Christmas Joy is in the Air...

...and I love it all; the Solstice, the dark, the candles, Yule, Santa and the manger waiting for Baby Jesus. The tree is up, there is chocolate bread baking in the oven, cookies made and it is 22 degrees, so it is feeling more like the holidays are almost here. 

I am not writing with news of great lesson accomplishments or new break-throughs in teaching. A big, bad cold has wound its way through each and every child the past week and slowed things down, except for the oldest who was in the middle of finals at college. 

No, today I am writing to pause and give thanks.

St.Nicholas and Christmas Crafting

Plodding Away

Plodding away...like a big old farm horse, not real sexy or going anywhere fast, but some progress is still progress. That is what the past week of homeschooling has felt like, and what it may be like for the next couple of weeks of December. This is my favorite time of the year. At home. When I don't have to run all over the city and everywhere else. When it is snowing and everyone is in bed by 8. New reality; the kids are older, I have a job and they are in a whole bunch of stuff that they need to get to.

Craftsman Afghan (Knit-Too-Loose) Repair

This is called my "Fix to a Loosey-Goosey Blanket". I am tying it on to a piece of fleece with yarn and needle. I've spread it out neatly on the floor and with a little patience and application, I am stitch-tying (many) key parts of it to the bottom fleece blanket. I made this Knitpicks Craftsman Afghan a few years ago for Cate, but the needles I used made a looser-than-desired fabric. The result was less than satisfactory and I knew, with age, that it would not improve. My fix, and my early-20th-century chick-lit reading, as posted on Small Things Yarn Along.

Yarn: sport-weight or worsted split in half. Needle: one big embroidery needle. Difficulty: 0

And, done!

Thank You

I am curled up in a warm, furry robe, the only one awake, which is, in itself, a reason to be grateful. They are all in their beds, at home, safe and snug, and I am happy for them to be there. Saturday we were so happy to host the family Thanksgiving meal, and at the same time, saddened that the snowstorm left two of my three siblings and their families stranded. We missed you!

Waldorf Wednesday

Halloween: (in which literary-based costumes rule: Alice and the Mad Hatter)

Sleep and Loopiness

Or technically; preventing dementia through early rising and enough sleep. This particular bit of advice is both to myself and to validate the habit of early bird exercise and activity. (Or; "I'm not nuts now, but YOU may be later.")

French and Paris

There is something simply incongruous about returning home from an exam (French) to which I gave all of my energy for two months, to hear that Paris is under attack. My thoughts and prayers today are with Paris and France as they face this nightmare and future challenges.

Detox for Fall and the Fallen

I present this post in all humility, for the sole reason of reaching out to anyone it may help. This is my long, twisted path to health through nutrition, mindfulness and movement. I am the anti-diva in this domain, the sugar-addict, the one who will always choose pleasure over discipline. The believer in the "Life is Too Short" mantra. But...sometimes it takes a wake-up call followed by a little inspiration. Years of painful, disfiguring eczema and debilitating doses of prednisone have led me here; ready, finally, for a viable (in every sense of the word) solution.

Must Dust...Here's Why

One reason to dust this morning: in order to be the first one to find the pretty gourd that changed colors like the leaves outside and grew itself to your mantlepiece. I am fairly certain it would be just as revolting were it on your bookshelf or bedside table.

Country Roads

This is an annual event; huge chili dinner at grama and grampa's, we all feast like the recently starved, and then go walk it off at the pumpkin patch. The same pumpkin patch. Every year.

Waldorf Wednesday: A Retreat

A dream retreat for a Waldorf mama; a cabin in beautiful woods along a lively river with two good friends who share a love for knitting, deep conversations, chocolate and red wine.

Simple French Food: Recipes and Hints

As a part of my tribute to simple cooking, I am re-publishing our own recipes from years ago. I realized that the "search" feature on Blogger does not work for posts older than one year. So, here are my favorites again: 

What to eat with your beautifully cooked chicken: (those instructions below)? How about green beans, or maybe zuccini? Here is a simple way to cook up a vegetable

A Day Off? Letter-Writing, The Blood-Red Moon

I woke up this morning and thought that maybe we needed a day off. I sat down with my tea to contemplate what that would look like, and opened up the MCC *(Mennonite Central Committee) review we receive. I read about a day in the life of Congolese refugee children and their mother in a camp where they have lived since 2009. I realized that every single day of my life IS a day off. It is all about perspective.

Refreshed and ready then, I thought I would share our "back-to-letter-writing-campagn,"

Signs Not to Ignore

Sometimes I know that the task set before me may not be easy, but I feel the utter necessity of following through if my kids are going to grow up to be anything more than dissatisfied adults with unfulfilled lives full of tv, bad food and lite beer.