Month: November 2012

2012-2013 School Year–Week Thirteen

This was a bad week. The children were mouthy and unmotivated, and had some difficulties with varying concepts. I was rather unmotivated myself, which didn’t help things any. But we soldiered on, and managed to end things on a positive note.

We did start reading Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt!, which was a bright spot in the week. It has been popular with the children, and fascinating to me. I didn’t really know anything about his personal life before, and it’s quite inspiring the way he overcame so many obstacles and trials in his life to become the Rough Rider everyone knows. This book fit in well with our history lessons on the Gilded Age, as well. We had an interesting discussion, trying to determine whether John D. Rockefeller was a good guy or a bad guy. Turkey decided that he was an anti-hero, which I guess fits.

In science, we learned about the circulatory system. We had the chance to do a few fun experiments, including building “blood” using corn syrup (plasma), candy red hots (red blood cells), sprinkles (platelets), and a jelly bean (a white blood cell). We also used a strong magnet to discover just what it means to have an iron-fortified box of cereal. Even though I knew what it meant, I have to admit, I found it a little disturbing to see the iron filings collect beneath the magnet!

To combat our week of doldrums, I spent last night and this morning rearranging our school room a bit. I thought a fresh perspective might give us a new outlook. It went from looking like this:

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To this:

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Now all of the bookshelves are in the school room, which is nice. There really isn’t room for our “project table” anymore, though. I’m probably going to leave it up through our Christmas School activities, because it will get a lot of use, but then it’s going to have to be put away…it’s just taking up too much space!

Next week, Christmas School starts…hopefully, we’ll have a better go of it!

November 30–St. Andrew, Apostle

From the Treasury of Daily Prayer:

St. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was born in the Galilean village of Bethsaida. Originally a disciple of St. John the Baptist, Andrew then became the first of Jesus’ disciples (John 1:35-40). His name regularly appears in the Gospels near the top of the lists of the Twelve. It was he who first introduced his brother Simon to Jesus (John 1:41-42). He was, in a real sense, the first home missionary, as well as the first foreign missionary (John 12:20-22). Tradition says Andrew was martyred by crucifixion on a cross in the form of an X. In AD 357, his body is said to have been taken to the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople and later removed to the cathedral of Amalfi in Italy. Centuries later, Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland. St. Andrew’s Day determines the beginning of the Western Church Year, since the First Sunday in Advent is always the Sunday nearest to St. Andrew’s Day.

Thankful Thursday

On the last Thursday in November, I’m thankful to God for all of the “extras” in my life. You know, the things you don’t really need, but that make life extra enjoyable. Books and music, holidays and hobbies, ballet and baseball, games and celebrations of all kinds. I am thankful for the beauty God put in the world…for flowers, and changing leaves, and big puffy clouds. I am thankful for all of the sounds and smells that bring back happy memories. In short, I’m thankful for…everything!

This brings an end to my “Thankful Thursdays.” Of course, I will not cease being thankful, because as Christians, we know that we are thankful to God for the blessings He has given us not just on Thanksgiving, or Sundays, or the month of November, but constantly, for He blesses us constantly, even when we might not notice it!

Thirty-Six Weeks

This week, it’s all about standing. It seems like Chickadee is always either getting herself ready to stand, in the process of standing, or having just fallen down. Sitting is so two weeks ago! And why bother crawling when you can inch your way along something, trying so hard to cruise?

Still constantly sticking her tongue out, too!

November 29–Noah

From the LCMS website:

Noah, the son of Lamech (Gen 5:30), was instructed by God to build an ark, in which his family would find security from the destructive waters of a devastating flood that God warned would come. Noah built the ark, and the rains descended. The entire earth was flooded destroying “every living thing that was on the face of the ground, both man and beast” (7:23). After the flood waters subsided, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. When Noah determined it was safe, and God confirmed it, he and his family and all the animals disembarked. Then Noah built an altar and offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God for having saved his family from destruction. A rainbow in the sky was declared by God to be a sign of His promise that never again would a similar flood destroy the entire earth (8;20). Noah is remembered and honored for his obedience, believing that God would do what He said He would.

Downtown Belleville

When you’re driving through a town, it’s easy to miss how pretty it is. But, as we were walking around Sunday, looking at the store windows and gingerbread houses, I realized that downtown Belleville is really quite beautiful, especially at Christmastime. Here’s a glimpse into just what makes it a nice town:

It’s nice to slow down and really take a look at things for a change, instead of just rushing by!

Tasty Tuesday–Spiced Apple Cranberry Pie

This was a new recipe I tried out for Thanksgiving. I wanted something similar in taste to the wassail I make at Christmastime, and with the apples and cranberries, plus the cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice, this definitely fits the bill. Around here, we’re even calling it “wassail pie!” The blend of spices is perfect, and I love finding another use for fresh cranberries.

