The Careless Catholic

Yarn Along

2012-01-18T16:26:00.001-07:00

My Girl's birthday is coming up in March so I'm going to be knitting up a few gifts for her. The first one I'm working on is a cute hat that knits up very quickly. It's knit on U.S. 15 dpns with thick and thin yarn. I chose a pretty "water colored" blue colorway in Malagrigo Aquarella. I think she'll love it. :)

Right now I'm reading The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett, Illustrated by Tasha Tudor to the kids for our family read-aloud and 1984 by George Orwell for myself. It's fun to revisit a beloved story such as The Secret Garden with my children and to see it afresh through them. As for 1984, it is a book that I have had on my to-read list for quite some time and I am finally getting to it. It seemed like a logical time to pick it up since I had just recently finished The Feed by M.T. Anderson and both books are about an imagined, ugly, futuristic world. My husband had read 1984 years ago and so he warned me that it was pretty disturbing. He was right of course. I have found it disturbing, just as I found The Feed disturbing (though, for different reasons). I would much rather live in the past than in the future. It's just who I am. I guess, for me, it boils down to-- the past is certain and the future is not. I'm almost to part Three in the book and so far my favorite part is this quote…

"The book fascinated him, or more exactly it reassured him. In a sense it told him nothing that was new but that was part of the attraction. It said what he would have said, if it had been possible for him to set his scattered thoughts in order. It was the product of a mind similar to his own, but enormously more powerful, more systematic, less fear-ridden. The best books, he perceived, are those that tell you what you know already."

I'm not sure why that appeals to me so much. Perhaps, because I can really understand Winston here? After 174 pages I finally feel that I can relate to him in some way. It makes him real to me. Strange. Also, I find him much more simpatico after he starts visiting Mr. Charrington's shop. I think it's Winston's need for connecting to the past. I get that.

In other knitting news…

I finished my fingerless mitts from my last Yarn Along post.

I am very pleased with them, though a little put out that I never felt that I mastered the thumb gusset. sigh. It came out okay, but the work was not as clean as I would have liked it to be. They are comfy and warm, though. Just as mitts should be. :)

For this weeks Yarn Along please join Ginny at Small Things.

{this moment} :: Dreaming of Summer

2012-01-13T16:27:00.001-07:00

{this moment}- A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from ~~the week~~ *last summer*. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, please visit SouleMama.

Yarn Along:: The first of the New Year!

2012-01-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

~ Books and Yarn; it's a beautiful thing. Joining Ginny for this weeks Yarn Along…

On the needles right now is my first attempt at fingerless mitts/gloves. The pattern I eventually settled on is called Siren Sleeves. I had a bumpy beginning with this project which resulted in my choosing a different pattern. I'm liking it much better than the first I had chosen; with the biggest redeeming component of the new pattern being that it has you working on only 3 dpns at a time rather than the first pattern's 4. Fagging away on a project implementing 5 sharp sticks at once is a bit much for me regardless of how much I love the process of knitting. Though, I also think the Siren Sleeves pattern, with it's subtile garter stitch at the beginning and end with stockinette stitch in between, shows off the beautiful yarn I'm working with better as well. I'm using SunshineYarns' Snape colorway in Merino Sport.

As for what I'm reading/listening to right now, I am enjoying The Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter (Hillarious!) on the NOOK Tablet we received as a family Christmas gift. For our family read-aloud we are almost done with The Invention of Hugo Cabret (the children are really enjoying this picture-heavy, mysterious tale set in 1930's Paris). And while I knit (or, unfortunately is more often the case, wash dishes) I have been listening to Wuthering Heights on Audible. I had forgotten just how detestable the characters are in this novel. Ick.

Before I end this post I'm going to brag a little about a few projects I finished over the holidays. The first is my To Eyre Shawl pictured below. I posted about it originally here. This project took me longer than I had expected it would. All those short rows used to shape it added up, but I am very pleased with the finished results. It hangs so that the soft ruffles are midway across my back and halfway down my arm. Now I just need to find the right pin for it.

And here are my first socks! I am especially proud of these. I feel like I've finally arrived as a knitter, lol! I followed Silver's Sock Class online tutorial. As a newbie knitter this was an exhilarating adventure for me. It has been my long term goal from the moment I decided to teach myself to knit (over a year ago) that I would make socks by this last Christmas. Well, here they are! I used Sunshine Yarns' Cherry blossom colorway in Classic Sock weight. They are SO soft, SO comfy, and SO beautiful. I'm definitely hooked. I'm already dreaming of the next pair I'm going to create. :)

Happy yarning, friends!

Raising a glass...

2011-12-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

to your health in the New Year!

"Fine friends and companions
come join me in rhyme
come lift up your voices
in chorus with mine
come lift up your voices,
all grief to refrain
for we may or might never
all meet here again

So here's a health to the company
and one to my lass
let's drink and be merry
all out of one glass
let's drink and be merry
all grief to refrain
for we may or might never
all be here again…"

May the good God bless you and keep you today and throughout the
New Year!

Santé!

{this moment}

2011-12-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

{this moment}- A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, please visit SouleMama.

Wordless Wednesday:: All for Our Lady

2011-12-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

Dancing around the kitchen in my slippers...

2011-12-14T09:46:00.001-07:00

to this…

I dedicate this song to my grandpa; my very first and still my favorite polka partner. I wish he was here with me now. We would be dancing around the kitchen together. :)

I'm hoping next year he'll be able to come out and visit. Unlike when I was younger (when I took everyone for granted), spending time with family is very important to me. Because after losing so many much loved family since being married, I realize that the memories we make with them are all we take with us when they're gone.

…okay. This post wasn't meant to be sad. I started out happy.

Sorry about that.

Celebrating Santa Lucia Day

2011-12-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

…with candlelight

…with an orange cinnamon roll wreath and hot cocoa

…with making paper dolls

…with books

…and with prayer

Saint Lucy, thy beautiful name signifies light. By the light of faith which God bestowed upon thee, increase and preserve this light in my soul so that I may avoid evil, be zealous in the performance of good works, and abhor nothing so much as the blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin. By thine intercession with God, obtain for me perfect vision for my bodily eyes and the grace to use them for God's greater honor and glory and the salvation of all men.

Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear my prayers and obtain my petitions. Amen.

St. Lucy, virgin and martyr,

ora pro nobis!

Champurrado por Nuestra Dulce Madre!

2011-12-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

…Champurrado for Our Sweet Mother!

On this beautiful feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe we will be celebrating with a few books, coloring pages and food.

I think I've mentioned before that in our family food is a BIG part of the way we celebrate. So, after a conversation with a sweet friend on facebook the other day, I decided to make Champurrado to go with tonight's dinner of shredded chicken burritos and tacos.

Champurrado is a thick Mexican hot chocolate drink. It is traditionally made during Las Posadas (the Christmas season) and other festive Mexican holidays. Mexican chocolate, finely ground corn flour, milk and cinnamon are combined to make this frothy treat. I thought it would be perfect to make this drink in honor of Our Lady's sweetness. :)

Here is a recipe for Champurrado that I found on Foodnetwork.com --

Ingredients:

1/4 cup masa harina

(You can usually find this in the Hispanic aisle of your supermarket. We bought ours at Walmart.)

3 1/2 cups cold water

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups of milk

1 (3 oz.) tablet of sweetened Mexican chocolate, flavored with cinnamon

(Again, you can usually find this in the Hispanic aisle of your supermarket. We bought ours at Walmart.)

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl combine the masa harina with 1/2 cup of water mixing by hand to form a paste. In medium saucepan add the paste and the remaining 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Cook slowly for 20 minutes, the mixture will thicken.

While this mixture is simmering, in another saucepan add the milk and bring to a boil. Add the chocolate and cook for about 10 minutes until the chocolate has completely dissolved. Pour the chocolate into the masa harina mixture stirring until well incorporated. With a milinillo or an eggbeater, whisk until a foam forms on the top, about 3 minutes. Serve in a large bowl, spooning some of the foam on top.

Serves 4

Nuestra Dulce Madre Santa Maria de Guadalupe,

ruega por nosotros!

{this moment}

2011-12-09T15:31:00.001-07:00

What a blessed feast!

