Monday Morning Almanac

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

The little girls planted pansies last week. I hardly supervised. I really hope that too many tulip bulbs weren't destroyed in the process.

::listening to 

silence. It was a very busy, very full weekend. The silence is lovely.

::clothing myself in 

PJs, a bathrobe, and socks at the moment. I suppose I will get dressed eventually. It wouldn't be a good idea to go to the dance school later today dressed this way.. 

::talking with my children about these books

Lots of Thanksgiving books happening this week!

 

::thinking and thinking

about cancer. I don't like to think about cancer and I admit my coping strategy as a survivor has long been to push it out of my mind. But a dear friend (who had Hodgkin's disease just before I did and was always one to shine hope and inspiration) has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. The news has rocked me to the core. Hodgkins survivors who have the treatment we did are at significant risk for breast cancer. Please keep her in your prayers. 

::pondering prayerfully

“What good is confiding one’s pains, miseries and regrets to those to whom one cannot say at the end, “pray for me”? ~Elisabeth Leseur

::carefully cultivating rhythm

I need to get these children up earlier. But I so love the quiet...

::creating by hand

Ack, knitting! Sarah managed to pull on my California shawl and get me to a place where I can't even figure out how to unknit it. Edith is going to take a crack at it. And Ginny was here with her crew last night--an unexpected happy occasion. She was able to set my Sunday Sweater back on the right course.  I admit to being a rather discouraged knitter at the moment. How is it I can't seem to knit without friends to untangle my knots?

Sewing! This is going to be a drapery factory for the next couple of weeks. I've begun to create drapes for pretty much every window in the house. Of course, I can't do that alone, either. My friend Cari is spending afternoons crawling on the floor with me amidst yards and yards of fabric. I just do whatever she tells me.

::learning lessons in

cancer, fear, and priorities. All lessons I thought I'd learned. I think these are ongoing lifetime lessons. 

::encouraging learning 

math, math, and more math. The longer I homeschool, the more I am convinced that math education just doesn't happen. It requires purposeful insistence on practice every single day.

::begging prayers

for my friend Lynn and for someone else very close to me who is living through the agony of diagnostic medical testing.

::keeping house

 We had a bridal shower here yesterday, so the house is company clean, more or less. At least on the top two floors. Ginny was here after the shower with her crew. (They had baseball nearby). Now, Jonny has seen my basement. I think he was impressed with the scope and scale of the mess.

::crafting in the kitchen 

Christian has been cooking dinner a few nights a week lately. He staunchly refuses to consider paleo, but he does rock some very good creamed spinach and mashed potatoes. 

::loving the moments

when little girls wrap their whole selves around me in their sleep. She fell asleep whimpering, "I just want you forever."  I want to be here for her forever.

::giving thanks 

for precious things pondered in my heart. 

living the liturgy

There are 47 days until The Wedding. That means there are 43 days until Christmas and 20 days until the First Sunday of Advent. Time to make some detailed lists. Today. 

::picture thoughts 

from yesterday's bridal shower. Photo credits go to Mary Beth, Nicholas, and my niece, Erin, all of whom took my camera in hand. Thanks, y'all!

::planning for the week ahead

It looks to be a pretty calm week. I think perhaps, I should take advantage of tthe relative calm to plan the next few weeks ahead. Oh, and sewing. I've promised to have the windows covered by Thanksgiving. Well, at least I'll try.

 

Lord, Hear Our Prayer

The internet is a formidable force for bringing the comfort and consolation and hope of the Lord to all of us. It can be an incredibily powerful medium for community. There is an unfathomable resource for prayer here. We have on the 'net the privilege of praying for people and of being witness to the miracles brought forth when fervent, faith-filled people pray for one another.

Let's be that community of hope and faith for one another.

How about this idea? What if I pop in here every weekend, share Sunday's gospel and talk a wee bit about how we can live it and pray it in our homes? And then you tell me how we can pray for you that week? Deal?

{And please, do return and let us know how prayer is bearing fruit.} 

Gospel 

Mark 12:38-44

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds,
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation."

He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."

Think

“I must be willing to give whatever it takes to do good to others. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is no true love in me, and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me.” ~ Blessed Mother Teresa

Pray

Dear Lord, Show me what I have to give. Even when I think I have nothing to offer, illuminate the time, the talent that you have given me to give to others and help me to give generously.

Act

Talk to your children about giving. Make a list together of what you have to offer as a family. Begin with tithing, but be sure to include things that aren't monetary.

A Martinmas Spice Cake

It's the eve of Martinmas. The children's lanterns are glowing on the mantle and I still have one more pumpkin hat to decrease and bind off after bedtime. I did manage to get a little festal baking done after dinner and just pulled our spice cake out of the oven when I thought of you.

