Sunday in my kitchen

I think this image had a big impact on my childhood. I know it did for Hels. At age 7, she declared that this was one of her favorite Laura and Mary images because it made her feel so cozy.





Hels spent Sunday in my kitchen processing a 1/2 bushel of apples. She worked all day making applesauce.

She was very satisfied when she finally got it all labeled and stowed away in the freezer. Our freezer isn't as cozy as Laura and Mary's attic, but it still feels great! It is full of blueberries we picked, strawberries we preserved, veggies we processed.


I also spent the day organizing food. Under all the tomatoes we canned from this summer is a case of canned tomatoes that we got at a case-lot sale. We also got cases of TLC crackers, chicken broth, tortilla chips, laundry detergent, and other such things. Now when I go to the grocery store I usually only have to go around the edges of the store.

Meanwhile, Lou fell in love with the idea of having "a beaver" which, in Ballet Shoes, is something like "elevenses" or a late morning snack. She whipped up a batch of cookies and made tea.

Nels came in from his current building project and we all sat and "had our beaver."

It was a busy, productive Sunday! I love how my girls are beginning to feel comfortable cooking. Now if only I could get them to make dinner once in awhile. Perhaps that's a winter goal.

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Hats and Pom Poms

Betsy has been keeping us company for the past couple of days. This wonderful story is about a little girl who moves from the city to Vermont to stay with her cousins. She discovers all sorts of things about herself and is transformed into a happy, capable child. It's a great story for a 9 year old. I got this book on tape from Chinaberry years ago. We've all been transported back to the days of one-room-schools in Vermont.

My girls like to listen to books on tape while crafting. While listening to Betsy, Hels has been CHURNING out little hats of her own design. Each one is getting just a bit bigger. Today I'm going to show her how to use round knitting needles so there isn't a seam. She's enjoying the challenge of figuring out her own designs and, all on her own, figured out that she should decrease gradually rather than just gathering up her rectangle.

Lou has been making pom poms. She got inspired after Hels made the pom pom on this little hat. There's something very fun about making pom poms. Both girls used to make these in kindergarten. The teacher would put out baskets of seasonally appropriate colors and the kids would go at it. Pom poms are a good project for early fine motor skills and getting used to yarn.

I've never quite known what to do with lots of pom poms. I guess they are an easy way to learn juggling. They can go on a zipper of a coat. They can be strung together into a boa-like scarf, but, mainly they are just fun to make!

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Lantern Walk Songs

Last year for Martinmas, I posted about how to make balloon lanterns. From that post came many requests for Lantern Walk songs as some of you are beginning to make plans. Here are my two favorite. The girls really love to sing this song:


This is the song I love the most:


There is a final Lantern Walk song that is easy for young children, but I don't have the music. The lyrics are:

I walk with my little lantern,
my lantern walks with me.
Above the stars are shining
on earth are shining we.

Oh lantern light
you shine so bright.
Oh hear the angels sing.
Oh hear the angels sing.

As the little children walk, they raise their lanterns to the sky for "Above the stars are shining" -- so very sweet. Perhaps one of you has the music?

I really love Martinmas and the gestures of giving that it brings after Halloween's gesture of taking. Enjoy the songs!

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Sunday in my kitchen

It has been a delightful Sunday working in my kitchen. While making broccoli/smoked gouda soup and bread, I've also been puttering about washing windows, dusting and organizing. As I cleaned all the various knicknacks, I thought I'd share some of my favorites.





In one corner of my kitchen hangs this little shelf that Nels made me for Christmas last year. On the shelf is a fish he made out of clay in elementary school and a rendition of the White House by Lou. Hmm. After looking at this photo, I think I need to rearrange.





My favorite knicknack on the shelf is this little squirrel pincushion that once belonged to my Grandmother. It sat on the windowsill in her kitchen!


My kitchen as deep green shelves running under the kitchen windows. It leaves lots of room for stuff (and dust). I've slowly been building a collection of heart rocks. These all came from the island where we spend our summer vacation.

This bamboo plant sits right over the faucet. It was given to us by friends when Lou broke both her arms. It's still alive!


I collect sweetgrass baskets. There are two on the kitchen shelf. I got this one from a basketmaker while I was visiting with the Gullah in South Carolina.


This little sweetgrass basket was made by a Micmac artisan. I picked it up on Lennox Island up in Canada when we went to visit the Micmac nation.


I got this little piece of stained glass when Hels and I went to Washington Cathedral for Evensong. It will always remind me of that special evening with the setting sun shining in the rose window.