2011-12-06T23:47:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful feast day celebration yesterday filled with chocolate coins, cocoa, cookies, peppermint and books! The children woke up to find their slippers (for one child who couldn't find their slippers it was their church shoes) filled with chocolate coins and new toys on the hearth. We had ordered books from Amazon that were supposed to be shipped in time to arrive before the 6th, but something went amiss because when I check on the delivery status it stated that the package had been delivered to the next town over's post office. Bummer. Looks like they'll be getting their new books for Santa Lucia's feast day instead. :)

I would liked to have gotten a picture of the kids' slippers

filled with the coins in front of the fireplace, but they were too quick for me. They woke up before me and had most of their coins eaten before I could get a pic! I knew I should have gotten a picture before going to bed. Darn. I did think to take a picture of the coins ~~after my prep work was done~~ before St. Nick delivered them. ;)

Later in the day we had fun making cookies; German Speculatius and Candy Cane Cookies. After dinner we enjoyed our St. Nicholas treats of cookies, homemade hot cocoa with homemade peppermint whipped cream, and a few other assorted peppermint candies. I never did find those peppermint marshmallows Charlotte mentioned. I think I'll have to be on the look out for those before Thanksgiving next year in order to score some. Speaking of Charlotte, I loved her St. Nicholas she made using the chocolate Lindt santa by adding the bishops mitre and crozier. Too cute! I really do need to remember to do that next year. *note to self*

We ended our day with reading Saint Nicholas the Real Story of the Christmas Legend after our usual Advent night prayers. Two other books we have that we read around this feast day are The Legend of Saint Nicholas and The Miracle of Saint Nicholas.

Hoping your feast day was filled with all the sweetness of the season!

Dear Saint Nicholas, pray for us!

And the winner is….

2011-12-05T21:54:00.001-07:00

Congratulations, Sarah!

I'll be contacting you and shipping your books off asap!

*Sarah, I looked on your blogger profile and I couldn't find an email address. Could you please contact me (kellydoodle at gmail dot com) with your mailing info. Thank you!*

{this moment}

2011-12-02T11:37:00.001-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. Photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, please visit Soulemama.

Christmas/Winter Book Giveaway!

2011-12-02T09:08:00.001-07:00

In my last post I listed (most of) our Advent/Christmas/Winter books we have out in baskets at this time of year. I say most, because we have enough books now where I need to rotate some.

I didn't point out any favorites in my last post because, honestly, I didn't think I could only pick a few. We really do love all our books and look forward to them all. Thinking about it a little more though, I've come to realize that there are two very special ones for our children. They remember them year after year exclaiming, "Oh! Oh! It's the snowman books!!! Remember Pickle Nose?!" …and delighted laughter ensues.

The two books I'm referring to are Caralyn and Mark Buehner's Snowmen at Night (2002) and Snowmen at Christmas (2005). The author and illustrator are a husband and wife team that have made several books together. They are also the parents of 9 children. Hmm, I think they might know a thing or two about what kids like in books. Just a guess. ;)

The cute and clever stories are written in a delightful singsong-y rhyme. And the pictures?... Fantastic! Filled with gorgeous subtle changes in light and charming detail. As a bonus, Mark Buehner has added hidden shapes of animals, Santas, and dinosaurs throughout the pictures. The kids spend hours pouring over the pages to make sure they've caught them all. :)

And guess what?! I just happen to have an extra copy of BOTH! I've kept them on my top shelf as a "just in case". They are both in very good, like-new condition. Only the dust covers show a bit of light wear on the edges. For a chance at winning both books just leave me a comment telling me which Advent/Christmas/Winter book your children (or you) look forward to the most. I'll pick a winner this Monday the 5th. Please make sure there is some way of getting in contact with you if you're the winner. Thank you and good luck!

Blessed Advent!

Books:: Advent, Christmas…and beyond.

2011-11-30T09:33:00.001-07:00

I'm joining along with Jessica's Advent/Christmas book link-up. We LOVE books and the more the better, especially this time of year. There is something so comforting about pulling out an old familiar tale. Like visiting with a good friend after a long separation. So, I thought it was a fantastic idea to share with fellow bibliophiles our list of books and perhaps discover some new treasures, ourselves. Our books have been purchased over many years and we add to our baskets every year. Some were childhood favorites of mine. Some were discovered accidentally. Some came from lists other mothers have shared online. But the vast majority have been gleaned from Cay Gibson's two books: Catholic Mosaic and Christmas Mosaic. If you do not already own these two books I highly encourage you to make the investment today. Also, at the end of this post I decided to add the books we have in our seasonal book basket as well. Enjoy your perusing!

An aside note: I have never wrapped up the books like Charlotte and Jessica have done. I do love the idea, though, and I'm planning on doing it…if I can find the time. So far we have just been reading the books in a set order like we have done in the past. But I have the right colored wrapping paper and everything, so hopefully I'll find some time later today to make it happen. Yes, I realize we are 4 days into Advent already. Hey! Better late than never! :)

~ Advent ~

Destination Bethlehem

(family read-aloud starting Dec. 1 through Dec. 24)

November 27

Waiting for Christmas, A Story about the Advent Calendar

November 28

Waiting for Noel, An Advent Story

November 29

Strega Nona's Gift (New this year)

November 30

Cobweb Christmas

December 1

Legend of the Candy Cane

December 2

Mortimer's Christmas Manger

December 3

An Orange for Frankie

December 4

Hans Brinker

December 5

The Miracle of Saint Nicholas

December 6 - St. Nicholas

Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend

December 7 - St. Ambrose

The Christmas Candle

December 8 - Immaculate Conception

Mary, Mother of Jesus

December 9 - St. Juan Diego

Our Lady of Guadalupe (New this year)

December 10

The Little Fir Tree

December 11

The Lady of Guadalupe

December 12 - Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe Empress of the Americas

December 13 - St. Lucy

Lucia, Saint of Light

December 14

The Legend of the Poinsettia

December 15

St. Francis Celebrates Christmas

December 16

Silent Night

December 17

The Three Gifts of Christmas

December 18

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

December 19

Santa's Favorite Story

December 20

The Night of Las Posadas

December 21

The Donkey's Dream

December 22

Christmas in the Trenches

December 23

The Friendly Beasts

December 24 - Christmas Eve

Bright Christmas, an Angel Remembers

~ Christmas ~

December 25 - Christmas Day

The Huron Carol

December 26 - St. Stephen

Stephen's Feast

December 27

Good King Wenceslas

December 28

Twelve Days of Christmas

December 29

Snowmen at Christmas

December 30

St. Francis and the Christmas Donkey

December 31 - New Year's Eve

Little Match Girl

January 1 - BVM, Holy Mother of God

Mary

January 2

The Crippled Lamb

January 3

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

January 4

Silent Night

January 5

The Gift of the Magi

January 6 - Epiphany

The Last Straw

A few extra Christmas reads:
The Christmas Cobwebs

Legend of Saint Nicholas

Kristen's Surprise

Miracle on 34th Street

A Christmas Carol

~ Just For Fun ~

Gingerbread Baby

Frosty the Snowman (*from my childhood)

The Night Before Christmas (Mary Engelbreit)

The Polar Express

The Nutcracker

(performed by The New York City Ballet, Photographed and told by Joel Meyerowitz)

The Night Before Christmas (Leonard Weisgard, *from my childhood)

Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas

Poems for Christmas

The Nutcracker (Susan Jeffers)

A Little House Christmas Treasury, Festive Holiday Stories

The Night Before Christmas (Jan Brett)

~ Winter Seasonal ~

Brambly Hedge Winter Story

Katy and the Big Snow

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

The Story of the Snow Children

A Redwall Winter's Tale

White Snow Bright Snow

Snowballs

Snow

Owl Moon

Winter is the Warmest Season

When you're done here, please click on over and checkout the other fantastic book lists at Jessica's link-up!

Wordless Wednesday:: Thankful

2011-11-23T21:50:00.001-07:00

From our family to yours,

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh. My.

2011-11-15T14:08:00.001-07:00

Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop

"Chocolate cake mixed with butter cream and candy cane pieces, dipped in white

chocolate and sprinkled with candy cane bits."

Why do you do this to me, Starbucks? Why?

Today's U.S. History lesson...

2011-11-11T11:33:00.001-07:00

...courtesy of Johnny Horton. :)

Oblivious Idiots?

