St. Theophan Academy

2012-01-16T15:00:00.002-06:00

This video is worth the time - seeing the faces of the people react to the destruction of Orthodoxy under communism - may none of us forget these lessons from history, nor the men and women who died for the faith.

St. Barbara Day

2011-12-05T21:34:00.003-06:00

Another St. Barbara Day come and gone, and this was the best one yet. The crowd almost doubled this year, with over 85 people attending (and at least 50 of those were under the age of 13) A huge storm was coming in, and all day people were asking what the rain plan was. Well, I don't have room for 85 people inside, so I really didn't know what we were going to do. We moved the party up an hour earlier, hoping to at least have a little fun before the rain hit - but St. Barbara was looking out for us, and the storm heading our way broke up and slowed down, and didn't really hit until this morning. The only lightning around was from the fireworks and over 150 giant sparklers! We had unusually mild temperatures, it was 60 degrees - so no hats or gloves needed this year. We had a lot of trees come down this year, so my husband saved a bunch of logs for seating around the bonfire and we ate lots of vegetable chili and roasted hundreds of marshmallows!Several people who came this year asked why a bonfire and fireworks?

Well, St. Barbara was the beautiful young daughter of a wealthy pagan in Heliopolis. Because of her beauty, her father locked her up in a tower, where she spent her time looking out the window and contemplating creation. She came to understand that the idols of her father must be false, for all of creation proclaimed the truth of the One True God. While her father was gone, she had a third window added to his bath house, to symbolize the trinity, and she cut a cross into the marble with her finger. Upon his return, her father became enraged when he found his daughter had become a Christian and drew his sword to kill her. Barbara prayed and was miraculously transported into the mountains. A shepherd there betrayed her and she was taken before the emperor where she was tortured, including attempts to burn her body. To the frustration of the emperor her wounds would heal overnight, and torches used to burn her went out when they came in contact with her body. Finally she was beheaded by her own father, who was then struck down by lightning, his body completely consumed by flames. St. Barbara is considered a patron to those who die a sudden death, and as well as patron to artillerymen, miners, those who work with explosives and others with hazardous occupations.

2011-12-02T22:15:00.000-06:00

Please say a prayer for Matushka Anna and her family, as they are dealing with the loss of another precious unborn baby.

Cyber Monday Top Pick: April Cornell

2011-11-28T00:13:00.003-06:00

Well, my order has already been placed, and if you are looking for great deals on sweet little girls dresses that harken to days gone by, then look no further than the April Cornell Cyber Monday Sale with prices 30-60% off! This is the one sale of the year that I look forward to, and the deals are not to be missed. My top picks? The basic petticoat dress is a staple - layer it under dresses that are getting too short, use it as a night gown for a girl's sleep over, or my personal favorite, the perfect late night Pascha dress, simple, comfortable and easy to bleach! No kidding, we have it ranging in size from 12 months to 10 years, and all have seen lots of wear. The new favorite for this year - this dress, a gift from Grandma for Christmas :) And yes, I bought something for me, a dress I have had my eye on all season - so happy to get it at such a deal! (Sale prices don't show until you put something in your cart, but most dresses are half off, even the clearance dresses - we stocked up for next summer at an average of $12 per dress)

Counting Blessings while awaiting the coming of the Great Light

2011-11-24T09:14:00.000-06:00

Autumn thanksgiving is about light, because there is something beyond incredible about the light this time of year.

225. the warm golden light that fills my kitchen each early autumn morning, making it a joy to come in and make breakfast

226. the glow of a single golden leaf, fallen on the skylight above the bath tub, it radiated light

227. the light of home, the coppery golden hues of the church dome rising tall above the turning leaves

228. light reflecting onto the holy waters of baptism, as friends await their turn to literally be immersed into the light of the image of Christ in his mothers arms

229. lampadas swinging in their little alcoves, lighting the way to the divine edible Light offered each Sunday

230. soft flickering light of 30 little candles, young virgins all gathering to walk with His most Holy Mother as She, the true Holy of Holies is brought into the temple.

231. The soft light of the sun, working its way through the dark mist on this Thanksgiving morning.

We too are a people who walk in darkness, a darkness that is this culture, which holds up all which is dark and consuming, telling us we can only be happy by consuming more, until it all consumes us. May we all walk this season awaiting the coming of the Light, and never forget that the rest is just a distraction.

Reading Through the Nativity Updated

2011-11-23T06:28:00.003-06:00

Here is a list of some of the books we have used over the years to open throughout the Nativity Fast. It is not comprehensive (my books are already wrapped, and I am sure I as we open them I will find a few I forgot), but it contains most of our families top picks. Some of these books are out of print, but most are still available used. I have offered a few details as I saw fit, and this collection represents 12 years of gathering books. While it is occasionally a joy to add a new book here or there, if it is worthy and beautiful, both in language and in illustrations, we are very content with the current selection, and it offers more than enough reading for the season without becoming a burden. We also have a selection of books related to saints of the season, I will add those in a later post. If you have a favorite that is not listed below, please leave a comment with the title to share with others.

St Nicholas Books

*The Legend of St Nicholas – Demi – beautiful illuminated illustrations

The Real Santa Claus – Marianna Mayer

The Real St. Nicholas – Louis Carus – collection of stories from around the world, large volume your family will read aloud from for years

*The Saint Who Became Santa Claus – Evelyn Bence – great explanation of how Santa Claus came to be – short story book (oop, but can get a cheap used copy)

Saint Nicholas, The Real Story of the Christmas Legend – Julie Stiegmeyer – good story – St Nicholas portrayed in more Catholic looking vestments

The Miracle of St Nicholas – Gloria Whelan – Orthodox Russian Christmas miracle story - this book brings me to tears every year

The Baker’s Dozen – Aaron Shepard – a legend of a St. Nicholas miracle – the story of how 13 came to mean a baker’s dozen

Nativity Books

*Who is Coming to our House? - Joseph Slate – great repetitive rhyme book – excellent for younger ones (though my 10yo loves it too!) tells story of the animals in the stable preparing for Mary and Joseph to arrive

The Miraculous Child – Alvin Alexsi Currier – Orthodox tale of a Russian Christmas miracle, great story, language a bit stilted in English

The Legend of the Candy Cane – Lori Walburg (fun story, though debated historically)

*Long Was the Winter Road They Traveled – J. Patrick Lewis – beautiful illustrations, told in rhyme

*The Very First Christmas – Paul L Maier – excellent book, accurate and detailed explanation of the nativity narrative, told by a mom answering questions from 8yo son – one of our very favorites
The Little Boy's Christmas Gift - John Speirs - the illustrations are breathtaking, as many join the journey to visit the newborn king, including a small boy with nothing to give him
The Donkey and The Golden Light - John Speirs - Beautiful story of a donkey who not only witnesses the birth of Christ, but then is also the one who carries Christ into Jerusalem and witnesses his death and resurrection

Silent Night – Margaret Hodges – beautiful history of how this hymn came to be

What Can I Give Him – Debi Gliori – good for young children – based on Rossetti poem

What is It The That the Christmas Tree is Telling Us? – Orthodox – translated stories about the Christmas tree – English is a bit awkward

The Story of the Nativity – Orthodox – again, translation a bit awkward

Tonight You Are My Baby - Jeannine Norris - no mother will be able to read this one without tears, so be forewarned, a very moving look at Christ's birth through the eyes of a mother who knows what is to come (I'm tearing up just typing about it)
Father and Son - Geraldine McCaughrean - this is the father version of the above book, and also a sure bet for tears on the part of the reader - a look at the Nativity through the eyes of Joseph, who wonders how he can teach this child about the world when he was the One who created it
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey - Susan Wojciechowski - thanks to Mat. Emily for introducing this one to us last year, and the movie is wonderful as well!

* family favorites

New Recipe for the Nativity Fast

2011-11-22T16:40:00.000-06:00

Here is a soup we enjoyed this afternoon; perfect seasonal ingredients, warm and filling on a chilly fall day. It has been adapted from a recipe included in the new Taste & See Cookbook.

Brazilian Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup

3 c black beans, cooked (or 1 can)
6 c vegetable broth (or water)
1-2 chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree, or use fresh pumkin puree
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 t cumin (or more to your taste)
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon, and zest
chives or scallions, thinly sliced - as garnish if desired

Since it was Tuesday, I sauteed the onion and garlic in oil first, but the recipe calls to just dump it all in a pot, so on a strict fasting day, just skip the saute! When the onions softened, I added the tomatoes, broth, beans, pumpkin and seasonings. Bring to a boil and let it simmer until the flavors are nicely mixed (we were in a hurry, so I served it pretty quickly, am curious to see how it tastes after sitting a while.) The pumpkin gave the broth a sweet flavor which the kids enjoyed. It was a mild tasting soup, and I think if you like a bit of a kick, you could add more cumin, or perhaps curry or garam masala for a different twist. The recipe also says you can puree part or all of the soup. I skipped that as well for time purposes, but will puree a portion of it next time. This was so easy, as I had leftover black beans from yesterday, and have lots of pumpkin around here right now. I am thinking this would also work really well with butternut squash in place of the pumpkin, and I have a dozen of those waiting around to be stored! I think this recipe will have to go into my Nativity Fast rotation for sure.

2011-11-21T13:03:00.001-06:00

The most pure Temple of the Savior;

The precious Chamber and Virgin;

The sacred Treasure of the glory of God,

Is presented today to the house of the Lord.

She brings with her the grace of the Spirit,

Therefore, the angels of God praise her:

"Truly this woman is the abode of heaven."

Happy Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos in the temple!

for details on how our church celebrates this feast you can check out the Festal Celebrations page
and if your church holds a Presentation Tea, please leave a link in the comments, I would love to see pictures!

Welcome Home

2011-11-20T16:00:00.002-06:00

We added to the family on Friday night - here are pictures of my newest little god-daughter

She and I will share a patron saint (can you see the icon of Anna behind us?)

She was baptized and chrismated along with her two big sisters and mother. (Dad was chrismated long ago, and has found his way back and brought his beautiful family home with him.)

A celebration fitting for the season, shrimp and rice, crab ravigote, stuffed mushrooms, hummus and vegetables, fruit and punch, decorations all in the colors of the beautiful season of the Nativity Fast.

Saturday Morning Surprise

2011-11-19T13:21:00.003-06:00

The crocodile hunter had finally given up hope that his precocious jungle fowl would return from her latest roaming. She has a bad habit of wandering off into the woods and not returning at night to the safety of the barn. She hasn't been seen in over a week, and we all figured a fox, coyote or one of the many local dogs had made a meal of her. Until this morning.

Apparently she was simply fed up with the daily theft of her eggs, and like Jemima Puddle-duck, she wanted to sit! And sit she must have, because this morning she proudly marched back to the barn with 7 little chicks in tow.

On Fasting

2011-11-16T08:14:00.000-06:00

Stint your stomach and you will certainly lock your mouth, because the tongue is strengthened by an abundance of food. Struggle with all your might against the stomach and restrain it with all sobriety. If you labor a little, the Lord will also soon work with you.

St. John Climacus

Living the Nativity Fast

2011-11-14T19:20:00.001-06:00

The following is a compilation of information and resources I have come across over the years concerning the Nativity Fast. The Nativity Fast, or Advent as it is often called, is one of the two great fasts of the year. The difference between it and great Lent, is of course, that during the Nativity fast we are anticipating a birth, so the atmosphere of this fast is one of happy anticipation. It can also be a difficult fast for the Orthodox, as the rest of the world is caught up in Christmas parties and celebrations full of the food and drink from which we fast. The following ideas are a collection of ways to commemorate the days of the fast without pre-celebrating the feast.
Make the 15^th an event – Advent is different from Lent, where the beginning is hard to miss, often the 15^th comes and goes with little notice taken. Make the 15th a special day by starting family traditions to begin the fast.

Ideas: set your Christmas tree up the night before after the kids have gone to bed. Then spend the rest of the week slowly decorating it. Begin one of the many activities outlined below to mark the days of Advent - a Jesse tree, Advent calendar, prayer chain, or Advent wreath

Reserve special items that only come out during the fast - (in our house, all Nativity related books, toys, music and movies are stored away until Nov 15^th, then pulled out to enjoy during the season and packed up again on Jan 7^th )

Daily reminders

Below is a list of activities that can be done daily to help mark the fast – select from among these the ones that appeal to you and your family without becoming overwhelming.

