All through Easter and spring, I told myself that if I could just make it to July, things would surely calm down for at least a month and a half. Relaxation and rejuvenation, rest and restoration. Right?
But summer is over and harvest is done... and it never happened.
And now the year has started.
I always define Michaelmas (September 29th) as the start of the crazy-busy fall-holiday season, but the truth is that things start to heat up beginning to mid-August. And fall is certainly in full season now!
(Despite the fact that it was 113 here yesterday. No matter, I'm wearing a sweater to church anyway. Because it is fall.)
Why was summer so crazy?
Part of it is that June is our crazy birthday season - five birthdays, plus Mother's Day, Father's Day, our anniversary, and Independence Day - within a six-week period. Add in a family vacation (translation - two months of packing!), swim lessons, and regular school, and that makes for a pretty full season.
All that to say...
Happy Autumn!
And may your beginning of the school year season be a wonderful one! (And hopefully less crazy than ours has been.)
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There's an interesting moment when a mum realizes that her child is fully grown... and what's more, is smarter than she is, and considerably (on some issues) more well-informed.
Surprising, but pleasant!
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There are also amusing moments.
Child during High School: "I am never going to college. Never. Not in a million years. You couldn't convince me, make me, or get me into college in any way, shape, or form."
Me: "Well, okay. I guess that saves some trouble with SATs, etc."
Child after High School: "Mom, I'm going to college! Where are my SAT scores?"
Me: "Ummm...."
The moral of the story is that I should have insisted on college-prep items such as the SAT despite said child's insistence that college was a no-go. It would have saved considerable trouble.
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Our neighborhood has witnessed a distressing set of circumstances in which both members of a two-person household died suddenly, unexpectedly, and tragically - six months apart from each other. In your charity, would you say a prayer for their families?
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This fall has held a sudden cancer diagnosis for my mother - and of a cancer that is aggressive, invasive, and hard to beat. Initial treatment included surgery this past week, with follow-up treatment (chemotherapy and radiation) to begin after recovery. This is not exactly the way that my mum wanted to spend the first year-anniversary of my father's death from cancer.
Please say a prayer for my mother, as well!
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This past week I spent the entire day (16 hours) at the hospital with my mother while she had surgery.
Translation: My husband had charge of the children for the entire day.
What I did in advance: Wrote out the children's lesson assignments, prepared meals, and sent texts to my husband with meal lists and etc.
What actually happened: Lesson books weren't cracked, the kids spent double-digit hours in front of the TV, and for meals they went out for pizza.
After I got finished alternately sighing and laughing - let me be honest, the above was not a surprise - I told my husband that if I ever die before the children are grown, to please enroll them in school and re-marry - preferably within 24 hours.
Seriously, y'all. The household goes down fast when I am not around. I don't like to think of myself as essential. I'd rather have the type of family where kids take over the household, and things continue smoothly without me.
(I have heard of families like this! They do exist!)
But we're not that kind of family. I do pray that God lets me live long enough to raise these kiddos - and if not, that my husband is able to remarry quickly!
Perhaps these reflections are a bit macabre. But I do worry.
Mamas out there, I'd love to hear - how do your families manage when you're either gone or down?
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Speaking of crazy things in houses.
Wood laminate flooring.
It is evil.
When we moved into our new house, one of the great beauty points of the home was the gorgeous wood laminate kitchen floor. I was in love.
Now, just a bit more than two years later, the wood laminate flooring is crumbling to bits before my eyes.
Under the previous owners - a lovely sweet, quiet, childless middle-aged couple who treated their house with exquisite gentleness, the floor was in perfect condition. But under our family's use - constant foot traffic, constant cooking and washing up, non-stop spills and splatters, and (even though utterly forbidden!) roller skates and etc., the floor is literally coming to pieces. It's excruciatingly painful to watch.
Thus, if you're seeking inner peace, nirvana, the next spiritual level, etc., the first step is this:
Never buy wood laminate flooring.
Because wood laminate flooring is the way to ruin and despair.
(Unless they've really improved the stuff in the past twenty years.)