2011-11-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

Recent family photo of the Duggar family including their oldest son with his wife and child.

Time for a rant…

you've been warned.

If you haven't heard yet, the Duggar family is expecting their 20th child. Blessed be God!! Another beautiful immortal soul!! This is fantastic news in my book. But not so for everyone. I first heard of the Duggar's news on Facebook. One of my Facebook "friends" (we hung out occasionally in highschool) posted about it on their wall. And they had a very different take on the news than I had. Here is their quote:

"Great news! The Duggars are expecting baby number 20! Any of you L&D nurses want to take care of her? At some point the uterus might decide to fall out…and seriously after a micropremie and severe Pre-eclampsia? WTF?"

…a response from one of their other friends was this:

"And their so proud. Do they not have a clue that they look like complete idiots to the whole country. They are oblivious."

So. Let me get this straight. With all the crap we have going on in the world. All the atrocities. All of the constant bad news. We are going to focus our disgust on this? We are going to bash a couple that has happiness? We are going to belittle their joy? We can't wait to tear someone down. Wipe that "proud" smile off your face! How can you possibly be happy over another child? And the 20th one to boot!

I know the argument here... Well, she's had all these kids(!) and combined with her age (45) and her past high-risk pregnancy (premie baby and pre-eclampsia)…she has no right to have another one! Michelle Duggar is deluded at best and a selfish publicity-seeker at worst. Basically, she is risking her life and the life of the child by continuing to have children.

Here is my take. Every pregnancy is a risk. Every. Pregnancy. There are MANY fit and healthy 20 year old women that have had both pre-eclampsia and premie babies on their first pregnancy. So what now? Are we the preggy police? Your risk is higher than her risk so you shouldn't be allowed to be pregnant, is that it? You take a gamble every time you become pregnant. Yes, Michelle Duggar has a higher risk than most, but that fit 20 year old has risks, too. We just don't know who is going to have medical complications and who isn't. We can guess. We can make estimates on percentages, but we do not know. Are we going to start telling women with Lupus or Diabetes that they are not allowed to be pregnant? I know several women with these medical complications that have decided to have children anyway (successfully, I might add). It was worth the risk to them. What about those couples with hidden genetic issues? Are we going to take that decision away from the parents? Is that where this leads?

It's a scary thought.

If you're honestly concerned about Michelle and her baby, then why don't you pray for them. It would do more for them and you.

A very good mail day...

2011-11-07T23:08:00.000-07:00

Severus Snape - Crookshanks - Pumpkin Chai

Can you hear my squee echo off the mountains? :)

I-Spy:: Keepin' it real...

2011-11-05T13:14:00.000-06:00

…with a snapshot of the living room this morning. Untouched and untidied. I'm combining ideas and playing along with Crunchy Catholic Momma and linking up with her Keepin It Real post and Barbara at Praying for Grace with her I-Spy posts.

Lest any one of my dear readers have the false impression that I "do it all" and/or have a perfect life with perfect kids, I give you this very small freeze-frame of my life.

In the above photo: On the couch you will see (a remarkably small) pile of clean laundry to be folded and put away with a flower fairy doll on top. Don't let the size of this pile fool you. There are mounds of laundry that have been on this couch that would put fear into the bravest of souls. Next there is the unswept floor, an empty coffee cup that Little Man snagged from me and deposited on the fireplace hearth along with a pink kneeler left out from last night's prayers. On the coffee table is a pile of junk mail and holiday catalogs, blanket, little girl tights, and books that need to be returned to the book basket and videos. Ah, yes, let me not forget the carebear on the floor. :) Granted, there have been times when this room has looked worse.

So if you're still not convinced, lets take if from another view…

Now here you will see a few things that were hidden by the angle of the other photo. On the floor you will also see a dirty sock (hmm, I wonder why my children can never find a matching pair of socks) and video game cases that were rummaged through and left out. The table, itself, badly needs to be refinished and is missing handles on either side and has a locked drawer that cannot be opened because the key has been lost. I'm pretty sure those missing handles are in the drawer, lol. :)

Looks like I need to do a little bit of folding, sweeping and organizing so I better wrap up this post.

Happy Saturday, friends!

For All Souls

2011-11-02T08:49:00.000-06:00

Wishing you all a blessed All Souls Day.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Wordless Wednesday:: Hallowe'en 2011

2011-11-02T08:39:00.000-06:00

Memento Mori

2011-10-31T09:45:00.000-06:00

Memento Mori: Le Squelette, 1545, Church of Saint-Etienne, Bar-le-Duc, Lorraine

Happy All Hallows' Eve!

Btw, Here are a few articles that you should check out. This one by Danielle Bean…Don't Trade Halloween for Reformation Sunday. And another one by Ron Kollman…Top Ten Ways to Have a Catholic Halloween.
Don't forget, tomorrow, The Feast of All Saints, is a Holy Day of Obligation! :)

Yarn Along:: 10/26/11 Going Gothic

2011-10-26T14:47:00.000-06:00

...'Tis the season after all. :)

I've been missing these Yarn Alongs for the past few weeks. It seems to be the only thing I like to post about anymore. Yarn and books, sigh. Ginny is a woman after my own heart and I'm so grateful that she continues to host these link-ups. For the past week (or two) I've been working on my To Eyre shawl, version 2. I'm really enjoying the process, but it is slower going then I had expected. There are A LOT of short rows. Also, now that I am half way through it, it's looking a little smaller then I would have liked. I guess I should have swatched (is that a word? lol) to check gauge/tension. GASP!…I know. I'm so lazy. We'll see what blocking does for it. I'm still thinking it will cover my shoulders and arms, just not as much or with as much drape. The designer has an "outdoor Eyre" version included in the pattern, so I may try that one at a later time. The yarn is Brigadoon 5 ply, 100% extra fine merino tweed. The colorway is Stone. Being that it is tweed, it has lovely specks of light blue and browns throughout the yarn. It gives it a nice rustic look and feel, which is exactly what I wanted for this project.

As for books I'm enjoying rereading some of Poe's short stories and poetry this week. A few of my old favorites are The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven (of course), and Annabel Lee. I always come back to Poe, especially at this time of year.

For more books and yarn please visit Ginny's Yarn Along.

Wordless Wednesday:: One Day in Autumn

2011-10-26T11:41:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday:: My own Woody and Little Pip

2011-10-19T23:45:00.000-06:00

…sigh

2011-10-07T16:29:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday:: Color Sunday

2011-09-28T11:41:00.000-06:00

Homeschool Meme

2011-09-22T14:24:00.000-06:00

Mother and Child Reading by Frederick Warren Freer

I've been tagged by the lovely Nadja at Patch O'Dirt Farm for this meme. Like Nadja, I don't usually do memes, but I've enjoyed reading everyone else's posts so much and I thought that it would be fun to think about what has worked and hasn't worked for us over the years.

One homeschooling book you have enjoyed:

Like most others it is hard for me to just pick one. Right away I think of Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home by Elizabeth Foss. I was late to reading this in my homeschooling journey and I really wish I had started out with it. I like to reread this book every year. The other book that jumps readily to mind is Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum by Laura Berquist. It was the first book I read that made me feel like I could do this homeschool thing on my own without Seton or anyone else holding my hand. The most recent book that I have enjoyed is A Little Way of Homeschooling by Suzie Andres. I had such a weight lifted off of me after reading this book. Truly, such a sense of peace. It's another one that I wish I had read at the beginning of our homeschool journey. Though, funny enough, I don't think I would have gotten near as much out of it then as a young, inexperienced mother as I do now after years "in the field". Some things are like that. They come to you when you most need them and are ready.

One resource you wouldn't be without:

The internet.

...oh, you want more? Well, okay. ;) It's not just the internet with educational websites, youtube, free curriculum, netflix instant-watch documentaries and biographies, etc. It's the network of AMAZING and inspirational mothers out there in blogland. I have learned more and been encouraged more by these women than any other resource. They are some of the most selfless, giving women you'll ever come across. I can't name them all. There are too many to list, but a few of them have participated in this meme.

One resource you wish you never bought:

Wow. Uhm...there's a lot. But I really don't want to name names. I'd have to say any "school in a box" type

of curriculum. It's a cage and we suffocated for too many years. With that being said...