Establish a family time and altar If you do not already have one, this is a great time to start the habit of evening family prayers together – prayers, readings, lighting candles etc – these become the focal point of the fast. When you receive Christmas cards – place those on your altar and pray for those people that evening. If you have a table or piece of furniture available or even just a shelf, drape with a red cloth and place icons, candles

Advent wreath – can just be votive holders with candles and some greenery laid around it – some people use colored candles to mark the Sundays, others just use beeswax candles. One idea is to decorate the candles with an icon for each Sunday of the fast (these commemorations fluctuate from year to year) Another beautiful option is the wreath made by Ann Voskamp's son Caleb, our family has truly enjoyed celebrating the seasons of the year with this beautifully crafted piece.

Jesse Tree – a series of ornaments or symbols that begin with creation and track the story of our salvation through the Old Testament, ending with the birth of Christ. There are many versions of this, and it may take time to create your own, but it can be a wonderful way to see the importance of the Incarnation in the scope of history. There is also a lovely coloring page version of the Jesse Tree as an alternative (or to go along with) ornaments.

Advent Calendar – hung in a prominent place where the children can see it on a daily basis – there are paper ones that can be purchased, or you can make your own. It can be very simple – of felt with items pinned on or elaborate with sewn pockets

Christmas Storybooks – in our house all of the books related to Christmas are wrapped up in inexpensive paper and placed under the tree on the 15^th of November. Each evening, the children select a book to open and we read it together. A basket is placed by the tree to contain the opened books, which are then revisited throughout the season. We don’t attempt to have 40 books, 20 or so have been more than enough to keep us busy, and the children get very excited each year when they open old favorites they haven’t seen since last Christmas! It’s like getting a whole new library of books each year.

Prayer chain – this can be used for one of several activities. Cut strips and staple into a chain. Can track alms giving during Advent, use it as a prayer list of people to pray for each day (add someone new each day) or use it to count your blessings, writing something you are thankful for each day of the fast. Hang your chain somewhere visible in the house and watch it grow through the fast.

Almgiving – in the spirit of St. Nicholas, try to find some way to involve your children in activities of giving – visit one of the shut ins in the church, let them send notes and Christmas cards to the shut ins of the region,

Christmas tree – Traditionally – Christmas eve (not very practical for most. My family decorates the tree on the 15^th as our way of marking the start of the season (artificial of course) – if you use a live tree, St. Nicholas day (Dec 6) or St. Herman’s feast day (Dec. 13^th) are great days to mark with decorating the tree.

Nativity Sets

Wooden set children can handle and play with

Playmobil makes a wonderful set that makes for hours of play

Family set - one idea is to not place out all figures – make a star path with 40 stars from the manger across a table or shelf. Mary moves one star closer each day – as she passes each star, it can be moved up onto a blue backdrop behind the nativity set until you have a full sky. Alternative to using stars is to make a stone path (shown above).

The week before Christmas, place a new figure each day, let your kids come home from the Christmas liturgy to find the baby Jesus in the manger.

3. Mark the milestones of the fast –

Participate in the liturgies and activities offered by the church.

One way to mark these days, print off paper icons (from the internet) and put them into picture frame Christmas ornaments, hang each saint on the tree on his or her feast day

Presentation of Theotokos – Nov 21^st

St. Katherine – Nov 25^th

St. Andrew – Nov 30^th

St. Nicholas – Dec 6^th

St. Barbara – Dec 4^th

St. Herman – Dec 13^th

St. Lucia – Dec 13^th

St. Stephen – Dec 27^th

Icon coloring books – our favorites - Potamitis Publishing

Read the lives of the saints (can be a bedtime activity or a part of the family altar time) we should spend at least as much time sharing these stories with our kids as we do sharing fairy tales and other books

4. Celebrate Christmas!

Special meal after liturgy – helps to emphasize breaking of fast with young ones – special foods saved for this night

Place Jesus in the manger, ready to be found when the children come

home from liturgy

One of the wonderful things about being Orthodox is avoiding the post holiday blues – do you remember the feeling you had as a child on the 26^th of December, or even as an adult? Everything is over, the presents are opened and there seems to be nothing left to look forward to but a long dreary winter.

12 days of Christmas – stockings with 12 small gifts to be opened each day of Christmas

January 1 – St. Basil’s Day – make vasilopita!

Theophany table – change cloth drape to gold, remove wreath, set out 11 votives and Christ candle

Theophany – special bottles for them to bring for the service to be filled with Holy Water , I bought a cheap bottle painting kit from Target/Hobby Lobby

Blessing of the Waters at the River

House Blessing – a good motivation to get the house cleaned and ready to start the year!

Nativity Links
Jesse Tree ornaments

Jesse Tree readings

Advent calendar instructions

Premade Orthodox Advent Calendar

Jesus is Born advent calendar illustrations

playmobil nativity set

Cycles of Grace Nativity binder

My Nativity Menu

advent alphabet

Short Reflection before Advent

2011-11-12T11:06:00.001-06:00

- People's lives are sheer misery because they do not simplify things. Most of the conveniences we have cause difficulties. Those who live in the world often suffocate from abundance. They have filled their lives with gadgets and devices but this only makes it more difficult to enjoy. If we don't simplify things, one convenience will result into numerous difficulties and we will end up miserable.
When we were little, we used to cut off the spool at the end and put a wedge in it, turning it into a nice and enjoyable game for ourselves.
- Geronda, what helps the most when one is trying to grasp the joy of austerity?
- It helps if you can grasp the deeper meaning of life But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Simplicity begins from there, so does every proper approach to life.

Elder Paisios - With Pain and Love for Contemporary Man

I'm hooked

2011-11-11T19:30:00.001-06:00

115 lbs of apples

Fuji, Cameo, and the delightful Ida Red, to which I owe the amazing pink hue of the juice.....

and apple jelly... can you believe that color? I am in awe. And the best part, added to my pantry, next to the 20 pints of applesauce and 15 of apple butter, I can say that the home canned jars now far outnumber the store bought :)

Note: the best resource for canning information I have found - Pick Your Own - no nonsense recipes for everything from applesauce to tomato sauce and everything in between

On Halloween

2011-10-17T21:41:00.000-05:00

I received an email this week about someone looking for this post from a few years ago, so since I can't seem to find the time to write anything new at the moment, I am reposting it.

I did not touch this topic last year, as it is such a controversial subject among believers. There are those who feel strongly both ways. I would ask that whatever your opinion, you at least take the time to consider the following: how do we make the decision to participate or to not participate? The same way we make all decisions as Orthodox Christians, by looking at what the Bible, the Church Fathers and the Canons say.

"...Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Phillipians 4:8

So, if that is what we are to hold up and think about, the lovely, the gracious, the worthy of praise, how does Halloween measure up? There is nothing lovely about glorifying death. In fact, that is the exact opposite of what the Church is about. We celebrate life. We are weeks from entering into a time of honoring the incarnation of our Savior. We should be turning our hearts and minds to the fact that God humbled himself by becoming fully man in order to destroy death. Think about that just a minute. The One True God, all powerful, all knowing, all honorable. Put on flesh. Lived on this earth. Suffered temptation from Satan. Endured mockery, pain, death. Entered Hell. CRUSHED DEATH. FOR US. Why would we want to celebrate that which he endured so much to destroy?

So, no, it is not just all in good fun. It is not just a harmless night for our children to dress up and get free candy. IT IS A NIGHT THAT HOLDS UP ALL WE REJECT. IT IS A NIGHT FOR SATAN. So, my question is "why?" Why would we WANT to participate? Because it is fun? Because it is uncomfortable to keep our kids home from school that day? Because someone might make fun of us or our children? Because we don't want our kids to "miss out"?

Each morning as we read the lives of men and women who gave their lives rather than eat food sacrificed to idols, children who died rather than bow to anyone other than God, how can we ask those questions? I think of the mothers who encouraged their children to martyrdom. They weren't worried their kids would be made fun of - they were worried their children might not attain eternal communion with God. They didn't try to protect their children from embarrassment, they exhorted them to stand strong against the world, a world that hated them and their God. This world still hates us, and it hates our God. So, give your children the strength to stand against evil, teach them to be martyrs!

“Abstain from all appearance of evil” 1 Thessalonians 5:22

If you are interested in reading what others have to say on this topic - here is a selection of links to articles that say far better than I what our duty is as Orthodox Christians in this world. If you have never given this issue thought, or if you are unsure about what is right, I challenge you to take the time to read at least one of these articles.

The Truth about Halloween

Archbishop Kyrill on Halloween

Halloween: Harmless Fun?

Fr. John Moses on Halloween

Finally, on the practicality of the issue. I really do encourage you to consider keeping your kids out of school on Friday when all of the parties will be happening. Avoid too much shopping with your children over the next few weeks. I try to limit the places we go during this time, since even a trip to the local drugstore is full of nightmarish images that can affect a young one in ways we often don't realize until much later. My daughter had years of nightmares from a grocery trip to Sam's where she turned a corner to be faced with a life-sized plastic witch. The night of October 31 has always been stressful for me, with young kids how do you avoid the ringing bell? Our former parish used to have an Akathist to the patron saint of our church. What better place to be on this night, than in church, praying for the world. If your parish does not offer a service that evening, gather with a few friends (preferably in a home that is not in a suburban neighborhood if possible :) and say the prayers yourself.

Orthodox Figures for the Nativity

2011-10-08T12:36:00.000-05:00

A friend from last year's St. Emmelia Conference just sent this to me and I wanted to share because it is just so beautiful. It was custom made for Orthodox families, the Theotokos even has three stars! So, if you are looking to add some amazing Nativity figures to your seasonal table, go check out this etsy seller.

2011-10-07T13:04:00.000-05:00

"True hospitality is sharing your life . . . with those outside the family circle. False hospitality is trying to re-vamp your life with camouflage and pretense so that it will fool a guest into thinking your life more elegant and more picturesque than it really is."

--Irene Parrott, Friday to Monday (1941)

ht to Pleasantview Schoolhouse for this quote, a good reminder of this, and here's to hoping to share some true hospitality soon!

Blessings on an early Monday morning walk

2011-08-29T07:16:00.000-05:00

215. early morning chill in the air, misleading start to another 90 + degree day
216. the doe with her fawn, standing in the neighbors yard, frozen still, watching my every step
217. sunrise over the lake
218. early morning mist hanging low over the water, sun hasn't reached it yet
219. the way the rising sun colors everything in its path with an orange pink glow
220. the absolute, ordinary beauty of sunrise and sunset - since the fourth day of creation the sun has been rising and setting as we rotate 'round it, we take it for granted, hardly even consider it most days, yet each time I witness it, it takes my breath away
221. smell of honeysuckle in the bushes
222. hum of crickets mixed with the chirp of birds, morning sounds and lingering night cadences all mixed up
223. pounding rhythm of feet on pavement
224. the way the Jesus prayer flows so easily to the pace of pounding footsteps

The Call

2011-08-08T08:40:00.000-05:00

Last week Father asked a question at the Paraklesis service. When you get the call saying your mother is dying, what do you do? Does anything else matter? Do you concern yourself with daily life and routines? Do you explain, I am just so busy, I'll try to get there when I can, but you know how it is, so many other commitments, it's such a busy time of year? No, you drop everything to be at her side. You rearrange your schedule, you lay aside all earthly cares, do whatever it takes to be with her, to show her you love her. Every August first we get that call. Our Mother is dying. Do we notice? Have we changed our own lives and pace to be with her? Will we come running to her side? Or will we allow the world to pull us in a thousand directions? The church gives us two whole weeks to come, to mourn, to offer our prayers, to be with her, to sing those beautiful hymns.

Our Mother is dying, let us run to her.