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I have finished the "rough draft of the rough draft" of my K-8 Read-in-Order Booklist. (I will extend this to K-12 after the K-8 is finally finished.) Now for endless revisions.
I will make the list available from this blog when it is finished.
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I can hardly believe that Christmas is just around the corner! Seriously! I am already thinking about starting to lay in supplies for the holiday season! How did this happen?
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And now, let's have some books!
* Note: Because I have so many projects underway (namely, Christmas card notes + my booklist project), I am skipping book cover pictures. My comments may also be briefer.
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| Trying to be like Daddy. (The wood laminate flooring looks a lot better in this picture than it does in person.) |
Children & Teens: Picture Books
None this month! (Actually, lots. But I'm strapped for time, y'all. Maybe next month.)
Children & Teens: Chapter Books
The Cricket in Times Square (George Selden, 1960, children’s fiction/fantasy) – This is the first time that I've read this to our current set of children, and it is a hit. Did you know that it is also a series? I've never read any other books in the series, but I'd like to try them sometime. This book remains a perennial classic.
The Island of Adventure (Adventure series #1 of 8, Enid Blyton, 1944, children’s fiction) – I discovered this series about 5-10 years ago and absolutely adore it. Four children who go on adventures, with minimal adult involvement and real danger - lovely. My only complaint is non-stop sibling bickering (of the "shut up!" "no, you shut up!" ilk), and so I do a lot of on-the-fly editing when I am reading it aloud. However, it does make me feel better to know that my children are not the only ones who bicker. (Not that I'm not working on it.)
The Thrifty Guide to the American Revolution: A Handy Guide for Time Travelers (The Thrifty Guide series, Jonathan W. Stokes, 2018, history) There are three books in this series (American Revolution, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome), and I love them all. Funny, informative, and relatively little political correctness - what's not to love?
Moffat Museum (Moffats series #4 of 4 by Eleanor Estes, 1983, children’s realistic fiction) – I adore the Moffats. Slow-paced, real life, early twentieth-century Americana - oh, yes! I have to admit that these books are sometimes a bit slow even for my taste, but they have a gentle, relaxed feeling that is absolutely delightful. They're also a wonderful vessel for learning about life in the early 1900s (gas lighting, coal heat, the last of the horse-drawn vehicles), and also about life under impoverished yet still joyful circumstances. Recommended!
Coal Camp Girl and Houseboat Girl (American Regional series, Lois Lenski, 1959, children’s realistic fiction) – When I fell in love with "Strawberry Girl," I was thrilled to learn that it was one of an entire series that Lenski penned about girls in different regions of rural America. These are two more of the series. I'll be honest - I didn't care for either of them. I found them dull, and more of the "let's write an educational series" type than the amazing classic literature type (like "Strawberry"). However, in speaking to a fellow book-loving mama friend of mine, she mentioned that she absolutely adored both of these as a child. So give them a chance, and let me know what you think of them!
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1 of 5, Rick Riordan, 2005, children’s fantasy) - Earlier this summer, we were invited to a Percy Jackson party. My kids: "What's Percy Jackson?" By the end of the party, they were in love, and were begging to read the series. With some misgivings, I gave in. I have since minorly questioned my decision, but on the whole, we love Percy Jackson. This book series is an amazing way to learn Greek mythology (which I strongly believe is necessary for a good education in Western thought), and the author is astoundingly skilled at translating the world of Greek mythology into the modern world - and does so with both flair and humor. There are a couple of things I'm not crazy about, but on the whole, this series is amazing. Feel free to leave any questions (and do pre-read).
* Note: The one-season show based on this series is quite good. (Season 2 is in production.) I have heard that the movie version is not as good.
John Treegate’s Musket and Peter Treegate’s War (Treegate series #1 and #2, Leonard Wibberly, 1959, teen realistic fiction) - How did I miss this series? It is a tremendously well-written series (by an Englishman, no less!) centered on the Revolutionary War. It is a must-have for any study of the Revolution, and I intend to collect the whole series. Highly recommended.
