Date Archives → January 2012

two books, and a recipe

Remember when I used to post links to books that we’ve really enjoyed? Maybe you don’t, but I do. I also used to clean my bathroom before it got totally gross. Boy. There are a lot of things I used to do. Ha!

For the mamas:

If you’re friends with me on facebook (or friends with someone I’m friends with on facebook), you probably already saw me or someone raving about this book.

Loving The Little Years — Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic

This book kept popping up in the “If you like that, you’ll like this” suggestions from Amazon, and finally, I just bought it.

You should, too.

It’s easy to read. The chapters are only a few pages long. You just may love it. There are some great ideas, perhaps some new thoughts, but most of all, it’s the attitude check and kick in the pants and “go, girl, go!” that you need. (Every single morning, if you’re like me.) It’s not fluffy. It is edifying.

I’m going to read it again, soon.

And for the kiddos:

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, illustrated by Susan Jeffers

This was our first special winter book purchase when we moved back to northern New York, and the magic of both words and illustrations delight me every time we read it — which is every time I ask William to pick a book! The dust jacket is vellum, and the beautiful cover illustration, which is perfectly lovely on its own, is transformed into a winter blizzard when viewed through the vellum. The boys love it! (And I love looking out my window and seeing the inspiration for such illustrations in our fields and woods. What a Master Artist!)

And for the tummies:

I threw dinner together a few nights ago, and it turned out to be such a yummy meal that I thought I’d record it here for my future reference. I sort of pictured a Whole Foods salad we used to buy, and headed in that direction.

Kale, Butternut Squash, and Quinoa
Serves 4 as a main dish

For the squash:
Peel and dice one large butternut squash. Toss on foil-lined rimmed pan with olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Roast at 425 for about 40 minutes or until camelized, tossing every 15 minutes. Drizzle with a bit of maple syrup, and set aside.

For the quinoa:
While squash is roasting, bring 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water, and 1 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of thyme to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

For the kale:
In large pan, saute one chopped onion in olive oil until soft (or beginning to brown, if you’re like me and lose track of things like onions.) Add 4 cloves of minced garlic and 1 tsp of thyme; saute till fragrant. Add one bunch of kale — stems removed and chopped. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of salt, a pinch of crushed red pepper, and a splash of water. Stir, then cover over medium-low heat, till kale is cooked.

Stir squash, quinoa, and 1/2 cup of dried cranberries into the kale mixture. Squeeze half a lemon over the whole thing, and ta-da! A meal fit for an Whole Foods fan.

beatrice’s quilt

“Handmade” wouldn’t exactly describe this past Christmas — or much of anything relating to the last few months! (Well, at least not as typically understood. This home and the kids in it are cared for and made “by hand”. Right?)

There was one handmade gift, though, that I was really wanting to pull off by December 24th: a quilt for the baby. I’d had it on my mental calendar since last spring, knowing that I’d want to wait to discover the gender before moving ahead. I also figured that by the time I finally got a little groove, but wasn’t totally out of the newborn sleep zone, Christmas would be a good deadline.

Then the debate about what to make. I bookmarked so many quilts. Thought about so many fabrics. Finally bought a whole stack of half yards (brand new! full price! oh my!), cut out every piece, laid it out on my table — and decided it wasn’t me. Then I asked every person who walked through what they thought, and it was unanimous: it wasn’t me. Bummer. I hate being stuck.

So I finally pulled out an old button-down shirt that was worn by Brietta, then by me, and finally tucked away because I loved the print that much. I kept pawing through my (beautiful new) closet of fabric bits and pieces and — ta-da! — a linen skirt, a linen curtain, some leftovers from this and that, and I had a quilt top! I guess that’s just the way I do projects: rummage and scrounge.

It was quick, simple, “modern”. 10 hours, perhaps? Even the hand-sewn binding went on quickly, as did the yellow running stitch embroidery I added to some of the solids (which I’d had in my head as the only must have for this quilt!)

So, for those of you curious (SAM!), here’s the quilt. And the baby. Because let’s face it; she’s way more fun to look at than any quilt!

2011 thoughts

[A post written for my benefit. Bear with me!]

Here we are, almost to the second week of January. Wow. Really?

New Year’s Eve caught me unprepared (as it seems to have done for several years counting.) Where did the year go? Sand slipping between my fingers — it can seem like a vapor. And yes, in some ways, it is. But how good it is to know that God saw those days, and the service that filled them, as seeds sown.

And a pause, laying in bed on New Year’s Eve, gave me a chance to recall the year.

2011 began with a bang. Literally. Josh and Carson showed up with sledge hammers and trash bags that first week and started the huge project of renovating the front rooms of our house. Some weeks of big progress, many weeks of chipping away, and by August, our floors were oiled, our walls painted, and it was all done enough to settle in and be ready for a new baby. (Not that she needs a new music room, but having the grand piano out of our bedroom seemed like it would be a nice idea!)

Olivia moved in that month, too. She lived in our yellow guest room for 9 months, and was sunshine to our family. She befriended William when he was still hesitant about anyone but Mama, and watched him grow from baby to boy. She joked with Ryan, played Legos with Jameson, read books to William, and quietly slipped alongside me to fold laundry or set the table or just smile. We loved, loved, loved her.

January also found me sitting in a chair, sleeping on the couch, and generally hiding from the world as much as possible. Morning (or day) sickness took all the unction out of me, but somewhere in February, I started to feel like myself again. And then in March, somewhere around week 18, I found Regina Willette and a homebirth was planned, again. Once again, my pregnancy passed with no complications, and anticipation and excitement grew along with my belly — which was, once again, huge!

The spring was beautiful, if a bit slow at times, and we passed the time with lots of garden rehab and walks and preparations for CFA’s Cinderella and The Glass Slipper. William enjoyed his first year of being a “big boy”, and he and Jameson played outside for hours, finding favorite spots in the yard for their pirating and cowboying and other exciting things. And bikes, of course. For hours.

We had a visit from our friends Emre and Sevi in January, and then Ryan and I flew to California in March. Besides enjoying the chance to see our very-missed friends, it was also our first overnight travel without kids since pre-Jameson!

Trips to Maine and Long Island and Montreal, buying our neighboring field and a new roof and chipping away at the renovation, lots of trips to Beans’ pool and Nana’s yard and quiet days at home — all of this, and the summer was over. How quickly it goes!

Beatrice was born, William broke his arm, Olivia moved back home, Jameson had a bonfire birthday, Louissa and Josiah prepared for and then celebrated their wedding, William turned 3, and we eased into a bit of “real” Kindergarten work.

CFC began meeting in two locations, we began hosting a large and exciting Young Couples meeting, and Jameson started attending Friday School (and was quite pleased to be in the Christmas concert!)

Washing machines spun, the refrigerator was filled and emptied, filled and emptied, and dishes were washed at least 3 times a day. Bedsheets were changed, diapers outgrown, manners taught, attitudes addressed. Lego towers were admired, Playmobil carriages assembled, and dress-up creativity applauded. Sometimes I got out of my pajamas before 7am, and other days, I just put clean ones on before bed. Some days lists were crossed off with vim and vigor. Some days we barely got through bare essentials. Every day we did our best to love one another and honor Jesus. And two, then three, little people grew and grew and grew.

So, yes, sand between my fingers. Vapors. But somehow, in His economy, beads strung on the thread of time, all adding up to more than we can measure. I look at this past year with this confidence, and it shapes my perspective on the year to come:

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.