2011-08-01T23:28:00.002-05:00

"If a human being were a machine, education could do no more for him than to set him in action in prescribed ways, and the work of the educator would be simply to adopt a good working system or set of systems. But the educator has to deal with a self-acting, self-developing being, and his business is to guide, and assist in, the production of the latent good in that being, the dissapation of the latent evil, the preparation of the child to take his place in the world at his best, with every capacity for good that is in him developed into a power" (Charlotte Mason Volume 1, p. 9)

A Sobering Time

2011-07-27T00:00:00.003-05:00

The weeks of summer fly past. Trips, training, gardening, canning and cooking consume every moment. There is a seeming lull in the liturgical year, as if all energy was expended throughout the marathon of Lent and the Apostles Fast, and we collapsed into exhausted celebration with the feasts of Ascension, Pentecost and the Apostles. Life seems to pull at us - with fewer added services, life in our home takes on an agrarian rhythm. Everything builds around the harvest, whether from our own garden, or the weekly CSA box, or the Farmer's Market, I spend much of my time considering what foods must be frozen, canned or cooked. Enjoying parties with family and friends, breathing deeply the humid air, a feeling of indolence and joy at letting go of a few responsibilities. I suppose that is the way the end of the year should feel - hot, heavy, with thoughts turning to the next year...school plans...the liturgical gauntlet of September with its many services. So it is good to have a sobering time. A time to call ourselves back from the carefree days of July, to ease us back.

For that, the church offers the Dormition. We end the church cycle as we begin it, with she who was permitted to hold God both within her and in her arms. So many names......... she is the ladder of Jacob..... the burning bush of Moses....the cloud of glory which contained our Lord. She is the ark, the tabernacle - holier than the Holies. She gave birth to the light which illumines the world, and the stone cut from a mountain by no human hand. She is the gate that shall ever remain shut - for the Lord, the God of Israel has entered by it. She is the very temple veil she stitched, and the golden urn which carried the Manna. She is the rod of Aaron, which sprouted the Flower of Immortality, and who gave birth to the Rod of Jesse. She is the holy altar who bore the bread of life, the branch of the unwithering vine, and her prayers are the sweetest of incense to her Son. As we enter the season of the dormition, may we remember the most holy Theotokos, and beseech her prayers on our behalf - for what better mouth to voice our needs to the ear of the Son of God............. than those of his Mother.

candles

wax for decorating

cutters

Busy Week

2011-07-16T15:39:00.001-05:00

It's been a busy week around here - today was the 11th day of training for Catechesis this summer, with 3 more to go next week. Wednesday means certification!

Today was a materials making day - our intrepid group spent the morning building the walls of Jerusalem, using the above as our model, we set to work figuring out how to recreate it!

I am pretty sure when we signed on, none of us realized it was going to mean an education in woodworking! Here are two catechists who are now quite proficient with a mitre saw. Next up, learning how to use a scroll saw!

It's beginning to come together -

And our amazing formation leaders spent the day painting puzzles pieces and Good Shepherd materials for us.

Garden (Over) Abundance

2011-07-13T07:33:00.001-05:00

Still trying to claw my way through an abundance of cucumbers - so far 4 jars relish, 12 jars bread and butter pickles, 8 jars dill spears, and countless batches of refrigerator pickles.

And these are still taunting me from the sink!

A Picture Perfect Saturday Morning: or blessings #206-214

2011-07-09T16:24:00.003-05:00

yummy home baked goodies, Laura's little maple cakes, lemon corn muffins, fruit and salad....

.....freshly squeezed lemonade.....

......dancing on the front porch to Pa's fiddlin' tunes .....

... an excursion to a 200 year old mill - where the cornmeal for those yummy muffins was ground....

....little girls in bonnets all in a row....

.... watching the fish.....

....dancing like no one is watching....

......a final turn on the tree swing ...

......and beautiful bouquets of flowers to take home with the memories - Thank you V!

Paletas!

2011-07-08T06:36:00.005-05:00

Mmmm, blackberries are in season - and I have the perfect use for them!

My long awaited Paletas cookbook arrived last month, and I found the perfect pop to make.

Boil 1 lemon peel, 1/2 c water and 1/2 c sugar until all sugar is dissolved. Cool and strain. Blend cooled syrup with 1 1/2 c plain Greek yogurt and 2 T honey or agave nectar (I prefer the agave). Fill molds half way and freeze for 30 minutes. Slice berries in half and drop into molds, using a stick to push them into the yogurt mixture. Top with remaining mixture and freeze overnight.

Dreamy.

A Story and a Give-away

2011-07-06T06:37:00.025-05:00

Let me share with you a story. A story about a tea cup and a church. A year or so ago, a small mission church was looking for a permanent home. This mission has a special place in my heart because my husband and I were there when a small group of people started saying prayers together, hoping that God would help establish an Orthodox church in that area. While we were not around to be a part of the fruition of this mission, they are always in my heart. This mission got its name in a most un-orthodox manner. After several months of meetings, several saints were put to the group along with a careful look at the lives of these men and women. When no agreement could be made, my husband suggested that each of the names be scrawled on a piece of paper and placed in a hat. A child was selected to reach in and draw a name. From that drawing, St. Elizabeth the New Martyr was embraced. It seemed so random. And it certainly didn't follow protocol. Fortunately, after His Grace Metropolitan Philip heard the Akathist to Elizabeth prayed, a blessing was given, and somehow this little group got to name their own church! They found a commercial building and began to grow their little community. Soon, a priest was found, one who had a deep heart for Russia, so it only seemed natural that he would serve at St. Elizabeth. Quickly they outgrew their little space and began the search for a more permanent home. A year ago a piece of property was considered. About the same time another priest dear to my heart contacted the parish to say he had found an authentic tea cup belonging to St. Elizabeth through an antiques dealer and his church wished to gift it to the mission. The tea cup which had travelled half way around the world now was driven across the state to be delivered to Fr. John, who at the time just happened to be standing on that little piece of property they wished to buy.

The tea cup was handed over on that land. Unfortunately the price of the land was too high, and the search continued. A year passed, and the parish continued to grow. Then a call came, from the property owners of that bit of land. They had heard through mutual contacts that a church was interested in the property, and offered the land at half the original asking price. The land was purchased, but it stands empty until the funds can be raised to build a temple. The ladies of St. Elizabeth, many of whom were the original coordinators of the first Taste and See Cookbook, have now created a second cookbook with the goal of raising money to build that temple. The cookbook is full of all new recipes and will make a great addition to any Orthodox home. The cookbook includes a large number of gluten-free recipes, all clearly marked!

To help support St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church in their journey to build a temple on this property blessed by St. Elizabeth herself, I am giving away one copy of the cookbook. Leave a comment to be entered to win, and then if you don't - go buy a copy!

Winner will be announced on July 10th

Monday the Fourth Gifts

2011-07-04T09:38:00.003-05:00

196. my grandfather, who served in England in World War II, where he met my grandmother

197. my father, who wanted to enlist during Vietnam, but was turned away for a bad knee

198. my father-in-law, who served in the Army

199. my brother-in-law, two tours in Iraq and still serving

200. a friend's son, who enlisted on 9/12, and now flies black hawk helicopters in Afghanistan

201. the countless mothers who have watched their children walk out the door, never to return

202. men and women willing to give their lives to keep me and my family safe

203. those who come back safe, and must live with the memories

204. the freedom to be an Orthodox Christian, when churches are burning in Egypt

205. the freedom and safety to openly pray and talk about Jesus, while others are still being martyred today

School Room Tour

2011-06-21T17:40:00.002-05:00

Time to update the learning spaces, and so here is a little tour of our current arrangement.We are very blessed to have a home with an in-law suite, and in-laws who are very happy with their own homes! So, that space is dedicated to learning and creating. If I had it to do over, I probably would consider painting the walls white, and not hanging curtains, but when we bought the house 5 years ago I was in a hurry to get rid of the teal walls!

Last year I moved the dark shelves out and replaced them with these wooden cube units - they make organizing books by subject much simpler, and allow for storing and displaying items other than simply books. I am still on the fence about the bulletin board. I got it on Craig's list, so it wasn't a big investment, and I am tempted at times to just remove it. For now, we will keep it, and use it to display our composer and artist study, as well as a map of the continent we are working on in geography studies. Our felt saints live on top of the shelf as well, where they often form themselves into various interesting scenes. Generally speaking, geography and reference books are on the far left under the globe, then history and Christian studies books.

Then our wonderful selection of read aloud living science books. The far right cubes contain art studies, including art reference books, some Montessori 3 part cards, art games and a set of Child-Sized Masterpieces. The beautiful book on display on top of the shelving is a copy of The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady. Taking a tip from Jen, I enjoy having it on display throughout the year. The illustrations are beautiful and the kids enjoy reading about each season.

I have been using the cubes for the kids for a few years, but this year I really expanded each of their personal areas. Here is the crocodile hunter's space with room for his books, notebooks, new microscope (a Christmas gift) and his nature journals. He doesn't do a great deal of work at his desk, but it is nice for some things, and allows him to have his own personal space. Each child has a set of pencils or crayons that stays in their desk as well.

The futon is command central for me - that is where I tend to work with the Queen on her reading, and where our read alouds take place. It was especially nice to have when I was still nursing a baby! Above the futon is a set of shelves I hung to store the various found items and craft projects that needed a home. They stay on display until the dust reaches an intolerable level, then it gets cleared off and cleaned, and some things either find a new home or are discarded.

On the table next to the futon is my basket. My basket stores our current readings, as well as a handful of teacher's guides that I need to get my hands on daily.

Another Christmas gift was this art bench. We have been using the Gluck Dvd art series, and the kids really like to have a bench to work at. It is light weight so it is very easy to move around, or to put in a closet if it gets in the way.

This is the Queen's desk. I really didn't need a desk for her, but she insisted, so I hit Craig's list and found one for about $25. Beside the desk is her cube tower with her books and letters. Behind the desk you can see my do-it-yourself fairy tree with puppets for her math lessons. The baskets underneath contain various learning items such as an alphabet puzzle, acorn counters and a clock for learning time.

A seasonal basket of books sits in the floor, and I change it out every few months using ideas from Matushka Emily and others. One way I have simplified this is to have a shelf in our back storage room with picture books organized by seasonal theme. I include our saints picture books in this basket as well as nature books. Then I can easily change these out without spending hours searching for the books. It limits access to them, but it also means when they appear, the kids get excited to see old favorites they haven't read in a while.

Moving from the living room to the kitchen, our nature studies are focused in this area. The table is a central work space for anyone who needs it, and is good for working on history portfolios, nature journals and anything else where you need a nice open space.

Using inspiration from Ann and our science theme from last year I purchased a bird poster to hang over our nature shelf. I also borrowed Ann's beautiful display idea for nature treasures - an old printer's tray from an antique store.

The kitchen counters hold our art supplies, another great idea from Jen at Wildflowers and Marbles. They are out of reach of the toddler who might do damage, but the older ones can get to them easily.

The nicest works are framed and hung in the hallway.

Well, that is about it! It has changed a lot in the past few years, and I am sure it will continue to evolve as the children grow and our needs change. My final thought, (if you are still actually reading all of this!), in the interest of "keeping it real" :) as Matushka Anna would say, no, it doesn't always look this great. In fact, the futon is often the dumping ground for unfolded clothes, and since I am currently in the middle of a massive overhaul of our home (the learning area being the last I plan to tackle) it also has recently been the landing site for all things that still need organizing. Having taken two back to back trips in the past 10 days, here is what the room looks like today.

Thank goodness we are taking this summer off from school!

If you have a post of your learning area, please include the link in the comments, I love to get ideas from others!

Seven Year Itch: Finding our Direction Again

2011-06-08T07:37:00.001-05:00

I am still in the process of finalizing our school plans for next year, but I have to say I am experiencing a wave of excitement about homeschooling that has been missing over the past year or two. I guess I would have to say I have been experiencing the "7 year itch" in our homeschool, feeling burned out, un-inspired and just plain tired. I moved through the past year in a frantic deadline mode, just trying to make it through the next obligation or responsibility, and there have been a lot of them. In January, I recommited to making life simpler, and named this the Year of Less. With a completed family mission statement as my guide, I have tried to evaluate everything in my life - our home, the things we own, the commitments I already had, and current and future activities. Organized Simplicity serves as the inspiration for simplifying the home as I am slowly moving through each room and reducing and finding a place for everything. I have stuck to my promise and not commited to any new activity or project without careful consideration. This coming weekend fulfills the last of my major responsibilities for the year outside of my duties as a catechist. I feel as if a huge weight is being lifted. Ultimately, the computer problems have been a blessing - it has greatly reduced my online time (I hate to surf the web on my laptop!) and apparently one of the casualties of the crash was my email inbox. While I know there were things in there I will probably regret losing, my inbox is practically empty, so a clean start there as well! I am now itching to get my hands back on all of my planning files, which thankfully were NOT lost, and as the new school year unfolds before us, I look forward to making it a year to remember. I hope to have an outline of our studies up soon with our book selections and plan for the year - and look forward to hearing what others have planned for the school year. Until all of the programs have been reinstalled on the computer, here is a peek at where we are headed. We will be diving into an ocean of exploration - following the path of the great explorers in their journeys across the ocean with books such as The Brendan Voyage and Kon Tiki. We will be diving deep to learn about the creatures living under that ocean pathway to new worlds, as well as other aspects of physical science that affect water travels. We will soar over the ocean for another perspective, and when we finally land, we will explore that new world and its exciting beginnings . Artists and composers have been selected to compliment our travels, as well as a selection of poetry and memory work. If anyone has a favorite book to recommend that would go along with our studies, please share, and I would love to hear from anyone who is planning to follow a similar journey this year!

