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Showing posts from January, 2014

Random Moment of Beauty: Vintage Afghan

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A "random moment of beauty" is a post which features something I see in my day-to-day housework which catches my eye and makes me pause and just wonder at it, and reflect. In this case, there is a story behind the moment. When deep-cleaning my room the other day, I decided to wash the vintage afghan which I have had on my window seat for years (I believe I've posted it on my blog before , but it wasn't fully visible). It was crocheted of pure wool in the 1960s, and this was the first time I had ever dared to wash it. When it came out of the wash, the colors were so bright and unfaded I just sat for a while and looked at them, as though seeing them for the first time. You see, I've seen this afghan all my life long, since I was an infant. It belonged to my father, who kept it on his bed for years. He had received it as a gift when he was in the hospital recovering from his Vietnam war injuries. It was made specially for him by a kind older lady who wante

Reorganized Office

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I had to do some photography this morning, and I thought I would take a picture of my recently-reorganized office. We installed shelves made by The  Strong Oaks Woodshop , but not on my side of the office. However, this allowed me to have more space on my desk, which is now beneath the round "Hobbit window," our single splurge when we built the addition some years ago. Yesterday's trip to the Salvation Army yielded some office enhancements for the princely sum of $3.65: wooden document trays, a little red metal tub for correspondence, and curtain panels, two for a dollar.  I love the salvaged lamp with shade spray-painted brown by my daughter, the picture of Blessed John Paul which the Pope sent to us from the Vatican in 1994 in response to receiving our wedding invitation, and baskets and tins of small toys to entertain my children when they make official visits (every 45 minutes or so).  A close perusal of the desk (click on the photo to see) might inform t

The Little Good Shepherd

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This year's Christmas centerpiece, the children and I tried something ambitious and made sheep out of wooden blocks covered with fleece, and a little Baby Jesus to guard them.  While the Christ Child Shepherd was a bit more complex and I'm not sure if I could replicate him, I wanted post a short tutorial on how we made the sheep, which was quite fun and led to a quite finished product. You can click it to enlarge. Enjoy!

Healthier Hot Chocolate

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Hot chocolate is the traditional drink served after outdoor playtime on snow days, but moms like me sometimes find it problematic, since American hot chocolate is really high in sugar. After all, sugar lowers the immune system, and is that what my child truly needs, especially after exposure to frigid temperatures?  Why not a vitamin boost along with something naturally healthy, like milk?  Here's one strategy that our family has used for several winters, and I'm happy to share it, even though it represents a significant exception to my preference for whole foods and my avoidance of brand names! Several years ago, I was grocery-shopping with my husband, who is a label-reader when he has time to indulge in the practice. I wanted to get some baking chocolate to make the low-sugar hot chocolate mix (similar to this one)  we used to make from scratch. He began by comparing prices on powdered chocolate and then began inspecting labels of various products, going back and for

The Season of Little Christmas

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Our family calls the days between Epiphany and Candlemas the season of "little Christmas."  During the days of Little Christmas, we still sing Christmas carols before morning prayers, wear red sweaters (my husband continues to sport  his Santa Claus hat), nurse along the Christmas tree if it's still thriving (this year's spruce is still going strong), and enjoy our Nativity scene and festive garlands.  Baby Jesus remains the center of Little Christmas. The several images of Him around the house, such as this one owned by the little girls, bring Him to mind, reminding us yet again that The Lord of all Creation was a tiny child who waved tiny hands in the air, nursed and needed changing, was cold and sometimes cried, and many times smiled at the wonders around Him... And yet was still God. This little God, so great in His smallness, could be carried about and cuddled by another child, the very children He had made... The mysteries go on and on. So as the dark days of wi

Happy Cat Drinking Cream

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The other day, I spotted one of our cats, Hotaru (his name is Japanese for 'firefly,' and it suits him!), helping himself to the cream pitcher. Since the cream is from our own cow, I can understand his enjoyment. I was also fortunate to have my phone on hand to record his somewhat covert theft for posterity. Hotaru is the friendliest and most playful cat in our home, the Black Cat Inn. He literally wears a "heart" on his sleeve (his black shoulder spot is in the shape of a heart) and he tends to spread joy wherever he stalks.

Living Thrift the Jane Austen Way

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Last year I was delighted to receive this book, Jane Austen's Guide to Thrift as a gift and after many leisurely hours reading it, I finished it last night and can pronounce it a very fun read. Written by Jane Austen aficionados Kathleen Anderson and Susan Jones, this book has a plenitude of good advice for living elegantly on small budget, how gracious manners can augment a limited income, and many other useful snippets for finding bargains and creating beauty. The enjoyable part of the book is that most of the chapters are written from the viewpoints of some of Jane's most memorable characters. For instance, Catherine Morland of Northhanger Abbey has advice on how to be a good traveler and houseguest, Lizzie's youngest sister Lydia Bennett from Pride and Prejudice is queried for advice on fashion bargains, Lucy Steele of Sense and Sensbility has sharp advice of investments, and even Mrs. Norris of Mansfield Park is praised for her perspicuity in seizing a good deal

Random Moment of Beauty: Washing Lampshades

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  In am attempt to curb my dust allergies which are troubling me during the winter season of indoor living, I decided to deep-clean my bedroom, and finally gathered up the courage to wash my lampshades. I had been afraid they would be ruined by dousing them in a bath of mild detergent but behold! They survived and are drying nicely on strings over the tub. Admiring their beauty even in this temporary setting reminds me once more of the importance of having even the most practical components of your house be things you believe to be beautiful. It encourages in you the poverty of taking care of what you have instead of tossing it in favor of something new. It discourages unhealthy updating, and brings about contentment and gratitude. I still remember picking out the red checked shades at Target years ago, and they still bring me joy.

For Goodness Soap

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I wanted to share one of my favorite products with you - homemade laundry detergent from ForGoodnessSoap.com , made by a local mom with tons of care and professionalism. She has many other useful products including bar shampoo (yes, you read that correctly!), and luscious hand soaps , plus tips on how to make your own bug spray and window cleaner . My favorite product so far is the Clean Simply laundry detergent , made with Castille soap and lavender scent. Enjoy browsing her site!