (6-12)
• National Herb Week (7-10)
• National Police Week (11-17)
• National Transportation Week (11-18)
• May Day (1)
• Mother Goose Day (1)
• The Kentucky Derby (3)
• Masterpiece: Cranford (4, 11, 18)
• Cinco de Mayo (5)
• Midwives Day (5)
• Percy Jackson #4 (6)
• Speed Racer (9)
• Letter Carrier Food Drive (10)
• Mother's Day (11)
• National Apron Day (12)
• Leprechaun Day (13)
• Tulip Day (13)
• Mother Ocean Day
• Chocolate Chip Day (15)
• Hug Your Cat Day (15)
• Prince Caspian (16)
• Indiana Jones #4 (22)
• Indianapolis 500 (25)
• Memorial Day (26)
• Rachel Carson's Birthday (27)

Book Basket

• The Ugly Duckling
• My Little Book of Wood Ducks
• Pond (One Small Square)
• What's in the Pond?
• Pond Life
• Near One Cattail
• An Egg is Quiet
• Mother Goose
• Mama, Do You Love Me?
• Love You Forever
• Mama, Mama
• A Ride on Mother's Back
• Mary, The Mother of Jesus
• Mother Earth's Children
• My Backyard Garden
• The Victory Garden
• The Reason for a Flower
• Plants that Never Ever Bloom
• Mushroom in the Rain
• How a Seed Grows
• The Flowers' Festival
• Flower Fairies of the Wayside
• The Flower Garden
• A Kids' Herb Book
• Herbs Coloring Book
• Jack's Garden
• Planting a Rainbow
• The Sunflower House
• Eating the Alphabet
• Growing Vegetable Soup
• The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree
• Our Apple Tree
• Herb the Vegetarian Dragon
• The Story of the Kind Wolf
• Rachel Carson: Pioneer of Ecology

Field Trips & Outings

• Visit the apple orchard to sketch trees in bloom.
• See the China exhibit at the Boston Children's Museum
• See the glass flowers exhibit at the Natural History Museum
• Nature Club: Water Ecology at local Audubon sanctuary
• Visit the cows at a nearby dairy farm.

Crafts & Activities

• Make homemade bread and butter
• Decorate fresh butter with clover.
• Look for 4-leaf clovers in the yard.
• Plant a Mary Garden in a big cedar tub.
• Celebrate Derby Day:
  • Read the papers and choose a horse to cheer for.
  • Make "Juleps" for Derby Day (herbal iced tea).
  • Wear big fancy hats while watching the race.
• Make a pinata on Cinco de Mayo.
• Decorate a canvas (field) bag with leaf prints.
• Decorate a plain canvas apron (smock) on Apron Day.
• Make nature playdough.
• Collect and press wildflowers; begin a herbarium.
• Plant a sunflower house or pole bean tepee.
• Make a toad home.
• Attract orioles passing through.
• Spend an afternoon coudwatching.
• Learn about waterfowl: ducks, geese, gulls.
• Visit a duck pond and observe nesting behavior.
• Play Duck, Duck, Goose!
• Make a feather collage.
• Make windchimes with terra cotta pots.
• Go on a mushroom walk after a few damp days.
• Make a catnip toy for the cats.
• Plant a garden; reserve a Row for the Hungry.
• Eat rhubarb stalks with dixie cups of sugar for dipping.
• Paint and fill herb pots for Mother's Day gifts.
• Mix up some herbal mosquito repellant.
• Make a handloom; weave it with rainbow yarn.
• Fill a box with food for the letter carrier on the 10th.
• Work ahead on handcrafted Father's day gifts.

Whew! As posts go (and mine can go long) that was a big one! ;) Thanks for reading through, and thanks, as always, for stopping by. I hope you are enjoying this lovely new month and I hope you'll let me know what you love the most about May!

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

Now the bright Morning star, day’s harbinger,

Comes dancing from the East, and brings with her

The flowery May; who from her green lap throws

The yellow Cowslip and the pale prim-rose

Hail! flowery May that dost inspire

Mirth and youth and warm desire.

Woods and groves are of thy dressing

Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing

Thus we salute thee with our early song

And welcome thee and wish thee long.

       ("May Song" by Milton)

Seasonal Planning ~ How I Do It

I know I've been promising this post for some time now, and my sincere apologies that it's taken me so long! (I have come to realize that I have a very poor grip on time management. I always think I can do so much more than is actually feasible.) Anyhoo, a while back I was kindly asked to share how I put together my monthly Themes & Plans posts and today, as I sat down to work on the May installment, I took a few pictures and jotted down notes as I went ...

And here they are. :)

Pictured above is my workspace ("Mama's side" of the learning table). This is going to sound kind of nutty, but I always clean the room before starting. I clear off and wipe down the table. I neaten the side tables, countertops and bookshelves around me. I vacuum. I have to feel really free of distractions, and I like to spread out as I work. I don't kid myself and think I'm going to sit down and work for hours at a time on this post. I will do it in bits and pieces as I have time throughout the day, or as the case may be, days. But gathering all my things and setting them up nicely always gets me off to a good start.

So, with everything piled neatly in front of me, I then start working my way through the piles. (Not shown, off to the left, is my laptop parked on a folding table.)

I should start by saying that the first thing I do is to print out a copy of my previous month's Themes & Plans (in this case, April). I jot all my notes for the new post directly on those papers; this way I don't repeat myself and I remember all the lists I need to fill out.

I also pull every seasonal and liturgical idea book I own off the shelf (or at least the ones I like best) and set them on the table. You can see them in the top photo, and find them at the links listed throughout this post. (Yep, there's a lot of them. But you know, I've been collecting for years.) :)

I also bring out my past journals from this time of year, and the hanging file that holds my weekly folders for May and June:

Also at hand, my month-at-a-glance calendar, and a hot cup of tea.

I begin with the first list of the post: Nature. I jot down things that come to mind right away (apple blossoms, for instance). I look at my calendar for the date of the full moon, and if I can't remember the name of this month's moon, I check here. Then I look through my favorite seasonal/nature books:

• The Kids' Nature Almanac
• The Beginning Naturalist
• A Field Guide to your Own Backyard
• New England Nature Watch
• The Curious Naturalist
• Let Nature Be the Teacher

I also visit the May archives of this blog and my other blog, The Nature Corner. This has been a neat way to remember what we observed or discovered at each turn of the year.

My next list is Folklore, which generally means the birthstone and flower of the month as well as any old sayings or farmer's wisdom. I find things like this in The New England Butt'ry Shelf Almanac, The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady (which really should have been in my book pile, but somehow got left out) and I also find a lot of lovely nature poems and sayings at this site.

