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Showing posts from May, 2014

A Useful Travel Wardrobe

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Summer is approaching and lots of us are preparing for extended vacations. Next week my daughters and teen son embark on a cross-country trip to see their uncle ordained to the priesthood, for example. Given that they are flying and hitching rides with relatives in already-crowded cars, they have to pack light. But that's fine, because for years, we've used a few principles to create a travel wardrobe that will last a week or more. Now, I didn't come up with this idea myself. I read the basic plan in the sidebar of a women's magazine when I was a teen, and committed the plan to memory. Since I don't have the original, I'm reproducing it here. Obviously the model uses a girl's wardrobe, but this is fine, since our female tendency is to pack more than we need, whereas my sons and husband would toss a toothbrush, a spare tshirt, and a pair of boxer shorts into a bag and consider themselves packed for a weeklong trip! Below, I've shown pictures

The Siren Song of Quiet Early Morning

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I should still be in bed, taking the last days of my post-partum bedrest, but it is difficult not to be swayed by a quiet early morning, and the chance of a cup of coffee and the last piece of lemon pound cake shared with your husband before the rest of the house gets up.  So I found myself stumbling out of bed, and sitting in the early morning light, and enjoying the few minutes of silence before the daily roar began.

Cora Regina born!

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On April 24th, 2014, our ninth child and fifth girl, Cora Regina was born at our local hospital, weighing almost 9 lbs, and unbearably cute. Even though she was our first c-section after eight home births (she was breech), we were so happy to have her with us safe and adorable!

Remains of the Easter Brunch

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Being that I was due to give birth, I delegated all Easter cooking to my oldest daughter -- and my, she rose to the occasion! She created a French Toast Casserole (in the pan in front of the teapot) from a magazine recipe, made even more delicious with homemade blackberry jam, which eliminated much of the cloying sweetness. When I had exclaimed several times over the flavor, she said, "Mom, what you're not tasting is corn syrup."  She served it with whipped cream from our family cow, sausage links, and exquisitely fried potatoes chopped into tiny golden pieces. My son and I had set the table using all our fun spring china -- miniature teacups, peacock-printed dessert dishes, fragile demitasse, and small gold chalices to hold the Easter eggs. A patterned folk tablecloth, painted wooden napkin rings, and cherry blossoms in blue mason jars added to the celebration of color. It was a wonderful breakfast, for a truly wonderful feast day.