home hum

Seven Signs

Seven signs of the season:

One ::  Christmas music all day everyday on WROR

Two ::  Spanish Clementines on the counter (my children cheered when I brought them in yesterday. They really are "candy sweet and easy to peel")

Three ::  Chipmunks and squirrels busily gathering for the winter at our feeders

Four ::  Candles lit on every table in the evenings

Five ::  Wool wrappings:  throws, hats, socks, mittens, scarves...

Six ::   Chocolate Advent calendars at Trader Joe's 

:: Seven ::  

Joining Jennifer at Conversion Diary for 7 Quick Takes Friday

Reading and Knitting

Today was a very full day.  There was storytime at the library in the morning with Luke, and then after lunch Seth and I drove into Boston to spend the afternoon comparing ancient sculptures at the Museum of Fine Arts.  We've taken three trips to the museum this semester, and every time it has rained.  I'm glad to be home now with a steaming hot cup of tea, and my book and knitting beside me :- )

A couple of weeks ago I saw this quote on Kortney's blog, which led me to The Illumined Heart, by Frederica Mathewes-Green.  What a wise, beautiful, encouraging and insightful little book for those who desire a deeper understanding of the ancient path of Christianity.  I liked it so much that I put several of Mathewes-Green's books in my queue at the library.  Today I started reading, The Lost Gospel of Mary:  The Mother of Jesus in Three Ancient Texts, in preparation for Advent.  

I haven't been knitting too much because of the pain in my hand, but of course, I must knit a little :- ) I'm making  s l o w  progress on my Tea Leaves Cardi.  I'd say I'm about three quarters through the body. Yesterday I put it aside so that I could begin knitting caps for the troops.  This is a project that I am working on in conjunction with my church group, The Friends of St. Anthony.  Once a month the Friends volunteer time to pack care packages with HOTS (Helping Our Troops).  It's cold in Afghanistan this time of year, and the troops need wool knit caps to keep their heads warm, even under their helmets. HOTS provided the pattern, a very simple stockinette hat with three tows of 1 x 1 ribbing around the edge. I'm using Plymouth Select Worsted Merino Superwash color #12. I hope to complete a hat every other day. I'm experimenting with different ways to hold my needles to help alleviate my hand pain (and I'm being very mindful about keeping my hands loose).  Do any of you knitters have some helpful tips?  

Joining Ginny at Small Things for her weekly Yarn Along.    

Morning Quiet

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.”
~ Mother Teresa

This morning we sat quietly in the kitchen after putting peanuts out on the deck, and waited for our furry friends to come: one, two, three!  This one is the littlest and the boldest.  He hasn't yet learned that there is much to fear in a suburban neighborhood.  He comes right up to the glass door, even with our big black dog on this side wagging his tail and smiling and wishing to play chase.  

The smallest, quietest moments are often the happiest.  

 

Giving Way

"The bread you do not use is the bread of the hungry.  The garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of the person who is naked.  The shoes you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot.  The money you keep locked away is the money of the poor," said St. Basil the Great.  St. Ambrose agreed: "There is your brother, naked and crying! And you stand confused over the choice of an attractive floor covering."  

p. 89 from, The Illumined Heart:  The Ancient Christian Path of Transformation, by Frederica Mathewes Green

Thank you Linnea, Kyrie, and Kerry for hosting Quotable Sundays.

Each Moment

Right now I'm trying to take each day as it comes and be thankful for it's work and for it's bread. I'm trying to be a good steward of my time each day, seeing every minute as a gift, an opportunity to serve and love, which has made me more productive and cheerful. I am trying to abide in Christ the only way we can: moment-by-moment, day-by-day. If I look ahead I lose all perspective. Joy is in the moments: the baby's eyelashes, the toddler's happy song, dust motes sparkling in a sunbeam, the smell of good things cooking and baking, the feel of wool between my fingers, companionship and laughter while playing a board game, cold cheeks while walking in the woods, the homey smell of wood smoke from my neighbor's chimney, the warm feeling of helping a friend...

Ouch!

Progress on my Tea Leaves Cardigan has  s l o w e d  this week due to pain in my right hand.  The large joint at the base of my thumb is really sore and my entire hand is weak.  I have a regualr physical scheduled on Friday, so I'm going to mention it to my doctor.  I hope it's not arthritis :- (

Since I can't knit (much), I've been reading more.  I'm thoroughly enjoying Miss Read's Fairacre series. I'm also reading My Life With the Saints, which is excellent--very engaging.  

I'm also enjoying walks in the woods.  Last weekend's snowstorm (all melted now) gave me a sense of urgency to get out there before the woods fill up with snow.  

Yarning along with Ginny at Small Things.

Holy Light

 Skogskyrkogården Sweden on All Saints' Day Photo: Michael Cavén/Flickr

Gradually I found myself growing fonder of these saints and developing a tenderness toward them.  I began to see them as models of holiness relevant to contemporary believers, and to understand the remarkable ways that God works in the lives of individuals.  Each saint was holy in his or her unique way, revealing how God celebrates individuality.  As C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity:  "How monotonously alike all the great tyrants and conquerers have been: how gloriously different are the saints."  

             ~James Martin, SJ, My Life With the Saints p.6

Today is All Hallows Day (or as we call it in the United States, All Saints Day). Tonight, Christians throughout Europe will leave candles and flowers in cemeteries to honor all the saints of Christ, both known and unknown.  I have heard that in Poland the cemeteries are lit up with thousands and thousands of candles. Can you imagine what a holy light it must be?  I think it is a beautiful tradition.