For the Food list, I kind of work off memory (I was once, briefly, a food writer) and my years of experience reading foodie magazines. ;) If I am stumped, I do a quick google for something like: in season food May and find more ideas at sites like this. I can also look through my Martha magazines for meal ideas (like November is the time to start your fruitcake, and baked apples make a perfect breakfast in October), but generally, I just think about what kinds of things are plentiful, flavorful and comforting at this particular time of year.

My post next addresses Faith, and for that list I consult my calendar, as well as the website, Catholic Culture. I list feast days (solemnities and memorials) as well as any other notables (like Sacraments being made or when the Pope visited last month). This is just a (partial) list of what's happening on the Catholic calendar this month - actual ideas for activities and celebrations come further down in the post.

Household (& Garden) is my next list and for that I just think about what needs to be done around the house! I have a general outline of seasonal maintenance that needs to happen ~ culled from years of reading Martha and other housekeeping mags and paying attention to the routines of my mother and grandmother. I might also do another quick google for, say, a spring cleaning checklist, and from there find plenty of sites like this. And of course there is always Martha for great housekeeping tips.

Then we have the list called Life, and by that I mean any kind of holiday or event that takes place this month (other than those liturgical days already listed). Again, I turn to my calendar (and my blog archive from last year) for initial information (things like birthdays, local sports and events). As for all those obscure holidays - National This or That Day - I find them in a couple of different books (Literature for Lively Lessons and China Bayle's Book of Days) as well as a website or two (Web-Holidays and About.com).

And then comes the Book Basket - which is so much fun to fill up! :) I start with my own basket (I organize our books by season), and list all those titles. Then I consider what special themes we're exporing this month (honeybees or rivers for example) and look online for new (sometimes familiar but forgotten) titles, cross-referencing with my library (natch). Most of our books reflect nature themes and holidays. It is very easy to find titles at Amazon - in fact you can get quite carried away. ;) By the way, the aforementioned Literature for Lively Lessons has lots of book suggestions for all the special days of the year (many of which are author or illustrator birthdays).

After the Book Basket, I brainstorm a few ideas for possible Field Trips & Outings. These usually jive with our studies that month, but almost always are seasonal in nature. (Much of what we do as home learners is seasonal in nature.) I list three or four ideas, hoping we'll do at least one or two. I can tell you right now, there will be a field trip to a local orchard to sketch the apple trees in bloom. :)

My final list is usually my biggest - Crafts & Activities - and these ideas I find, literally, everywhere. I bookmark them at blogs and boards and I dog-ear them in magazines like Family Fun, Faith & Family, Wondertime, and Living Crafts (a new favorite). Some things I brainstorm myself (because I so love to dream up nature-inspired activities and crafts for the children) but many of my ideas come from books, and here are some of my favorites (and I've *starred* my very, very favorites):

• Earthways*
• Hollyhock Days
• Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots
• Sunflower Houses*
• All Year Round*
• The Children's Year
• Festivals, Family and Food
• The Creative Family
• A Child's Seasonal Treasury
• Mrs. Sharp's Traditions*
• Project Seasons
• Hands-On Nature
• The Big Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions
• A Book of Feasts and Seasons*
• The Catholic Parent's Book of Feasts
• The Catholic Home

As a last step, because it's most indulgent, I go through my journals for any other ideas I might have had in the past. I've been keeping journals off and on for years, but devotedly in the last two or three. I know I've posted about my journals before, but they are basically a holding zone for every idea, clipping or article I might come across (as well as my own thoughts, of course). I never expect to get to each and every possibility, but keeping them on file in this way means there's a chance they might be useful to my family someday.

Well, this was a mighty long post, and if you've stayed with me this long, I thank you! And if this is helpful to someone, I am thrilled. (That's the whole point to blogging, isn't it?) Seasons come and go so quickly, and each one is, truly, a gift. Planning and enjoying the seasons has been a passion of mine since I was a little girl. Somewhere around here I have the "Autumn Planbook" I made when I was in - oh, I think, 7th grade? A bunch of loose-leaf paper stapled together, decorated with drawings and big bubbly printing. It was all about the "whispy tendrils of woodsmoke," "the golden leaves fluttering by on the crisp breeze" and the "apple crisp baking in the oven." And, because I was 12, it was also all about the Holly Hobbie skirts, penny loafers and the fair isle sweaters for the new school year. :) Yes, I've always been a sap for the seasons, and I guess I'll never change ...

Have a wonderful night, my friends. I'll see you again sometime tomorrow. :)

Themes & Plans for April

April brings the primrose sweet, scatters daisies at our feet ...

And April also brings us (at long, long last), the first true days of spring: mild, soft and alive with sound and color. Nature is finally shrugging off its winter shawl, and showering us with its warm and friendly welcome.

It feels so good to open the windows again, and to leave the house with just a sweater - or none at all! There are many, many joys to expore with our children this month, and what follows is but a sampling, just my own thoughts for the season. As always, I'd love to hear yours! But for now, please join me as I consider ...

~ Themes and Plans for April ~

Nature

• Crocus are now in full bloom.
• Skunk cabbage grows in marshy areas.
• Bears are waking in the (deep) woods.
• Daffodils are in their full glory.
• The skies are gray one minute, blue the next ...
• ... and so rainbows are quite possible.
• Forsythia is bursting all over.
• At night we hear the spring peepers.
• Mourning cloaks are the first butterflies we'll see.
• Returning ~ thrush, phoebe, mockingbird and catbird.
• The smell of wild onions is in the air.
• There could be a light flurry or two.
• We'll have rainy days; the rivers will swell.
• Warm days are more frequent now.
• Juncos leave; chipmunks re-appear.
• Humpbacks are migrating back north.
• Time to check for ticks again.
• Dandelions are plentiful underfoot.
• The Full Pink Moon rises on April 20th.
• There are buds on the cherry tree ...
• ... which the sparrows love to nibble.
• Bluebells appear along the wood's edge.
• The grass is greening.
• The goldfinches are brightening.

Folklore

• Gem: diamond
• Flower: sweet pea
• Saying: April showers bring May flowers.