I thought how you might like to prepare a Martinmas cake for your family. (We're eating ours for breakfast. A feast is the perfect excuse to have cake for breakfast if I do say so myself. Anyhow, this recipe boasts a smidge of whole wheat pastry flour and a lot of pumpkin puree so I don't feel too guilty. Not at all in fact.)

This recipe is a simple one and most likely you have all the ingredients on hand, especially this time of year. And no. It's not even close to Paleo. 

Martinmas Spice Cake 

Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves

First of all, don't forget to preheat that oven. 350 should do just fine.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Some say it's best to sift them. I say just use a fork and mix away.

In another bowl...

Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 can pumpkin puree (That's probably about a cup and a half.)
• 2/3 cup canola or coconut oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat the wet ingredients well and then gradually add in the dry. Don't overmix or you'll have yourself a dense cake. 

I suppose you could add in dried fruit or nuts, but why mess with perfection?

Generously spray a bundt pan with canola spray. (Seriously, spray it generously.) Pour in the cake batter and bake for 40 minutes. (At least that's how long it takes in my oven. My oven tends to run slow, teaching me unwanted lessons in patience. So check it at 30 minutes just in case. If a toothpick comes out clean, you're set.) Allow your cake to cool in the pan for five minutes and then turn out on a rack to cool completely. (If you sprayed that bundt pan generously it should come out just fine.)

Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy with those you love.

Happy Martinmas to you!

xoxo,
Edith

A Cornucopia of Thanksgiving Books

Are you living a storybook year? Our book-a-day selections for this month come from Chris Scarlett, who graciously shared this list and her notes with me (and you!). A book a day and then some from now until Thanksgiving. Thanks so much, Chris!

For The Younger Set:
My First Thanksgiving (board book) by Tomie dePaola (super simple for toddlers)

Thanks For Thanksgiving by Julie Markes, illustrated by Doris Barrette (bright, bold colors and simple rhymes)

 Countdown to Thanksgiving by Jodi Huelin, illustrated by Keiko Motoyama (family-oriented)

Thanksgiving Is Here! by Diane Goode (big, busy family)

 1, 2, 3 Thanksgiving by W. Nikola-Lisa, illustrated by Robin Kramer (doubles as a counting book from 1-10 and 10-1)

 The First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melmed, illustrated by Mark Buehner (1-12, brief rhymes, nice pics)

Thanksgiving by Brenda Haugen, illustrated by Todd Ouren (sweet overview)

Thanksgiving Is... by Gail Gibbons (colorful, brief highlights)

The Very First Thankgiving Day by Rhonda Gowler Greene, paintings by Susan Gaber (lovely illustrations)

Fancy Nancy, Our Thanksgiving Banquet based on Fancy Nancy written by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Glasser, Fletcher, and Drainville (we completely missed out on this commercial brand, but I think this one is charming for girly-girls and their moms)

Saying Grace, A Prayer of Thanksgiving by Virginia Kroll, illustrated by Timothy Ladwig (pioneer girl)

The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving by Ann McGovern, illustrated by Elroy Freem (basic, gets the job done)

Thanksgiving by Dana Meachen Rau (simple school-type overview)

This Is the Feast by Diane Shore, illustrated by Megan Lloyd (bold, attractive pictures, rhyming)

 Thanksgiving Treat by Catherine Stock (a grandpa story)

"Potluck" For School Aged Children:
 Let's Throw A Thanksgiving Party! by Rachel Lynette (nice photos, very doable recipes and crafts, will click with Family Fun magazine fans)

P is for Pilgrim a Thanksgiving alphabet, illustrated by Helle Urban (written at two age levels, with poetry and prose, fact-packed and gorgeous)

 Oh, What A Thanksgiving! by Steven Kroll, illustrated by S. D. Schindler (modern schoolboy imagining a parallel life as a Pilgrim kid, fun)

 N. C. Wyeth's Pilgrims, text by Robert San Souci (BOGO alert--art appreciation and educational)

 The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh (vintage Caldecott, lovely wording)

Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxas, illustrated by Shannon Stirnweis (check out the Catholic connection here)

Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla, pictures by Peter Burchard (old school bio, sparsely illustrated)

 Squanto's Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by Greg Shed (one of the best Squanto books out there)

 If You Were There At The First Thanksgiving by Anne Kamma, illustrated by Bert Dodson (classic series, Q&A format)

The First Thanksgiving Feast by Joan Anderson, photographed by George Ancona (beautiful B&W photos of re-enactors at Plimouth Plantation)

A World Of Holidays, Thanksgiving by Marilyn Miller (overview, colorful photos)

 The Pilgrims' Thanksgiving from A to Z by Laura Crawford, illustrated by Judith Hierstein (organized as an alphabet book, would be a good way to kick-off or wrap up a mini-unit study, pretty)