Another Frozen Moment Filled with Gifts

2011-06-03T22:30:00.001-05:00

The computer is still down. I miss my pictures. A picture is worth a thousand words, so they say. So are my not quite a thousand words worth a single picture, a moment stopped in time? Or rather, can my words paint you a picture this evening? An hour ago the power went out, and so I sit in the fading gray darkness of dusk, unable to see much. And I listen. I listen and begin to count. First, I hear silence. Deafening silence. No buzz of the air conditioner. No hum of the refrigerator. Real, true, silence. What a blessing. What a gift. A cold supper is eaten, and as darkness falls within, I move to the patio. The fireflies are making their appearance, flitting about in the growing darkness. Sight is hindered as daylight fades and so again I listen. A thousand sounds around me, a thousand gifts for which to be thankful. The hoot of the owl, deep and mysterious. The cicadas’ song, slowly fading with the light. The chirping crickets compete with the buzz of the cicada. Songbirds, more than I can count, each sing their own unique goodnight. A dog barks far in the distance. Closer to home, the young rooster is trying out his voice in a weak crow. I flinch for a moment, startled by the noisy flutter of bird wings in the tree overhead. The faint voices of the girls float across the acres from the garden where they help Daddy weed. The occasional car passes, breaking the symphony of yard sounds. A limb falls to the ground. I can hear as it hits a branch on its way down. What is it I need to hear tonight? No phone, no lights, just peace. Calm. I know there are projects waiting to be completed. Let them sit. I know I have things to do - but I have no control, and I cannot do them in the dark. Somehow, in the light, I believe that I have some measure of control. I think that I make things happen. I believe that it is within my power to accomplish what I set out to do. But in the dark I must acknowledge that it is not me. It is not within me to do anything. I have no power. I have no control. I have only the ability to accept what He offers me, and to offer my thanks for each moment I am handed. I feel the call to pull inward in order to listen. I once again want to freeze time, to live in this moment, to breath in the heady scent of the night, to revel in the delirious feeling of embracing the Holy Spirit; accepting that the only thing that really matters is that I grow to become one with God. Each day He offers me the opportunity - if only I can slow down long enough to hear and accept it.

181. quiet, uninterrupted by the sounds of busyness
182. owl calls in the dark
183. thrumming melody of cicadas
184. songbirds
185. kids digging in the dirt
186. rides on the four-wheeler
187. the new baby bunny rabbit in my garden, even if he ate my rosemary down to the roots
188. the feathery leaves of dill
189. darkness
190. heavy, humid Southern heat
191. fireflies dancing in the night
192. quiet in the soul, stillness within
193. no outgoing email, the chance to pick up the phone and connect
194. letting go, acknowledging the truth that I am only pretending when I think I have things under control
195. peace of soul and mind, when you acknowledge you are not in control, you no longer feel the pressure to keep up

Computers

2011-06-03T12:54:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, my computer's hard drive failed. Crashed. Dead. I have a laptop I use occasionally, unfortunately it only allows me to receive email, not send it. Didn't realize how much of my daily communication is by email! I am not liking it. Not to mention all of those files. All of those pictures. We are in the process of retrieving the information from it to a new hard drive, and I am hoping nothing important was lost. Meanwhile, I am also realizing how much I like to use photos when I blog. No access to photos results in a lack of motivation in blogging. I am missing my Monday thanks posts, and hope to put one up this coming Monday, with or without photos. Well, all of that to sort of explain why I haven't posted all week, or replied to you if you have emailed me! Hoping to get my computer back in working order this weekend. I have been planning our curriculum for next year, and look forward to sharing our adventures in exploration next year.

Buttermilk (Ranch) Dressing

2011-05-27T06:50:00.006-05:00

Start with a couple of cloves fresh garlic -I like a lot of garlic, but if you are a bit shy in this area, you can start with just one. Smash the garlic by pounding your fist against the flat blade of the knife (yeah, that's how real chefs do it, no garlic press needed!). Sprinkle the garlic with some sea salt - the sea salt has a nice big grain which helps. Using the flat of the knife and the palm of your hand, mash the garlic and salt until it forms a paste. It takes a few minutes. Have patience. Enjoy the smell. Do NOT be tempted to resort to chopping the garlic at this point - it will wreak havoc on a knife blade with all that salt. When you have a good paste, transfer the garlic to a bowl. Spoon in equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream and stir to combine.

Now, slowly whisk buttermilk into the mixture until you reach your desired consistency. Do a taste test to determine if you want more sour cream - I usually do. Grind some pepper and add more salt if needed. Now, you can stop here, or you can finish it off with some chopped herbs - preferrably a nice helping of dill and maybe some parsley as well?

Stored in a jar in the frig, it will keep for a couple of weeks.

Another use for all those greens....

2011-05-26T15:32:00.002-05:00

For me, a really good salad needs several key elements. First, really great greens. Swiss chard, spinach and boston leaf are at the top of my list - but really I am happy with anything but iceberg (which is the equivalent of eating crunchy water :) Second, fruit. Take your pick, strawberries, raspberries, apple, pear, the always popular tomato - I do draw the line at mandarin oranges though - because any fruit that has lived in a can just makes me sad. Third, a nut. Now I realize some of you can't indulge here, and I am sorry, but for me a salad needs a nut - my top pick is usually almonds, today I went with pecans. Fourth element - the cheese. Here is where a salad really can go over the top. My pick - goat or blue cheese, but I also love chunks of swiss cheese, or freshly shredded parmesan. Final element - really good salad dressing. If you want inspiration for a great easy one - stop over at Pleasantview Schoolhouse for her take on salad and a nice vinagrette. Today I went for ranch - homemade and absolutely full of garlic deliciousness and a bit of fresh dill to top it off. Tomorrow I'll post my favorite ranch dressing recipe, and if you have any good dressing recipes to share, do tell!

Walk Down Memory Lane

2011-05-25T12:20:00.000-05:00

Went back to a familiar city for a few days, husband attended a conference and we enjoyed a late anniversary trip without kids.

Top pick for dinner...

...and the best ribs you will ever eat!

Too late for the ducks :( but I always marvel at the flowers - still can't figure out how they manage to sneak in and change them out without anyone seeing!

....a little music in the park.....

You know you have been homeschooling too long when your idea of a great trip is spending 2 days in a hotel room with curriculum and a lap top, planning the next school year. Definitely need to do that again sometime!

Seasonal Cooking, or what do I do with all these greens?

2011-05-20T07:34:00.002-05:00

If you shop seasonally, locally or belong to a CSA, chances are this time of year you are getting lots of greens - swiss chard, lettuce, kale. Thought I would share a few of my favorite ways to serve these greens. My top pick, boil a pot of pasta (here I used fettuccine) with a bit of salt. Rough chop swiss chard. Heat a saute pan with a little bit of olive oil, then throw the chard in with a clove of minced garlic. You want it to sizzle good, but not burn. It only needs to cook a few minutes, just enough to heat the greens through. Since I had fresh broccoli, I threw a bit of that in as well. Throw your drained (not rinsed) pasta in a bowl, add the chard then top it off with some grated parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts (get these in bulk and store in the freezer to save money and always have some on hand). A little freshly ground pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt and you are good to go! I make this for lunch often in the spring, and it can be served as a side dish with or without the pasta. Next week I will share another few of my favorites.

First Share of the Year

2011-05-19T07:33:00.001-05:00

Picked up our first CSA share of the year last night - broccoli, swiss chard, kale, green and red leaf lettuces, onions, garlic, and strawberries!

Seventeen Years Ago Today .....

2011-05-14T07:48:00.004-05:00

Not many words right now....

2011-05-13T06:04:00.004-05:00

...not much time for blogging these past few weeks, hands are very busy.....

.......as hundreds of tiny blooms are formed.....

.......soon layers will be covered and stacked....

.....branches of cheery yellow will burst into bloom....

..... to celebrate the wedding of a friend's youngest daughter,

who just happens to be getting married on my anniversary.

Fairy Tales and Dragons

2011-05-10T23:00:00.001-05:00

"Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed."
G. K. Chesterton

Busy Monday, but still giving thanks

2011-05-09T12:35:00.002-05:00

173. little feet stomping packing bubbles up and down the hall

174. water droplet, enjoying a moment frozen in time

175. bouquets of roses cut from the front yard

176. perennials! the joy of seeing herbs return in abundance year after year

177. the promise of sweetness from little white flowers

178. candlit dinner, just because

179. lying on your back and watching clouds pass overhead

180. hand made cards of love from little ones

Conversation at Checkout

2011-05-07T14:48:00.002-05:00

Clerk: Oh, fun, oyster shooters, huh?
Me: um, no, they are for our Sunday School program.
Clerk: Uh, interesting. I bet you get some looks from the parents in your church!

Monday Blessings

2011-05-02T09:04:00.005-05:00

164. protection from deadly storms, praying for those who have lost so much

165. abundance of rain, things growing greener every day

166. 16 quarts of just picked berries, early harvest from a local farm, sweet and delicious

167. popping sound of canned strawberry jam as the lids seal

168. homemade strawberry ice cream!

169. celebrating Pascha in the atrium

170. newest little member of the family being brought into the faith

171. sleeping baby wrapped in a blanket bearing the name of her saint

172. the sacrament of baptism

Felt Saints: How

2011-04-30T23:09:00.002-05:00

I know I am cutting it close, but it is still this week, sort of :) Here is a look at how I made the little Theotokos figure. I also still have a few left in the shop for those of you who prefer NOT to do it yourself!

I started with a small wooden peg person, purchased from your local craft store, or from Casey's Wood Products. This one measures about 2 1/2 inches tall. Using acrylic blue paint (this was Anit*'s brand in royal blue), paint around her face.

Cut a rectangle of felt that measures roughly 1 1/2 inches by 3 inches. Peg people can vary in size, so it is best to cut out a paper rectangle first, and see if it will wrap around the peg person and meet in the back before cutting out your wool. I purchased wool from Wool Felt Central, but have also had luck finding a few select colors at my local craft shop. Using craft glue designed to work with fabric, glue the rectangle around your peg person. I add a bit of glue around the neck, and just gently press the wool down so it follows the curve of the figure. Trim any extra wool from the bottom of the figure so it will stand flat.

Using red wool felt, cut a rectangle measuring roughly 2 1/4 inches by 5 inches. Test the size, once you embroider you cannot trim this piece to fit. Curve the edges and blanket stitch around the edges. For instructions on how to do a blanket stitch, try this link. I used DMC floss color 3852, and the wool is "barnyard red." Place the first star in the middle, then try it on your peg person to determine where the other two stars should be to have them fall on her "shoulders."

Brush a small amount of glue on the top center front of the red felt, and press into place. The wool conforms nicely to the rounded shape with just a bit of manipulation.

Continue gluing the edge of the red wool down the figure.

From the side, your figure should now look like this, with only the front portion glued down.

Next brush a little glue on the back of the head and body, and press the felt down.

Brush some glue down the back, and fold one edge of the red wool towards the center. Press and hold it in place until the glue sticks well.

From the back it should look like this.

Fold the other side to the center and glue it. Now your figure is finished! I hope to post another step by step of a more basic saint in the next week or so.

Grocery School: Food for Thought?

2011-04-27T08:47:00.001-05:00

by Don Boudreaux on April 24, 2011

Suppose that we were supplied with groceries in same way that we are supplied with K-12 education.

Residents of each county would pay taxes on their properties. A huge chunk of these tax receipts would then be spent by government officials on building and operating supermarkets. County residents, depending upon their specific residential addresses, would be assigned to a particular supermarket. Each family could then get its weekly allotment of groceries for “free.” (Department of Supermarket officials would no doubt be charged with the responsibility for determining the amounts and kinds of groceries that families of different types and sizes are entitled to receive.)