This little group of blue and white china came from my Grandmother's house. She used to serve cream in these little pitchers each morning with our hot cereal.


Nels decided he was ready to discuss marriage after his first visit to my grandparents. He picked up a double acorn to remember the walk we went on. He gave me this acorn tile as a reminder. It hangs over the stove.


This little cutting board stands by the toaster. It was carved for us by a friend after we spent a ski weekend with him. He even signed the back for us.


And, finally, there are two tiny watercolors of fruit. These were painted by my Mother-in Law as a gift for our kitchen. Forgive the photography--I'm using Nels' little camera :)


William Morris wrote, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." I believe that while usefulness and beauty are important, so are things that have story or memory.

Well, back to Sunday in my kitchen. What is on your kitchen windowsill?

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An Award!

I got my first ever award yesterday from Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight. Thank you Dawn! I love the creative aspects of blogging. I like playing with photographs and words and documenting our lives. I also enjoy the social aspects of blogging and this award is part of that!

So, now I am to list six things that make me happy and send this award to six bloggers.

1) Keeping a monthly "day in my life" journal has been a joy. Logging my day has made me stop and notice. It constantly reminds me that the dailiness of life is as important and special as the "big moments" in life.

2) Family rambles. Sometimes we pack the car with snacks, a book on tape for the girls, and the gazetteer and just go. We never know where the day will take us (although it usually involves a bookstore in a tiny mountain town).


3) Snow days. Snow days are like little gifts dropped into the week. I love spending the day cooking, crafting, and sledding with the girls. I am particularly grateful when there is a snow day right before Christmas!


4. Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love being with my family and spending the day doing nothing but cooking, crafting, and visiting over a puzzle by the fire. My nephew made this little house for the Thanksgiving table last year. I love it!

5. Being on top of the world. Nels will raise his eyebrows a bit at this because we don't get out climbing very often, but when we do I realize it makes me incredibly happy. In fact, I think we need to go out this weekend!

6) Reconnecting with old friends. This year I have had the completely unexpected experience of connecting with FOUR old friends. It has made me so very happy.

Now to pass this award on to six bloggers.

1) to Jenny at Little Jenny Wren because her posts constantly remind me of how special each moment of an ordinary day can be. She began the "day in a life" project.

2) to Margaret at Resurrection Fern. She is re-inspiring me with her beautiful crafting.

3) to Denise at Mom in Madison. A Mama who creatively grows a lot of food in a small yard and inspires me with her art projects.

4) to Heather at Beauty that Moves whose clothing currently matches her curtains :). I've enjoyed watching Heather so carefully and thoughtfully live her life.

5) to Suse at Pea Soup for keeping me laughing while crafting.

6) to Anneke at Verwonderland because I love her nature tables and the incredible projects she undertook with children this past summer.

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day in my life

Begin your read today by clicking on this.

Woke up just before 6:00. Nels had put the coffee on automatic, so a cup was ready to pour (always makes for a good start to the day). Blogged.

6:45 a.m. Nudged the girls and took a shower--it's still dark outside.

7:00 a.m. Girls up and moving. I begin the porridge and lunches.

7:50 a.m. Leave for school. Lots to remember today as both girls have violin and it's supposed to rain. We drive through this covered bridge every day to get to school.


8:00 a.m. Drive into town to pick up some tax documents for work. The leaves are just glowing on this cloudy day. Drove through this bridge to get home.


9:00 a.m. Arrive home. Begin laundry.

The rest of the morning is spent preparing a blog for a project I'm doing with kids from New Hampshire and Montana. They are going to study the Westward Movement and share what it was like for pioneers from each location.


Lunch--yummy butternut squash soup laced with cider and curry, a glass of cider from our weekend pressing. Quick walk to get outside. No rain after all.


The rest of the afternoon was spent sending comments and notes up to a meeting that was being held an hour away. I declined to drive.

3:00. The neighbor delivers Hels from school. OOPS. I thought she was to be there until 5:00 doing archery.

Hels and I had a snack and a visit. I begin a secret Christmas project for certain blog readers in my family :)

Lou and friend arrive to play for a bit. Nels arrives home. Girls come in encased in leaf fragments. Banished to the showers.

Nels makes steak fajitas (more weekend leftovers) while I help with practicing. Hels is learning Vivaldi's Autumn for an upcoming concert. What a beautiful piece of music. Maybe someday she'll play it like you should be hearing.


6:30 dinner time. Oops. Not dinner time. Phone call from a neighbor (who we don't really know) saying he'd been up so "see our garage project" (hmmm? I haven't seen him here) and would we like to buy some siding from him? Turns out he has a lot of siding he wants to sell....at 25 cents a board foot! Wow. A gift from out of the blue as siding is about 75 cents a board foot at the local lumber store.

