By Sun and Candlelight

Holy Thursday at Home

"Do this in memory of me."

Today is Holy Thursday, or Green Thursday, as it is known in some parts of Europe. A simple way to honor this day at home with your children, would be to read from John 13:1-17 (whether straight from the Bible or as represented in a children's storybook version). After reading the story, the children could be given sheets of paper and asked to draw their own depiction of the Last Supper (that is Da Vinci's above). Alternatively they could color a page found online. Frame the final result against a piece of green construction paper and hang it near your prayer corner.

Perhaps after supper, a warm basin of water could be prepared for washing the children's feet (scented oil makes it fragrant and involves one more sense). I must give my dear friend Elizabeth credit for this beautiful idea; she wrote about it years ago, here. If we have read the story of our Lord washing the feet of His disciples earlier in the day, this simple, yet nurturing act becomes a living lesson of love and service. This could be done by candlelight, with some peaceful music playing in the background.

A candle can be lit in the prayer corner today, and kept lit all day until bedtime. If the children say their bedtime prayers beside this candle and then wake the following morning to find it extinguished, the disappearance of light is all the more dramatic.

A lovely idea from Our Year with God, is to ask the children to think of three ways they can be of more service to their own loved ones. They may write them down on a small piece of paper to keep under their pillow and read every night before sleep.

I recently read that Holy Thursday is the traditional day to make Greek Easter Bread (tsoureki):

"On Holy or Great Thursday, preparation gets underway for the Greek Easter celebration. Tsoureki, the Greek Easter bread recipe is a special, celebratory bread that is slightly sweet in taste. This is usually only made for Easter, and several will be baked today to last over the weekend. Batches of greek Easter cookies will also be baked today, ready to offer any visitors.

Another Greek Easter tradition is to cook up a large batch of eggs and dye them red. These red eggs symbolise the blood of Christ as well as the eggs symbolizing a new life. A couple of these eggs will be placed in the tsoureki bread." (Ezine Articles)

I saw this bread in the supermarket the other day - complete with scarlet eggs baked inside! Right beside the hot cross buns, which I will serve tomorrow for afternoon tea (not from scratch this year, I'm afraid). If you're interested in making tsoureki at home, Martha has an easy recipe here.

Pax, my friends. I wish you a blessed day.

Spy Wednesday Supper

"It was six days before the festival of Passover, Jesus and his disciples had traveled to Bethany, which lay just outside Jerusalem. They went to stay at the house of Jesus' friends, Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus, whom Jesus had earlier raised from the dead ...

Meanwhile the priests, scribes, and elders, who were members of the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin, assembled at the house of Caiaphas, the high priest. They were looking for an excuse to arrest Jesus and execute him, for they were afraid of his influence with the people. Judas went to them in secret and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.

"What will you give me if I deliver Jesus into your hands?" he asked them.

"Thirty pieces of silver."

Judas agreed to this, and Caiaphas counted the silver coins into his hand, one by one."

(From The Children's Illustrated Bible)

This is the Bible story we read tonight over supper. Thanks to a wonderful tip from Jenn, we included silver dollar pancakes with our meal (symbolic of those 30 silver coins paid to Judas). Do you know, the recipe I used made exactly 30 small pancakes, with nary a scrap of batter leftover? On the left is the main dish, a roasted medley of potatoes, kielbasa and peppers. (And I'm not sure if you can tell in the picture above, but that's snow outside the window, in the background. Yes. Snow.)

Crackerjack asked me to take a picture of the cross he made from the final few silver dollars:

I read that in the Czech Republic this day was also once known as Black, Ugly or Soot-Sweeping Wednesday, and by tradition one's chimney was swept out as part of Holy Week cleaning. We won't go quite that far in our household, though come to think of it, it's not a bad idea. It's the right timing for such a task - spring brings an end to a long season of hearth fires. We discussed this idea over supper - and wondered about its origin. Perhaps the dirtiest of jobs was scheduled for the day of the dirtiest of deeds?

