In the Heart of my Home

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

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If you agree to sponsor this blog for the summer months--June, July, and August--May's on me! If you hurry, we can get you all set up tomorrow or the next day. That means, you get the whole month of May for free. And May is a 31 day month:-)

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In the Moment on Monday Morning

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

I've been keeping a close eye on weather charts for the last week. The front beds are all planted and we did cover tender new plants with sheets one night. The man who sells me my tomatoes and herbs is very serious about temperatures and over the years he's made a believer of me. So I'm waiting on the vegetable garden. I think we might be in the clear today. I'm looking very forward to a trek to DeBaggio's.

 

::listening to 

Sarah and Katie discussing the fine art of oatmeal preparation.

::clothing myself in 

Jeans, a sweatshirt, and very worn tennis shoes. I have got my eye on these. What do you think? Dansko all year 'round and in every situation?

 

::giving thanks for

a beautiful Confirmation for Stephen.

 

::talking with my children about these books

Since I'm going to share my own reading on Thursdays at needle and thREAD, I thought I'd share some reading from the children's choices. {not much has changed since last week:)}

Mary Beth is binge reading through the John Paul 2 High School fiction series and enjoying it. 

Stephen has begun Lord of the Rings, part of a course on Lewis and Tolkein.

Patrick is reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

And Katie has a series of her own going. After having literally memorized huge chunks fo the Little House books, she's reading the Anne Pellowski series. She's utterly captivated. She knows that she comes from Polish roots and the combination of Polish culture and Catholic references are truly endearing to her. 

Sarah is reading Crafty Chloe to her dolls a million times a day.

 

::pondering prayerfully

How happy I was when my father entered the house in the evening! He seldom could come home at noon. He would take me in his arms, kiss me, and [play with] me before his supper, although he then must have been quite worn out with his day's toil. I was his idol. He would spend hours playing with me and answering my endless questions. His greatest joy was to procure pleasant surprises: a walk, or a trip, some little present, a rosary, a statue, some toy or piece of jewelry. Speaking of the latter, the first I remember were a tiny golden heart and a little cross. A heart, symbol of the gift of my own to Jesus, and of my love for Him, and a cross: emblem of Jesus' love for me.

....
How I thank my good parents for having loved me in the true sense of the word, for real love supposes correction of faults, what should I have become, left to my pride, my stubbornness, my whims and fancies, my mischievous tricks? No doubt I should have developed into a sulky, unbearable child, all the more so as I was brought up without the salutary contact of other children. Later on, I should have been unable to agree with anybody, or get on without making those around me suffer. My God, I thank Thee for having given me parents who taught me to obey.
~Blessed Dina Belanger of Quebec

   

::carefully cultivating rhythm

Now that the prayer rhythm feels really firm and utterly natural, it's time to nail the chore rhythm for the new season. I know that the more we have that is routine, the more those functions are planned and plotted and practiced, the fewer eveyday decisions I have. And I know that the fewer the decisions, the less the stress. I'm highly motivated to diminish needless stressors.

::creating by hand

I definitely did not hit the mark on the Elsie Marley  Kids Clothes Week Challenge. I got a little sewing done last week, but not nearly what I'd hoped to do. This week is much mellower calendar-wise. I have twirly skirts to finish and then I'm going to trace for some sundresses.  

Anyone out there who can advise on sizing for the Lisette patterns by Leisl Gibson? Kristin and I were looking at measurements on the pattern cover and it's hard to have confidence to cut fabric for a size that seems so much bigger than ready-to-wear sizes. 

::learning lessons in

Gardening. I am admittedly inspired and a bit envious of what Ruth has done here. I'd just about given up on the idea that I could make rural dreams come true in suburbia. She's revised hope in that dream. I wonder how long I could raise bees before my neighbors would complain? I've been obsessed with the idea of bees since this visit last week. Even Mike--who's not so much into the urban (or anyplace else) farm idea--agreed that the bees are way cool. I've lifted my self-imposed book buying ban. I feel a binge coming;-)

::encouraging learning 

This week we begin a math co-op with my friend Linda. Linda is a mathmatical genius. I'm hoping it will rub off on my children. For my part, I just have to teach hers to knit. I can do that; this plan is a good one.

::begging prayers

for all the people who have joined our weekend prayer community. I carried your requests with me to Mass and I will keep a candle lit for you throughout the week.

:keeping house

Now that the calendar has settled a bit, I'm looking at tackling the basement again. I pretty much want every room in the house to have the same order as the little girls' closet. I mean to make it that way and drag all these children along with me. 

::crafting in the kitchen 

I made banana pudding last week. We were out with friends after soccer and Mike and my friend Mindy were rhapsodizing over banana pudding. I abhor bananas, but the look on his face while he talked about pudding made me resolve to scout a good recipe. I did a little research and came up with my own. I will share with you tomorrow;-).

::loving the moments

when Nicholas served Confirmation Mass. His sweet face was just so earnest and he could barely contain his delight when he got to hold the Bishops' crozier during the homily. I so wish I had a picture.

::living the liturgy

We have begun to use 33 Days to Morning Glory with all my kids this week, in preparation for Marian Consecration on the Feast of the Visitation. Also in the plans for this lovely month of May: new handmade rosaries for everyone. I've ordered nearly all the necessary beads and parts. Admittedly, I've been gathering for several years now, but I think we're nearly ready to begin to make heirlooms. 

 

::planning for the week ahead

There is nothing pressing this week. The idea makes me giddy.

All pictures this week are from my iPhone.Would you good iPhone folks share with me your ideas on uploading and "phone camera dumping?"

I love Instagram for editing, but I'm not real keen on publishing every single thing as I go to Instagram. I did find Followgram--pretty cool. It looks like Followgram makes it possible for even non-iPhone people to play along with Instagram following. Mary Beth is bothered by this--she thinks Instagram should be just for iPhones and those pictures should only be visible on a phone screen. She says she's a purist. I think she's being exclusive. Hmmm...

And,  I fight the rising panic as I report this and wonder if you've ever had a such a thing happen: I was going through my camera roll, emailing pictures from my phone to my computer so I could post them here and suddenly, my camera went black. I can see everything else on my phone, but when I click the camera icon, nothing but black. Your thoughts? I have only one confirmation picture elsewhere, so I'm really hoping those photos aren't lost.