Food

• chives
• new potatoes
• asparagus
• fiddlehead ferns
• dandelions
• radishes
• spring lamb
• pasta primavera
• snap peas
• artichokes
• spinach
• sorrel
• goat cheese tart
• rhubarb crisp

Faith

• April Devotion ~ The Blessed Sacrament
• Liturgical Season: Easter (Paschaltide)
• Anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II (2)
• Pope Benedict's U.S. Visit (15-20)
• Pope Benedict's Birthday (16)
• St. George, Patron of England (23)
• St. Mark (25)
• Rogation Days (28-30)
• St. Catherine of Siena (29)

Household (& Garden)

• Take outdoor furniture out of storage.
• Rent de-thatcher; aerate lawn.
• Harden tender seedlings.
• Plant trees and/or shrubs.
• Clean out potting shed.
• Establish new garden beds.
• Prepare containers; purchase new ones.
• Choose and plant summer blooming bulbs.
• Cut dead canes out of raspberriy patch.
• Organize garden tools.
• Prune flowering bushes after blooming.
• Visit the nursery for spring plants, garden structures.
• Rake and compost leaf litter/debris.
• Spread fresh mulch.
• Spring cleaning (if not done before Easter).
• Have lawnmower serviced if necessary.
• Family meeting re ~ summer plans.
• Turn off fireplace.
• Turn on outside faucet.
• File taxes by 4/15.
• Organize financial files.
• Clean dryer vents and hoses.
• Spiff up the bikes.

Life

• National Autism Awareness Month
• National Poetry Month
• National Keep America Beautiful Month
• National Aquarium Month
• Soccer Season!
• April Fools Day (1)
• Hans Christian Anderson (2)
• National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day (2)
• Washington Irving (3)
• Find a Rainbow Day (3)
• No Housework Day (7)
• Red Sox Home Opener (8)
• 100th Day of the Year (9)
• Thomas Jefferson (13)
• Tax Day (15)
• National Animal Crackers Day (18)
• Swan Boats Resume (19)
• Patriot's Day (21)
• Boston Marathon (21)
• Earth Day (22)
• William Shakespeare (23)
• Arbor Day (25)

Book Basket

• The Secret Garden
• The Wind in the Willows
• Old Turtle
• Days with Frog and Toad
• St. George and the Dragon
• Make Way for Ducklings
• The Story of the Root Children
• Our Big Home: An Earth Poem
• The Whole Green World
• Compost!
• The Tale of Jeremy Fisher
• The Tale of Jemimah Puddle Duck
• The Magic School Bus Makes a Rainbow
• Down Comes the Rain
• From Tadpole to Frog
• Spring Story
• The Brook Book
• Humpback Goes North
• On Noah's Ark
• The Flower Fairies of the Wayside
• Sky Tree: Seeing Science through Art
• Franklin Plants a Tree
• My Favorite Tree: Terrific Trees of North America
• Joseph and Chico: The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told by a Cat
• From Caterpillar to Butterfly
• Sam the Minuteman

Field Trips & Outings

• A Spring Woods Hike
• A Vernal Pool Visit
• Butterfly Place
• Minuteman Park
• Make Way for Ducklings

Crafts & Activities

• Make wilding sticks and nature bracelets.
• Clean up litter in a local park.
• Prepare field bags for spring.
• Begin new nature journals.
• Hang a hummingbird feeder.
• Paint a butterfly house.
• Catch tadpoles at the pond.
• Conduct a rainbow experiment.
• Go on a rainbow walk.
• Paint rocks for garden markers.
• Dig in the dirt.
• Set up a nature table at home.
• Make tissue paper butterflies.
• Color a butterfly guide.
• Befriend a tree; start a notebook.
• Re-enact St. George & The Dragon.
• Build a bluebird house.
• Look for nests before leaves come in.
• Update our Bird List.
• Prepare May baskets.

Well, I think I'd better stop there, as my lists are getting rather lengthy! I do hope this post gives you some ideas for the month ahead, though. I plan to file this outline in my planner, (alongside the others) and hope that I remember to notice, savor or do some of these things - I never expect to get to them all!

April is here at last - and it will be gone before we know it - so let's make the most of it, my friends! Happy Spring!

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
a cloud come over the sunlit arch,
And wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March."
-  Robert Frost

Themes & Plans for March

March brings breezes loud and shrill, stirs the dancing daffodil ...

So tell me friends, how does March greet you today? As a LION or a LAMB? Or perhaps somewhere in between?

Here in my little corner of the world March is most definitely a LION! It is snowing and blowing as I type away all snug by the fire. It has been a rather long and old-fashioned winter (just as I like it) but I am definitely feeling ready for spring. And though he is a fickle friend, March does bring with him spring's first tender tidings - a mild breeze, a few bits of green, and the stirring of hope in our hearts.

And so, with faith in spring's return, I offer you some ...

~ Themes and Plans for March ~

Nature

• a quiet gray landscape, awaiting its green garb
• the old March wind arrives to blow winter away
• blackbirds returning (that squeaky gate sound)
• drip, drip, drip - melting underway
• pussywillows along the riverbank
• mud, mud and more mud!
• potholes that will eat your car in one gulp
• forsythia blushing yellow
• little pots of shamrocks at the grocer's
• The Full Sap (or Worm) Moon (21)
• migrating salamanders on mild, wet nights
• robins re-appear
• maple sugaring in the woods
• the first tiny crocus appears
• the sun gains warmth; the days lengthen
• skunk cabbage in wetland areas
• fox sparrows passing through
• lambing time at the farm
• a surprise snowstorm is not out of the question ...

Folklore

• March gem: aquamarine
• March flower: jonquil
• March comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb.

Food

• potatoes
• carrots
• turnip
• radishes
• spring onions
• early rhubarb
• leeks
• fish on Fridays
• egg custards
• maple syrup
• shamrock shakes
• Girl Scout cookies
• corned beef and cabbage
• Irish soda bread
• Irish coffee
• oatmeal scones
• sloppy joes
• donuts for St. Joseph
• fig tarts on Palm Sunday
• Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday
• cheesecake
• ricotta pie
• lamb cake
• baked ham
• waffles for Lady Day

Faith

• Month of St. Joseph
• Liturgical seasons:
  • Lent
  • Eastertide
• St. David (1)
• Laetare Sunday (2)
• St. Patrick (17)
• St. Joseph (19) (15 in 2008)*
• Annunciation (25) (31 in 2008)*
• Divine Mercy Sunday (30)
• Holy Week:
  • Palm Sunday (16)
  • Holy Monday (17)
  • Holy Tuesday (18)
  • Spy Wednesday (19)
  • Holy Thursday (20)
  • Good Friday (21)
  • Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil (22)
  • Easter Sunday (23)

*These dates have been moved this year due to the early Easter. St. Patrick's Day has not been rescheduled, so we plan to celebrate it early.

Household

• Rake winter debris from yard.
• Sweep porches, doorsteps, decks and driveways.
• Inspect yard and home exterior for winter damage.
• Clean birdfeeders thoroughly.
• Plan garden plots.
• Start seeds indoors.
• Arrange for mulch delivery.
• Purchase fresh sandbox sand.
• Put windowboxes up; fill with hardy pansies!
• Launder spring bedding.
• Plan Easter dinner.
• Order ham.
• Order basket goodies.
• Buy Easter lilies at the nursery.
• Organize Easter clothes.
• Shampoo rugs.
• Take down storms; hang screens.
• Polish woodwork with beeswax.
• Re-stock craft supplies for the spring.
• Organize rainy day play gear.
• Start planning summer vacation time.