So as the sleet hits the skylights and the plow thunders down the road, I wish you an evening of warmth and light, my friends. See you sometime tomorrow. :)

Everyday Nature: Backyard Birds & Beyond

An updated list for Spring, 2007:

Birds we see regularly:

• chickadees
• mourning doves
• slate-colored juncos
• northern cardinals
• tufted titmice
• blue jays
• sparrows (a variety)
• goldfinches
• purple finches
• Carolina wren
• white-breasted nuthatch
• downey woodpecker
• American crow
• American robin
• mockingbirds

Birds we see occasionally:

• wild turkeys
• grackles
• starlings
• red-winged blackbirds (hear them more often than see them)
• hawks (in flight)
• turkey vultures (in flight)

Birds we hope to see again:

• hermit thrush
• eastern towhee
• Baltimore orioles
• red-breasted nuthatch
• house wren
• scarlet tanager
• brown headed cowbirds
• bats (which are not birds, but somehow fit here)

A presence detected, not seen:

• owl (heard, not seen)
• wood ducks (nest observed)

Our bird wish list:

• cedar waxwings
• phoebes
• swallows
• rose-breasted grosbeak
• pheasant

A few ideas for the upcoming weeks:

• Take down and clean out all birdfeeders. (Good tips here.)
• Set up a bird bath or other water supply.
• Schedule a trip to a local birdfeeding store. The seed sold here is usually of a much higher quality than the bags you pick up at the superstore (less filler and debris). Also, you can pick the brains of the shop owners, who are more than likely bird enthusiasts with a wealth of knowledge to share. Talk with them about spring feeding and show them your wish list. Ask for suggestions on specific feed and plantings.
• Here's a great bird-fruit chart.
• Hang a hummingbird feeder.
• Before the trees bud out, take a nest walk. Bring along the binoculars (and the camera, of course) and look for nests in the treetops and brush.
• Plan a trip to the pond to observe swans, ducks or geese nesting (from a distance).

A home bird study tip: We use coloring books (such as this one and this) to aid in our bird study. If we see a bird, we look it up in the coloring book, photocopy the page, color it in, and add it to the nature notebook with notes from the sighting. A lovely online bird coloring book is here.

Another bird study tip: A fun rabbit trail (and/or lapbook) would be to learn all about your state bird. I'll bet you already know, but you can find out what yours is here. Explore birds of all the states with this coloring book - that would be a fun history lesson, and it would just beg for homemade flash cards. :)

A very useful birding tool: The Birdsong Identiflyer

Two books I ordered recently to replace this one, which has fallen apart (literally):

• Projects for the Birder's Garden: Over 100 Projects You Can Make to Turn Your Yard and Garden into a Bird-Friendly Haven
• Attracting Birds to Your Backyard: 536 Ways to Turn Your Yard and Garden into a Haven for Your Favorite Birds

We just love birds around here! Before I go, may I ask, if you have the time, to leave the name of your favorite bird in the comments section below? Bookworm is making up a chart (you know how he loves charts) and would like to add your information. (And if you're coming to Easter dinner, prepare to be grilled!)

Have a blessed day, my friends!

"Kiss of the sun for pardon. Song of the birds for mirth. You are closer to God's heart in a garden, than anywhere else on earth." (Dorothy Frances Gurney)

Star Wars Style

It was late in the day. I'd had the flu all weekend. My hair was not, shall we say, looking its best.

I was picking up some toys in the boys' room when Crackerjack casually mentioned to me that his favorite part in Star Wars is when Anakin wins the pod race.

"Yes, that's a very exciting part," I replied to CJ, turning to leave the room.

"You know, Mama," he called after me, "Your back hair looks just like Qui-Gon Jinn's."

Um ... what?

First, let me clarify, he was talking about my hair in the back, (not my back hair, of which I have none, I assure you). I happened to have pulled the sides back into one of those handy-dandy cloth-scrunchy things.