My MacBook isn't working. The mousepad is completely unresponsive. I've sort of let going into the Apple store slide a bit--the last couple of weeks, my phone has kept me wired just enough. But if I have to take my iPhone in and I have no computer...

well, if you don't hear from me, it's all on Steve Jobs.

Lord, Hear Our Prayer

 

 

The internet is a formidable force for bringing the comfort and consolation and hope of the Lord to all of us. It can be an incredibily powerful medium for community. There is an unfathomable resource for prayer here. We have on the 'net the privilege of praying for people and of being witness to the miracles brought forth when fervent, faith-fulled people pray for one another.

Let's be that community of hope and faith for one another.

But how about this idea? What if I pop in here every weekend, share Sunday's gospel and talk a wee bit about how we can live it and pray it in our homes? And then you tell me how we can pray for you that week? Deal?

{And please, do return and let us know how prayer is bearing fruit.}

 

Jesus said:
"I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;
and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father."

John 10: 11-18

 

Think 

There are still so many millions of people who have not yet heard the message of a loving God, a God who sent his only Son to die for them. They seek meaning and happiness in their lives by pursuing all kinds of other goals which inevitably turn to ashes: material abundance, status in the eyes of others, power over others, mistaking pleasure and hedonism for happiness… 
In so doing, they reject Jesus the Good Shepherd. "Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us." This is something we must learn to accept as a fact, even if it is hard to understand and even harder to take. 
No matter how closely we follow in the footsteps of our Shepherd, in fact, the more closely we follow him, the more likely it is that we will be rejected and even attacked. More tragic still, however, there are so many people who claim Christ as Lord, many of them very good and sincere people, who are often divided, even bitterly divided among themselves. 
Here, more than anywhere is there a need for all to follow one Shepherd and form one flock. Otherwise how can we give witness to the love of Christ if that love is lacking among the servants of Jesus? 
Lastly, there are those who, though incorporated through baptism into the Body of Christ, consistently behave in a way which totally distorts people’s understanding of Christ and his call to discipleship, fulfilment and happiness. Probably, most of us have at one time or another failed in our call to give witness to the truth and love that is to be found in Christ.  (from Sacred Space)

Pray

Jesus, never let me fail to acknowledge you. Indeed, help me to go forth and glorify You with my life. Always. Everywhere. And in whatever company I find myself.

Act

Easter is a season and Good Shepherd Sunday is the perfect day to make a lamb cake (pictured above in ancient photo I just dug up). Rebecca has recipes and directions here.  Lamb cake pan here. (Remember, it's a season. If you don't have the pan and can't find it locally, Jesus won't stop being the Good Shepherd on Monday. You have time, mama.)

~

And psst: Today's the day to begin if you're going to use 33 Days to Morning Glory and conclude on the Feast of the Visitation. Again, don't get tangled up in dates. God exists outside of time. If you're interested, there's a 33 Days to Morning Glory book club on Facebook. More about the book here.

Friendship

 

Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away.

~Dinah Craik

 

I am blessed to have such a friend and so are my children.

I love this picture so much. Sarah's hands were muddy with playing in the mudpie kitchen. Beatrix is helping  to pull her hair out of her face.

Girlfriends are good for things like that.

More beautiful pictures here.

Her Children Will Rise up and Call Her Blessed

Usually, when I bump into something on the 'net that I want to share with you, I just click my "delicious" button and it puts itself on my sidebar. My computer went pffft about a week ago. The mousepad won't work. That means I haven't been mining the internet much. I borrow my daughter's computer to get a blog post up and that's about it. 

So, I'm a few days late to a birthday party.

I watched this video late yesterday. And it has stuck with me. And stuck with me. And I didn't want it to get lost on my sidebar.

I'm pretty sure that this is what is meant when the Good Book says 

Her children rise up and call her blessed;

her husband, too, praises her:

proverbs 31: 28

Mothering a large family is incredibly hard work. And it's incredibly hard work over a very long time. There is a certain grace about a woman who embraces this vocation with all her heart and soul and seeks only to do His will. 

She is blessed.

I'm a little late. And it seems sort of insignificant in light of this amazing video, but Happy Birthday, Kim. Thank you for your grace-filled insipiration. 

 

needle and thREAD

 

 I welcome you to needle and thREAD. What have you been sewing lately? Or are you embroidering? Pulling a needle with thread through lovely fabric to make life more beautiful somehow? Would you share with us just a single photo (or more) and a brief description of what you're up to? Will you tell us about what you're reading, also? Would you talk sewing and books with us? I'd love that so much.

    Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your blog post or your specific Flickr photo and not your main blog URL or Flickr Photostream. Please be sure and link to your current needle and theREAD post below in the comments, and not a needle and theREAD post from a previous week. If you don't have a blog, please post a photo to the needle & thREAD group at Flickr.

    Include a link back to this post in your blog post or on your flickr photo page so that others who may want to join the needle and thREAD fun can find us!

~ ~ ~

I've been trying to keep up with the Elsie Marley Kids Clothes Week Challenge this week. On Monday and Tuesday I made each of the little girls an Oliver + S Lazy Days Skirt (free pattern here). I didn't get any pictures before they insisted on wearing them today when we went visiting. So I snapped a few iPhone pictures as those skirts plunged into some bigtime fun.

(love that Anna Maria Horner ribbon:-)

(Heather Bailey fabric on both and I thought it was Riley Blake ribbon on Karoline but I can't find it on the site, so I don't remember where I got that ribbon.)

I did today's sewing with a friend at her house. I had a pressing, urgent alteration to attend to before Mary Beth dances this weekend. I have no idea how to sew or alter dance bodices. Together, Ginny and I brainstormed. I'm pretty sure Jonny had an idea or two, also.

 

Mary Beth was very amused by the two of us talking with our hands behind her and she snapped this one with her iPhone. She might think we're comical, but we came up with a really good idea.

And we put it into action. All good. (At least I think it is.)