The First Thanksgiving by Linda Hayward, illustrated by James Watling (interesting early reader)

Three Young Pilgrims by Cheryl Harness (attractive and very well-researched)

Eating The Plates: A Pilgrim Book of Food and Manners by Lucille Recht Penner (foodies might like this chapter book)

1620 Year of the Pilgrims by Genevieve Foster (a meaty chapter book)

 1621: A New Look At Thanksgiving by Catherine O'Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac, photos by Sisse Brimberg and Colton Coulson (detailed)

 Giving Thanks: The 1621 Harvest Feast by Kate Waters, photos by Russ Kendall (parallel stories of Pilgrim boy and Indian boy at Plimoth Plantation)

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Matt Faulkner (Can you say perseverance? charmingly told, girl power--in a good way)

 Sarah Gives Thanks by Mike Allegra, illustrated by David Gardner (more straightforward than the previous title about Sarah Josepha Hale, a good complement to it)

 A Thanksgiving Wish by Michael Rosen, paintings by John Thompson (missing departed grandma, a wishbone story, not a downer)

 Fat Chance Thanksgiving by Pat Lakin, illustrated by Stacey Schuett (kids' initiative brings neighbors together)

 Thanksgiving On Plymouth Plantation by Diane Stanley, illustrated by Holly Berry (bland title for an imaginary time-travel tale with grandma as teacher using comic speech bubbles, very kid-friendly) 

 The Thanksgiving Door by Debby Atwell (an elderly couple is included in a family meal at an ethnic restaurant)

 The Firefighters' Thanksgiving by Maribeth Boelts, illustrated by Terry Widener (whole lot of action here for one day)

Turkey Bowl by Phil Bilder, illustrated by C. F. Payne (let's hear it for the boys in this family football story)

 The Memory Cupboard: A Thanksgiving Story by Charlotte Herman, paintings by Ben F. Stahl (people and memories are more important than things, don't miss this one)

The Pilgrims of Plimoth by Marcia Sewall (quaintly written in first person, present tense)

The First Thanksgiving by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Thomas Locker (well told, Dutch Masters-style paintings)

Thanksgiving Day, A Time To Be Thankful by Elaine Landau (overview that would be nice for a schoolish report)

 The Thanksgiving Bowl by Virginia Kroll, illustrated by Philomena O'Neill (cute, far-fetched, convoluted tale)

Thanksgiving Day Alphabet by Beverly Barras Vidrine, illustrated by Alison Davis Lyne (use this one to summarize and review the whole unit of study)

One For The Oldest Students:
Thanksgiving, The True Story by Penny Colman (nice reference for fact-checking teens or parents)
Junior high and high schoolers may enjoy reading some from the previous level aloud to siblings (or children they babysit). 

A REWARD IF YOU ARE STILL WITH ME HERE:
 The Perfect Thanksgiving by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by JoAnn Adinolfi (Hilarious. Highly recommended. Shhh. We will be reading this one to all the big Scarlett kids on Turkey Day this year. Thankfully, most of our families fall somewhere on the continuum between the extremes of the Martha Stewart-ish and the "redneck" clans depicted here.)

For more about our Storybook Year, please visit  here. 

(And many thanks to Nicky for all the linking. He's a coding machine:-)

needle & thREAD

Good morning! We've been all kinds of domestic here in the last few days--lots of cleaning, cooking, sewing. I think when my world spins and it becomes apparent that I have little control over it, I tend to hunker down and do the home thing. I have a degree of control of my own domestic haven.

I helped Katie sew a Class Picnic Blouse this week. (Did you see Sarah's picnic blouse and her skirt on her birthday last week?) Katie did almost all of it herself and she's quite pleased with the result.

In the reading department, the children and I have been reading along a patriotic theme, with the books pictured here. With the bigger kids we're reading Bill O'Reilly's books and truly loving them: 

Lincoln's Last Days,  Kids are Americans, Too, and  The O'Reilly Factor for Kids: A Survival Guide for America's Families

We've hunkered down at home and enjoyed some good discussions on hope and vision and culture. I find myself profoundly grateful for the blessing of home education these days. If my life has a theme lately, it's home.

What about you? Are you starting to think Christmas gifts? Big plans for winter home dec?  Or are you embroidering? Pulling a needle with thread through lovely fabric to make life more beautiful somehow? Would you share with us just a single photo (or more) and a brief description of what you're up to? Will you tell us about what you're reading, also? Would you talk sewing and books with us? I'd love that so much.

Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your blog post or your specific Flickr photo and not your main blog URL or Flickr Photostream. Please be sure and link to your current needle and thREAD post below in the comments, and not a needle and thREAD post from a previous week. If you don't have a blog, please post a photo to the needle & thREAD group at Flickr. 

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