Life

• National Craft Month
• National Hobby Month
• American Red Cross Month
• National Nutrition Month
• Irish-American Heritage Month
• National Umbrella Month
• March Madness
• Peanut Butter Lovers Day (1)
• Iditarod begins (1)
• Dr. Seuss's birthday (2)
• Alexander Graham Bell's birthday (3)
• Antonio Vivaldi's birthday (4)
• Elizabeth Barrett Browning's birthday (6)
• Daylight Savings Time begins (9)
• National Mario Day (10)
• Uranus discovered (13)
• National Pi Day (14)
• Albert Einstein's birthday (14)
• Horton Hears a Who released (14)
• The Ides of March (15)
• Return of the Swallows to San Juan Capistrano (19)
• National Agriculture Day (20)
• First Day of Spring (20)
• National Waffle Day (25)
• Make up Your Own Holiday Day (26)

Book Basket

• The Story of the Wind Children
• Feel the Wind
• Jamie O'Rourke and the Pooka
• Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato
• Song of the Swallows
• The St. Patrick's Day Shillelagh
• Small Beauties: The Journey of Darcy Heart O'Hara
• Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland
• Jack and the Leprechaun
• Clever Tom and the Leprechaun
• A Child's Book of Celtic Prayers
• St. Patrick's Day
• St. Patrick's Day in the Morning
• St. Patrick's Day Alphabet
• M is for Maple Syrup: a Vermont Alphabet
• Sugaring
• Sugarbush Spring
• The Sugaring-Off Party
• The Maple Syrup Book
• My Spring Robin
• Spring is Here
• Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic
• That's What Happens When it's Spring
• Pelle's New Suit
• Charlie Needs a Cloak
• Weaving the Rainbow
• The Year at Maple Hill Farm
• Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm
• The Little Lamb
• Mary Had a Little Lamb
• Red Berry Wool
• The Very First Easter
• The Easter Story
• Petook: An Easter Story
• The Jesus Garden
• The Easter Swallows
• The Story of the Cross
• The Story of Easter
• A Tale for Easter
• Celebrate Easter with Colored Eggs, Flowers and Prayer

Field Trips & Outings

• Nature Club: maple sugaring
• Visit new lambs at farm
• Children's Passion Play at church
• Museum of Science: Planetarium

Crafts & Activities

• Fly kites at the park.
• Make a toad home.
• Make pinwheels.
• Hang a windsock.
• Make a palm weaving.
• Watch Darby O'Gill and the Little People.
• Listen to Irish music.
• Listen to Irish stories.
• Make shamrock prayer bouquets.
• Work with sheep's wool.
• Make egg candles.
• Paint an umbrella.
• Blow bubbles on a windy day.
• Make a wind guage or rain gauge.
• Learn weather folkore.
• Organize a Palm Sunday procession for the kids.
• Make homemade chocolates for Easter treats.
• Make Easter cards for family and friends.
• Dye and decorate eggs.
• Put out nesting material for birds.
• Go on an early spring nature walk:
  • Search for signs of spring.
  • How many shades of green can you find?
  • Bring home spring branches to force.
• Make lion and lamb cupcakes.

Now, I am compelled to mention (as I always do) that in no way do I mean to suggest that my family will be observing each and every one of these March ideas! I am keeping all these themes and plans in a notebook, however, and my hope is to refer back to them each year as I plan out the seasons for my family. I hope that you find them helpful, too. :)

And I hope your March is just lovely ~ whether wild or mild!

Spring Planning ...

... is underway.

MARCH arrives tomorrow! Now, will it come in like a LION or a LAMB?

You know, I'm so full of beans. Here I proposed a little break from blogging, and yet here I am, popping in to say hello! And with pictures, no less. (It's so hard not to post, lol!) I also wanted to let you know I hope to have my March Themes and Plans post up by early tomorrow. Also, a few people have asked if I could explain how I go about my seasonal planning, and I would be happy to, just as soon as I can. :)

And now I'm off for a bit. (Honest.) We have friends coming over for lunch and a little chemistry and then we've got Tween Night tonight, too!

So, a fine Friday morning to you (and Happy Leap Year, too)! See you all again sometime soon.

Themes and Plans for February

February brings the rain, thaws the frozen lakes again ...

With but two days to go till the new month begins, and without further ado, here for your consideration, are some Themes and Plans for February ...

Nature:

• low, gray, cottony skies
• more and more (and maybe more!) snow
• morning black ice - use caution!
• sap starts to run during mild spells
• Full Snow Moon (22)
• Full Lunar Eclipse! (20)
• seeds begun indoors
• the trees in their bare winter glory
• spring birdsong begins for some species
• snowdrops poking through the snow
• birdfeeder counts across the country
• African violets in a warm sunny window
• icicles hanging (and melting) from the roof
• slowly but surely, lengthening days
• mole tunnels in the soft exposed earth
• skunks emerge from hibernation to choose thieir mate
• red foxes also begin their courting

Folklore:

• "If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight; But if Candlemas be clouds and rain, Winter is gone and will not come again."

Food:

• humble winter roots
• citrus still in season
• shepherd(ess) pie for St. Brigid's Day
• pancakes (or paczki) on Shrove (or Fat) Tuesday
• "Fishstick Fridays"
• hot homey casseroles
• homemade crusty breads
• fondue on a fun frosty night
• baked potatoes with all the toppings!
• chocolate, of course - unless you gave it up for Lent!
• homemade coffee drinks
• cherry cake for Washington's birthday
• a jelly roll on Lincoln's birthday
• hot chicken soup for cold and flu season
• herbal teas with honey
• tropical smoothies
• hot chocolate with freshly whipped cream

Faith:

• St. Brigid of Ireland (1)
• Candlemas/The Presentation of the Lord (2)
• St. Blase (3)
• St. Agatha (5)
• Shrove Tuesday (5)
• Ash Wednesday (6)
• Lent Begins (6)
• Holy Twins: Scholastica (10) and Benedict (11)
• Our Lady of Lourdes (11)
• St. Valentine (14)
• Blessed Fra Angelico (18)
• The Chair of St. Peter (22)
• Sunday Gospels:
  • Matthew 5: 1-12a
  • Matthew 4: 1-11
  • Matthew 17: 1-9
  • John 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42

Home & Garden:

• remove snow and ice from roof
• declutter ahead of Easter cleaning
• purchase Valentines (or any last minute materials)
• pick up seeds for spring garden; file in index card box
• order summer flowering bulbs
• take an inventory of garden tools and equipment
• prune where needed
• stock up on bird feeding supplies
• launder all throw blankets
• hang our American flag for Presidents' Day
• inventory medicine chest
• schedule veterinary appointments

Life:

• American Music Month
• Black History Month
• National Bird Feeding Month
• Potato Lover's Month
• National Heart Month
• National Cherry Month
• Great American Pie Month
• Groundhog Day (2)
• Focus on Feeders Weekend (2-3)
• Superbowl (3)
• Super Tuesday (5)
• Weather Forecaster's Day (5)
• Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras (5)
• Primrose Day (5)
• Chinese New Year (7)
  • Year of the Rat
• Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (12)
• Valentine's Day (14)
• Spiderwick comes out (14)
• Great Backyard Bird Count (15-18)
• Daytona 500 (17)
• National Cafe au Lait Day (17)
• President's Day (18)
• Washington's Birthday (22)
• International Polar Bear Day (27)
• Leap Day (29)

Book Basket:

• Brigid's Cloak: An Ancient Irish Story
• Groundhog Day!
• How Groundhog's Garden Grew
• Groundhog Stays Up Late
• Artist to Artist
• Lanterns and Firecrackers: A Chinese New Year Story
• Happy New Year!
• The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica
• Abraham Lincoln
• Saint Valentine
• Love Is ...
• All for Love
• The Best Thing About Valentines
• The Very Special Valentine
• Franklin's Valentines
• George Washington
• George Washington's Breakfast
• Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers:
  • Aaron Copeland
  • George Gershwin
  • Duke Ellington
  • John Philip Sousa
  • Leonard Bernstein

Field Trip Ideas:

• Go cross-country skiing or snow-shoeing at a local farm.
• Visit the Museum of Fine Arts.
• Meet with a meteorologist.
• Meet friends for ice skating at the pond (or the rink).
• Take a trip into Chinatown.

Crafts & Activities:

• Play shadow tag.
• Make silhouettes.
• Make shadow puppets.
• Listen to American composers.
• Anti-cabin fever project: an idea jar
• Lincoln logs on Feb. 12th
• Spend an afternoon making Valentines.
• Make lollipops to hand out on Valentines Day.
• Commence Lenten activities.
• Have a Valentines tea with friends.
• Watch Ratatouille in honor of The Year of the Rat.
• Order Chinese for supper on Feb. 7th.
• Build a bluebird house in hopes this is the year.

Well, thanks for joining me on this rather long journey through the shortest month of the year! The year is a wonderful thing ~ there's always something to marvel over or celebrate, or even just to smile about. And while time does indeed fly by, all these lovely things return to us year after year. :)

Enjoy this day, my friends!

When skies are low

and days are dark

and frost bites

like a hungry shark,

when mufflers muffle

ears and nose,

and puffy sparrows

huddle close ~

how nice to know

that February

is something purely

temporary.

(N.M. Bodecker)

Themes and Plans for January

This one's a bit late! And I'm sorry about that. January really snuck up on me this year! (It has a habit of doing that. One minute you're opening Christmas cards and the next minute you're scheduling appointments for February!)

I shouldn't have been surprised really. Around here the weather has been so snowy and cold it seems like it's been January for weeks! We actually haven't had much snow recently, but it has been very icy and bitter cold. In fact, it reached all of 13 degrees today ... but we should be up in the 50s next week, if you can believe it! (Forecasting is tough in New England; we have a saying, if you don't like the weather, wait a minute.) So how's winter treating you where you live? :)

Crazy-cold weather notwithstanding, this is one of my favorite months of the year, because, as Jane Austen says, "there's nothing like staying home for real comfort." And this is perhaps the best time of the year for doing just that. The comforts of home are never more comforting than when the world without is so dark and cold.

So, for your consideration, here are some Themes and Plans for January ...

Nature:

• snow and plenty of it
• ice - terrible, treacherous and yet beautiful
• the seed catalogs arrive; time to plan the gardens by the fireside
• all kinds of tracks in the snow
• the traditional January thaw
• birds at the feeders in droves
• the pond is thick with ice (who's still living under there?)
• the Full Wolf Moon (22)
• owls nesting and hooting deep in the woods
• time to make birdhouses
• scarlet winter sunsets

Food:

• winter citrus
• root vegetables
• stored apples and pears
• dried fruits
• oatmeal
• hearty stews and pot pies
• cinnamon rolls
• vanilla poundcake (with vanilla whipped cream)
• hot almond milk before bed
• comforting soup: chicken, chowder, tomato
• bread pudding
• old-fashioned ham and bean suppers
• hot spiced tea on cold afternoons
• family (homemade) pizza night

Faith:

• World Day of Peace (1)
• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (1)
• Most Holy Name of Jesus (3)
• Epiphany (6)
• Baptism of the Lord (13)
• Ordinary Time resumes (14)
• St. Agnes (21)
• Our Lady of Altagracia (21)
• Our Lady of Peace (24)
• St. Thomas Aquinas (28) (Bookworm's patron)
• Sunday Gospels:
  • 1/6: Matthew 2:1-12
  • 1/13 Matthew 3:13-17
  • 1/20 John 1: 29-34
  • 1/27 Matthew 4: 12-23 or 4: 12-17

Home

• take down tree and all greenery
• pack away decorations
• begin a Christmas '08 notebook
• send thank you notes
• update address book
• purchase or make a new calendar
  • enter all important dates
• make family appointments for the year
• purchase greetings cards for birthdays this year
  • tuck in file folders
• purge and recycle holiday catalogs
• order seed catalogs
• purchase seed starting supplies
• replenish baking supplies
• stock car with winter emergency supplies
• organize snow day play equipment
• purchase tax preparation software
• buy valentine making supplies before month's end

Life:

• National Hot Tea Month
• National Soup Month
• National Oatmeal Month
• New Year's Day (1)
• Family birthdays:
• • me (12)
  • Damee (14)
  • Grandma Barbara (27)
• The Veggie Tales movie in theatres (11)
• Benjamin Franklin's birthday (17)
• A.A. Milne's birthday (18)
• National Popcorn Day (19)
• Martin Luther King Day (21)
• (Robert) Burns Night (25)
• Days of the Blackbird (29-31)
• Lost (the series) returns! (31)

Stories: Please see my Winter and January Baskets, on the left and right hand sidebars respectively.

