November 25

I have had so many ideas of things to write about, but I haven't sat down to do much writing in the past week. Here are some highlights.

1. Our attic is almost done! That means by Christmas I should be able to store stuff up there instead of in my living room or in the office and even some of the stuff in the basement can go out there. I'm so excited and happy.

2. While Thomas and the men worked on the attic, the boys and I watched Encanto with our friends. We loved it. It had all the feels and made me question and process a lot of things.

3. Thanksgiving was lovely. We went out to Mom and Dad's running late, of course, but the roasted sweet potatoes I made were delicious. It was lovely to talk with my extended family and even make some new friends.

4. Even though I don't feel qualified nor did I have any inclination or desire to do so, I decorated the church and, I think, it looks pretty good.

5. We did some fun school projects, like make gears out of potatoes, and illuminating al letter.

6. I did some sketching and drawing for a homemade advent calendar.

November 16

 

Last night it snowed; today we had a snow delay day.

After breakfast and morning chores, the boys went out and played in the snow. They sledded down the church's hill. They built a snowman. They got drenched because it the snow was melting rapidly.

I went out to the garage and organized the wood, stacked some pallets, and put things with similar things, packing up the summery tools and toys, and putting winter tools and toys toward the front. I felt very Dutch, cleaning my garage, even though it isn't nearly as orderly as my great-aunt's.

When we all came in, the boys had a snack and hot chocolate, which let us get all our "together work" done before lunch. Then after lunch, the boys practiced their instruments, did independent school work, and we got ready to go to a Advent worship planning meeting. 

We had pizza for dinner, complete with a pizza pig for my non-pizza eater.

After the boys were in bed, I did lesson plans for tomorrow, finished the dishes while Thomas read to me, and folded clothes. Now it is time to go to bed. It was an enjoyable day.

November 14-15

 Roast Duck

I know that lots of people have cooked duck and that there are many ways to cook duck. I also know that I am not really fond of duck, but that my husband and eldest son are. So every year, when Aldi sells frozen ducks, I buy one and roast it.

Until last year, I roasted it just like the Mapel Hill farm website told me to. It involved bringing a large pot of water to a boil for ten minutes of rendering the fat and using my turkey roasting pan. It was a lot of work and all evidence of the hours of labor, except for the piles of dishes, were gone in fifteen minutes.

Then I discovered a recipe for roasted duck with turnips in my French cooking book. Although duck is not my favorite fowl, I do like roasted turnips. In this recipe, the fat is rendered by browning the outside of the duck, then using the fat that bubbles out to make a brothy gravy (with wine and chicken broth too) that the turnips and the duck sit in while roasting.

This duck does not have the fatty flavor, does not created tons of dishes, and has turnips. Also, it is so pretty.

Mondays are usually a bit busy with preparations for Tuesday classes, and I wasn't feeling really well all day long. But I had planned to cook the duck this Monday; it had begun to thaw, and there really was no other day this week that I would have time to cook it. So even though I got started close to 4:30, instead of 3:00, like I had originally planned, I made roast duck for my family.

November 12

This is my children's message for tomorrow.

In the Old Testament, God gave his people a calendar that celebrated his gifts to them, and foreshadowed Jesus’s salvation, through a series of feasts through the year. Since then Christians have developed a liturgical year, which shows us and reminds us of God’s work in the world, through the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and second coming of Jesus. The Liturgical year reminds us that all of life is about Jesus.

Our celestial year starts on January 1st, but the Liturgical years starts on the first day of Advent (in two weeks), which means the current liturgical year ends next week on Christ the King Sunday.

During Advent and Christmas, we celebrate Christ’s coming to earth as a baby. Epiphany celebrates the revealing of Jesus to all people, not just the children of Israel. Lent celebrates Jesus’s life on earth - where he laid down his glory as God, becoming human, our God with us. Holy Week celebrates his sacrificial death for our sins. Easter celebrates his miraculous resurrection. Pentecost celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the beginning of the church as a group of people who are going to follow Jesus with their whole selves. Then as Advent approaches again, we celebrated Jesus’ second coming, especially with Christ the King Sunday which reminds us that someday everyone will know that Jesus is the King of everything.

I wanted to review all of this to remind us of the liturgical significance of today’s passage as it talks about Jesus’ second coming. The disciples wanted to know the signs that Jesus is about to be recognized king over all the world. They wanted to be ready and they wanted to be a part of it. Jesus’s answer was that before he comes again, there is going to be a lot of trouble and hardship. But even in hard times, they could stand firm in their faith because he would be right there helping them.

Jesus is going to come again. I don’t know when. I don’t know exactly what it will be like. But I know he is going to come. And because of Bible verses like the verses that we read, I know life isn’t going to be easy and lots of bad things are going to happen. But I also know, just like the first disciples, the way we can be ready for his return is by standing firm in our faith, no matter what happens. And that we can stand firm because through his Holy Spirit, he is right here with us, helping us, supporting us, loving us, even if we can’t see, hear, or feel him. That is what faith is, the assurance of what we cannot see.