I've been listening to Gretchen Rubin read The Happiness Project on my Kindle. It's perfect sewing listening. I very much enjoy hearing this author read her work. I feel like she's sitting in my sewing room telling me with great enthusiasm all the things she's been thinking lately. And I find myself smiling along with the smile in her voice. 

What are you up to this week?

Crafty Chloe

 

Crafty Chloe is a new book that catapulted to the top of my children's best-loved list. The story of a little girl whose talent is creating things, Crafty Chloe tells what happens when Chloe is invited to a birthday party, but can't buy the perfect gift. At first, she fakes a case of Chicken Pops. The pictures of her bemused father are darling. (He was modeled after Todd of Oliver + S fame). Then Chloe gets busy building and sewing. She's resourceful, creative, and downright inspiring.

When this book first arrived, I was busy. My three youngest girls squirreled away to read it to themselves. They came bolting upstairs as soon as they finished reading, yelling, "We have to go  Crafty Chloe Online!" They were eager to try the craft projects there.

It took me a few grocery trips to find a necessary Clementine box. Ours is cardboard. There are no wooden ones to be found. Then, despite the fact that we were at Home Depot three times a day every day last week, they were all out of "normal" paint stirrers.  They were chopping large, industrial ones. I kept holding off, thinking I wanted the shape and size of the smaller ones. Yesterday, between pediatrician and X-rays, I decided to go ahead and get the chopped ones. I  only picked up four. I couldn't bring myself to grab more than that.

I left the paint stirrers at home and headed with Nick to X-ray (he's fine). The kids took over and didn't follow the directions at all. We had blue paint left from the closet project. They even saved a stick for Nick to paint.  Sarah is devastated that this bed is not pink. Other than that, they're rather pleased with themselves. I think Chloe would applaud as well. (All pictures, Mary Beth's phone pix.)

\

And Annabelle? She is charmed by her new bed:-) Annabelle was name for this book, by the way.

I'm dashing out the door this morning. Do you have favorite storybooks with craft themes? How about favorite crafts-with-kids books? Please let us know all about it.

For more about our Storybook Year, click here.

Family Recipes: Meat Sauce for Pasta

When my sister was getting married, she asked my Aunt Lisette for family recipes. Aunt Lisette happily complied by hand lettering all our family's pasta sauce recipes. And then she doodled a bit on the page;-). She's incredibly talented and the resulting painting was a work of art we all wanted to hang in our homes. And so it is that we all have the same painting, framed differently in each house. My dining room, admittedly, is the home to the simplest frame, but I love this more than any other art hung in the house. 

Here, for you, is the meat sauce recipe that my aunt drew on our heirloom paintings.  

Saute 1/2 cup finely chopped onions in 2 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Remove the onions when they become golden and just soft. Add 6-8 Italian sweet sausages, pork or beef ribs. (I often use a combination of meat) When the meat is thoroughly browned, return the onions to the pan. Add 2 large cans of imported Italian tomatoes that you mixed in the blender. It is optional to remove the seeds in a Mouli-Grinder (Gramma did this). Add seasonings: salt, pepper, 5-10 leaves of fresh chopped basil. You will need to add 1 cup of water. Simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours. Serve over fresh pasta or macaroni--Rigatoni, Ziti, or Spaghetti, Fettucine or Linguine, etc. Garnish with freshly grated Romano cheese (Locatelli is the best). 

In the Moment: This Day is Getting Away from Me

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

I spent the whole day in the garden last Tuesday. The weather was perfect and I found that I actually enjoy pulling weeds. Who knew? Today, it's barely forty and I am not at all interested in getting out there. Hopefully, the weeds aren't either.

 

::listening to 

The washer washing and the dryer drying. Mondays are big catch-up days after busy weekends.

::clothing myself in 

Warm cashmere socks a la Elizabeth DeHority. It's so ridiculously cold after such a nice, mild winter.

 

::giving thanks for

a productive morning. Now, if I can just keep chugging on.

 

::talking with my children about these books

Since I'm going to share my own reading on Thursdays at needle and thREAD, I thought I'd share some reading from the children's choices.

Mary Beth is binge reading through the John Paul 2 High School fiction series and enjoying it. 

Stephen has begun Lord of the Rings, part of a course on Lewis and Tolkein.

Patrick is reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

And Katie has a series of her own going. After having literally memorized huge chunks fo the Little House books, she's reading the Anne Pellowski series. She's utterly captivated. She knows that she comes from Polish roots and the combination of Polish culture and Catholic references are truly endearing to her. 

 

::pondering prayerfully

Fly from bad companions as from the bite of a poisonous snake. If you keep good companions, I can assure you that you will one day rejoice with the blessed in Heaven; whereas if you keep with those who are bad, you will become bad yourself, and you will be in danger of losing your soul. ~St. John Bosco

   

::carefully cultivating rhythm

Last week, we had contractors here to build in shelves and drawers in closets. Life revolved around tearing out, spackling, and painting to get ready for "the closet guys." And then, it revolved around putting everything back and repurposing furniture previously used by little girls. This week, it's all about getting back to normal.

::creating by hand

I plan to join Elsie Marley this week for the Kids Clothes Week Challenge and spend at least an hour a day sewing for children. So far, um, yeah. I plan to do it.

::learning lessons in

Organization, humility, beginning again. My kids forgot to take out the trash last Wednesday night. Our neighbor was beyond annoyed. He called the Homeowner's Association and they came out. Really embarrassing. It's back to a rock-solid actual checklist and inspection of such things. There is an old adage I've known for 20 years or more: Don't expect what you don't inspect. True that. 

::encouraging learning 

I'm still having conferences with my kids, but we're making great progess. More checklists happening. I'd gotten away from lists and records, but I'm back now. I need them. A lot. (see above)

::begging prayers

for all the people who have joined our weekend prayer community. I carried your requests with me to Mass and I will keep a candle lit for you throughout the week.

:keeping house

Speaking of old adages, there is much to be said for "a place for everything and everything in its place." We are making great progress on having a place for everything. For instance, typical suburban houses aren't made for nine beds and they aren't made for linens for nine beds. Now that we've made maximum space of the closet in the little girls' room, I've moved Sarah's dresser into my bathroom and it's storing towels and sheets. I'm pretty sure I heard the hall linen closet sigh with relief. And so on and so on. Teeny, tiny, baby steps. 