Field Trips:

• sledding
• the nursery (to buy seeds and inhale warm greenery)
• a local pizzeria

Crafts/Activities:

• start new year diaries!
• choose a classic to read aloud on long winter nights
• make herbal candies for the medicine basket
• plan out the new year's garden
• make window stars
• fingerknit
• have a King's Cake on Epiphany
• string popcorn and cranberries for the birds
• make ice catchers to hang in the trees
• catch snowflakes
• make a snowman!
• make sugar snow early one morning
• family game nights
• by month's end start felt heart sachets

Well, that's a lot of ideas for just one month! I can only hope to do some of them, but I'm glad to have the list to look back on again next year. So, what makes January special for you? What things are on your "to do-to learn-to enjoy" list this month?

Oh, this bitter cold night has us all in our flannels and fleece and staying close to the fire ... but now it's time to get these kiddoes (and me!) off to bed. I hope you are all enjoying a good old-fashioned winter (whatever winter means where you live) and savoring all the comforts of home ...

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,

A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;

Blinks but an hour or two; and then,

A blood-red orange, sets again …”

~*~Robert Louis Stevenson~*~

*Friday morning update ~ I have just updated all the posts in my Themes & Plans series with new tags, so if you subscribe to my Bloglines, there will be a few old posts showing up as new today. :) 

Themes and Plans for December

At long (long) last! :)

I'm sorry this took me so long to get done ~ I know I promised it weeks (or gosh was it months?) ago. Well, I hope this post is helpful to you as you make your own plans for December - the brightest month of the year.

But first I must ask ~ how is the weather where you are? Has old man winter come knocking on your door?  The days are so short now, aren't they? And the afternoons so dark. No wonder this month seems to fly by!

Up here in New England it has grown quite cold, and there is snow in the forecast for Sunday. There may be just enough time to squeeze in a few holiday errands, and then scurry home to warm ourselves by the fire.

Well, the clock is ticking, so without further ado, here are some Themes and Plans for December ...

Nature:

• The garden has been put to bed.
• We'll see the first real snowfall of the season.
• The nights are dark and cold.
• Orion is visible.
• In the greenhouse, we find the plants of Christmas:
  • poinsettia
  • holly
  • ivy
  • mistletoe
  • boxwood
  • bay
  • Christmas rose
  • amaryllis
• The skies are gray, the earth is brown.
• Pinecones are plentiful underfoot.
• The birch trees stand out in the woods.
• Winter moths gather at the windows on mild nights.
• The light grows again after the Solstice (22).
• The Full Cold Moon (23) rises just before Christmas.

Food:

• clementines
• cranberries
• pomegranates
• parsnips
• chestnuts
• holiday spices
  • clove
  • nutmeg
  • ginger
  • cinnamon
  • star anise
• gingerbread cookies
• fruitcake
• cookies of all kinds (too many to name!)
• peppermint tea and candy cane cocoa
• glogg (spiced wine or cider)
• roast - beef, turky or goose
• Nana's homemade fudge (chocolate *and* penuche)
• old-fashioned ribbon candy
• champagne or "fizzy" water on New Year's

Faith:

• Advent begins
• St. Barbara (4)
• St. Nicholas (6)
• The Immaculate Conception (8)
• Our Lady of Guadalupe (12)
• St. Lucia (13)
• Christmas Eve (24)
• Christmas Day (25)
• St. Stephen (26)
• Holy Innocents (28)
• Holy Family (30)

Home:

• Prepare the winter kitchen ~
  • Set up special candles, evergreens and music.
  • Stock up on baking supplies.
  • Clean countertops with herbal cleansers.
• Organize and restock food wraps.
• Set up a wrapping station.
• Put up decorations inside and out.
• Clean windows (to let in more light).
• Organize thank you notes (buy or make).
• Prepare holiday tips.
• Make up trays of cookies and tins of bread.
• Consider snow removal strategies.

Life:

• Author Jan Brett's birthday (1)
• National Cookie Day (4)
• Pearl Harbor Day (7)
• National Poinsettia Day (12)
• Earlybird & Papa's birthdays (14)
• Boston Tea Party anniversary (16)
• Caroling hayride with parish
• The Giving Tree at church
• National Treasure 2 opens (21)
• New Year's Eve (31)

Stories: Please see my Winter and Christmas book baskets on the left- and right-hand sidebars, respectively. (I'll be adding more titles soon.) :)

Field Trips:

• Attend a Christmas play, concert or pageant.
• Visit a barn or stable.
• Go out for a special holiday cocoa (maybe after mailing the cards).

Crafts/activities:

• Make clove-studded orange pomanders.
• Go on a winter woods walk ~ find a Yule log.
• Take an evening drive to admire neighborhood lights.
  • Tote along thermal cups of cocoa!
• Bake with the children at least one afternoon!
• Deliver goodies to friends, neighbors or a nearby shelter.
• Go caroling at a local nursing home.
• Plant a paperwhite narcissus bulb for midwinter bloom.
• Roll beeswax candles.
• Make paper snowflakes.
• Fill windows with shiny window stars.
• Listen to carols and hymns, especially as night falls.
• Make terracotta bells for New Year's Day.
• Construct a gingerbread house.
• Make homemade ornaments (keep a basket of materials available).
• Make gift tags from children's artwork.
• Learn about Christmas traditions around the world.
• Make tin can luminarias on Our Lady of Gauadalupe's feast day.
• Drink Mexican hot chocolate on Poinsettia Day.
• Read a book from the Christmas basket each night before bed.
• Pray and light the Advent wreath each night before supper.
• Watch special holiday movies while signing cards.
  • Little Women is a personal favorite. :)
• Wear star hats or candle crowns on St. Lucia Day.
  • Serve orange-cranberry bread and spiced coffee for breakfast.
• Decorate a Solstice tree for the birds.
• Visit an outdoor creche one quiet starry night.

Now, you all know I don't plan on doing all of these things, lol! Not in one year anyway. ;) I just like to keep a running list of ideas that I can come back to again year after year. As always, I'd love to hear what your thoughts are for December ... which by my latest calculations begins in precisely five hours!

So I'm off now, but thanks for stopping by and I wish you a Happy December!

Chill December brings the sleet, blazing fire and Christmas treat ...

Themes and Plans for November

I've had this post in my draft folder since oh, August or so, but only recently have I thoroughly warmed up to the idea of November! :) We've had some cool cloudy days up here in the northeast, so finally my thoughts are migrating to the holiday season ahead. It's now time to add November to the autumn themes and plans we've gathered so far (please see the new typelist on the righthand sidebar) ...

In the month of November the natural world slows down, but inside we are lighting our our candles, stoking the hearth and bustling about our kitchens preparing. It's our own last hurrah before the cold and quiet of winter sets in.

And so, here are some Themes and Plans for November ...