Secondly, I should point out that Qui Gon Jinn is a Jedi Master (played by actor Liam Neeson) appearing in, if memory serves, one of the more recently filmed Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace.

Thirdly, let me also just say that, though I might have recently agreed to carry a pink light saber should the occasion warrant it, "Jedi Master" is not the look I go for, even on a bad day, such as it was.

(I'm not saying the look's not right for someone else - it's just not me.)

Naturally, I couldn't let this end there.

"Hey, CJ? If I were to play a character in Star Wars, who would it be?" (Keeping my fingers crossed it would be someone female, or at the very least someone human.)

"Oh, for sure you'd be Luminara," he replied without hesitation.

"And Luminara would be a ... ?"

"A Jedi Knight, Mama. She's really cool!"

OK, so this was good news. Female and cool.

Could a mother ask for anything more?

:)

PS: It seems a fitting endnote to leave you with this tip I just got at Mary G's (who got it at Mary M.'s): The USPS is issuing a new Star Wars stamp this May in celebration of the movie's 30th anniversary. Go here to vote for your favorite image. I don't see Luminara represented (or Qui-Gonn Jinn for that matter), so I guess I'll just vote for Yoda. :)

Please and Thank You

Please stop by Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering today, for Sarah's Loveliness of John Paul II Fair. What a beautiful tribute to a beloved man. Thank you, Sarah, for putting together such a lovely and comforting fair.

And please don't forget about Field Day: The Early Spring Edition! (Not that you ever would, of course. I probably won't let you, lol!) It will run next Friday, April 13th. Thank you to all who have sent in submissions, and if you haven't heard back from me, you will very soon. (And if you don't at all, please check in again; my e-mail is notorious for going haywire right around carnival time.) This next week-and-a-half will undoubtedly be filled with the glory of spring, so let's get out and enjoy it! (More "everyday" nature posts in the works - stay tuned!)

I'd also like to take a moment to say thank you to the very kind person who nominated my blog for the 2006 Homeschool Blog Awards! I am so honored! Please know how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

You can check out all the nominations here ~ and hearty congratulations to all my fellow nominees! Many thanks, too, for all the hard work by Sprittibee, Heather and Laura, co-administrators of the Awards.

Now I'm off to tend to my sickies. Yes, the virus has moved on to claim new victims - my poor dear hubby and my sweet Bookworm. Here's hoping and praying they feel better very soon!

God bless, and have a great day. :)

A Holy Half-Hour at Home

A candle was lit in the prayer corner. Two humble frames were made for two great men. Our monstrance was not real, but it - or rather, they - were made with care and contemplation.

We spent a quiet time together, talking and listening - sometimes in silence, sometimes not. On this second anniversary of his death, we prayed for peace on behalf of Pope John Paul II. World peace, peace between neighbors, families and friends.

"Even the Red Sox and Yankees," offered Crackerjack.

Yes, even them.

Not a full hour, perhaps, in the sense of time and devotion. But something quite nice just the same.

In Loving Memory ...

"What shall I say? Everything that I could say would fade into insignificance compared with what my heart feels, and your heart feels, at this moment." ~ Pope John Paul II, 1920-2005

*Image, courtesy TotallyCatholic

A Blessed Palm Sunday

 

I'm happy to report I am on the mend. The worst is definitely over, so I hate to complain, but I'm just so wiped out. The good news is, I have the energy to read a little, and use the computer for a brief time. The not so good news is Crackerjack seems to have come down with a touch of it and Bookworm's cough has worsened. Boy, does Bill have a full plate this weekend! God bless him, he's been taking wonderful care of our home and family.

Needless to say, we had to stay home from Mass this morning, and our weekend plans have been seriously altered. But! The day dawned beautifully here - soft, sunny and spring-like. (March must have gone out like a lamb yesterday, I was hardly awake to notice.)