::crafting in the kitchen 

I heard your request for meat sauce to go with the manicotti. Hoepfully, I'll get that one written up tomorrow. I went to the Famer's Market for the first time this season. Yay! Saturday morning fruits and veggies are the best. I'm looking forward to spending the whole growing season indulging in my standard lunch: a cup of Greek yogurt, a half teaspoon of raw honey, and whatever fruit is ripe and plentiful and local. (Psst, they already have strawberries:-) 

::loving the moments

One day last week, Nicky and Karoline and I went to visit the geese. Karoline has named them all since we go nearly every day. Usually, though, I take all the little girls. It was really fun to just have those two children along. The dynamic between them is special and I loved witnessing it. Nicky caught some good video with his iPod camera and he even managed a few good pictures of a bird of prey. And then I got a few pics, too;-).

::living the liturgy

I plan to begin to use 33 Days to Morning Glory with all my kids this week, in preparation for Marian Consecration on the Feast of the Visitation. More about this book later in the week, I think.

 

 

::planning for the week ahead

We didn't get to make that aforementioned bee trip. Maybe this week. We have 4 orthondontic appointments on Wednesday. That means we'll have four people moaning and groaning and drikning frozen smoothies Wedesday night. Mike and I are looking forward to a fancy grown-up lunch to celebrate my stepmom's birthday on Saturday morning. Sephen is being confirmed Saturday night. Mary Beth has her first performance with her new dance school on Sunday. And then, I think Sunday evening is just begging for a celebration cookout.

All pictures this week are from my iPhone. I'm having a wonderful time getting to know the camera.

Lord, Hear Our Prayer

The internet is a very powerful force for bringing the comfort and consolation and hope of the Lord to all of us. It can be an incredibily powerful medium for community. There is an unfathomable resource for prayer here. We have on the 'net the privilege of praying for people and of being witness to the miracles brought forth when fervent, faith-fulled people pray for one another.

Let's be that community of hope and faith.

But how about this idea? What if I pop in here every weekend, share Sunday's gospel and talk a wee bit about how we can live it and pray it in our homes? And then you tell me how we can pray for you that week? Deal?

Gospel, Luke 24:35-48

³⁵ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.

³⁶ They were still talking about all this when he himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you!'

³⁷ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost.

³⁸ But he said, 'Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts stirring in your hearts?

³⁹ See by my hands and my feet that it is I myself. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.'

⁴⁰ And as he said this he showed them his hands and his feet.

⁴¹ Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, as they were dumbfounded; so he said to them, 'Have you anything here to eat?'

⁴² And they offered him a piece of grilled fish,

⁴³ which he took and ate before their eyes.

⁴⁴ Then he told them, 'This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms, was destined to be fulfilled.'

⁴⁵ He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures,

⁴⁶ and he said to them, 'So it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,

⁴⁷ and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

⁴⁸ You are witnesses to this.

 

Think

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow. The same loving Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and everyday. Either he will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.

~St. Francis de Sales

Pray

Christ Jesus, please open my eyes. Help me to see you in my neighbors and my family. Help me to let you live in me and to be your ambassador of peace.

Act 

With whom  can you break bread this week? Invite someone to dinner--a priest, a neighbor, someone outside your usual company. Share a meal and share yourself. It doesn't have to be fussy or fancy; be at peace as your prepare and at peace as you share.

How can I pray for you this week? How can we pray for each other? And please keep us posted on updates to past prayer requests.

Time to Connect

I think it was about three weeks before Easter that he mentioned it again. 

"You should come with me to Miami." I'm pretty sure I rolled my eyes. This crazy idea was a clear illustration of the disconnect. This man has no concept of what the three weeks before a major holiday hold for mothers. He doesn't understand that we were going to throw Bluebell Week in there a month early, that soccer season began the day we were to leave, that we were going to move most of the contents of two bedrooms right after Easter. He was suggesting that I just take a week off and leave everything. Go in an airplane. For four nights away from my toddler who still nursed herself to sleep.

But just as my eye rolling ceased I saw for a brief moment the look on his face.

I didn't say anything. Instead, I sulked and thought to myself that he was adding something pretty huge to an already crammed to-do list. I needed to finish spring cleaning before Easter. I needed to cook and bake and get ready to host his extended family for the holiday. And besides all that, who takes a vacation at the beginning of Holy Week? The whole idea grated on my liturgical sensibility.

The next day, I dashed off a whiny email about my predicament to a very dear friend--the kind of friend who would read my ungrateful rant and say not a word until much later, when I'd come to my senses. And even then, she would not remind, she would just smile broadly at my note telling her how wonderful this whole idea was. My initial complaint was blown away with a puff of  loving grace.

Shortly after my haughty email, I called my father. Would he, could he, could they, please watch six of my children for four nights so I could go to Miami? Of course they could, came the ready reply. And then he handed the phone to my stepmother. She listened to my litany of ifs, ands and buts. And she wholeheartedly encouraged me to go. She was happy to have them, happy to give us this chance to get away.

The three big boys would remain at home so that they could go to school and to work. I drew up a long list of chores that required manual labor so that they wouldn't kill each other would have a positive outlet for all that energy.

I knew that Mike would be at work all day while I was there. So, I set some intense writing goals. I prepared three embroidery projects. I downloaded two new books to my Kindle. And then, after a conversation about something entirely different with my friend Becca, on a complete and total whim, I ordered this book. I described it a little to you last week. Here's what I said:

I spent Holy Week reading Consoling the Heart of Jesus. There are a small handful of books in my life where I remember exactly where and when I read them because those times and places are turning points. This book is one of those. It is easily at the top of that list. This incredibly readable volume makes some of the most beautiful truths and devotions of the Catholic faith understandable (at last)  and accessible (even to busy mothers of large families).  Fr. Gaitley brings together fine threads of several spiritual traditions and weaves them into a beautiful and exceedingly useful tapestry of a do-it-yourself retreat. It is Ignatian spirituality made accessible. It is the Little Way of St. Therese for all of us. It is consecration to Mary and devotion to Divine Mercy explained in plain language and made clear to little souls. Mostly, it is a rich volume of Merciful Words that brings Merciful Love to its readers. You don't have to have a weekend to make the retreat. You can just read a little each day until you are finished. If it's your heart's desire to get to know and understand Jesus better, tell Him. He'll help you find the time. I heartily recommend that you hurry and get yourself a copy of this book--what a beautiful way to spend the Easter sason.