*You know, even though there is stuff I wish I hadn't spent money (and time) on, this is a hard question for me. Because you learn from all experiences. Even negative ones. Maybe, especially the negative ones. So, was it a complete waste? No, I don't think so.*

One resource you enjoyed last year:

We've been enjoying Catholic Mosaic for a couple of years now and have been growing our home library slowly. Another would be Faith Folders. We enjoyed doing several of these last year. Especially great for sacrament preparation. I'll also give a little shout-out to The Harp and Laurel Wreath, Poetry and Dictation for the Classical Curriculum by Laura Berquist. We have been using this for the past 6 years. It is well worn, highlighted, filled with post-it notes and dog-eared. All of which, despite what some may consider book abuse, is to us a badge of honor. :)

One resource you'll be using next year:

Hmm, well, I guess I'd have to say everything listed directly above.

It's hard to say as it's still so early in the school year. We're using a few new-to-us curriculums this year. Some of these are Apologia, Teaching Textbooks, Handwriting Without Tears and Institute for Excellence in Writing for Spelling and Writing. Not only have I read very good things about these programs around the internet, but also our local Barista at a mom and pop coffee shop (a wonderful homeschooled young lady) raves about the Institute for Writing and Apologia Science. If Amber says it's good, then it's worth giving it a try. :)

But whether or not we'll be using any of this next year is still to be determined.

One resource you would like to buy:

After reading Auntie Leila's recent post, I'd have to say a good stereo microscope. I'm in negotiations with the principle (husband) about the purchase. :)

One resource you wish existed:

A maid.

A good piano teacher that made house calls (Our beloved piano teacher recently moved away. sadness).

Library books without late fees.

*Sorry, I seem to be doing most of these in threes instead of just one. It's the rebel in me.*

One catalog you enjoy reading:

Oh, my. I love catalogs.

But I will try and stick to just a few here.

Emmanuel Books

Acorn Naturalists

Chinaberry-

Not really a homeschool catalog, but they have great books, art supplies, games and puzzles.

I used to LOVE Dumb Ox Publications when I first began homeschooling. They had stopped their business for awhile, but after searching around on google, I've just seen that they're back!! I've kept their Fall 2002 catalog stashed away with my other more current catalogs. Yes. I know. I wasn't kidding about loving catalogs.

Anywho, they are a mail order only, family run business. I just left a message for them to send out a current catalog. Their Advent and Lenten Calendars for kids along with their A Catholic Child's Calendar are my absolute favorites. I'm very excited that they are back in publication!

Dumb Ox Publications

10201 Grove School Road

Beloit, WI 53511

(608)879-9400

Okay, that's it for me.

I am now supposed to tag 6 other homeschoolers, but I'm not sure there is anyone left to tag. lol! So, if you have not been tagged yet please consider yourself tagged. I'd love to read your responses to this 8 question meme.

Wordless Wednesday:: Family Fun at Owl Creek

2011-09-21T16:21:00.002-06:00

Yarn Along:: 9/21/11

2011-09-21T15:21:00.001-06:00

Yarning along with Ginny this week...

~ Project ~

I'm calling this my Harvest Hat. :)

It's being worked on size US 15 dpns using Plymouth Yarn's Baby Alpaca Grande Hand Dye, Colorway 6 Lot 85707.

Basically following this pattern with a few adjustments. Cast on 60 instead of the 42 called for in original pattern. I wanted to make sure it was roomy. I hope I don't regret it. Loving the yarn. Despising the needles. They're bamboo (very lightweight and too short). Main frustration has been that the yarn clings to them while I work my stitches and then drops/slides off the stitches at the ends that I'm not working. sigh

I think I'll be tossing these when I'm done.

~ Book(s) ~

Knitting Rules! by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

and

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

I'm still making my way slowly through Knitting Rules. I'm very much enjoying it still. I'm just taking it in little snippets here and there at odd times. I just started 84 Charing Cross Road. I've been wanting to read it for a long time. I really loved the movie staring Anthony Hopkins. I'm starting to realize how much I enjoy epistolary books. Both Fiction and Non-fiction. I love making happy discoveries like this. It opens up exciting new possibilities in reading enjoyment.

Please join Ginny for more Yarn Along goodness.

Honoring Our Lady of Sorrows

2011-09-15T23:51:00.000-06:00

It's late as I post this tonight, but I like to mark our liturgical activities here and share a little of what we do with others.

Today was the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. We were short on time today with outside activities going on so we made a small occasion of it with cake (inspiration from here and here) and a few coloring pages from Charlotte at Waltzing Matilda. Not shown are the 7 almonds (Jamie noted that they look like tears) I handed out to the children to represent Our Lady's Seven Dolors or Sorrows. The children were disappointed that the almonds were not salted. My oldest son informed me that they would have been more tear-like if they were salty. Good point, son. I'll have to remember that for next year. :)

Btw, you may notice that in a couple of the coloring pages Our Lady has a red nose. I was a bit confused as to why some of the children were coloring her like that. I was informed by my 4 and 7 year old that "your nose always gets red when you have been crying very hard". Makes sense to me.

Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis!

Flower Photo Contest!

2011-09-15T13:35:00.000-06:00

If you haven't already noticed by a few of my recent past posts, I love flowers (especially wildflowers) and taking photos of them.
So, when I saw that Amy's daughter was hosting a Flower Photo Contest on her blog I knew I had to enter. It's been so fun to click around and see everyone's lovely photos. :)

There are SO many I could have chosen from (I told you I take a lot of photos!), but I chose this one in honor of today's Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. Here is my entry:

Bleeding Hearts

Taken a few weeks ago in Telluride, CO.

Please click on over and check out all the other beautiful entries!

Wordless Wednesday::Flora and Fauna at Owl Creek

2011-09-14T17:45:00.000-06:00

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

2011-09-08T11:48:00.001-06:00

This is a repost from last year. I tore a ligament in my toe on Tuesday and have been hobbling around since, so we probably won't be celebrating in the same way this year. Maybe Mark will be able to pick up a white cake we can decorate with blue sprinkles, though, on his way home from work tonight.

For the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary today we made a birthday cake for her of white with a blue sprinkle fleur-de-lis. The kids always enjoy singing Happy Birthday to her and blowing out the big candle. :) Then the children listened while I read a few of our books on Mary. After our family rosary tonight we will end our prayer time with the Litany of Loretto and a Marian hymn, probably Immaculate Mary.

The books shown in the photo above:

Mary: The Mother of Jesus by Tomie De Paola

Mary, Mother of Jesus by Mary Joslin

Mary My Mother by Fr. Lovasik

A prayer in honor of Mary's Nativity by St. Anselm

Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O sacred Virgin; give me strength against thine enemies, and against the enemy of the whole human race. Give me strength humbly to pray to thee. Give me strength to praise thee in prayer with all my powers, through the merits of thy most sacred nativity, which for the entire Christian world was a birth of joy, the hope and solace of its life.

When thou wast born, O most holy Virgin, then was the world made light.

Happy is thy stock, holy thy root, and blessed thy fruit, for thou alone as a virgin, filled with the Holy Spirit, didst merit to conceive thy God, as a virgin to bear Thy God, as a virgin to bring Him forth, and after His birth to remain a virgin.

Have mercy therefore upon me a sinner, and give me aid, O Lady, so that just as thy nativity, glorious from the seed of Abraham, sprung from the tribe of Juda, illustrious from the stock of David, didst announce joy to the entire world, so may it fill me with true joy and cleanse me from every sin.

Pray for me, O Virgin most prudent, that the gladsome joys of thy most helpful nativity may put a cloak over all my sins.

O holy Mother of God, flowering as the lily, pray to thy sweet Son for me, a wretched sinner. Amen.

I hope your feast day celebration was a joyful one!

Wordless Wednesday: Dancer's Blue Ribbon Apron

2011-09-07T19:13:00.000-06:00

The reversible Emmeline Apron Pattern is from Sew Liberated.

Thoughts on wearing a chapel veil...

2011-09-02T15:37:00.000-06:00

I've been meaning to write on this topic for some time now. Especially after the response that this give-away garnered almost a year ago. Thank you again, Fr. Z! But it was only after reading this article by Jennifer Fulwiler at NCRegister.com today that I was finally inclined to share my thoughts on why and how I came to wear a head covering at Mass.