Jesus is coming. Remembering that, let’s bow our heads and ask Jesus to help us live what we believe: that he is with us now. In this world we will have trouble, but take heart, Jesus has overcome the world.

November 11

Starting in August, I listened through the Bible. Although it was supposed to be in 90 days, it took me closer to 97 days. It was a good exercise and a lot of listening. Going through so quickly, I wasn't able to stop and ponder much, but instead I picked up on big themes and repetitions that I hadn't noticed before. 

For example, the emphasis of so much of the Old Testament is the calling and recalling of God's chosen people. His passionate love for His people in spite of their disinterest and rejection of Him put the passages about the punishment into a different light. Then in the New Testament, that theme is continued by showing that God's love isn't just for the Israelites but for all who will follow Jesus in repentance and faith.

Because it was kind of like a survey, it was helpful to pick out what I would like to study next. I haven't given Jude much thought, except that it is right before Revelation, but now I am studying it in much more depth. I also caught the flow of Hebrews better than I have before and want to compare the arguments in Romans with the argument of Hebrews. 

Overall, listening through the Bible in 90 days refreshed my interested in what the Bible means as a whole as well as prepared me for some deep dives into certain areas.

November 10

 Eamon requests fudge for his birthday every year, and every year I try to make it, but only once has it turned out right, and I never knew why. It has always tasted delicious, but the texture has been all wrong. I told Eamon this year that I would practice making fudge until I got it right. Then I researched and read articles and tried to figure things out.

Today was the day to try again. I put the butter, sugar, and evaporated milk in a pot and began stirring. As soon as it started to boil, I put in my candy thermometer and waited until it read the correct temperature 237 degrees F. Last time I followed the suggestion to have everything read to put in immediately and it crystalized immediately, so this time I tried the suggestion to let it cool down just a little before adding the chocolate. As soon as I dumped the chocolate in, it crystalized immediately and got all oily and grainy.

Because this is what always happens, I was not terribly surprised, I was prepared with another experiment. First, I dumped all the grainy, greasy mass into a different bowl. Then I washed the pot so it had no sugar encrusted on the edges. After I put it back on the burner, I greased the sides with butter and pulled out my electric thermometer. I put the failed fudge back in the pot, adding about half a cup of water to the grainy, greasy mass.

It was time to bring it to a boil again. This time I used my electric thermometer. When I put it in, the candy thermometer said it was about the correct temperature, but the electric thermometer said it was only 200 degrees F. So I stirred and stirred. The grainy, greasy mass became a bubbling, beautiful syrup. At last it reached 237 degrees F, so I turned of the heat and waited until it almost stopped bubbling. Then I scooped in the marshmallow cream and stirred it until it was all mixed in.

When I dumped it into a lined and greased 9x13 pan, I could tell that it was already a better texture. A few hours later when we ate it, the fudge melted in our mouths. It was not only tasty, but the right texture too!

Here is the recipe I am planning on using next time.

1. Grease the sides of a heavy pot with some of the 3/4 cup of butter. Add 3 cups of sugar and one 5 1/3oz can of evaporated milk. 

2. Bring to a boil until it reaches 237-239 degrees (with the electric thermometer!).

3. After it stops bubbling, stir in 12 oz of good chocolate chips - semi-sweet is good - and 1 tsp vanilla. If it doesn't seize up, add 7 oz of marshmallow cream. Add a cup of chopped nuts, if I think the boys will eat it that way.

4. Pour it into a lined and greased pan and let it cool.

November 4-9

On Friday, we went to Bethlehem as a field trip. We finally got to see a blacksmith at work. We also went to a museum, a book shop, a historic tavern, several other shops, and a restaurant. I have not been to the historic part of Bethlehem since fifth grade, so it was nice to go back and see all the things I had forgotten and how things have changed. The blacksmith was probably my favorite part though.

 

Saturday, I wrote a story instead of blogging.

 

After church on Sunday, Eamon played his cello before the Gabrielle Ensemble concert, which featured an organ and concluded with a cello concerto. Mom and Dad came, and on the way home, we stopped for ice-cream. The boys got rather silly with their grandparents, and with the time change, we were all very tired by the time we got home.

 

Alas, on Monday, Aunt Anna left. We had a normal school day, but we were all sad to see her go.

 

Tuesdays are our crazy days, and this Tuesday was no different, with Aunt Colony in the morning, literature and Spanish in the afternoon, then shopping as fast as possible before we come home to a quick supper. Thomas has an evening class, so the boys played computer games while I tutored a friend in math.

 

Today, we did part of our school in the morning before I went out for a delayed birthday lunch with a friend. Now I am doing my "language arts" while the boys finish up school for the day.