I started reading on the plane. By the time we landed, I knew that this Holy Week was set apart for me by God Himself, in His infinite mercy. This time would be a time of retreat. I would fill my days with God and spend my evenings with my husband. No interruptions. No distractions. Just the three of us.

I kept to my general prayer program.

I started my days there at the gym. The hotel bike is considerably newer than my 13-year-old one. The voices from divineoffice.org joining me in prayer were familiar, even far from home. Mike and I had leisurely breakfasts at an Argentinian market. We walked hand-in-hand back to the hotel and he went off to work in his office right next door. I returned to the room and to my retreat. At ten o'clock, I went back out for another walk, soaking up the gorgeous sunshine and drinking deep of the lovely town that is Coral Gables. I stopped at a sushi restaurant and ordered a salad to go to bring back to my room. Back to my retreat. When I got there, the bed had been made, the room straightened and it all smelled like a tropical breeze. It's amazing how clearly one can think in the absence of clutter and a to-do list.

At three o'clock, I walked again. One day, I looked see where the closest church was. I walked three miles to The Church of the Little Flower. I wish I had  pictures for you. There's a tour here; you can even see the street I walked. It's actually only two miles, but I got lost on the way there. Then I walked back to the hotel, stopping at a cafe for iced tea to bring back to the room. I sat in the courtyard and read some more. After a day or so of filling this way--of relishing much needed silence--words came back. I found myself drawn to keyboard, fingers flying and thoughts tumbling from my hands. The time I spent at my computer wan't much at all, but it was rich.

The embroidery went untouched. I didn't have my camera, so the very few pictures I have were taken with Mike's cell phone from our table outside at dinner one evening on South Beach. But the images in my head? All art created by Him.

Mike and I enjoyed wonderful evenings. We had all the time in the world to finish conversations, to think deep thoughts together. His workday was pretty intense and he was not on vacation at all, but he was so genuinely happy to have me there. We ate great food and we took in the sights and sounds of the unique culture that is south Florida. I saw through his eyes and my own the places and people he spends so much time with. It was all good.

I returned to my home and my children early Holy Thursday afternoon, in plenty of time to make a seder dinner and go to Mass together. Mike did not join us until Easter Sunday.

Despite all my reluctances, I know I spent those days right in the middle of God's will. I am so grateful that my husband saw much better than I did how much I needed to get away. I'm grateful to my father and stepmother for sacrificing their own quiet and rest for my rowdy, energetic crew. And I'm grateful to a merciful Jesus for the gift of graces he showered on me.

I am so glad I said Yes!

 

Joining the ladies at Suscipio this week for Moments of Grace.

needle and thREAD

~

I welcome you to needle and thREAD. What have you been sewing lately? Or are you embroidering? Pulling a needle with thread through lovely fabric to make life more beautiful somehow? Would you share with us just a single photo (or more) and a description of what you're up to? Would you talk sewing and books with us? I'd love that so much.

you can either write about it on your blog and link here or you can upload a picture to the needle and thREAD Flickr group. Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your blog post or your specific Flickr photo and not your main blog URL or Flickr Photostream. Please be sure and link to your current needle and theREAD post, and not a needle and theREAD post from a previous week.

    Include a link back to this post in your blog post or on your flickr photo page so that others who may want to join the needle and thREAD fun can find us! Feel free to grab a button here (in one of several colors) so that you can use the button to link:-).

 

I read good and perfect gift this week. Actually, I read the whole thing on Friday. I couldn't put it down. It's Amy Julia Becker's story of discovery. When her first child, Penny, is born, Amy Julia and her husband learn she has Down Syndrome. The young mother takes us with her as she looks hard and long at what this unexpected diagnosis means.

I was struck by how a deep faith--even when one asks honest and tough theological questions--colors everything. How faith opened for her the very real growth that came with learning about herself as she learned along with Penny. I have seen close up how mothers react upon learning and living with the unexpected when a child is born. This book affirmed for me that walking in faith makes all the difference.

On the sewing front, I'm working on twirly skirts. Carmen sent me some Cape Ann charm squares. I'm making skirts for my Sarah and Karoline and her Tess. I'm so glad to have been surprised by Cape Ann! When I first saw it online, I wasn't really moved to stash some. I think I was put off by the toile. I'm not so much into toile. But this toile? This toile is lovely. I love absolutely every print of this line and I'm so happy to be sewing with it.

It was great fun to read about your sewing and reading last week. What are you up to this week?

My Map Book

We read My Map Book by Sara Fanelli on the recommendation Mariah Bruehl of Playful Learning. (By the way, Playful Learning is still an awesome book).

My Map Book  is a brightly illustrated book of maps--of some unusual places. There are maps of tummies and of the day and of the neighborhood. It's a charming, whimsical book that captivated my little girls. 

Nicholas was so bothered by pictures of maps that were distorted. He kind of lost it when the toothbrush was bigger than the school. Nothing was to scale enough to suit Nick. So, I showed him how to draw to scale on centimeter graph paper. And then I sent him up to his room to draw a to-scale map of his own bedroom. Patrick went along to help.

The girls stayed at the table with me and drew maps of their hearts. I wish I had a picture of those finished maps. Alas, I don't. But the girls really enjoyed the project and they'd like to make slightly smaller pictures and collect them into their own map books.

You can read more about the heart-mapping project at the home of Playful Learning. There are some darling pictures of heart maps there, too.

And that's all for today!

For a detailed explanation of our Storybook Year and a long list of ways to talk about books, click here.