Like Mrs. Fulwiler, I was hung up about being seen as holier-than-thou if I wore a chapel veil. And I, too, had this longing in my heart for a *long* time to wear one. I had read much on veil wearing in booklets, blog posts and articles. Through that reading, prayer and supportive discussions with my husband my desire grew. I wanted a very personal way that I could show my love, respect and belief in Our Lord truly present in the Holy Eucharist. A gift to Him and a reminder to myself. In the simplest terms it is for me an outward act of Faith, Hope, and Love. I have been wearing a chapel veil to Mass and Adoration now for the past two years. I started wearing one after the day I realized that, for me personally, it would be an act of humility. Because everything in me wants to blend in and not stand out. I don't want people to judge me or not like me. Unfortunately, I focus too much on people pleasing. This fear of mine is/was rooted in pride. I had to force myself to just wear it to Mass one time. Sure, I got some looks the first few times, but that's because I'm the only one at my parish wearing one. People will naturally look at something that is new or different. Now, I get nothing. No looks or comments. It turned out to be no big deal after all. Just like most things in life that we like to stress about.

I also have to point out that my fear wasn't just the thought of others judging me as little-miss-piety, but that they would think that I was somehow judging them. I didn't want other women thinking that I was somehow saying (by my wearing a veil) that they weren't holy without one. It's laughable really, that any woman would think that just because they cover their heads that they are somehow better or closer to God than other women. It's also laughable that anyone would assume that just because a woman would cover her head that she would somehow think less of those that don't. The whole thing is ridiculous really. What we women do to ourselves and to one another. Over-thinking everything. Will we be judged? Will they feel judged?....it's endless, isn't it?

I'm not sure what gave me the courage to finally just wear one, but I'm glad I did. I don't regret my decision in the least. I feel peace. And that is enough for me to know that I made the right decision.

{this moment}

2011-09-02T09:51:00.000-06:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week*. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Soule Mama

Impromptu family photo at Owl Creek.

*This photo is not from this week, but from the beginning of last week. Our unofficial first day of "school".

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-09-01T13:53:00.001-06:00

The Telluride & Mountain Village Edition

{pretty}

I might be a little biased, but I think our state flower is the prettiest. :)

These shots of columbines were all taken while we walked around Mountain Village. "Pretty" works for this, but the adjective that I prefer is "Gorgeous".

{happy}

Needle Rock Yarn shop, Telluride, Colorado

If you click to enlarge this pic you'll notice the orange scarf on the top shelf on the left side.
Do you see the falling leaves that hang off it? Hello!! LOVE it! Can you believe I didn't notice this while at the shop, but only after I was editing my pics?! I'll be calling the shop soon to get this pattern.

off track from the yarn, but...

Guinness on tap definitely makes me happy. :)

And of course bookshops and coffee always make me happy.

Our Lady of Guadalupe pop-up book?! Score! :)
Btw, the barista here was AWESOME. He made the best latte. My husband and I are still talking about it, lol.

{funny}

Not sure if this is really funny. Just different. In a good way.

You don't expect to see old British phone booths tucked here and there around a Colorado mountain town. Amy, these made me think of you. Not sure why. They just do. :)

{real}

Click these two pics to enlarge. Enjoy the view a bit more. :)
I'm sorry the quality isn't better. My husband was shooting through the gondola window.

Okay. Time for the "real" part. I've had some issues with heights in my past. I thought I was over it...

"Oh. Lord. (yes, that was a prayer) What am I doing?! Those doors are going to close all the way, right?!
That lady didn't close our doors all the way!"

"Okay. I'm going to be okay. This is going to be fun. I'm going to enjoy this...
right?"

"Mark, here. Take the camera and snap some pics. I can't move."

This is me freaking out. It took everything I had not to go full blown panic attack.
So, of course Mark had to snap a pic of me. :P

St. Sophia station. 10, 540 ft above sea level

I took it as a good sign that the station at the highest point was named after a saint. About this time I started to calm back down. It was not as sharp an incline on the way from this station to Mountain Village.

The scene coming down from St. Sophia Station into Mountain Village.
Once again, please click on the photo to enjoy the view.

It was a beautiful day, despite the rain. It is monsoon season in the mountains so it was to be expected. I didn't mind it at all. Far from it, actually. I love being in the mountains before, during and after a rain. The smell is heavenly and I find it romantic.

Oh, and I handled the way back down much better after enjoying that Guinness I pictured above. Go figure. ;)

Please visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for this weeks phfr.

Wordless Wednesday: Back-to-School Schultütes

2011-08-31T20:18:00.000-06:00

Thank you, Miss Jessica for the inspiration!!

Yarn Along:: 8/31/11

2011-08-31T17:04:00.005-06:00

I'm back for another Yarn Along. I didn't think I was going to be able to join in this week because my USB cord to my camera has been missing for awhile now. Thankfully my husband found me another one that will work until I can find the one that came with my camera. I've had a few knitting projects that I've been ~~squeezing in~~ working on amid all the back-to-school/anniversary/vacation activity. Halfway through working on my oldest daughter's legwarmers (adapted from Ginny's Wee Legwarmers) I began working on Soule Mama's Rosa Hat. I've been trying not to work on too many different projects at the same time. I tend to get a little scattered, you know? But on our anniversary getaway we stopped by the cutest yarn shop EVER (I hope to talk more on that later). And as I was perusing all the lusciousness I came across this yarn that called to me.

Yes, I think it might have actually said my name. ;) I fell hard for the color, feel and possibly even the smell...don't ask. How could I resist? I left with two skeins of Berroco Voyage in 4017 Ember. My photo does not do the yarn justice at all. It's such a lovely deep, dark garnet color. I love working on this hat. The faux cabling in the ribbing is fun. I'll begin decreasing soon and switching over to dpns.

I'm reading Knitting Rules! by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Oh, my goodness! This book is SO funny. The first two chapters had me laughing out loud often. I'm still pretty new to knitting, but I completely get Stephanie and her...ahem, knitting fixation. I know that the Yarn Along posts are mostly to do with knitting and books, but I've also been enjoying knitting while we make our way through the BBC series, Lark Rise to Candleford. Both my husband and I have so enjoyed this series. We will be watching the last episode tonight. I'm very sad to see it end. I don't think I've been this entertained by a series since LOST. Of course it has absolutely nothing in common with LOST, but the rich characters and their relationships captivate you just the same. My only consolation is that Downton Abbey's next season will be starting up soon. Yet not soon enough (this winter from what I read online). Though, in the U.K. it starts Sept. 26th. Until then, we will be watching last season's reruns. I need my Brendan Coyle fix, lol! He's in both series. Robert Timmins in LRtoC and John Bates in DA. You may (or may not--What!?) also remember him from North and South (BBC, not the Patrick Swayze Civil War mini-series). *sigh* A bit much?...sorry. I have nowhere else to blather on about such things.

Please visit Ginny for more yummy books and yarn.

So...

2011-08-24T19:49:00.000-06:00

...so much to say. So many pictures to post. So little time. :(
We've had A LOT going on lately. Every night I think it would be nice to share our goings-on. But every night I'm completely wiped out and I can't seem to make it through a post to publish it. So, I'm jumping on here to kinda set my bookmark.

Today is our 15 year anniversary. Tomorrow we will be heading to our favorite place to celebrate. The same little town we spent the first night of our honeymoon. The same little town we were in the night my husband proposed. *sigh* Precious memories. So, I won't be posting anything until this weekend at the earliest. Until then, may God bless the rest of your week and enjoy these fleeting last days of summer.

Wordless Wednesday:: Requiescat in pace

2011-08-17T17:29:00.000-06:00

Nov. 19, 1919 - Aug. 16, 2011

Yesterday...

2011-08-17T09:49:00.002-06:00

Yesterday my cousin called me to let me know my Mémé (paternal grandmother) had past away that morning. She went on to tell me that a priest had been with her not more than 45 minutes before she passed. He had given her the Last Rites, prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet with her and pressed a St. Fautsina relic to her forehead. I lost it and bawled. Ugly, messy tears.

You see, up until recently she had told me that going to Mass and the sacraments weren't something that she was concerned with (even though she was born and raised in France as a Catholic). So this was what made me go crazy crying. She even had the Divine Mercy image *framed* in her room.