November 3

 This year's fall has been particularly brilliant. Only now are the mountains becoming winter grey, although there are still patches of brilliant yellow or dark red. We've had our first frost, but it was a light one, and the grass is still green. The nights are in the low 40's, but the days have gotten up to the low 70's. This week "There's not a cloud in the sky" as Malcolm likes to say.

I am glad that I have the opportunity to soak up each day's beauty. Whether standing at my kitchen sink, raking leaves, or taking walks, all I have to do is lift my eyes to see an incredible view. All I have to do is notice.

But I suppose that is no different from any other time. Are other times of the year not so breathtakingly beautiful? or have I gotten out of the habit of noticing except when the beauty smacks me in the face?

November 2

 In Luke 18, Jesus tells the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee brags about all the good he does and the tax collector begs forgiveness for all that he as done. Jesus ends the story with, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

 Just a few verses later, Jesus meets a young man who asks him how to inherit eternal life. That was kind of like asking, “How do I get to heaven?” Jesus said to follow the law, and the young man replied that he had followed the law all his life. Then Jesus told him to sell everything and give the money to the poor. The man felt he couldn’t do that, so he went away from Jesus.

He was the real life Pharisee. Sometimes when we talk about Pharisees, we make them seem so proud that we find it easy to condemn them. But in real life, this young man wasn’t proud like that. He was a good young man, and he wanted to follow Jesus. He had done what was right, but still felt like he wasn't good enough. So he asked Jesus what he was missing. When Jesus told him to give up everything, he was sad. In Mark's telling of this story, he says that Jesus loved him, but when it came down to the line, the rich young man wasn’t ready to give up everything that Jesus demanded.

Then in the next chapter, we read about Zacchaeus, who is a real life tax collector. And he didn’t look exactly the same as in the story either. He wasn’t nice or kind; he was a thief and everyone knew it. Yet, he was curious about Jesus; he just wanted to see him. It seems he knew that he wasn't good enough to be a follower of a holy man, but maybe there was also hope behind his curiosity. Then when Jesus started talking to him, he knew he had to give up everything: his reputation, his wealth, his self-made identity, everything.

The biggest sacrifices we have to make are usually because of love. We love someone or something so much that we are willing to give up whatever is necessary. Here’s the catch, if we don’t love a lot, we aren’t going to be willing to give up a lot. But the more we love, the more we are willing to ungrudgingly give.

Jesus loved us so much, he was willing to give up his life for us, so we know he loves us a lot! But now, how much do I love him? What is separating me from showing Him that love? Am I willing to give that up because of love?

November 1

 It is November already. 

 I keep waiting for things to slow down or get calm, but I just looked at my calendar and had the sudden realization, things aren't going to slow down. Life will not get calm naturally. If things slow down around here, it is usually due to illness or laziness, and neither of those things tend toward peace.

Ever since we read the statement, "Control is the language of the devil,"* I have been thinking about the way I try to control everything and everyone around me. The other rail in the "train-track" is that the only person I ought to control is myself, and I am not doing that very well either.

The way this discussion has manifested itself recently is the security of planning on one side, and the lack of self-discipline, especially when it comes to sleep, on the other side. 

 

I am a planner. My brain doesn't turn off if I don't have a plan. I enjoy scheduling my week. Meal preparation is easier when I have done the planning ahead of time. When I go with the flow, it is usually because I have planned for multiple contingencies, so I have a plan if things don't go according to the original plan. I feel a kindred spirit to Jepeth the goat in Hoodwinked when he sings, "Be Prepared." I enjoy looking at all the moving pieces of life and putting them in order. I like shelving books in order by author or size. The idea of filing all the choir music, cleaning up, and organizing the music room at our church is exciting. On days when I have a few minutes to dream, I've been going into my basement to plan how to make my fabric more accessible and my sewing and crafting table more usable.

The question that has been nagging at my brain is, "Is this love of planning just another way of trying to control your world?" or worded another way, "Am I controlling my world (bad) or bringing order to chaos (good)?"

But the thing I am supposed to be controlling - myself - I have been neglecting. A year ago, I walked every morning. I got out of the habit when it got cold, and never really got back into it. I used to have a good dishes and laundry schedule, but twice this month I left the wet laundry in the washer until they started to stink. I haven't sat down to write or dream (White Space, thank you, Juliet Funt) regularly, and I "read" my Bible by listening to it while I'm doing something else. When my bedtime alarm goes off, I ignore it, just like I ignore my wake-up alarm. I justify my not getting things done with, "just needing some recovery time."

And I'm getting tired of it.

So November 1 is a good time to start working through all this, both in my head and in my life. I don't want a 30 day goal or something like that. I want it to be a lifestyle, or system of habits, that can be adapted through all the changes in life. As St. Patrick prayed, so do I.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, his might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need
The wisdom of my God to teach
His hand to guide, his shield to ward
The Word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

I bind unto myself today
the strong name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same
the Three in One, One in Three.

*The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse by Jeff VanVonderen