Nature:

• sad, sunken pumpkins on the doorstep
• crunchy, frost-bitten grass
• milky, gray skies
• ice on the pond
• the first flakes of snow
• honking geese
• the Full Beaver Moon (24)
• mice making their way inside
• squirrel dreys visible in the bare trees
• wild turkeys on the move
• deer in the yard on silent, misty mornings
• birds at the feeders
• slick moss and wet leaves underfoot
• nature's hibernation underway ...
• the Leonid meteor showers

Food:

• brussels sprouts
• beets
• apples
• winter squash
• pears
• oatmeal
• hot cider
• Indian pudding
• soul cakes
• pies of all kinds
• turkey and all the trimmings
• homemade cranberry relish
• Scotch broth
• buttery shortbread
• popcorn by the fire
• make ahead: Christmas fruitcake
• eggnog!

Faith:

• All Saints Day (1)
• All Souls Day (2)
• Martinmas (11)
• St. Elizabeth (17)
• Christ the King (25)
• St. Andrew (30)

Home:

• lay in winter storm supplies
• ready the car for winter roads and holiday travel
• inspect/replace holiday decorations
• place candles in the windows
• stock the pantry (and root cellar if you have one)
• stack the firewood
• finish Christmas shopping
• clean carpets
• begin writing and assembling Christmas cards
• clean dining room: china, crystal, silver, table linens
• clean jewelry
• organize holiday outfits

Life:

• Daylight Savings Time ends (4)
• pie contest at the Farm
• Bonfire Night (5, UK)
• Election Day (6)
• Veteran's Day (11)
• National Homemade Bread Day (17)
• Thanksgiving Day (22)
• Mum's b.day (26)
• Stir-it-Up Sunday (25)
• Christmas magazines at the newsstands!
• holiday decorations out and about
• the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
• Rockefeller Tree lighting
• hometown football game
• The Bee Movie 

Stories:

• The Smartest Bear and his Brother Oliver (a childhood favorite)
• Hurry, Hurry, Mary Dear (my boys LOVE this)
• Milly and the Macy's Parade
• IMAX Beavers movie (I never tire of this)
• The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver
• The Quilt (EB's copy is in shreds)
• The Pumpkin Blanket (such a sweet story)
• The Spirit of Tio Fernando
• Chipmunk Song
• In November
• Three Pebbles and a Song
• Snowsong Whistling (gorgeous!)
• Winter Lullaby
• Everybody Bakes Bread
• Tony's Bread (perfect for fruitcake baking)
• Cranberry Thanksgiving
• A Turkey for Thanksgiving
• The First Thanksgiving: A Counting Story
• The First Thanksgiving
• Franklin's Thanksgiving (another EB favorite)
• Mousekin's Thanksgiving
• Thanksgiving Day at Our House: Poems for the Very Young

Field Trips:

• the birding store
• the voting polls
• a beaver dam walk
• Plimoth Plantation

Crafts/activities:

• fingerknitting
• paper quilts
• cocoa club*
• pinecone people
• a nest walk
• indoor terrarium
• putting the garden to bed
• woodworking
• stacking wood
• a lantern walk at Martinmas
• Thanksgiving potpourri
• a grateful tree

You know, I always think I'm not going to have much to say, and then I just go right on and fill up that post box, lol! Sorry this got kind of long, but I hope some of these ideas are helpful to you. As always, I would love to hear about your favorite November things!

Themes and Plans for October

Continuing with my "themes and plans" series, here is October's installment!

I think October might be my favorite month of all ... fall is in full swing, we've adjusted to new routines and Christmas is coming at a comfortable pace. And though I don't care to see holiday decorations in the stores just yet, I do like to be in full Christmas prep mode by this month. In a whirl of planning and preparation, nature speeds up to slow down, and so do we ...

Sure, September may be just around the corner, but for today let's cast our eyes on October:

Nature:

• withered cornfields
• chipmunks scurrying over old stone walls
• crows calling on foggy mornings
• pumpkins on the vine
• chrysanthemums in gold, russet and magenta
• kale in the garden
• the cranberry harvest
• bittersweet draped along the fence
• the juncos return
• acorns underfoot
• National Squirrel Awareness Week (7-13)
• geese in black vees against brilliant blue skies
• a woolly bear caterpillar curled up tight
• The Full Hunter's Moon (26)
• fiery falling foliage
• migration underway (geese, hawks, monarchs)
• St. Luke's Little Summer
• the first frost

Food:

• comforting casseroles
• chili and cornbread
• baked beans, brown bread and ham
• cider donuts
• pumpkin muffins with streusel topping
• cranberry apple crisp
• baked apples with oats and brown sugar
• maple leaf cookies
• popcorn balls
• hot apple cider
• homemade pumpkin butter
• cinnamon sugar toast and orange spice tea
• homemade Halloween goodies
• freshly baked pretzels
• caramel apples
• pomegranates
• winter squash soup
• Vermont cheddar

Faith:

• The Month of the Holy Rosary
• The Feast of St. Therese (1)
• The Feast of the Guardian Angels (2)
• The Feast of St. Francis (4)
• The Feast of St. Luke (18)

Home & Garden:

• continue kitchen cleaning
• stock up on baking essentials
• rotate mattresses
• change over to winter bedding
• clean out and restock medicine chest
• put up storm windows
• rake
• cut and dry hydrangeas
• store outdoor toys and furniture
• clean and restock birdfeeders
• organize board games and puzzles
• buy Christmas stamps
• continue Christmas gift shopping
• organize Christmas cards
• make up cocoa mix
• order firewood

Life:

• The Topsfield Fair
• Victoria Magazine returns!
• Walk Now for Autism
• Our wedding anniversary
• All Hallow's Eve
• The World Series
• Soccer season
• Football games

Stories:

• Woody, Hazel and Little Pip
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
• Angelina's Halloween
• Fletcher and the Falling Leaves
• Squirrel Nutkin
• Nuts to You!
• Chessie the Long Island Squirrel
• Strega Nona (National Pasta Month)
• Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic
• Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
• The Leaf Man
• The Lonely Scarecrow
• Too Many Pumpkins
• Pumpkin Moonshine
• Pumpkin Soup
• Child of Faerie, Child of Earth
• Wild Child
• St. Francis of Assisi
• Apples and Pumpkins
• Chipmunk at Hollow Tree Lane
• Every Autumn Comes the Bear

Field Trips:

• leaf peeping ride (with hot cider in thermal cups)
• a visit to a pumpkin patch
• the country fair
• an autumn hike (looking for old stone walls)
• the birdseed store

Crafts/activities:

• felt gnomes
• acorn hunting (for squirrels)
• leaf crafts
• jumping in leaves
• twig frames
• homemade seed and suet cakes
• homemade squirrel cookies
• roasting pumpkin seeds
• carving pumpkins
• work on holiday gifts
• fingerknitting

I feel compelled to mention that I do not intend to do all of the things on this list! :) I just like to brainstorm all the possibilities and then go from there. What do you love about October? Leave a comment - I'd love to know! 