Books for Teens & Adults:
Jesus the Bridegroom: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told (Brant Pitre, 2014, theology) - A discussion of the portrayal of Jesus as a bridegroom to his bride, the church, with the day of his crucifixion being his "wedding day." I read this as a follow-up to the masterful, must-read Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, and I was not disappointed. Highly recommended, and another illustration of that timeless saying, anything by Brant Pitre is worth reading.
A Bloody Habit (Eleanor Bourg Nicholson, 2018, fiction-fantasy) - A "sequel" to Stoker's Dracula, which is one of my favorite novels. (I am not into modern vampire fiction/films, most of which are disgusting, sexualized, and verge into the glorification of vampirism. Rather, Stoker's original work was about the basic struggle between good and evil, and the fight of good men to preserve the honor of a good woman.) The book is excellently written in late Victorian style, with an engaging story and interesting characters. Hands down, my favorite part of the book is the "vampire hunter" character - a quiet Dominican friar who, as another has noted, is the perfect blend of Stoker's Van Helsing and Chesterton's Father Brown. (May I say that I hope we see more of this character in future works?) My one disappointment was the ending sequences, which are confusingly action-packed, to the point where in both readings I forgot what exactly was supposed to be happening. However, the excellence of the book more than makes up for that. Highly recommended!
With God in Russia: The Inspiring Classic Account of a Catholic Priest's Twenty-three Years in Soviet Prisons and Labor Camps (Walter J. Ciszek, 1964, autobiography) - Recommended to me by a friend. This book tells of an underground missionary priest's arrest by Soviets, and his subsequent imprisonment, solitary confinement, interrogations, torture, sentencing to slave labor camps in Siberia, his time in those camps, and the years following his release (he was eventually repatriated to the United States). Highly recommended. Good companion books for the study of Communism - extremely important to both students and adults alike, as the woke worldview is a new form of Communism - are Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution and Calvary in China.
He Leadeth Me: An Extraordinary Testament of Faith (Walter J. Ciszek, 1973, autobiography + spiritual) - This book is the follow-up to "With God in Russia" - the author's later reflections on the topic of suffering from a spiritual perspective. This book is so incredibly good that I haven't finished it - a certain way in, I knew that I needed my own copy, so I returned it to the friend who had lent it, and ordered my own. I haven't gotten back to it yet, but will. (I find that this is often the case with the best books - I am so overwhelmed by their awesomeness that I have to pause to take it all in, and often have a hard time actually getting through the entire book.) May I say - highly recommended.
Dorothy and Jack: The Transforming Friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers and C. S. Lewis (Gina Dalfonzo, 2020, biography) - Did you know that Dorothy Sayers (the mystery author) and C. S. Lewis (the great Anglican theologian) were friends? I certainly didn't. (And until a couple of years ago, I had never even heard of Dorothy Sayers!) But apparently they were, and this book examines their friendship, mostly conducted (if I'm remembering rightly) through letters and the occasional visit. In all honesty, this wasn't my favorite book. A disproportionate percentage of it seemed to be devoted to showing how Dorothy Sayers "enlightened" C. S. Lewis with regard to women's rights, and brought him up to date with more modern feminist views. (I certainly hope this was not the case.) But regardless, it was an interesting little book, though not overwhelmingly fascinating.
And speaking of Dorothy Sayers, I read two of Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey mystery novels during this quarter. At this point I can barely remember them, though I know that the second was literally a honeymoon story. I do enjoy Sayers' mystery novels very much, though not as much as Agatha Christie novels. I enjoy the character of Lord Peter Wimsey very much, and I also love the English setting and early twentieth century time period. I usually do not find that there is a great AHA! moment in Sayer novels when discovering the identity of the killer, as there is with Christie novels - usually I just enjoy the story but find relatively little interest in the eventual solving of the case. But the novels are very enjoyable, and I would definitely include them in a perusal of British literature, especially in learning about the development of the modern detective novel.
Strong Poison: A Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane Mystery (Dorothy Sayers, 1930, mystery)
Busman’s Honeymoon (Dorothy Sayers, 1937, mystery)
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Friends, I would love to hear what you've been reading! Leave a comment and let me know!