Except in rare circumstances, no family would be allowed to patronize a “public” supermarket outside of its district.

Residents of wealthier counties – such as Fairfax County, VA and Somerset County, NJ – would obviously have better-stocked and more attractive supermarkets than would residents of poorer counties. Indeed, the quality of public supermarkets would play a major role in determining people’s choices of neighborhoods in which to live.

Of course, thanks to a long-ago U.S. Supreme Court decision <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierce_v._Society_of_Sisters> , families would be free to shop at private supermarkets that charge directly for the groceries they offer; such private-supermarket families, though, would get no discount on their property-tax bills.

When the quality of supermarkets is recognized by nearly everyone to be dismal, the resulting calls for “supermarket choice” would be rejected by a coalition of greedy government-supermarket workers and ideologically benighted collectivists as attempts to cheat supermarket customers out of good supermarket service – indeed, as attempts to deny ordinary families the food that they need for their very survival. Such ‘choice,’ it would be alleged, will drain precious resources from the public supermarkets whose (admittedly) poor performance testifies to the fact that these supermarkets are underfunded.

And the small handful of people who call for total separation between supermarket and state would be criticized by nearly everyone as being, at best, delusional and – it would be thought more realistically – more likely misanthropic devils who are indifferent to the malnutrition and starvation that would sweep the land if only private market forces governed the provision and patronizing of supermarket. (Some indignant observers would even wonder aloud at the insensitivity of referring to grocery shoppers as “customers”; surely the relationship between suppliers of life-giving foods and the people who need these foods is not so crass as to be properly discussed as being ‘commercial.’)
….
Does anyone believe that such a system for supplying groceries would work well, or even one-tenth as well as the current private, competitive system that we currently rely upon for supplying grocery-retailing services? To those of you who might think so, pardon me but you’re nuts.

To those of you who understand that such a system for supplying grocery-retailing services would be a catastrophe, why might you continue to count yourself in the ranks of those who believe that government schooling (especially the way it is currently funded and supplied) is the system that we should continue to use?

Bright Monday, and so many Gifts to Count

2011-04-25T06:46:00.006-05:00

135. hammer pounding nails, bringing tears to my eyes with each resounding strike

136. bringing flowers to decorate His tomb

137. seeing little ones stand before the shroud, praying that I too could may become as a little child, see as they do

138. heady scent of rose water filling the air

139. showers of rose petals, exuberantly thrown by little girls, falling like tears to the ground.

Even the flowers weep over His body

140. young men bearing the burden of His tomb, as Joseph carried His cross to the hill, they lead this somber funeral procession

141. passing under His body, heavy weight of grief

142. walking barefoot through a carpet of rose petals

143. watching the Queen's finger trace the words of the Psalter, hearing her little voice in the dark stillness of the night, taking her turn at the vigil for the first time

144. the peace of a dark, empty church, standing alone before the tomb of my Lord

145. newly chrismated

146. bright white cloths

147. bay leaves floating through the air

148. children with sticks pounding against wood, the gates of Hell are groaning as death is being trampled down!

149. standing in the presence of the body and blood of Christ

150. being able to watch the preparation of THE gifts, heart humbled at the chance to view such a mystery

151. wine to gladden the heart of man after a long week, brief rest before the final stretch

152. dark church, buzzing with the uncontained excitement of what is to come

153.single candle burning in the darkness, gradually becoming 300, filling the darkness with light

154. warm night air, no coats or umbrellas needed!

155. bells ringing, shouting the news to the dark and quiet night

156. clergy all in shining white,

157. fists pounding at the doors, demanding they be opened for the King of Glory

158. holy doors flung open wide

159. singing The Angel Cried

160. feasting with family and friends

161. Pascha egg cake pops!

162. 17 services in 7 days, 15 hours of prayer, praise and celebration in 3 days, everyone falling into bed exhausted, happy sleep

163. Christ is Risen - the only gift I truly need

Pascha Dress for the Little Princess

2011-04-24T17:17:00.002-05:00

When I found this beautiful embroidered fabric a few months back, I just knew I had to find a good use for it.

It just shouted Pascha! So, I gave the Regency dress pattern another spin. I was a bit concerned about the heaviness of the embroidery, but I managed to cut it so most seams were embroidery free. The only real problem I had was with the gathers at the waist, if a gathering thread ran through a flower, it did not care to pull up for me at all!

But, all in all, it turned out beautiful. I didn't line the sleeves, which makes them look a bit "dirty," since there is no white lining fabric behind them, but I am not sure it could have handled the bulk. Top it off with a strip of vintage lace we found tucked in the corner of the antique store last week, perfect match. I love this dress pattern. Next time I think I will try a light weight cotton print for a more casual feel.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

2011-04-24T00:01:00.002-05:00

Holy Friday

2011-04-22T17:33:00.000-05:00

Felt Saints: Why?

2011-04-20T10:34:00.003-05:00

When it comes to educating my children, I have always followed a "classical" approach, inspired and modeled around two major influences, Charlotte Mason whose writings were the first I read (thanks to a wise veteran homeschooler who gifted me her 6 volume set of books when I first began homeschooling), and Andrew Campbell's Latin Centered Curriculum. Lots of memory work, plenty of living books, tea time with poetry readings, composer and picture study, nature walks, with our main school hours dedicated to math and Latin. I also used bits of Macrina Lewis' wonderful program, The Garden of the Theotokos, which introduced me to Waldorf methods when my oldest was just 6. This past year I have received intensive training in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori approach to spiritual formation in children.

So, am I a mixed up teacher who can't choose a method or philosophy? No. I can see now that my mind was attempting to reconcile two areas of child raising - the intellectual development and the spiritual development. I want my children to know about the feasts, the saints, and the rubrics of our faith. More than that, I want them to love Christ. I want them to know Him and His saints, not know "about" them. I can see that is why my heart kept reaching out to those methods of teaching which seem to reach the spirit. Waldorf excites wonder. Flash card drills of icons to learn to identify a saint is not the way to go (believe me, it crossed my mind :) Young children learn best by touching, doing, feeling. So several years ago I began to pull together hands on things to connect them with the church. The Holy Week Learning boxes were the most ambitious of these projects, but saint storytelling inspired by Children's Garden of the Theotokos became a part of our day as well. I was inspired by Leah, who I so wish I could link to, but no longer has a blog. Her little saints inspired my lessons for our Vacation Church School trip to Ireland last year!

So, how do we use these little saint "dolls"? I am not sure "doll" is the right term, as they are not really toys. One thing I really like about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is some of the terms used. As a catechist, I present a story to the children, then offer them an opportunity to "work" with the materials. This is not play, it is work. It is taken seriously, and therefore, the materials are taken seriously and treated with respect. Our little felt saints are not played with in the same way a lego person is played with. At the same time, they are not icons, so we do not hold them up as holy objects. They represent holy people the same way a nativity set does.

For Vacation Church School last summer, we set up a scene each day to represent the saint. We read one of the many wonderful Orthodox children's books about that saint, and we acted out various moments in the life of the saint with the figures. The children were then permitted to use the pieces and set the scenes up themselves.

At home, it is often a form of narration for us. After hearing the life of a saint, my children have access to the materials for that saint. They will often retell the story, using the objects and felt saints. The older ones love to tell the stories to the younger ones. Sometimes, I have a book that goes with the saint. In that case, the book and items are kept together, and the kids enjoy reading the book while setting up the story. Some days, I simply set up a scene in our kitchen to follow up on a story we have recently read.

At co-op, we often are relating the life of an obscure or lesser known saint (since we try to find ones that relate to the science topic which is flying creatures this year), so we rarely have a book. In that case, I find the life of the saint in my collection of Rostov's lives, or on various Internet sources. I go over the life and usually will outline the highlights as memory joggers for myself. Then I retell the story to the children in a storytelling format, with the scene set before them.

Really, it is no different than a nativity set. The figures are out, and so the children want to use them. They like to retell the story, they like to interact with the figures. As they do this, they are thinking about the story. We may not always understand it, we may not always think what they are doing is productive, but they are coming to know who these people are. My children love seeing a new figure, and even my 12 year old, when I showed him St. Herman (modeled after Leah's), immediately asked if I would make him one of his own to keep in his room. They are learning to know these saints in a real way, as real people. And they love them. I hope that answers many of the questions I have gotten recently about the use of these figures. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have further questions!

Here is a tutorial on how to make a felt saint.
There are also a few available over in the shop.

Holy Week Birthday Boy

2011-04-19T17:58:00.001-05:00

When your birthday falls in Holy Week, odds are you are going to spend a good part of it in church. This new 12 year old got up at 6:30 to serve for the presanctified with his "middle name sake", who also shares his birthday! Many years to both!

Follow that with birthday shopping with Dad for a new bike (his knees were hitting his chin on the old one :)

The afternoon was spent turkey hunting, and boy did he bring home a big one! Not sure I want turkey for Pascha though, this one might have to hit the freezer. The birthday dinner will wait for next week, tonight's menu is bean soup!

Resurrection Garden: Planted on Lazarus Saturday

2011-04-19T06:04:00.002-05:00

"Every garden is an imitation of the Garden that is Christ's, that he himself tends in the the hearts of those who welcome him in." Vigen Guroian

Inspired by Ann, and here are photos from a past garden, showing the steps for building it (we use a garbage bag to line our basket)

Thankful Days of Grace

2011-04-18T06:47:00.086-05:00

124. the calm before a storm

125. the color of spring, that green you only see in early spring just after a rainstorm

126. dogwoods blooming

127. first rose

128. flower buds lined up in a window

129. remembering loved ones

130. hydrangea, her favorite flower

131. kneading the dough as a gift to God, a gift He will return to us in the form of His Body broken for us, love filling our mouths

132. the end of LENT!

133. a taste of Pascha, cloths briefly changing to gold before entering the Bright Darkness of Holy Week

134. palm branches waving, shouts of Hosannah ringing out!

Sneek Peak at what I have been working on .......

2011-04-15T14:57:00.000-05:00

........ can you name them all?

Holy Week Learning Boxes for Sale

2011-04-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

One way to simplify using the Holy Week boxes is to only have one box. You can gather the items you are able and use them, adding to them slowly. If you want a jump start, I have 3 boxes available containing the above pictured items (cover icon on box may vary, but will be a resurrection icon). The cost for each box is $20 plus shipping. If you are interested, leave me a comment with an email address and I will contact you.

Thanksgiving from the St. Emmelia Conference

2011-04-11T08:16:00.004-05:00

106. dew drops, frozen in time, suspended on soft fuzzy leaves, reminder of younger days when a yard full of dew was a magical thing

107. seeing the face of God in those dew drops, His hand present in each one

108. cross reaching up to heaven, victory in death

109. ladder, burning bush, she who contained the Uncontainable, looked into the eyes of her Son and saw God

110. standing before the grave site of a saint

111. venerating the relics of many others, sweet fragrance of holiness

112. beautiful god-daughter, twinkling eyes full of mischief

113. lonely prayer rope, invitation to pray as we enter

114. light pouring through glass, filling a holy place with it's beauty

115. A God who welcomes the children into His lap

116. a chapel just steps away, services twice a day, life truly turning on the rhythm of prayer

117. more children than adults in church, and no one turning to look when a baby cries

118. room full of adults having fun making felt saints

119. children of all ages together, having fun

120. new friends

121. wisdom shared, from men who consider it important to spend a weekend of their time inspiring us to be good parents, teachers, and humans. Thank you Andrew Kern, Fr. Noah Bushelli and Fr. Andrew Damick

122. worship with a room full of people who are bonded by two connections, our faith and our desire to educate our children ourselves

123. the time and effort of all of those who worked so very hard to make this conference happen, thank you Barli!!

Revisiting the Pascha Learning Boxes

2011-04-06T06:21:00.002-05:00

I originally posted these last year, but have made a few additions to the boxes, as well as taken some better photos! So, here is another look at my learning boxes for Holy Week. I will mention again, that this is an involved project. When I first had the idea several years ago, it was Lazarus Saturday and I jumped into action planning how I would create them. My wise husband cautioned against it, saying that rather than a blessing, it would be a consuming project for Holy Week, distracting me from what I should be doing. So, I followed his advice, and waited until after Pascha to begin making them. I say this again to caution you - if this is an idea you want to replicate, do it slowly. Do not attempt to pull it together quickly, you will find yourself frustrated and it will not be a joyful project. The wonderful thing about the church rythms is that we can look to next year.