Themes and Plans for September

The days are stormy, the nights are steamy - it must be the end of July!

These are the days I like to take refuge in the cool (if not always quiet) of my shady home, sipping a glass of iced tea and delving into plans for the months ahead. I've already shared my dreams and schemes for August, but here are some thoughts on September:

Nature: Lingering summer, a first taste of fall ...

• goldenrod ~ appearing alongside the road, a sure sign of summer's end
• seeds ~ in so many forms - bristles, burrs, whirring helicopters, bursting wildflowers
• milkweed pods ~ soft white fluff floating by
• apples ~ ripe in the orchard at last
• honey ~ It's National Honey Month!
• bees ~ busily gathering the last bits of summer
• Michaelmas daisies ~ tiny wild asters at the end of the month
• The Autumn Equinox (23)
• The Full Harvest Moon (26)
• green tomatoes ~ clinging to withered vines
• cool misty mornings, hot afternoons ...
• a first tinge of color in the foliage
• at the doorstep: chrysanthemums, cornstalks and kale

Food: Farmers Markets, Pantry Shelves and Bake Sales

• applesauce ~ homemade, with just a touch of cinnamon
• granola bars ~ just right for a soccer game or nature hike
• baking days are here again!
• picalilli ~ using up the last of the green tomatoes
• alphabet soup ~ a must for lunch on the first day of lessons
• blackberry jam tarts ~ before Michaelmas, not after
• baked apples ~ a cozy breakfast on a chilly fall morn
• the first Sunday pot roast
• hand pies filled with the last fruits of the season
• autumn shaped linzer cookes with homemade jam
• homemade spaghetti sauce ~ fill up the freezer!
• angel food cake ~ on the Feast of the Archangels

Faith: Ordinary Time continues ...

• The Month of Our Lady's Seven Sorrows
• The Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary (8)
• The Feast of the Holy Cross (14)
• Michaelmas/The Feast of the Archangels (29)

Home:

• clean the kitchen thoroughly (well ahead of holiday baking)
• organize art materials
• set up pantry shelves/downstairs freezer
• clean fireplace and check heating system
• new shoes, slippers and pajamas for the fall
• review chores and allowances
• work on homemade Christmas gifts and orders
• hang autumn garland and lights

Family Life:

• Labor Day (3)
• New academic year kicks off! (4)
• New NFL season kicks off - Go Pats! (6)
• Fall parish barbecue
• Grandparents Day (9)
• My grammar school reunion
• (Not) Back-to-School Picnic
• Planning meeting with homeschool support group

Stories: (Themes ~ harvest, homes, seeds, bees, apples, dragonflies)

• Christopher's Harvest Time
• Hello, Harvest Moon!
• Peter's Old House
• Houses and Homes around the World
• The Three Snow Bears (New Jan Brett: 9/14)
• A Seed is Sleepy
• The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive
• The Life and Times of the Honeybee
• The Life and Times of the Apple
• Apple Picking Time
• Johnny Appleseed
• Eliza and the Dragonfly

Field Trips:

• the farmers market
• the orchard:
  • apple-picking
  • a harvest hayride
• a building site
• the library (get a card for whoever has come of age)

Crafts/activities:

• make leaf crowns and name the Autumn King!
• make paper lanterns
• dry apples and hang on a string
• tell apple stories (find the stars inside)
• nature puppet stories (based on backyard tales)
• make up a fresh batch of homemade play dough
• bake homemade pretzels
• make a family handprint cross
• make pinwheels on a breezy day
• make felt library card pouches
• make blackberry jam
• plant spring bulbs in the garden
• make harvest soup

So much to look forward to, as there is every year! What are some of your favorite things about the month of September?

Well, I'm going to start updating my sidebars soon (now that I've got my new template all set - I think!). I plan to put up some monthly book lists to begin with and then I'll see what else I can come up with. ;)

Have a lovely last day of July!

Themes and Plans for August

I've been poring over old journals and seasonal idea books, brainstorming some themes and plans for the upcoming months. I really love this time of year - it's still summer and yet there's that hint of a new season just around the corner ...

With the buzz and bustle of fall not too far off - the time is ripe for enjoying the most of what's left of summer! I am working on a list for the rest of the year, but for now, I'll share what I've jotted down for the month of August - which begins next week!

Nature:

• sunflowers (harvest and hang for the songbirds)
• the seashore (picnic on the beach, go tidepooling)
• crickets (count chirps to check temperature)
• fireflies (catch in a jar to admire, then release)
• cicadas (listen for that familiar "heat bug" whine)
• bats (watch for them just after sunset)
• shooting stars (Perseids peaking August 13th)
• thunderstorms (have a storm candle ready)
• orb weavers (beautiful webs sparkling with dew)
• crows (make a scarecrow)
• morning glories (their time to shine is now)
• dragonflies (great backyard hunters)
• The Full Green Corn Moon (8/28)

Food:

Visit the farmstand for ~

• blueberries (pancakes, slump, buckle, pie)
• watermelon (punch, sorbet, jello cake)
• corn (hot and buttered, corn pudding, corncakes)
• tomatoes (homemade sauce, tomato sandwiches)
• zucchini (zucchini bread, zucchini everything!)

Faith:

• Lammas (1)
• Our Lady of the Snows (5)
• The Transfiguration (6)
• The Assumption (15)
• Our Lady of Knock (21)
• The Queenship of Mary (22)

Home:

• Clean out the learning room; refresh supplies.
• Order winter outerwear.
• Take Christmas card picture (or begin trying).
• Begin Christmas planning notebook.

Famly Life:

• National Watermelon Day (3)
• NFL Preseason begins (5)
• VBS week!
• 4Real Conference (11)
• CJ's 8th birthday (13)

Stories: (Themes: blueberries, grain harvest, corn, crows, country fair, seashore)

• Peter in Blueberry Land
• Blueberries for Sal
• The Little Red Hen
• Raccoons and Ripe Corn
• Blacky the Crow
• Martha
• Corgiville Fair
• Pagoo

Field Trips:

• the farmer's market
• the seashore
• a cornfield
• blueberry picking

Crafts/activities:

• make a seashell frame
• work on a shell collection
• work in the garden; visit one
• go on a bug hunt
• watermelon seed-spitting contest
• make corn husk folk
• make felt shooting stars
• grind grain
• bake homeade bread
• polish the learning tables (with beeswax polish)
• hang sunflower heads for birds
• gaze at the stars
• make apple picking totes
• set up nature table for the new year

Now, it goes without saying I don't plan doing all of these things! :) But it's still fun to think about them anyway. August is just full of delightful things - tell me, what are some of your favorites?