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| A candid shot of our crazed roof-dwelling cat. She is such a darling. |
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In the Kitchen
Lots of recipes this month!
I adore baked oatmeal, and this Brownie Baked Oatmeal is a keeper. (I don't keep flaxseed on hand at the moment, so I used all oatmeal.)
It's summer (or at least it was), and thus... ice cream! Here are a few recipes we've loved this summer:
With the first three recipes above, we skip the food coloring and reduce the sugar by at least one-quarter.
We also tried a new ice-cream adventure this year - no-churn ice cream. So fun! I was shocked that ice cream could actually turn out well without being churned, but it certainly did - this
Cookies & Cream (Oreo) Ice Cream was a huge hit with the family. My one criticism of it was that I personally found it too sweet, and with it being made with condensed milk, there's no way to reduce the sugar. However, it was still an amazing recipe (and no one but me objected to the sweetness level).
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Other recipes:
I tried this
Flourless Apple Bread last night. It is moist and has a good consistency. Due to the fact that I tried it with peanut butter (rather than almond butter) it tasted far too much of peanut butter (there actually is such a thing, it turns out) - but I think that if I had used almond butter (or perhaps cashew) the flavor would have been better. If made with Swerve brown sugar substitute, this would make a great gift for a diabetic (or other paleo/AIP dieter).
Simple
Lemon Chicken Sauce - delightful. I used it with
Hawaiian Haystacks, and it was an improvement on the original sauce.
I am currently in love with ermine frosting - an almost entirely unknown genre of frosting that allows the cook to drastically reduce sugar levels in frosting without compromising texture (as happens in American buttercreams). I recently tried this
Lemon Ermine Frosting - and used it to make a Robert E. Lee cake (recipe coming soon). It was absolutely delightful.
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Lemon ermine-frosted Robert E. Lee cake for our 15yo's recent birthday. (The shiny stuff on the top is lemon curd.) It was an enormous hit.
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I recently tried an entirely new recipe -
Amish Bob Andy Pie. Anyone out there who has tried this wonderful pie? In trying to describe "what is it?" to neighbors, I realized at last that it is basically pumpkin pie... without the pumpkin. That sounds dreadful, but it is actually a wonderful pie, and the whole family (and our neighbors!) loved it. I reduced the sugar from 1 cup to 2/3 cup, and next time will cut it down to 1/2 cup. (I find that 1/2 cup of sugar is a good base level for pies.) Let me know what you think!
Easy Keto Brownies - I have made these for a birthday present for a family member, and for our church staff. It's been a hit!
A perpetual favorite -
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes. I use this to reduce stress on holidays, and I've recently started taking this to people when I take meals. It's a keeper!
A meal-taking idea! Macaroni and cheese is a great meal to take to families with kiddos, but the dish doesn't usually sit well. The solution - make and cool the pasta (and stir in some oil to keep it from sticking), and make and cool the sauce. Then store both in separate plastic freezer bags, and deliver them to the family for whom you are cooking. The family can combine the pasta and sauce and heat on the stove.
I have considered starting another blog to tackle the topic of taking meals to families, because I love it so very, very much. But as I can't even keep up with one post quarterly on this blog, I think the idea will have to wait. Or I'll just write a book on the subject in retirement! Look for it another thirty years or so!
Liturgical Year
In the past five or so years, we have started celebrating Michaelmas (feast of St. Michael the Archangel and all angels), which falls on September 29th. It is a lovely holiday, and for me is the true beginning of the autumn season.
Read the history of Michaelmas
here.
Here is our Michaelmas menu:
Roast chicken (should be a goose, but, um, a chicken will do)
Mashed potatoes
Candied carrots
Soul cakes are a new venture for us this year, and they were a huge success - more successful, I am afraid, than the Michaelmas bannock.
(Seriously! Don't miss this music! So beautiful.)
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Okay, y'all - I have so much more to say, and no time to say it. Thus, know that I think of my readers often, and that I hope and pray you are all well and that you're having a wonderful autumn season.
Happy Michaelmas, and Happy Fall! Pray for me, as I pray for you!