Finally, a word about the use of the boxes. In my home, we have used them in several ways. The first is actually taking them to church on each day of Holy Week. If you have a young child, the items in the box offer a focus. I usually tell my littlest ones to listen through the service, especially at the readings, and see if they can hear mention of each item in the box. The joy on the face of my 4 year old when she heard the parable of the grape vine as she sat holding those plastic grapes was priceless. Some pieces are more interactive. One year I watched as several children in our church sat and carefully lined the palm branches and fabric in the shape of the cross. The icon was placed at the top, and the donkey was walked along the path, over and over again. For a young child, that is prayer. That is meditating on the scripture. That is learning. The boxes may also be used at home. You may wish to read the scripture ahead and present the items. If you are concerned with small pieces being all over the place, take a small placemat to church and roll it out on the floor. Explain that this is the space to work with the box, and the items are to stay on the mat until they are returned to the box. Then watch, and be prepared to have visitors in your aisle as curious children around you are drawn to see what is going on!

Box 1

This box is for Palm Sunday, but could be used on Lazarus Saturday as well. It contains a strip of linen fabric to represent the raising of Lazarus, a donkey (from the crocodile hunter's stash), palm branches (a piece of artificial greenery I found at H*bby L*bby, just pull off the individual fronds off), palm crosses from past Palm Sundays, and icons of Mary and Martha, the Raising of Lazarus, and the Entrance into Jerusalem. The prayer card is a small wooden plaque from the craft store painted purple. I printed the script off my computer and attached it with mod p*dge. A second coat of mod p*dge and some pearl 3-d paint finished it off.

Box 2

This box is for Sunday evening Bridegroom Matins and Monday morning services. The focus of these services is humility, with Joseph as the Old Testament type of Christ, suffering in humility before saving his people. The grapes (from a craft store) and figs are references to the parables told during these services. I purchased the figs online, but they are no longer available from that vendor. Let me know if anyone finds another source for them, but you could model them from sc*lpey clay.

Box 3

This box pertains to Bridegroom Matins on Monday evening and Tuesday mornings gospel readings. The theme of readiness for the final judgement runs through these readings and the parables of the 10 talents and the 10 virgins are told. The sheep and goats (from the crocodile hunter's stash) are a reference to the scripture in which the people will be divided at judgement. The coin recalls the story of the Pharisees' attempt to trick Christ - render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. The lamps and oil are from this site, but are rather expensive. They are made from sc*lpey clay and would be easy to replicate with a bit of time. Icons include the Prophet Moses and the icon of the Last Judgement.

Box 4

This box covers Tuesday evening through Wednesday evening, with an emphasis on healing. The scriptures read during these days recalls the parable of the good Samaritan, and references to Christ healing the sick. The pitcher, basin (doll house items) and vial of oil remind us of the harlot washing Christ's feet, and also His rebuke to the disciples that He came to save those who are sinful. The bag contains 30 pieces of silver, as Wednesday is also the day Judas is paid for his betrayal of Christ. Finally, the oil also calls to mind the Service of Holy Unction which is commonly held on Wednesday of Holy Week. Please note, the coins are not a good item to take to church! They make far too much noise, so I only use them at home, and for church place 3 coins in the bag to represent the 30 pieces.

Box 5

This box is for the Mystical Supper, and contains a chalice, bread, an icon of the last supper and figures of Christ and disciples.

Box 6

This box covers the services of Thursday and Friday, from the Passion Gospel service to Royal Hours on Friday. It contains a small plastic sword which Peter drew to defend Christ in the garden, a rooster as a reminder of Peter's betrayal hours later, a crown of thorns (miniature wreath from H*bby L*bby), a vial of vinegar as offered to Christ on the cross, a strip of leather to remind of the beating he received, a die as they cast lots for his clothing, and a small wooden skewer to represent the spear that pierced His side

Box 7

The final box is for Saturday, and contains a strip of linen to represent Christ's burial, vials of frankincense and myrrh which the women took to the tomb to prepare his body, a stone, icons of the resurrection and the risen Christ figure. The prayer card was made in the same way as described above. Another nice item to include in this box would be flower petals gathered from the Lamentations service the evening before.

A great addition to the boxes are the Great Lent and Holy Week Coloring books from Potamitis Publishing, and for older children, the Holy Week and Pascha book is wonderful.

Download list of items for each box

NOTE:
Some of the items in the boxes are not appropriate for younger children, and I am sure there are many other items that could be included, and ways to personalize this project. Use your own judgement to determine what is safe and best for your children.

Monday, Monday

2011-04-04T14:15:00.003-05:00

Time. What is it? Augustine once said that "If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know."

"the clock has the effect of disassociating time from human events and thus nourishes the belief in an independent world of mathematically measurable sequences. Moment to moment, it turns out, is not God's conception, or nature's. It is man conversing with himself about and through a piece of machinery he created. .... [with the invention of the clock], eternity ceased to serve as a measure and focus of human events. ..... [In a world of clocks and time keepers], we have learned an irreverence toward the sun and the seasons, for in a world made up of seconds and minutes, the authority of nature is superseded. "
[Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death]

Our lives seem to spin out of control, as we are searching for the balance. We regret the past, we look to the future always, we check our watch (or rather our iPh*ne) to keep time with the world, to schedule the next moment. And we forget now. We forget what Einstein understood, that a moment is not quite as neat and simple as a ticking clock. Moments can last an eternity, or they can pass us by unnoticed. And yet we continue on, "ordering our lives in a way that produces chaos" [Fr. Noah Bushelli]. How can we stretch those moments? How can we dilate time? Not by moving at the speed of light, but rather by slowing down. Taking the moments, making them meaningful, living them purposefully. Marking time not by hours and minutes, but by seasons. Marking the milestones. Last week the little princess marked a big one, a decade of her sweet smile and fiery temper and deep spirit. A decade that raced past, often when I wasn't looking. So now, I stop, make time stand still for just the two of us. Together we count memories, not minutes.....

95. bed jumping

96. pillow fights

97. white sheets

98. quiet time alone with my little princess

99. riding the elevator to the top floor, just because

100. fountains

101. sharing a treasured story

102. staying up 'til midnight, swimming, because this day and night, hours don't count, only memories

103. painted toes

104. her little hand reaching out to hold mine as we walk

105. ten years of loving my first little girl

More Blessings

2011-03-24T18:42:00.002-05:00

86. longer days, sun stretching and slowing down time

87. going to sleep with all the windows open

88. train whistle in the night, reminder of nights spent at Grandma's as a child

89. waking up to the cheerful sound of returning song birds outside the open window

90. fields of purple wildflowers, slowing to appreciate their beauty as a flower, not a weed

91. walks to the lake

92. watercoloring outside, with lake water for mixing paints

93. diving ducks, seriously, these guys were so cute, but too far off to get a decent photo!

94. healthy children, as so many around me are watching their little ones suffer this Lent

Cycles Of Grace: Fasting Menu Notebook

2011-03-24T07:11:00.002-05:00

I don't think I ever fully explained how I set up my fasting menus and notebook, so last weekend as I was making sure everything was in order for shopping, I thought it would be a good time to share how I organize and update my menu. For some, the idea of a set menu is stressful, boring or just a little too OCD (words some of my friends would probably use for me as well :). I have found them to be helpful, especially during seasons of fasting. There are seasons when I just cook what I want, usually in the summer months when creativity is stretched by not knowing what will be ready to pick in the garden, or what vegetables will arrive in my CSA box that week! Those are the times when I enjoy the fun of cooking as creating. During a fast, we eat to live, to sustain, and hopefully to train our passions, so it just makes sense for me to remove the stress of daily decision making with a set menu. There are many ways to do that. I have friends who have a menu that rotates through a 3 week cycle for Lent, others who eat the same thing every week; so there can be flexibility within a menu plan. For Lent, I have a set framework of breakfast and lunch dishes, with dinner meals I alternate. In setting up my menu, I selected dishes I knew most of my family enjoyed (there is always one who likes to throw a wrench in things - she eats lots of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches :). I scheduled them by choosing easier or make ahead dishes on nights we have services, and planned our favorites on the nights I know my husband can usually get home in time for dinner. I picked a few special dishes that are more labor intensive for the weekend when fasting guidelines relax some and I have more time to enjoy cooking. Once the menu was set, I typed it out and created a weekly grocery list. If there are large amounts of non-perishables, I often do one large grocery trip for those before the fast, then eliminate them from my shopping list. That allows me to cut down on the time I spend in the store. Since most of the items I am shopping for will be found in produce and the bakery, I can avoid shopping the rest of the store - a bonus when you are dragging four kids through the store, and they are drooling over the donuts, sausage and cheese! Finally, when I have my menu and grocery list printed, I select the recipes for all of the dishes I will be cooking during that season. I have a small 3-ring binder just for fasting periods which has tabs marked with the days of the week. Using page protectors, I file the recipes behind the appropriate tabs. I file the menu and copies of the grocery list at the front of the binder, and keep a small selection of fasting recipes in the back such as a St. Phanourios Cake recipe. I really like having everything in one place - my notebook stays in the kitchen, and I don't find myself having to hunt down a recipe or figure out what to fix! It was a big project the first time I put a menu together, and I spent several hours searching for recipes and making a plan, but the payoff now is huge. Each new season, I look back over the menu. I might change a recipe or two, but rarely more than that. I can have everything ready in my binder in very little time, and I have the confidence that I will not be caught unprepared. Of course, I also realize that life happens, and there are times when the plans are ignored or shuffled around, but simply having a plan allows me to be more flexible within the framework of the plan. Whether you have a set menu or not, a little planning ahead can certainly make each week's cooking a little less stressful. If you work away from home during the day, just knowing what you will be fixing, and knowing that you have all of the ingredients can make the evening meal less of a burden as well, not to mention save money since you are far less likely to grab take out or decide to eat dinner out.

Downloads:

Fasting Binder Cover

Fasting Binder Spine

Sample Lenten Menu
Sample Lenten Grocery List

Lenten Recipes

3rd Annual St. Emmelia Homeschooling Conference

2011-03-23T08:12:00.000-05:00

If you are thinking about going, but can't quite make up your mind - COME JOIN US! There will be some wonderful speakers including Barbara Shukin of the History Portfolio series, Fr. Andrew Damick, Fr. Noah Bushelli, and if you have not heard Andrew Kern speak (or if you have, then you will know what I mean), the trip is worth it just for that!
Check out the topics for yourself and know that this is a truly affordable conference, where else can you get a weekend of fabulous fasting meals for only $86! I hope you will consider joining us for a weekend of fun activities for the kids, learning, and encouragement from other Orthodox homeschool families.

2011-03-21T13:43:00.000-05:00

You know that the beginning is the most important part of any work, especially in the case of a young and tender thing; for that is the time at which the character is being formed and the desired impression is more readily taken... Shall we just carelessly allow children to hear any casual tales which may be devised by casual persons, and to receive into their minds ideas for the most part the very opposite of those which we should wish them to have when they are grown up?
        We cannot..... Anything received into the mind at that age is likely to become indelible and unalterable; and therefore it is most important that the tales which the young first hear should be models of virtuous thoughts...
Then will our youth dwell in a land of health, amid fair sights and sounds, and receive the good in everything; and beauty, the effluence of fair works, shall flow into the eye and ear, like a health-giving breeze from a purer region, and insensibly draw the soul from the earliest years into likeness and sympathy with the beauty of reason.
    There can be no nobler training than that.
                                 Plato's Republic

History Studies

2011-03-18T06:52:00.002-05:00

thousands of little metallic squares....

posterboard, pen and overhead projector to create outline....

glue sticks and much patience...

Not exactly the Hagia Sophia, but a satisfying project all the same!

Look Who Arrived Today

2011-03-16T12:58:00.000-05:00

26 little chicks, just 3 days old and hungry for food!