Photos provided graciously by Evelyn Hockstein for The New York Times

Family Recipes: Homemade Manicotti

I texted Kristin a few days before her birthday to ask her what her favorite meal is. It's a tradition in our family that you have your favorite meal on your birthday and your name day. She said any kind of pasta would suit her fine. Kristin is a vegetarian, but that's not a problem. I was a vegetarian for a long time and I have lots of well-loved recipes that don't rely on meat.  I also have six men living in this house and they don't think it's dinner unless there's meat. Every Friday, no matter what the meal, Stephen always tells me it would be better if we added hamburger.

Kristin is already an accomplished cook, but I want to share family recipes with her, becuase our family does a lot of gathering in the kitchen and she fits right in there. So I pulled out Aunt Lisette's Manicotti recipe, knowing I could make a meat sauce for the boys and top Kristin's with Marinara. I handed the well-loved, very worn recipe card to Kristin. 

"Well," she said dubiously, "as long as you can read it." 

I could read it (mostly because I already knew what it said). But I saw her point. And I just happened to have a solution.

Kristin's birthday present from us was a copy of Homemade Recipes, a scrapbook style binder for recording family favorites. It's a beautiful book that I know I've mentioned previously. Actually, I have one for myself. And one for each of my girls. We gave one to Mary Beth's buddy, Bailey. And there's one here I promised to Hilary. There might be a few more. You know, in case another sweet girl comes along who wants to cook with us. 

I had started a pot of meat sauce earlier in the day. When Kristin arrived, we mixed filling and made batter for homemade noodles. After letting the batter sit for about half an hour, Kristin cooked the crepe style noodles and Katie filled. I copied the recipe onto a new page. I kept Aunt Lisette's card. Can't really bear to part with it. 

For you, though, the fresh recipe page.

And a few pictures of the what is really the most amazing pasta, ever. Michael asked if I was going to try it with rice flour. Nope. I just can't bring myself to be bummed. There's no substitute. I can't eat this version, but I'm not going to let the recipe die altogether. I can cook it for everyone else. And now Kristin can, too.

Hello iPhone; I think we're going to be great friends.

I got an iPhone yesterday afternoon. After doing extensive research (on Facebook, of course), I asked for a 4S. Honestly, the whole pesonal assistant idea held little appeal to me. I asked Siri if she'd do my laundry and she promptly listed 10 laundromats in the area. Clearly, her usefulness to me is limited.

No, I wanted a 4S because of the camera. Oh, what a camera!

And the whole reason I want a camera was for this wonderful app. Well, maybe that's not the whole reason. I sort of can't wait to share pictures with you here.

Sigh.

So happy.

First iPhone picture ever:

...from the van as we got on White's Ferry to cross the Potomac to get to soccer in Maryland. Using my cell phone! My cell phone! Can you believe it?!? 

In the Moment Monday Morning

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

Years ago, I went to Girls Nation. After my week playing "Senator from Virginia" was over, the girl who played "Senator from New Mexico" stayed with me at my house. Mike (yes, that Mike--he was in the picture even way back when) and I drove her all over Virginia, showing her the sights. I remember how she marveled over and over again at how green it all was. I'd always lived on the east coast and never known anything but lush green. After that week, I never took it for granted again. I noticed the green. This week, the world is truly greening up.

 

::listening to 

Sarah and Katie playing "babies in the next room. We called it "playing house" when I was growing up. My kids have always called it "playing babies." I like their name for it infinitely better.

::clothing myself in 

Layers. The weather in the past week has been all over the {weather} map. Cold in the mornings. Hot in the afternoons. Crazy.

 

::giving thanks for

 mercy.

::talking with my children about these books

Since I'm going to share my own reading on Thursdays at needle and thREAD, I thought I'd share some reading from the children's choices.

Mary Beth is binge reading through the John Paul 2 High School fiction series and enjoying it. 

Patrick and Nick are both reading through the Hunger Games Trilogy. If you haven't bought any of them, buy the boxed set. If they read one (or if you read one), they (or you) are going to want to read them all. Isn't it funny to call three Kindle editions a "boxed set?"

And Katie has a series of her own going. After having literally memorized huge chunks fo the Little House books, she's reading the Anne Pellowski series. She's utterly captivated. She knows that she comes from Polish roots and the combination of Polish culture and Catholic references are truly endearing to her. Yesterday, I found her writing her name--only she was using my maiden name. Bless her heart! She managed to get all those counterintuitive Polish consonants in the right order. She says she'll use "Grzymala" as a middle name for one of her kids.

::pondering prayerfully

 "I recommend to you holy simplicity.  Look straight in front of you and not at those dangers you see in the distance.  As you say, to you they look like armies, but they are only willow branches; and while you are looking at them you may take a false step.  Let us be firmly resolved to serve God with our whole heart and life.  Beyond that, let us have no care about tomorrow.  Let us think only of living today well, and when tomorrow comes, it also will be today and we can think about it then.  In all this we must trust and be resigned to God's providence." From the Golden Counsels of St. Francis de Sales (tip of the Easter bonnet to Jennifer)

   

::creating by hand

I finished the embroidery on my first quilt square for the anniversary quilt. And I learned to do French knots. Karoline was very impressed. On to the next square. I've promised a certain sweetheart in Colorado a twirly skirt and I'd like to make some sundresses. We'll see what the week holds.

::learning lessons in

bees. We've gotten all our bee books out in anticipation of a visit to meet a friend's new obsession. With the promise of being able to wear the bee suit, Nicholas can hardly wait! He's come a long way since his bee-phobia.

::encouraging learning 

I'm having individual conferences with each child this week to absolutely nail down what will be required of them this summer. We're going to have very strict checklists. Every once in awhile, a season of strict checklists is in order. 

 

::carefully cultivating rhythm

Michael began working the dayshift today! I canot begin to tell you how happy this makes me. Ever since he got the job at USAToday last year, he's worked from 6PM-3AM. He gets home around 4AM. Often, I don't sleep very soundly until I know he's safely home. And, often when he does get home, I wake completely and can't get back to sleep. He's sleep deprived. I'm sleep deprived. In the mornings, when he's sleeping, I spend way too much time telling little girls not to talk, not to sing, not to play music, not to build with blocks... And often, they're still too loud for him to sleep. Tension. All that went away today.