....oh, yeah. And as I'm crazy crying on the phone my oldest daughter comes in and tells me that my 6 year old boy is out on the roof retrieving his helicopter!

So, that was my day. Yesterday.

Yarn Along:: 8/10/11

2011-08-10T23:08:00.000-06:00

Here is my Herringbone Scarf. I've been working on it off and on since June. I loved it at first. Really loved it. It was big, chunky and best of all scrunchy.

And now....I don't. I'm not sure why, but I've completely fallen out of love with it. It's turned into a chore and I don't think knitting (defined by me as an act of love) should feel this way. I think the first problem for me was the ginormous needles (size US 35). It's not only awkward, but just wears me out physically working on it. There's no real comfortable position to sit in. The, new to me, stitch (worked a row of k2tog in the back of the stitch, slip one off then on the next row p2tog in the front of the stitch, slip one off) hasn't helped this awkwardness. *sigh* It's too much work, lol. And lastly, the sides have these funny loops (which you can't really see in the photo) that just don't seem like they should be there. It doesn't seem to make a difference when I change my tension, either. Maybe this would go away with blocking? Whatever. I may just frog the entire thing. This kills me, though. I hate to feel like I've wasted my time spent on it so far. But I also don't want it sitting in my closet because I don't like it enough to wear it. Btw, this yarn is Cascade Magnum in charcoal grey if my memory serves. So, what do you suggest I do with this project? Scrap it or plug on?

I'm still reading Weightless by Kate Wicker and working on Mark's Basket Weave Scarf. I've stalled on my reading and didn't get any further along from where I was last week. Just no time I suppose with birthdays and such going on. I have made progress on the scarf, though. I've tried to make it the priority as it was supposed to be done by now.

I'm late already to the Yarn Along posting today, but if you are so inclined, please visit Ginny for more books and yarn. You'll be happy you did. :)

Another Wordy Wednesday:: Birthday Cakes

2011-08-10T08:53:00.001-06:00

We celebrate two birthdays the first week in August. My birthday on the 4th and my husband's birthday on the 5th. I have always loved the fact that our birthdays are nestled up close. And since it means two cakes back to back to enjoy then how much the sweeter for us. ;)

Cake #1

My birthday cake that Mark and the kids made me.

I chose Charlotte's Lemon Blueberry Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

It was wonderful! ...btw, yes, that is Little Man in the background with the lighter. No, we didn't let him light the candles to his great disappointment.

Mark insisted on putting all 35 candles on the cake. The stinker.

Delicate and delicious.

Cake #2

For Mark's birthday cake I made him a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. Recipe found at Smitten Kitchen. First read about it over at Jenn's blog. Mark's favorite is peanut butter and chocolate, so this was the obvious choice for him. He loved it!

With this last picture to contemplate I will thus end my wordiness. :)

Autumnal Dreams

2011-08-06T17:03:00.001-06:00

Will this be a Hat? Scarf? Socks?....

Such possibilities make me giddy with glee.

*BTW, this yarn is Sunshine Yarn's luxury sport in Caramel Swirl colorway.

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-08-04T18:25:00.001-06:00

Joining Rosie at Like Mother, Like Daughter for this week's phfr.

{pretty}

My birthday bouquet from Mark and the kids with a lovely card they made.

{happy}

This little shop we came across on our way to a local winery made me very happy. Can you guess the two reasons why?

{funny}

DP sugar rush!

{real}

Peach and Cherry Stone Fruit Tea Cake made with fresh, local fruit.

A delicious combination! I never get tired of making this. Thanks again, Jen!

Wordless Wednesday:: The Perfect Shop?...

2011-08-03T20:28:00.000-06:00

Yarn Along:: 8/3/11

2011-08-03T16:05:00.006-06:00

I haven't done a Yarn Along post for a little while now and I was missing it. So today I made sure to get in here and type one up. The lack of posting shouldn't be taken as a lack of knitting or reading because I've been doing much of both. Above is a scarf I'm making Mark for his birthday...which is this Friday. Umm, yeah. I am the queen of last minute craziness. I chose a chunky baby alpaca (SO soft. Think kitten fur.) yarn in the colorway of heather grey. I would give a link to the yarn, but I've misplaced the tag. I always keep my tags so I'm not sure what happened to it. I think it was a Cascade baby alpaca. Anywho, I think it will go well with his black winter coat. The pattern is a basic basket weave which is looking more checker board than basket weave. The pattern comes from my favorite knitting book, Chicks With Sticks Guide to Knitting. In it the authors suggest using a chunkier yarn on smaller needles (size US 6) so that it is thick and tightly knit. I'm currently reading Weightless by Kate Wicker and listening to Jane Eyre audio book narrated by the wonderful Lucy Scott. Lucy Scott played the character of Charlotte Lucas in the 1995 A&E version of Pride and Prejudice for those that are unfamiliar with her. She does a marvelous job with this narration. I'm getting a lot of good common sense encouragement from Kate's book. There's lots of good stuff in that little book, hence the highlighter I use as a bookmark. :) I like listening to Jane Eyre while knitting in the evenings or quiet afternoons between lunch and dinner prep. I'm able to fit in about an hour in both time slots. Also, my work fits nicely in my new little bag so I'm not limited to working only at home. I have a much larger bag that I have been using up till now for trips out with my work, but this new bag is nice for my smaller projects. And really for being small it sure can carry a lot. Two books with highlighter, wip scarf with needles and iTouch with headphones. Here's a pic of it all packed and ready to go:

Neat and compact ready for any planned or unplanned trips out of the house.

I've also started another Cap Sleeved Sweater. This time it is for Sunshine. I went with a bamboo/cotton yarn as I haven't had any experience with bamboo yet and have heard lots of good things about it. I found this print yarn online and fell in love with the colors available. Sunshine picked the Wild Lavender colorway. The website shows the weight being DK, but when I got it in the mail it looked more sock weight than DK. This is concerning me, but I've decided to carry on with the project and see how it turns out. I really want it to turn out nice for Sunshine. ~~I think~~ I'm hoping this print will end up being lovely for this project. The books shown above, Jane Austen: A Life and Jane Austen's Letters, are my birthday present to myself. :) They just arrived today. Just in time, too, as my birthday is tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to starting them probably this weekend.

One last project I wanted to share here is my first knitted hat. Hooray! I'm so pleased with how this turned out. It's called the 2 Hour Hat and amazingly enough it only took me an afternoon to get done, lol. ;) The yarn I used was local hand spun and dyed 100% wool; a super bulky thick and thin yarn. This yarn with the size US15 needles makes it such a quick knit. Love, love, love. All my girls have requested their own so I will be making this again soon. Oh, who am I kidding? I'd be making another one soon whether anyone wanted one or not. At least for myself. It's such a satisfying project.

Okay, I think that is enough from me for today. If you're jonesing for more (if you are like me there can never be too much yarn or books) please visit Ginny's lovely blog for this weeks Yarn Along link up.

{this moment}

2011-07-29T22:46:00.000-06:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Please visit Soule Mama for more shared moments.

In a funk...

2011-07-27T22:27:00.000-06:00

...or just feeling funky? I'm not sure. One thing is for sure, though. I can't seem to post anything lately. I actually had this big (well, semi-big) post worked up on planning the upcoming school year, but blogger munched it when I went from html to compose mode. Bleh.
I also had a Yarn Along post in the works (I have been doing a fair bit of knitting lately), but that was not to be either.
Bleh.
I could just post pics of my knitting, but I'm sure that would be a little bit...bleh.
I made PW's Chocolate Sheet Cake tonight after enjoying her meatloaf recipe (minus the bacon; we were out of bacon). That's kinda interesting...right?

Yeah. I think I'm funky and in a funk.
Here's to hoping that I can come out of it soon.

Wordy Wednesday:: last week's Full Buck Moon

2011-07-20T09:33:00.001-06:00

...all taken a few hours apart on the same evening.

July
The Buck Moon

Young bucks in the hayfield,
antlers held aloft.
Moonbeams slanting down,
show them velvet soft.

Bucks sprout their first antlers in July.