The Life of St. Paul of Thebes

2011-03-15T00:05:00.001-05:00

In the third century, when St. Anthony the Great was living in the deserts of Egypt, one day the thought came to him that he was the most holy man of the desert, having given his life to prayer longer than any other. It was then that he had a vision, and it was revealed by the Holy Spirit that there was another who had dedicated his life to prayer in the desert many years before Anthony. With nothing but the guidance of the Holy Spirit, St. Anthony began to walk out into the desert, searching for this man. For three days he walked, and on the third day, a small cave appeared ahead of him. Upon reaching the cave, St. Paul, wearing a garment woven of palm leaves, greeted him by name, and asked him to come and sit talk with him. While the two talked, a raven appeared, bearing a loaf of bread. St. Paul marvelled, saying, "for 70 years a raven has provided me with half a loaf of bread each day, today the Lord has provided for both me and my guest." St. Paul, orphaned at the age of 16, had fled the persecutions of the Roman Emperor and come to the desert to pray. He and Anthony talked all day, and as the day drew to a close, Paul asked Anthony to go and retrieve the tunic that had been presented to Bishop Athanasius, that Paul's body might be wrapped in it and laid to rest, for he knew his time was near. Anthony, saddened at the thought of losing this man he had only just met, dared not argue at Paul's request, recognizing the impossible knowledge of this man to be from God. Anthony journeyed back to his monastery without rest, retrieved the cloak, and without stopping to explain to his fellow monastic brothers, made the journey back to St. Paul. As he travelled, he witnessed the soul of Paul arising to heaven. When he arrived, he found his beloved friend kneeling. Thinking he was in prayer, St. Anthony joined him, until many hours later when he realized his soul had indeed departed yet his body remained a servant of God. Anthony, hoping to fulfill St. Paul's wish for burial, looked around, and realized the ground was far to hard for him to dig a grave. He knelt by the body of St. Paul and resigned himself to remaining there until someone came, or Anthony himself perished from the vigil. It was then that two lions approached. The lions began to claw at the earth, digging a grave for the saint. When the hole was dug, Anthony reverently wrapped the body of Paul in the cloak, and buried him.

Thanks to each of you who were brave enough to offer a guess :) Only two people had the correct answer, the winner of the Children's Bible Reader is Jelena. Congratulations! Leave me a comment with your email and I will contact you about shipping your book.

Just Another (Thankful) Monday

2011-03-14T06:17:00.004-05:00

71. enough to eat

72. child wrapped tokens of love, gifts from the heart

73. birthday wishes from family and friends

74. avocado sandwiches

75. first Presanctified Liturgy, food and fellowship with others

76. long awaited package (as in, over a year on a waiting list, but well worth the wait) from Canada arriving during Clean Week

77. pussy willows

78. bare feet in sandals after months of boots

79. hands in the dirt, ripping out weeds to reveal small shoots of life returning from last year, when the choking weeds are gone, new life springs forth in abundance

80. washing dishes to Celtic Woman, nothing like a rousing rendition of Spanish Lady to put a spring in the step!

81. glass of wine on the weekend, relaxation of the fast to spur the spirit onward

82. ICONS

a gift of the church I was so quick to reject in the beginning, and now cannot imagine turning away from the wisdom of the Church in this great gift

83. prayer in community, albeit from a distance (there is still time to join, so jump in!)

84. my priest, who serves each day in humility, and bears the weight of my soul

85. cleansing, healing, lightening confession - blessed sacrament of the church

Can You Guess?

2011-03-11T06:16:00.016-06:00

At our Orthodox homeschool co-op, we always have a lesson on the life of a saint. Since we are studying Zoology 1: Flying Creatures this year, we attempt to select saints whose lives are in some way connected with flying creatures. Above you will find elements from the life of the saint we studied last week. Can you name the saint? Leave your guess in the comments*, and I will randomly draw from the correct answers. Winner will be selected on March 15th .

The winner will receive a copy of The Orthodox Children's Bible Reader.

*comments will be temporarily moderated and published after the deadline :)

**non-USA entries are welcome!!!

Clean Eating

2011-03-09T06:30:00.006-06:00

Lent is certainly a season for less, a time for letting go, of cleaning heart, soul and body. Clean Week ushers in a week of beautiful services, that our heart and soul may begin to prepare the way for the journey to Pascha. Hearts are light, having been cleansed through the rite of forgiveness, as we let go of the hurt, resentment and anger we hold towards others, and humbly receive forgiveness. Now the body must also be made light, since "the body which is burdened with meat is afflicted with diseases. A moderate way of living makes the body healthier and stronger and cuts off the root of evil. The stream of meat meals darkens the light of the spirit. One can hardly have virtue if one enjoys meat meals and feasts." (St. Basil the Great.) So, the kitchen is cleaned and the counters are cleared of clutter. Sunday evening the girls and I made a trip to the grocery store, filling our cart with fruits, nuts, fresh vegetables and breads. We will not cook this week. We will eat simple foods, with simple preparation, that our hearts and minds may be on God, not on cooking or scrubbing of pots. We will eat less, that we may pray more. We will consume less that we may turn to God and recognize our dependence upon Him to provide for us. We will let go of fleshly wants that we may embrace heavenly ones. And we will give thanks for the bounty of less that is before us, realizing that even our less is so much more than many who live always with less.

Counting my Moments of Grace

2011-03-07T07:23:00.002-06:00

57. prayers for those departed, hearts full of memories

58. the first daffodil blooms

59. flowers from my husband, for no reason

60. my god-daughter gives birth to her first little one, new baby cousin is here!

61. the scent of a newborn

62. cheese
63. doing dishes with my son
64. (mostly) potty-trained toddler

65. sunset on the way home from gymnastics lessons, God paints the sky

66. old memories, making way for the growing pains of our ever expanding church

67. gold transforming to purple

68. liturgy that goes on in the ancient way, even when the power is out

69. forgiveness

70. "for behold, I make all things new", daily renewal in Christ

2011-03-06T18:03:00.001-06:00

For a word mispoken, for a thought against another, for my ignorance or indifference to your feelings, for my pride, vainglory and self love

Forgive me a sinner.

2011-03-04T05:52:00.002-06:00

I'm feeling the urge to embrace my inner 50's hostess. If only yellow looked this good on me! Are you ready for spring clothes? I know I am. Thank you to Orthodox Mom for pointing me in the direction of Shabby Apple clothing a few years ago (I did embrace my inner Jackie - see right, as well as several other favorites). Anyone else have any great sites to recommend for attractive clothing that passes the "appropriate for liturgy" test?

All the little details

2011-03-02T06:07:00.002-06:00

As Lent races toward me, thoughts tend to turn to the practical. How can I make sure that this Lent, services are the priority? How can I make sure that I can be both Mary and Martha, working towards inner calm while still getting the cooking, housecleaning and laundry completed? Being a planner, I find it helpful to have a plan! I know the first few years with children, I sort of floated through Lent, missing many services because I had little ones, no family nearby and a husband who was working 100 hours a week and was rarely able to attend with me. I certainly didn't think much about planning ahead for Lent. As a result, my focus was often wrong. I was concentrating on sewing the beautiful dress for my first little girl, frantically stitching on buttons moments before we walked out the door for the Pascal Liturgy, or I was focusing on the end of the fast and all of the food I needed to purchase.

When my first 2 children reached the ages of 18 months and 3 1/2 years, I was about to give up even being in church for services at all. I am ever grateful for the kind father of older children who came to me one Lenten service as I was almost in tears. He always stood near one of the exits, and as I turned in exhaustion to take my restless and noisy toddlers out of the liturgy I shrugged and whispered that I wasn't sure why I even bothered to come. He hugged me, and took my 3 year old son in his arms and whispered, "because it is worth it." He encouraged me to slow down, to keep trying, to not give up, and to "pray with my feet" as Mat. Anna says. I realized that I needed to focus more on just being present, and make the most of that time. As I had more children, and they now grow older, the struggle changes. It seems like there is so much to do, as well as so many other activities going on in the spring - piano recitals, soccer games, karate tournaments, the need to swap out clothing for a new season, the pressure to begin thinking about the next school year. Then, a few years ago, I really began to see how I had been looking at it all wrong. I was always trying to figure out how to fit the services into our life - working around naps, feedings, work schedules, outside commitments etc. I finally realized that until I made the church our first priority, there was always going to be a good reason why I couldn't make a service. No question there are seasons in life when we are more fully able to enter into the life of the church, and others where we spend more time praying with our feet in the narthex or at home, but often I look back and realize that many times I could have been more present, had my priorities been better organized. For me, the way to flip that mind set was to become proactive, and schedule life differently. Now, the first thing I do when I get our schedule of Lenten services is to copy them onto my calendar. I admit, I am behind the times, I actually still have a giant paper desk calendar which hangs on my refrigerator and I love it! I also have a special schedule for Holy Week which I have shared in the past. That page hangs on my refrigerator as well. This schedule lists the services for the week, as well as all of those little things which are so easy to forget - flowers on Friday morning to decorate the bier, baskets full of rose petals on Friday night for the girls to spread around the tomb, bread and wine ready for Saturday morning. Having one place where all of those things are gives me a great deal of peace.

Another thing I find is that it is terribly easy to lose my temper in that 30 minutes before leaving for a service (it is just me, or is this the time children choose to lose shoes and coats, have a dirty a diaper or temper tantrum?) How many times I find myself ready to yell at them to get in the car so we can go to church! One way to help avoid that is a little planning as well. I may take it to the extreme, but during Lent, I try to separate out the easy, seasonally appropriate church clothing for my kids and streamline their clothing. They typically wear the same pair of boots (until we can break out the sandals!), and rotate through a handful of dresses throughout the week. Before Lazarus Saturday arrives, I try to gather all of the kids clothes for Palm Sunday, Holy Friday, Pascha and Agape Vespers. My dining room table becomes command central for Holy Week, where I gather baskets for egg hunts, clothes, flowers, everything I can to have it easy to find. Knowing their clothes are all ironed and ready to go means I don't have to think about that during Holy Week. It also means I am not frantically trying to run a load of laundry because someone doesn't have clean underwear! Having young children means we always have distractions. But it doesn't mean these distractions have to consume us. With a little preparation, it is possible to avoid becoming consumed with the details by planning ahead for them as much as possible, and then, learning to be flexible when it doesn't all go smoothly (ah, if only I could get that lesson internalized). The details, the material preparations, are important, but are NOT the one thing needful.

Lenten Survival Bag for Kids

Finally, a quote I put up last year, which I think says it all far better than I ever could.

"After the Easter service, the blessing of the eggs, meats , breads, cakes, etc., which are proper to this feast takes place in Orthodox parishes. The custom, in itself, is excellent. It associates the life of the home with the life of the Church. But one cannot protest too much against the deviation which it causes in certain Orthodox countries where many of the faithful are so absorbed with cleaning their houses, the decoration of eggs, the making of cakes, in short, with the material preparations for the feast, that they miss the services. Religion thus becomes an adopted national or familial custom which is no longer animated by the breath of the Spirit."

by a monk of the eastern church - The Year of Grace of the Lord p.206

Do you have any ideas that help you make Lent and Holy Week a time of peace rather than one of stress and busyness?

Dining with the Duchess

2011-02-27T19:15:00.000-06:00

I gaze in awe at the fine china tea cup, trimmed with thin gold, engraved with the initials of her and her beloved; the delicate rim tips slowly, carefully to each ladies' lips, cool liquid pouring down throats, flowing with holy heat. Her fragrant scent spreads throughout the room, the perfume of royalty now exchanged for the sweet scent of holiness. Her image, embossed in silver, hangs from my neck, swinging forward as I bow neck to kiss her hand. She is clothed in royal robes. Not those handed down from her grandmother, the ornate finery of Queen Victoria; nor are they the court clothes of a member of the Russian Imperial Court. These are robes of pearl gray cotton, beautiful in their simplicity. These are the robes of martyrdom. We sing with her, we pray with her, we serve with her, and we listen. We listen to what she has to teach us. Charitable works, patience and love. Those are her words to each of us. Which is the most difficult? To love as Christ loved? To bear without reproach the little annoyances of the day? To give of ourselves in helping others? Can they even be separated? For without love, there is no patience. Without love there are no charitable actions. Without patience and charitable works, there is no love. She stands before us, a witness to all three. A woman who had everything, bore the deepest of sorrows, and gave all that she had in mercy and love for Christ and those around her. In her story, and in her words, there is much to contemplate. Above all, her actions: she embodied Mary and Martha. She was a pioneer, creating an Orthodox monastic community like no other, one that united the one thing needful with the service of Martha, caring for each person she came in contact with as an icon of Christ. She stood firm against those who would protect her, those who would keep her safe within her white walls, those who would deliver her from the terrible red darkness that was washing over her beloved adopted homeland. As Lent approaches, her example reminds me that I cannot consume myself with the services and prayers of the church, without partnering them with the willingness to serve each time the opportunity is presented, and the love and patience I so rarely find myself capable of having for those around me.