::begging prayers

for my friend, Leslie who carries a heavy cross into the Easter season and for her children:  I pray that the joy of the Resurrection will be theirs even as the grieve. And for the repose of the soul of her husband: 

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

 

:keeping house

Mike and Christian built floor-to-celing, wall-to-wall bookcases in the basement. We've moved all the books from our library closet to the basement shelves. The room that used to be our learning room has been the little girls' room for a few years now. But the closet remained a library. No more. This week, it's going to be transformed into a dressing room. Yesterday, we painted it pink. More magic to come.

 

::crafting in the kitchen 

To celebrate Kristin's birthday, I taught her how to make homemade Manicotti on Saturday. Recipe tomorrow:-)

Post-holiday notes to self, so that I never, ever do this again:

1. Just because it's Easter, don't be a glutton. 
2. Eating chocolate covered espresso beans found in Christian's basket will have the same effect as drinking coffee. Maybe worse.
3. Sugar is not my friend.
4. Neither is starch.
5. I'm really happiest and healthiest when I stick to that strict diet. 

::loving the moments

I'll say it again: I love soccer in Poolesville. Love the ferry, love the farm. Don't really care that it's a terrible field. Love the picnic. Love the soccer friends. Love it all.

{This is where I should insert my first iPhone picture--taken yesterday on the ferry to soccer. But I have no idea how to get it from phone to blog just yet. maybe a quick post of its own this afternoon.}

::living the liturgy

I got an iPhone. And so did Patrick. So we gave our iPods to Katie and Karoline. And that means they inherited the chimes and the apps of my prayer plan. It was pretty darn adorable to watch them keep those prayer times for themselves. The only thing Katie changed was opting for the sounds of a strumming guitar instead of chapel bells. I choose not to ponder the liturgical implications. She's just a girl who likes guitar:-)

 

::planning for the week ahead

We might make that aforementioned bee trip. We will go to Bull Run--it just wouldn't be the third week in April without playing in the creek down there, flowers or no flowers. Stephen's Confirmation notebook will be finished and turned in. Last detail before his big day on the 28th!

Lord, Hear Our Prayer

There is one thing I miss very much since stepping back from active participation in message boards. I miss the prayer forum. I miss the privilege of praying for people and I especially miss being witness to the miracles brought forth when fervent, faith-fulled people prayed for one another.

Someone wrote me the other day to tell me how much she enjoyed all the Lenten daily prompts. Her kind note made me smile. She wondered if I might be able to do that year 'round. Well, I didn't do those prompts alone. I did them along with Danielle Bean, several years ago. And we did write one for every day of the year. Those are available in our book, Small Steps for Catholic Moms, which come to think of it, is actually unavailable. But that's a thought to ponder another day.

But how about this idea? What if I pop in here every weekend, share Sunday's gospel and talk a wee bit about how we can live it and pray it in our homes? And then you tell me how we can pray for you that week? Deal?

Jn 11:1-45 or 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

Think

Oh my Lord, my soul is the most wretched of all, and yet You stoop to it with such kindness! I see clearly Your greatness and my littleness, and therefore I rejoice that You are so powerful and without limit, and so I rejoice greatly at being so little. (Diary of St. Faustina)

Pray

Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet  today.

Act

This week, be aware of Jesus' infinite mercy and ask Him to show you how to extend that mercy and consoling love to those who are close to you-- and to those who cause you to stumble and despair. To console their hearts is to console Christ Himself. Share the Divine Mercy message with your children (lots of free downloads here and a CD-ROM you can order for more worksheet kinds of things). Also, this video brings the message alive for children.

How can I pray for you this week? How can we pray for each other? 

Grace in the Moment

 

The bluebells bloomed about a month early this year. I can't tell you how this rocked my world. I already had a jam-packed schedule in the three weeks before Holy Week. I was trying to finish Easter sewing, double up on lessons, do a spring cleaning and prepare to leave my children and go with my husband on a surprise trip. I knew that when I returned, I would be on the threshold of the Triduum, so I wanted to prepare well for that, too. And then, someone broke his nose, someone else got strep throat ( a first time ever for our family), and Mike's father ended up in the hospital for several days. One day, in the midst of it all, I got an email. "Bluebells expected to be at peak next week."

Bluebell Week is my favorite week of the year. It is my consoling thought during long winters. It is the burst of newness and springtime and hope that brings my weary spirit back to life. It is where I rejoice with my whole heart in God's glory in nature. I never miss it. And I never want my children to miss it.

This year, the weather was annoying during the bluebell's time in the sun (or not). Every day that I had a car available, rain was forecast. Friends we've met there every year were mostly unable to come, or couldn't come for very long. Sometime during the flower's blooming I received an email from a friend whose family we especially enjoy down at Bull Run. The subject line was "Bluebell Panic" because that's what I was feeling as I tried to make the calendar fashioned by my hands work with the God's timing of spring. My friend wrote, " I think that my family will have to wait until next year to see the bluebells again."

And in that moment, I felt an envy I have never felt before. I envied the ease with which she wrote "next year." I never do that. I never, ever assume next year. Heck, I never assume tomorrow. For twenty-two springs,  twenty-two seasons of flowers blooming, I always wonder if fear that I won't see them bloom again. And I always, always take the time to make sure my family notices them, too. Just this year, I wanted the easy-breezy "next year" mentality.

Usually, I consider this awareness of the preciousness of time to be a great gift, perhaps the greatest gift of surviving cancer. I just don't take anything for granted. For the most part, it's made me more grateful than most people can imagine for every single heartbeat. It does, however, come with a bit of dark lining. I have trouble sitting still, trouble just being. I always have this sense of cramming every bit of living into every single moment because I don't know how short life is. I have trouble leaving my children--not because I'm worried something will happen to them while I'm away or that I won't return, but just because I know with every fiber of my being that I won't get those moments again. It's a pretty intense way to live. 

This year, I recognized with startling clarity that God knew. God knew the intensity. And God knew the schedule and the weather and the state of my housekeeping. I handed it all to Him and asked Him to direct my days, to help me glorify Him with my time, and bring me the peace of heart and soul I knew I needed.