*Taken from Penny Pollock's When the Moon is Full, A Lunar Year
Illustrated by Mary Azarian

My Daybook:: July 11, 2011

2011-07-11T13:15:00.003-06:00

Outside my window...

the baby birds will be leaving the nest today or tomorrow we expect. It's been hot and humid (very odd indeed for our "high desert" climate). We've had rain off and on for 4 days. It's been nice actually. Different. Our patio garden is growing nicely. We've been enjoying lots of cherry tomatoes and a variety of herbs so far. I'm hoping for some nice big tomatoes soon, too.

Pondering...

how freeing it feels to really accept the fact that I am nothing. I am not worthy of God's love. Nothing I could ever do would make me worthy. I don't have to be the best or the brightest or the prettiest. When humiliation comes my way (which is daily) it is God's loving hand. He is gently reminding me to let go. It's okay. I don't need to be good at anything for him to love me. I just need to try my best and then relax.

I am thankful for...

My loving and incredibly generous mother and father in-law who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

A living education...

I am amazed at how much my kids have picked up from watching School House Rock's America dvd. We've had some wonderful discussions on what a veto is, the electoral college, and what do they mean by "American Melting Pot"?

From the kitchen...

Day one of our (my husband and myself) cleanse/detox. Liquid and raw for the next week. I might die.

Prayers would be appreciated. ;)

I'm wearing...

grey sweatpants, exercise tank and sweatshirt. I haven't changed out of my workout clothes yet.

I am creating...

a knitted herringbone scarf and learning plans. Ah, yes. Those marvelous plans I like to dream about.

I am reading...

embarrassingly, I am still reading The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. I've just been either too tired or busy to read the past week. So, there sit my stack of books. Waiting.

I am hoping...

to survive this first week of cleansing. I'm also hoping to purge and the cleanse the house as well. It needs it badly. I need it badly.

I am hearing...

The kids.

And the awesomely amazing music station I created months ago by accident on Pandora. So. Good. A little folksy, bluesy, mellow and uplifting.

Around the house...

Some more planting needs to be done in the patio garden. We picked up some lavender that I plan on putting close to the clothesline. Catching up with housework and laundry. Cleaning, purging, simplifying.

Hmmm, I think I have a running theme here.

One of my favorite things...

how earth and wood smells after a heavy summer rain.

I am praying for...

Baby Lou

Daisy

Elizabeth

A few plans for the rest of the week...

Dancer's cake decorating class. A trip up to pick out new glasses for Soldier and Lego Boy. A trip up to the dairy for our milk. Other than that, staying home to cleanse, purge and simplify.

Deep thoughts....

"Wisdom enters through love, silence, and mortification. It is great wisdom to know how to be silent and to look at neither the remarks, nor the deeds, nor the lives of others."

-St. John of the Cross

A picture thought I am sharing...

...good bye my friend. I'll be missing you.

Wordless Wednesday:: Blueberry/Strawberry Tea Cake

2011-07-06T22:27:00.000-06:00

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T17:55:00.000-06:00

God bless your July 4th holiday,

and may God bless the U.S.A.!

Sweet and Sassy

2011-07-01T22:33:00.000-06:00

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-06-30T17:05:00.001-06:00

"Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life"

Joining the lovely ladies at Like Mother, Like Daughter for this weeks phfr.

{pretty}

...and tasty. :)

I had to try these Strawberry Scones after reading Jen's blog post the other day.

{happy}

My new clothesline. I've always wanted one. My grandmother's clothespin bag hangs on the line as well. She made it. I love it.

{funny}

Kids that think of playing tether ball first thing in the morning. Some of them still in their pajamas. :)

Ah, summer time!

{real}

Another batch of baby birds (this time 4) nesting above our fan in our back patio.

I LOVE to hear their cute little peeps when I sit outside.

Yarn Along:: 6/29/11

2011-06-29T13:04:00.001-06:00

I'm almost done with my "Pretty in Pink" Cap Sleeved Sweater for Giggles! I'm so thrilled! This will be my first real garment (not counting scarves) I have knitted. I can't wait to see it on her and I think she is just as excited as me. She keeps asking if I'm done yet. Yesterday she asked me if she would have to wear it with the needles left on it, lol! I reassured her that when it is done the needles will come off as well. :)

I'm still reading/listening to 10 Habits of Happy Mothers and The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. I haven't had much time for reading as I've been squeezing knitting into ~~every waking moment~~ my free time. So, instead, I have been enjoying listening to the audio of 10 Habits of Happy Mothers on my iTouch. I can listen along while I knit. It's a happy marriage. :)

Please visit Ginny for more book and yarn addictions.

Wordless Wednesday:: Doves in Sunshine and Rain

2011-06-29T10:30:00.000-06:00

A Little Way of Homeschooling:: The Winners Are...

2011-06-24T22:00:00.002-06:00

We have three winners of a copy of A Little Way of Homeschooling: Thirteen Families Discover Catholic Unschooling instead of just one! Because of the generosity of Suzie Andres we pulled two more names out of the ~~bowl~~ hat! Suzie had left a comment earlier today:

Kelly,

As I was saying my novena prayer to St. Therese this morning, "we" had a lovely thought.

We'd like to donate two copies of A Little Way to the giveaway so that there will be 3 winners. St. Therese loves sharing heavenly roses, and I love helping her!

I wish all these dear women could win a copy, but keeping things little (and affordable :) we are hoping you will draw two more names today. You could send the email addresses of the 2 extra winners to me, and I'll send them each A Little Way of Homeschooling.

For those who don't win, I agree with Sue who commented, "If you don't win a copy, it is well worth buying!" I was just reading it again this morning - I continually need to remind myself of St. Therese's message of Jesus' merciful love. And I keep buying copies myself! - this week it was the new e-reader version for nook (kindle version is now available too). Margot at Hillsideeducation.com (my publisher) has been amazing in getting this book out and available in every possible form.

Can't wait to see who wins!!!

with prayers for all and thanks to you Kelly,

Suzie

Thank you, Suzie!

And thank you to all of you that left comments on the giveaway post! It's so encouraging to be a part of such a kind and generous online homeschooling community. May God bless each one of you.

I will be emailing the winners and copy Suzie on two of the emails so that she can send out books to the second and third winners.

Wordless Wednesday:: Last week's Full Strawberry Moon

2011-06-22T22:30:00.001-06:00

Yarn Along:: 6/22/11

2011-06-22T14:14:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I cast on for the sweet Cap Sleeve Sweater for Giggles. She picked out the color of the yarn (Belle Organic Aran in Rose) and had been asking me about it for days now. I'd been telling her that I was waiting for my new needles to come in the mail. So, when they came in yesterday I had no more excuses. I sat down last night and got to work casting on my stitches. Then bright and early this morning I took my oportunity to sit out on our front porch swing and do some quiet knitting. With the buzzing of the bees and the sing-song of the birds filling my ears I rocked back and forth on the swing. I need to remember to start my day out this way more often. It was...calming. I can't remember the last time I felt so focused and peaceful.

The book I'm reading now is The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall. I had recently finsihed The Penderwicks and wanted to move right into this one while the characters where still fresh in my mind. I am of course enjoying it. Nice light fare for a summer time read. Along with my needles coming in the mail yesterday, I also got in The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers audio book. I'm loading it onto my iTouch as I type up this post. I've been anxious to listen to it ever since reading Elizabeth's post.

I am still working on those socks of mine. Though, I am a bit discouraged. Little Man got into my knitting bag and pulled out two of the needles. *tears* I tried to put the work back on the needles, but I know one is messed up and I'm not sure how to fix it. I really hate the idea of frogging the entire thing. I might take it in to a local yarn shop and see if the ladies there could get me back on track while salvaging as much of the work as possible. We'll see. The shop is an hour's long drive away. It may be awhile.

Please visit Ginny for this weeks Yarn Along.

A Little Way of Homeschooling::Review and Giveaway!