O Holy Martyr Elizabeth, pray for us.

Concealing the rank of a princess with humility, O divinely-wise Elizabeth,

thou didst honour Christ with the two-fold service of Martha and Mary.

Having purified thyself with charitable works, patience and love,

thou wast brought to God as an offering of righteousness.

As we venerate thy virtuous way of life and thy sufferings,

we earnestly ask thee, as our true teacher:

O holy martyr and Grand Duchess Elizabeth,

entreat Christ our God to save our souls.

Are you living in Zerrissenheit?

2011-02-22T07:35:00.001-06:00

I would like to achieve a state of inner spiritual grace from which I could function and give as I was meant to in the eye of God.... This is an end toward which we should strive - to be the still axis within the revolving wheel of relationships, obligations, and activities. Solitude alone is not the answer to this; it is only a step toward it, a mechanical aid.... The problem is more how to still the soul in the midst of activities. In fact, the problem is how to feed the soul.
For it is the spirit of woman that is going dry, not the mechanics that are wanting... With our garnered free time, we are more apt to drain our creative springs than to refill them. With our pitchers, we attempt sometimes to water a field, not a garden.
Not knowing how to feed the spirit, we try to muffle its demands and distractions. Instead of stilling the center, the axis of the wheel, we add more centrifugal activities to our lives- which tend to throw us off balance.
[The] answer is not in the frequent pursuit of centrifugal activities which only lead in the end to fragmentation. Woman's life today is tending more and more toward the state [described] so well in the German word "Zerrissenheit-torn-to-pieces-hood." She cannot live perpetually in "Zerrissenheit." She will be shattered into a thousand pieces. On the contrary, she must consciously encourage those pursuits which oppose the centrifugal forces of today.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh Gift from the Sea

Joy on Monday Mornings

2011-02-21T09:15:00.002-06:00

49. weekend spent with a Saint

50. quiet moonlit night full of clear constellations, time to think on things

51. paper valentine roses in my favorite color

52. prayers of a child, so much more heartfelt than my own

53. bath by candlelight

54. knowing that I am one of His sheep, and He knows my name

55. the sound of my heeled boots clicking down a hall, next to a woman in a wheelchair who will never wear heels again

56. the knowledge that being Martha is equally as important as being Mary

And so it begins

2011-02-19T07:44:00.001-06:00

The marathon of Lent has once again arrived. One week ago today, the book was laid at the feet of Christ, a signal to all that training now starts in earnest. We enter the season of preparation, the Triodion has begun! I am excited, eager with anticipation. Yes, it is a long hard run, and often does not turn out the way we expect, but it is a journey each year for which my heart and soul seek out. Last year, I am sure I complained about the the short time between the Nativity and Lent, how quickly we passed from feasting to fasting. I wanted a longer break, to stretch the time between. This year, the time has been longer, much longer, and I strain toward the beginning. While the season between is full of glorious feasts, Theophany, the Presentation of Christ, and the many saints we commemorate, it is also a time when I always feel the need for new focus. It is the time when I easily begin to feel overwhelmed, and lacking a structure to my life. In a few short weeks, we will gradually move from our long season of feasting into the long season of fasting. Deep purple will cloak the altar and priests, and the incense will grow heavy. We will being the journey, and we will once again watch the signposts along the way, marking each mile. Over and over again we will lay ourselves at the feet of Christ. We will attempt to follow the exercises prescribed by the church, in hopes of building our endurance, and we will run the race. What are those exercises? How do we shape and mold ourselves that we may more reflect the perfect image, the image of Christ in us? The Church outlines three tangible things we are called to, the "three-legged stool" of Orthodox living: prayer, fasting and alms. Prayer is obvious, and hard to avoid in the Lenten service schedule. Fasting, is always a struggle, but at least I have a plan and a direction to follow, it is something I can get a grasp on. Then there is almsgiving. Here so often is where my strength fails. How to give alms? Each year we receive a little box at the start of Lent. A place to drop our change, a place to collect the money we save as we restrict the call of the belly. While it important for each of us to stretch the dollars, to give of our material wealth, it does not express the fullness of almsgiving.

Almsgiving is "love for others expressed in practical form, by works of compassion and forgiveness.... the criterion in the coming judgement will not be the strictness of our fasting but the amount of help that we have given to those in need ..... The mere giving of money can often be a substitute and an evasion, a way of protecting ourselves from closer personal involvement with those in distress. 'When thou seest the naked, cover him; and hide not thyself from thine own flesh" (Bp. KALLISTOS Ware, introductory notes to the Lenten Triodion)

How, how do we make sure we don't protect ourselves, hide our hearts and eyes, shelter our children from the hurt around us? How do we clothe the naked, feed the poor, care for the sick? Over the years I have seen some beautiful examples of those who have fulfilled this call. This year, I look for ways our home can indeed give alms. Most of us cannot pick up and travel to some distant land to care for the neediest. So how do we serve within our daily lives? As I have slowly worked my way through our home, attempting to declutter the mess, remove the unnecessary, embrace less and bless others with our excess, many times I have found myself staring into the fabric closet. The curse of a seamstress, the call of fabric.

How hard it is to just NOT BUY. How hard it is to walk away from the newest print. Bins full to overflowing, piles of laundered pillowcases sit in my fabric closet. Brightly colored stripes, dainty hand crocheted borders, soft sweet florals, all waiting for some future project; and as I try to decide the balance between what to keep and what to remove, a blessing is sent my way. This link arrives in my inbox. A home for those beautiful orphaned pillowcases. Each one is unique, each has its own beauty, and each can bless. Now I have a plan.

Our goal is one dress a week beginning Meatfare Sunday. The little princess is going to learn to sew, and together we will indeed clothe the poor, and remind ourselves each day of the blessing of a full closet, 3 cooked meals every day, shoes on our feet, wooden floors beneath us and a sturdy metal roof over our heads. We will lay our time and efforts at the feet of Christ and say thank you. It is a small gift. It is a poor offering, but it is a start.

Want to share your ideas for almsgiving? Please leave me a note letting me know what ideas you have. I would love to hear other ways you may be planning to give of your time and abilities to help others this Lent. And if you choose to join us in sewing dresses, please leave a link so we can see!

Family Mission: Impossible?

2011-02-16T06:23:00.005-06:00

How does the family culture survive today's anti-family atmosphere?

Okay, maybe it sounds cheesy, I mean really, a mission statement? I was doubtful, not being the touchy-feely type as my Dad would say :) After some doubts, I can tell you that creating my own personal mission statement (at my husband's prodding) has been a real blessing in my life. When I feel overwhelmed, when I begin to doubt myself and my direction, the mission statement becomes a reminder of the important, the needful. My goal was to read it each morning - and while I certainly don't accomplish that, I do refer to it often, and it encourages and reminds me of the path. After creating a personal statement, my husband initiated the beginnings of creating a family mission statement. Why? How often do we lament the lack of time? I love Fr. Justin Mathews song "Eight a Dime" from Confessing Between the Lines (great CD, highly recommend it, especially if you are a fan of indie music! And while I am at it, a plug for FOCUS North America, if you are looking for a genuine way to help, please consider donating, I know Fr. Justin and Mtr. Jodi personally, and they are sincere and genuine icons of Christ, looking to feed the hungry and clothe the naked).

"Well, time ain't nothing like freezer jam, it don't keep, even canned

So let me give you two cents, you can't two step through life.
Or you'll be three short a nickel, and eight a dime, eight a dime,

and with that, there ain't nothin' that you can buy, certainly not more time."

We all have the same amount of time. It is how we choose to spend it, and we can't buy more of it once it is spent. How do we decide how to spend it? Are we living purposefully? Are we choosing the things that are important, not urgent? For us, the family mission statement will serve as our guide, helping us to weed out the things that don't fall in line with what we believe. How do we live in the world, while not being of the world? The difference between a dream and a goal is a PLAN (Dave Ramsey). If your dream is to have a family that works together toward a common goal, you need a plan!

How do you go about creating a family mission statement? Well, I highly recommend Seven Habits for Highly Effective Families as a guide, as well as Margin for giving some help in learning how to prioritize the important and minimize the urgent. Last year we sat down together and brainstormed ideas for what we wanted our family to be. Even the youngest children are able to offer adjectives to describe the family. We received ideas that ranged from "no yelling" and "fun" to "n*rf wars together". We wrote every one's ideas down on a whiteboard, and talked about what each of them meant. After the brainstorming session, I gathered all of the ideas and began to formulate a final product. I looked at numerous suggested formats from Seven Habits, as well as Ann's wonderful "seven rungs of the ladder". As I began to group the family's ideas into common areas, I decided to take the first letter of each of our names, and create a title phrase beginning with that letter, then expand upon it using all of the ideas we generated. I was able to incorporate every one's suggestions, and created a rough draft. We then sat down with the kids and went over it, looking for their suggestions within the statement, and asking them for their agreement. We encouraged the older ones to memorize the 6 main principles, and the current "final" version is posted in a prominent place within our home. While it will certainly evolve over the years, it serves as a reference. When an activity presents itself, it is evaluated based on the principles of our mission. When a conflict between children arises, we discuss whether the behavior fits within our agreed upon principles. It is the plan, clearly laid out, to help us achieve our goals.

Jesus is Lord

We will remember that God is first in our lives and family. We will pray together as a family, both at church and in our home. We will always remember that we serve Him.

Atmosphere of Peace

We want to live in a home that is fun and happy, but also clean and orderly. We want an environment that is welcoming to others, relaxed and full of laughter.

Joyful in all things

We offer daily thanks for the many blessings God has given us. We celebrate every moment and promise to slow down and live in that moment fully. We will have a joyful attitude in work as well as in play, showing our thanks to God by caring for the things He has given us.

Come Together

We take the time to be together, both at work and play. We select activities that are conducive to our family goals, and avoid those which consume too much of our time. We are purposeful in planning time to work, play, learn and travel together.

Love one another

We treat each other with love, remembering we are each icons of Christ. We are respectful, honest and kind. We remember that Christ is in us, and our actions should always reflect that. We serve others as Christ served, both in our family and our community.

Encourage one another

We speak positively about each other, encouraging and helping to build each member of our family to be their best. We defend and protect each other.

Does your family have a mission statement? How has it helped you to create a family culture?

NOTE: I wrote this over the weekend and auto scheduled it to post today, having no idea Ann's Walk with Him Wednesday challenge would pose the question of how to slow down and use time as a holy thing! So, I am linking to her post, and am smiling at the happy circumstance :)

One Thousand Gifts

2011-02-14T06:59:00.002-06:00

40. vivid green moss growing amidst the dull brown of dead grass and leaves
41. the sound of rain pounding down on the metal roof

42. visit from family out of town, slowing down to spend the day with him

43. after 6 weeks on strike - hens laying again, fresh eggs before Lent!

44. the rooster's crow

45. color on a gray day

46. a son anxious to serve at the altar every chance he gets

47. beautiful music from little ones
48. a valentine who still makes my heart skip a beat after 17 years

First Grade

2011-02-11T18:51:00.001-06:00

I never got around to posting our plans for First Grade this year, and as I was turning in grades thought I would give you a picture of what the Queen's year looks like. We keep it pretty simple!

Christian Studies:
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd - she is the oldest child in our group, just barely making the cut :) but I love having her in class and working with her

Classical Studies:
Aesop's Fables - we read, narrate, and love this coloring book for the days she doesn't feel like creating her own illustrations, and we love to listen to them on audio as well

English Studies:
Wooden Letter Spelling
Bob books
McGuffey's Readers
The Primer

Mathematics:
We spent the first part of the year still playing around with puppets and acorns, and last week we moved on to Singapore for added practice.

History:
Child's History of the World as a read aloud. Not spending a lot of time here, our co-op covers a few basic topics on the Middle Ages.

Science:
Zoology 1: Flying Creatures - this is covered through our co-op, so I don't do much at home other than provide books at her level that coordinate with the topics
Burgess Bird Book - a family favorite!

Art & Music:
piano lessons
Charlotte Mason style studies of composers and artists

Physical Education:
gymnastics