We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. ~Isaiah 64:8



Thursday, November 29, 2012

Feast of St Andrew


Advent must be near....





Because today is the Feast of Saint Andrew!  We won't do much more than read about this saint's life, enjoy our scones, and put up his icon on the family altar.  If I had a Scottish flag handy, I'd hang that to commemorate our Scottish heritage, and St Andrew's patronage of Scotland.

Remembering the saints doesn't have to be complicated.  If you have a book of saints' stories for kids, that is great, but you can also look up biographical information on the web.  Search around for some ideas about traditional foods for the Saint's day...or from the Saint's homeland...or from a country for which the Saint is associated now.  (Andrew was not from Scotland!)  Do a web search for children's or family activities for the Saint's day, and you'll usually find plenty of ideas to get your started.  

Better to start simply than go overboard and be burned out.  That's happened to me.  And don't try to do EVERY Saint - just start with the major feasts (apostles, generally), or those that might have a special place in your family (a child's name, for example).

I often find Catholic Culture to be very helpful.  They have a calendar of saints that has just about all the information you could possibly need!  Just skip anything that isn't appropriate to your faith tradition, of course.

Have a blessed Feast of Saint Andrew.  Is he also the patron saint of errand-running moms?  I sure hope so, because that is what I'll be spending his feast day doing!


Good morning, Zeke

Kalliope enjoying some morning drawing while we do morning session.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Thanksgiving 2012

Up the highway and through the traffic to Farmor's house we went...

Farmor lives just outside Fredericksburg, VA (about an hour south of Washington, DC).  The leaves were mostly off the trees, but the weather was crisp.  Perfect Thanksgiving weather!

Our Thanksgiving table.

I love old homes.  My husband's childhood home began life as two log cabins in the late 18th century.  The two log cabin rooms are still in use, now with added modern amenities, like electricity. 

An evening by the fire...and the books.   With wine, of course.

Artemesia got to meet a very friendly squirrel while we were in D.C. for the day.

Helpful blog for Anglican Families

Just want to take a moment to direct you to a new-to-me blog.  It is a church blog, but is specifically written to support their families and kids...and they are Anglican!

Saint Pete's Kids (a blog of Saint Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham, AL)

The blog owner contacted me recently to ask if she could publish an old Advent essay on their website.  (Could they?  OF COURSE!)  You can read it there if you there, if you wish, or on my blog just by searching.  It is one of my favorites:  The Advent That Almost Wasn't

Be sure to poke around their website and check out their resources.  And leave a comment to say "Hi!"

And it is time to start getting ready for Advent, isn't it?  You know Advent always brings out my blogging....  :)