2011-06-17T17:52:00.002-06:00

I recently finished reading A Little Way of Homeschooling, Thirteen Families Discover Catholic Unschooling by Suzie Andres. Even though I was anxious to read it (I had pre-ordered it) I was not sure if I would get a lot out of it. I've never considered myself an unschooler. I'm much too "type A" to ever be so relaxed with our learning. Or so I thought. Well, friends, life changes you. Kids change you. God molds you through these changes. I'm not sure I would recognize the mother I was when we first started our homeschool journey 8 years ago. And so, though I still have some type A ~~issues~~ tendencies, I have eased up quite a bit. More so I guess then even I had realized, because this book really spoke to me. It was exactly what I needed to read right now, I'm sure of it. For this tired and often times stressed and guilt ridden momma it was a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed reading about all of the contributors stories, but the ones that I identified immediately with were those of Karen, Faith and Lissa. I was most especially taken with Karen's chapter. I think I might have highlighted the entire thing, lol! ;) I loved her bit about curling up with the catalogs and a cup of coffee to savor and dream about curriculum planning...that is SO me! I'm a dreamer. I always have been and homeschooling has only intensified this in me in some ways. I also loved her self description as a "Planning Unschooler". I can very much relate to that. Here is a quote from Karen that sums up how I feel: "I love to make plans. I love to imagine, dream and order new books.(I especially love to order new books). But I'm not irrevocably tied to my plans, because I've seen how easily they can come undone...by pregnancy, illness, a move, or simply a new passion. And I've seen that both life and learning go on, despite the undoing. God in His wisdom always provides."

We have lived this quote. During our eight years of homeschooling so far I have given birth 5 times (we had three children already when we began kindergarten with our oldest), had surgery for a ruptured appendix when my 5th child was only 10 days old, gone through the painful loss of my mother and grandmother (a second mother to me), endured a painful miscarriage, moved twice (three if you count the rental while we waited for our home to be built) and had my husband change professions once and jobs twice. Our last big setback came during my last pregnancy when I was diagnosed with placenta previa and put on bed rest. Doing school became a whole new experience for us with most of it happening on or around my bed. This isn't mentioning all of the many other ups and downs health wise and financially that a family goes through on a regular basis. But through all of this learning has still happened. God has provided. Maybe unschooling isn't so far off the mark for my family after all? Perhaps I've been doing our own form of integrated unschooling and just never thought of it in that way? I'm still not sure. But what I do know is that God is in control. He always has been and He always will be. Our job is to have the faith and the trust that He only wants the best for us and for our families.

And so, quoting Suzie from the book, "Let us follow Therese along her Little Way. Let us trust Jesus and believe His words. Let us be confident that He who is Truth, who can neither deceive nor be deceived, will fulfill every promise He has made."

I have an extra copy of this book and wanted to pass it along to someone that could use some fresh, uplifting perspective. I had thought to give it to a friend, but after realizing that she already had read the book (and loved it) that I would host a giveaway instead.

So, if you would like a chance to win this wonderful book, please leave a comment on this post. Make sure that you have an email attached to your account or leave me some way of getting a hold of you. Entries will be left open until next Friday, June 24th at 1:00 pm Mountain Time. I will announce the winner later in the evening of the same day.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, ora pro nobis!

St. John Bosco, ora pro nobis!

Flag Day Cake

2011-06-14T23:49:00.000-06:00

So you might be asking yourself what does this cake have to do with Flag Day. I mean, it's not even decorated red, white and blue or have little flags or spinkles on it! Well, my friends...truth be told, I just wanted an excuse to make this cake. Does it count that I listened to John Philip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever while baking it? ;)

Let me point out that this is no ordinary cake. This is Maggie's *World Famous* Black Russian Bundt Cake! ...Understand Frodo, I would use this recipe from a desire to do good, but through me it would wield power too great and terrible to imagine!...yes, I'm a dork. Moving on. As I was saying, this cake is deliciously divine. The whole family raved about it. My 10 year old son declared, "Mom, this is the best chocolate cake I have ever had!"

So, Miss Margaret, we are sending our most deepest, sincerest, most loving thanks for sharing this recipe with us. May God bless you, and may God bless the U.S.A.!

After all, isn't this the way every holiday should be celebrated?

I think so.

Good Shepherd Garden Party:: Week 7

2011-06-12T23:34:00.002-06:00

Today we celebrated Pentecost and our 7th Good Shepherd Garden Party.

The Heavenly Zoo

Pitcher of Ice Water

(The Water: Revelation 7:13-17)

Elbow Macaroni in a Red Tomato Sauce

made with ~~Deer~~ Elk Meat...oops!

(The Deer: Psalm 42:1-5)

I had thought we had deer meat in the freezer and only realized after I had it thawed and ready to put into the sauce that it was indeed not deer, but elk meat! Oops. Close enough I guess. :)

Animal Cracker Lions

(The Lion: Daniel 6:14-23)

Honey Rolls

(The Beehive: 14: 5-9)

After seeing Jessica and Charlotte's posts I really wanted to make the Beehive Buns. But I knew I wouldn't have the time to make them today, so I cheated. I had leftover tubes of bread stick dough, so I just rolled them up into beehive shapes (I tried to anyway) and then brushed the honey butter glaze on top. I'm sure they weren't as good as the real deal, but they were still pretty darn tasty.

Peacock Feathers

(The Peacock: 1 Kings 10: 21-25)

Pelican Toasties

(The Pelican: Genesis 1: 20-23)

Just in case these need a little explanation... they are supposed to be in the shape of pelican bills. ;)

Phoenix Tail Shrimp Platter

(The Phoenix: Job 29:14-20)

Here are a few more pictures from our celebration:

Dove Chocolates

(The Dove: Song of Songs 2:8-17)

Archangel's wrapper said, "be a little naughty with your nice"....great. He really doesn't need any encouragement! ;)

Tongues of Fire Cupcakes for Pentecost

You can read more on these Flaming Cupcakes here.

Wow. I can't believe this wraps up our celebration of the 50 days of Easter! Was it really 50 days ago?! I'm now looking forward to a more relaxed and slower pace for the next month or so. Hopefully filled with lots of lazy summer days, books, yarn and sunshine. :)

Wishing you all a blessed Pentecost!

Please see this weeks Good Shepherd's Garden Party link up at Catholic Cuisine.

The Careless Catholic

Yarn Along

{this moment} :: Dreaming of Summer

Yarn Along:: The first of the New Year!

Raising a glass...

{this moment}

Wordless Wednesday:: All for Our Lady

Dancing around the kitchen in my slippers...

Celebrating Santa Lucia Day

Champurrado por Nuestra Dulce Madre!

{this moment}

What a blessed feast!

And the winner is….

{this moment}

Christmas/Winter Book Giveaway!

Books:: Advent, Christmas…and beyond.

Wordless Wednesday:: Thankful

Oh. My.

Today's U.S. History lesson...

Oblivious Idiots?

A *very* good mail day...

I-Spy:: Keepin' it real...

For All Souls

Wordless Wednesday:: Hallowe'en 2011

Memento Mori

Yarn Along:: 10/26/11 Going Gothic

Wordless Wednesday:: One Day in Autumn

Wordless Wednesday:: My own Woody and Little Pip

…sigh

Wordless Wednesday:: Color Sunday

Homeschool Meme

Wordless Wednesday:: Family Fun at Owl Creek

Yarn Along:: 9/21/11

Honoring Our Lady of Sorrows

Flower Photo Contest!

Wordless Wednesday::Flora and Fauna at Owl Creek

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Wordless Wednesday: Dancer's Blue Ribbon Apron

Thoughts on wearing a chapel veil...

{this moment}

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

Wordless Wednesday: Back-to-School Schultütes

Yarn Along:: 8/31/11

So...

Wordless Wednesday:: Requiescat in pace

Yesterday...

Yarn Along:: 8/10/11

Another *Wordy* Wednesday:: Birthday Cakes

Autumnal Dreams

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

Wordless Wednesday:: The Perfect Shop?...

Yarn Along:: 8/3/11

{this moment}

In a funk...

*Wordy* Wednesday:: last week's Full Buck Moon

My Daybook:: July 11, 2011

Wordless Wednesday:: Blueberry/Strawberry Tea Cake

Happy Independence Day!

Sweet and Sassy

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

Yarn Along:: 6/29/11

Wordless Wednesday:: Doves in Sunshine and Rain

A Little Way of Homeschooling:: The Winners Are...

Wordless Wednesday:: Last week's Full Strawberry Moon

Yarn Along:: 6/22/11

A Little Way of Homeschooling::Review and Giveaway!

Flag Day Cake

Good Shepherd Garden Party:: Week 7

A very good mail day...

Another Wordy Wednesday:: Birthday Cakes

Wordy Wednesday:: last week's Full Buck Moon