6:45 dinner. Fajitas are a hit.

7:30 We all gather around the fire to read (we're all sucked into fabulous new books). Hels is reading the latest Bloody Jack book. I'm reading Sarah Vowell's new book The Wordy Shipmates, Lou is reading an Emily Windsnap book. Nels is reading a new one by Neal Stephenson. Silence.

7:50 The silence doesn't last long as Lou stops reading Emily Windsnap (too exciting or tense for before bed) and asks to go up to read Ballet Shoes. We snuggle into bed for a long read.


8:15 Lou is off to sleep. We all continue with our books. The fire crackles, the flannel sheets are cozy--a lovely autumn evening.

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A busy autumn weekend

We had a very busy 4-day weekend beginning with a school bake sale which involved lots of baking.


Visits to the local craft fairs and antique shows--a challenge to get anywhere with all the leaf peepers lining the roads.


A work party to roof our new shed...which then moved on to the neighbor's new shed.


Cider-pressing and a final Columbus Day feast with friends.

There's no need to leave Vermont on Columbus Day weekend!

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Classic chapter books for a 9 year old

This list includes books my girls loved at age 9 as well as recommendations from readers. One of the things I like about the list is that many of the main characters are around 9 years old and in middle childhood. I find that many recently published chapter books have main characters who are much older than the children who read them (especially the easier to read books).

At age 9, Lou returned to young Milly Molly Mandy's adventures revealing a transition she was going through that fits right with Rahima Dancy's descriptions of the nine-year change. She was seeking a little more reassurance. She was sleeping with about 10 stuffed animals and Julia. At the same time, she was asserting her individuality and taking great pride in her work--whether it be a poem she had written or a spelling test she had aced.


Reading together provides such a nice connection for a child going through transitions. I really regret letting Hels completely sink into her own private reading world and want to figure out how to remedy it. As she enters adolescence, I think books would open up all sorts of conversations. In the meantime, it will be a delight to sink into a big chapter book with Lou that celebrates a strong girl as she encounters life.



The list:
* means Lou and I have read it and enjoyed it. Hels has read some others as well.

*The Secret Language
*Alice in Wonderland
*Little Men
*B is for Betsy (series)
*Betsy Tacy Tib (series)
*Little House on the Prairie (series & other related series)
Trolley Car family
Bobbsey Twins
*Narnia series
*Anne of Green Gables
*Understood Betsy
Caddie Woodlawn
*Ballet Shoes (series)
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
*No Flying in the House
The Borrowers
*E. Nesbit's books
Mary Poppins
My Side of the Mountain
*Famous Five (series by Enid Blyton)
*Happy Little Family (series)
Wonderful Adventure of Nils
*Finn Family Moomin trolls
Thorkill of Iceland
*Penderwicks
The Worry Week
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Beyond the Paw Paw Tree
Seven Little Australians
Wind in the Willows
*Pippi Longstocking (series)
Swallows and Amazons (series)
Emily of New Moon (series)
*Twig
*Big Susan
House above the Trees
Lois Lenski's books
A Norwegian Farm
A Norwegian Family
Esperanza Rising
Becoming Naomi Leon
Ella Enchanted

From Australia:
Bottersnikes and Gumbles
The Magic Pudding
Snugglepot
Cuddlepie
Little Fur series
Tashi Series

Happy Reading!

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A well-loved book

Dear, sweet Milly-Molly-Mandy has come back to our house after several years of living on the bottom of the bookshelf. Lou and I had recently finished Little Men and moved on to a book that turned out to be quite scary. I thought it was exciting, but Lou had me stop after the second night of bad dreams.

The night after the bad dreams Lou handed me Milly-Molly-Mandy--a comfort book to be sure. It has been fun to see her enjoying the stories again--at age 9, she can really imagine running a shop by herself or being embarrassed if a neighborhood boy caught her outside wearing dress-up clothes.


Julia (named after her teacher) has also joined us each evening. Lou has not really played with dolls much for awhile now, but somehow Julia seems just right to accompany us into Milly-Molly-Mandy's world. Julia is a Q'ewar Project doll, made in Peru as part of a beautiful initiative to bring women economic independence.


Lou, Julia, and I are on the hunt for a new book. We've read all the Little House books, All of a Kind Family, the Ramona series, Carolyn Haywood's Betsy books, Alice in Wonderland, Anne of Green Gables, Little Men, A Little Princess, and more.

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