  • 2 unbaked pie crusts (I use store-bought)
  • 3 1/4 lb. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into slices 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 4 tsp. cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 10 oz. fresh cranberries
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Egg wash: 1 egg white, beaten with 1 tsp. water
  • 2 tsp. granulated sugar

To make the apple-cranberry filling, in a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven, stir together the apples, brown sugar, 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, the cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, salt and cornstarch until the apples are evenly coated. Set over medium heat, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are just tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and vanilla, and let cool for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, stir together the cranberries, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the water. Set over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have broken down slightly and the liquid has thickened to the consistency of a loose jam, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes. Add the cranberry mixture to the apple mixture and stir to combine.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven, place a baking sheet on the rack and preheat the oven to 400.

Let the pie crusts come to room temperature for about five minutes. Line a pie plate with one crust, and spoon in the apple cranberry filling. Gently place the second pie crust over the pie. Trim the edges flush with the rim of the dish and press the top and bottom crusts together to seal. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.

Place the pie dish on the preheated baking sheet. Bake until the crust is crisp and golden brown, about 1 hour, covering the edges with aluminum foil if they become too dark. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 1 1/2 hours before serving. Serves 8.

Marking Time is Making Time

As Advent approaches, this article from The Lutheran Witness serves as a great explanation of why we observe the liturgical year:

We celebrate the Church Year in part as a celebration of time. Time is God’s gift, and God’s creation sets the rhythms that make time possible. The Church Year is a way of marking time and making time. It is a way of telling time and keeping time. And what is it that we mark and make and tell and keep?

We mark the events of God acting in world history and in our own personal history. We make a place to gather together, to remember and give thanks for what God has done for us. We tell the story of how God is working in our midst. And we keep the vigil for what God will yet do among His people.

The Church Year is for all these things. It is for telling the story of how a God beyond time acts within time to save and restore life. It uses the months and seasons of the calendar to tell the story. Or rather, it tells the story in the seasons of the year and our own lives.

via The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod – The Lutheran Witness.

Preparing for Advent

It’s sounds kind of funny to talk about preparing for a season of preparation, doesn’t it? But, Advent is almost here, and prepare we must!

Last year, I shared our daily Jesse Tree readings. A Jesse Tree, for those who don’t know, is a kind of a family tree for Jesus. It doesn’t include only His biological relatives, however…it also includes those people, prophets, and fulfilled prophecies closely associated with the Christmas story. There were twenty-eight readings last year, because Advent was as long as it can possibly be. This year, Advent is short, so a few readings must be left out, (which ones to exclude is at the discretion of the reader). Here are all twenty-eight topics one convenient location:

In addition to the Jesse Tree readings, I’m also adding readings for the “O Antiphons” in the evenings leading up to Christmas Eve, as well as a “Jesse Tree Extension“–readings for the 12 Days of Christmas, with corresponding ornaments that will go on the Jesse Tree with the Advent and Antiphon ornaments. I’m very excited about these two additions to our Advent/Christmas routine!

If you haven’t purchased your Advent candles for the year yet, there’s still time! We light our candles before we say the “Prayer at the Close of the Day” from Lutheran Service Book, but I know some families that light them during dinner, or at another time during the day. We also sing a verse from “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” at this time. I always take my Advent wreath into the store with me when I buy the candles, because even though the tapers all look the same, there are minor differences in their diameter, which can make them hard to fit into a specific wreath. I recommend that you choose your Advent candles based on the colors used in your church…we used to use purple candles at home, but since our church uses blue,we’ve switched over, and it’s nice to have that continuity between church and home.

There are also several church year commemorations that take place during the season of Advent. We always remember St. Nicholas (in addition to reading about the real man, we also decorate our Christmas tree on December sixth), and St. Lucia ( in our home, we celebrate this day with lussekattes and Lucia Brides and Star Boys, in addition to reading about Santa Lucia), and the last few years, we’ve added Ambrose of Milan (known for penning the Advent hymn “Savior of the Nations, Come”), as well. This usually involves reading a book about the life of the Saint, and/or discussing his or her history, and how God used that person to spread the Gospel. Sometimes we do an additional activity, like opening stockings on St. Nicholas Day, visiting a church named for Ambrose on December seventh, and  making St. Lucia crowns and Star Boy hats on December 13. In addition to these, there are dates set aside during Advent for Noah, St. Andrew, John of Damascus, Daniel and the Three Young Men, Adam and Eve, Katharina von Bora Luther, and St. Thomas (a great time to visit elderly members of your congregation, particularly those who are shut-ins).

I also can’t wait to start our daily Advent readings. This year, we’re back at the beginning of the trilogy with Jotham’s Journey by Arnold Ytreeide. But, there are two other books in the series to look forward to: Bartholomew’s Passage and Tabitha’s Travels. There are other books that count down the days to Christmas, too…some with more secular stories, and some that simply count down the days in December, instead of the actual days of Advent. I like the Jotham trilogy because they both tie into the Bible story, and because they’re meant to be read every day in Advent, no matter how long or short it is.

Advent is my very favorite time of year. I love the solemnity, the anticipation, the getting ready. What are your favorite Advent traditions?