He began with the bluebells. We managed to squeeze in a couple very brief visits with friends with the promise to meet again. But then, those promises got swallowed up by logistics for those friends. Then, Linda, Nicholas' godmother, called and told me the absolute only day she could meet us there. Our meeting in the woods has been a tradition since before Nicholas could walk. Since before her son, Bobby, who is my godchild, was born. We cherish these days. We were together by the creek with the flowers the day the new Pope was elected. (That's a great story. You can click. I'll wait.) I looked around my house. I looked at my to-do list. No doubt, the house would stay dirty--the dirt would still be there. But the flowers would not stay in bloom. I took a deep breath. I recognized that I would, indeed, have a car available. We'll be there.

We went. The morning was glorious. Linda met me there with a friend. For over 20 years, people have been telling me I had to meet this lady. And for over 20 years, she's heard the same thing about me. We have a lot of mutual friends. One of them is Linda. And on this day, God brought us together. I shared my flowers with her. It's always such a joy to show someone the first time. 

Around noon, all three of my big boys joined us. Nine children --all nine of my children-- together in the place we've made so many memories. Linda knows me well. Sensing that the enormity of the bittersweet was threatening the joy of the present moment, she began to seize the photo-op and direct my picture efforts. From behind the lens, my mind whirled. Next year, Patrick will be away at school, and probably Christian, too. Michael will likely be married by then, but certainly he will finally have a day job and be much less available. This could be the last time I snap a photo of all of them in the bluebells. The log they once sat on--back when there were only six of them--had long since decayed, a natural reminder that nothing ever stays the same.  We have only today. And there was Linda. Directing and orchestrating, making sure we made the most of the moment.

I am so grateful.

I walked out of the woods that day with my new friend. We shared as if we'd know each other forever. I was struck by God's abundant goodness. And then, just when I thought the day couldn't be any fuller, God reminded me that I've had the great gift of bringing my children to this place for more than a decade. My new friend Jean was just beginning to know the bluebells. She came with her last little girl, a daughter my Sarah's age. 

And she also brought her baby grandson.

There is tangible hope in those flowers.

Every spring.

Entertaining Angels...

 

 

Summer is almost here. It’s upon us. The magazines are screaming. Roll up your sleeves and fire up the grill. It’s time to entertain!

 

 

 

May I offer an alternative? Instead of entertaining, offer hospitality. The differences are not subtle. When we entertain, we are often ruled by our pride. When we offer hospitality, we are inspired by charity. Entertaining seeks to impress. Hospitality seeks to minister...

Please join me at Suscipio to read the rest.

with needle and thREAD

Last winter, I learned to knit. It was a great, grand, and glorious thing. I loved plunging headfirst into the world of knitting. Such  nice people I found there! Such beautiful projects I found there! I discovered great joy and enormous peace in knitting. And I loved creating beautiful things for the people I love.

I joined my friend Ginny's Yarn Along with unbounded enthusiasm. Those Wednesday posts were my favorite and almost always, I found time to read everyone else's Yarn Along post. Endless inspiration and eye candy.

Alas, I sneezed. And wheezed. I am very allergic to animal fibers. I knew this, of course, before I began to knit. But I thought I could knit around that fact. I could. Sort of. I would find a pattern I loved and head off to translate it cotton-ese. I knit beautiful handspun cashmere generously provided by the best knitting mentor a girl could ever hope to have. Eventually, even that made me itch and wheeze. I persevered in the cotton department. After several months of nearly manic knitting I developed tendonitis. Ginny is a dear in-real-life friend. She pointed out that knitting cotton is especially tough on one's tendons. No kidding.

Around this time, another friend was encouraging me to learn to sew. As I began to explore the world of sewing, I discovered a beautiful fact: those who sew speak the language of cotton. They don't look at cotton the way that knitters do. They love cotton! Embrace it! Revel in it! Here was a way to create I could acutally jump into with wholehearted gusto. 

I learned to sew. I am learning to sew. And as my enthusiasm has grown, so has my desire to "talk sewing." A few weeks ago, after being quiet for a couple of weeks here, with nothing really to say, sewing came bubbling up out of me. I posted pictures of my girls' handmade Easter dresses and pretty much begged you to talk sewing with me. And you did:-)! I visited some new-to-me sites and saw such pretty things. One of the dear ladies who read that post wrote and asked if I'd consider a linkup party like Yarn Along, for those of us who sew. 

What a great idea...

I ran it past Ginny and she said go for it!

So here I am introducing to you needle and thREAD. What have  you been sewing lately? Or are you embroidering? Pulling a needle with thread through lovely fabric to make life more beautiful somehow? Would you share with us just a single photo and a brief description of what you're up to? Are you reading something wonderful, a volume you just can't put down? Are you listening to the audio version so that you can sew and read at the same time? Would you talk sewing and books with us? I'd love that so much. Please come back every Thursday and share with us!

 

Here's a  button for your post (you can even choose your color), that way we can find our way back here to see what other people are dreaming up to do with needle and thread.  Go ahead and put it in your sidebar, too. If we want to talk sewing and reading on a regular basis, we have to spread the word!  

And if you're knitting instead, or knitting as well, please be sure to stop by Yarn Along and tell my friend Ginny hello for me:-)

 

This week, I began to stitch the embroidery in the center of quilt squares. I'm putting together a quilt that's a hybrid of two sewalongs at Clover and Violet: Embroidery 101 and Garden Steps. This is a very longterm project. I packed three squares to take with me to Florida last week, but I never got to them. I did finally pick up the embroidery this week at home. I've never really embroidered before, so it's a bit rough, especially at the "learning curves," but I think I am going to like it! (Isn't that a great embroidery hoop? I read about it on Pretty By Hand.)

 

I read several books during Lent. If you were away from the 'net and missed it, pop over and see what I had to say about the fabulous Style, Sex and Substance. Then, I didn't read at all last week as I hustled around like crazy. Now, I'm sighing contentedly into reading The Jane Austen Guide to Happily-Ever-After, a book which was recommended to me by a lady who reads my blog and thought it would suit me. She was right. I'm very much enjoying this modern-day application of Jane Austen civility. And, since endless pictures of my Kindle aren't very much fun, here's a peek at the actual book cover.

What are you reading and sewing? Leave a link to your blog so we all can see or upload your picture to the needle and thREAD flickr group.