And! Holy Week is here! This provides much inner delight, even if (or maybe because) we can hardly move from our beds. We'll all take it slow today - rest and keep things quiet. No crafts or special projects, or jaunts through the early spring woods. No, later today I foresee some blanket time on the couch with special books and a candle lit in our prayer corner. Soup, popsicles and jello, too.

So, all those best-laid plans for the weekend, won't come to pass as orginally planned, but I'd like to share them with you anyway. Following is the post that I was planning to post Friday night. And, while I'm at it, here's a link to last year's Palm Sunday post. :)

********************************************************************

I hope wherever you live, your weekend is full of peace and pleasantness ... and that old man March goes out like a lamb. I thought I'd share our weekend plans and ideas with you all:

Friday: A regular old Friday ...

• Speech in the early morning.
• Lessons before lunch.
• Co-op meets for a matinee movie.
• De-clutter ahead of spring cleaning next week.
• Work on weekend errands list.
• Fish Fry supper (at home)

*All of this came to a screeching halt after we got home from the movie. We saw Meet the Robinsons, btw, and it was great! Wish I hadn't eaten all that popcorn, of course ... Poor Bookworm is still waiting for his Fish Fry ... maybe one night this week.

Saturday: March Goes Out Like a ... Lamb (we hope!)

• The plan is to run lots of holiday-related errands (just me and Mum - boys at home with Bill).
• Continue de-cluttering at home.
• Read aloud The Lamb by William Blake.
• Surprise the children with a tiny lamb chocolate after supper.
• Draw "The Lamb of God" as instructed in A Catholic How-to-Draw.
  • Add beneath picture: The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, "Behold,the Lamb of God." (John 1:35-36).
• Place a purple cloth on our religious statues and prints before bed.

*No errands were run, no clutter was tossed; Saturday was a blur for me. Bill stepped right in and took over, even taking the boys out to lunch. We'll do the lamb drawing one day this week, perhaps, and the chocolates will wait for next weekend. I was going to pick up purple cloth at the craft store, but in lieu of that, I might use purple ribbon (which I do have on hand).

Sunday: Palm Sunday

• Early Mass and breakfast with Nana and Papa back home.
  • Serve Fig Newmans with coffee (Palm Sunday was also once known as Fig Sunday).
• Take a nature walk and search for pussy (or English Palm) willows. I have a few places in mind. If they're not yet blooming, we'll place the cuttings in a vase of water.
• Make Palm crosses on Sunday afternoon.
• Add a blessed palm to the children's prayer corner, along with the wooden donkey.
• It might be fun to play pin the tail on the donkey. :)
• Sow seeds in the bowl of earth on our Lenten altar.

*And here we are at Sunday and we're all still in fairly rough shape. Mum and Dad are bringing us home "lots of extra" blessed palms. I don't think anyone's in the mood for fig cookies today. (I'm sipping my first cup of coffee just now - I hope the caffeine will help.) Tomorrow we'll set up the prayer corner and sow the seeds in our bowl of earth. Daddy may take Earlybird out looking for pussy willows this afternoon.

Now, I hesitate to set any plans in stone, after being reminded that, truly, "life is what happens while we make other plans," but going on the premise that I will be 100% tomorrow morning (or at least 85!), here's a quick look at our week.

(By the way, we take our "April vacation" during Holy Week, so except for speech, church and Book Group on Thursday, we have no lessons, and few outside activities, planned.)

Holy Week:

• Monday through Wednesday: Spring cleaning of the household
• Holy Thursday: Book Group with boys, Mass of the Lord's Supper in the evening
• Good Friday: Stations of the Cross, hot cross buns for tea
• Holy Saturday: Cook and prepare for Sunday, Easter Vigil Mass
• Easter Sunday: Rejoice! Family gathers for dinner here at 1.

********************************************************************

Thank you to all who left get-well wishes and prayers for me. I know this flu is moving quickly thanks in part to all the support and love from my family and friends.

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth!