Pinewood Castle

Thanksgiving Blessings

 . . . and lessons learned.

Such as, if you adjust a cranberry bread recipe to make six loaves instead of one, use six loaf pans, not five. Really. Even if it looks like the batter will fit.

Setting off smoke alarms after the kids' bedtime is not advisable!

At least my other baking projects redeemed me in the eyes of my husband -

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

The "I Wants"

Do your kids make Christmas lists? Mine have started early this year. We don't spring for many requests between birthdays and Christmas so everything they ask for after their birthday garners the response, "Put it on your Christmas list!"

Their tastes are getting more expensive. Here are some of this year's wishes:

• a hang glider (yeah, right)
• a trampoline (more likely, but not in winter!)
• an American Girl doll (do we have to start that?)
• a rock tumbler (more likely)

Then the Young Explorers catalog arrived and was promptly swiped. The cutting and pasting began. The "I Wants" are like a mosquito bite that itches the more it's scratched. I find myself feeling annoyed the more they talk about their wish lists. I remind them that they are loved, fed, clothed, educated and well cared for - isn't that all they really need? Aren't they grateful?

But - I find that the "I Wants" are also contagious. Their dreaming even gets me thinking about things that would be nice to have if we had thousands of extra dollars. List-maker that I am I do confess to keeping mental lists. Here are a few several  ~

Things for DH:

• a snow thrower (have you seen how much these cost?)
• a garage make-over
• a pressure washer
• a riding lawn mower (except we have no where to put it)
• a generator
• hire out window washing
• hire out some interior painting
• a new car to replace his '96 Accord

The home improvement wish list:

• a new sofa (daily reading time has reduced the life of ours)
• granite counter tops
• ceramic tile the bathrooms
• a deck
• finish the basement
• re-do the flagstone patio that is constantly dirty and weedy and uneven
• re-do some of the garden beds and add a tall white lattice fence behind the east garden to block the view of our neighbor's weeds

The SAHM self-care dream items:

• new maternity clothes (mine are almost all 10 years old!)
• a spa package of regular pedicures, facials, and massages
• quality facial care products now that 40 is coming (next year)
• a professional weight loss program next summer after baby #5
• some new jewelry
• a gym membership and time to exercise

Financial "I Wants" should really come first before all the material wants. Achieving these goals would even free up a chunk of the monthly budget for a few extras:

• pay off my grad school loan
• pay off the van

Nothing urgent, just things that would be nice. Hopefully this is a little sign of detachment, right? My happiness does not depend on getting any of these items. Only a few eat at me a little - like the sagging sofa, dirty windows and the dark den on the north side of the house that could use a brighter hue of paint before daylight savings ends. But mostly, thanks to an abundance of progesterone these days, I am way too tired to get worked up about it!

I also try to avoid voicing these "I Wants" around the children because I don't want to set a bad example. Hopefully I am not the contagious one infecting the children!

Other needs always seem to come first before all the extras anyway - music lessons, winter clothing needs, fireplace cleaning, firewood purchasing and annual piano tuning are the biggies we currently face. Oh, and cell phones. Our Quest service is ending for good and we have to find another phone and another plan or be charged a de-activation fee. Looks like a somewhat necessary splurge (but not really necessary) will be made for I-Phones. Last year's version.

Each of us will probably get at least one thing we want this Christmas, all the time knowing that gifts are not what the Holy Day is really about. Christmas is about Jesus and while gift giving is one way of showing our love for one another, it is certainly not the focus.

The kids like to dream and so do I. I just have to remember a wise adage my mother taught me: If your outgo is more than your income, your upkeep will be your downfall!

Happy Birthday America

April Shower of Photos - Easter

Yes, I'm a little late in joining the fun of this theme, but thought it would be a great way to catch up after this long blogging break.

Holy Thursday -

Friday we enjoyed a memorable Lenten Tea - hmm, no photos it seems

Because we were traveling on Sunday we did the Easter fun on Holy Saturday.

The Egg Hunt - blanket in tow

Checking the loot. Another basket with all the chocolate was hidden well.

And a gift for them all - Domino Race - it's their latest obsession.

Lamb, asparagus, potatoes and leftover Centurion tomatoes!

The Lamb Cake didn't quite turn out this year, but here's how it looked two years ago -

Happy Easter season to you all!

Thanks for the tip on this set, Jessica!

Valentine Recollections

Mom & Dad:
While grocery shopping Saturday morning I hated to admit my envy in seeing so many men purchasing flowers, balloons and chocolate - all items I told my husband he did not have to buy for me this year. Silly me. The green color in my face soon dissipated when I realized that these guys most likely were not taking their wives to a Victorian Poetry Slam like my husband!

In this 36,ooo square foot home

in a drawing room larger than the entire first floor of our little home

my husband and I nestled into our seats for a dramatic presentation of Victorian verse. Two ladies and one gentleman emerged in period dress to deliver twenty-seven well-loved poems under the softening light of a crystal chandelier. The hour that passed seemed as mere minutes as the words of poems both familiar and unfamiliar were delivered to our receptive ears.

The familiar verses I most enjoyed: Trees by Joyce Kilmer, Christina Rossetti selections and Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Portuguese Sonnet. All the other poems sped by entirely too fast for this music-not-English major. I need to see the words, to repeat them, to chew on them, to absorb the choices of words. The experience was much like our drive down Summit Avenue to and from the event - "Slow down, please dear! Pull over here! Look at the woodwork on that stairway! Did you see the leaded glass in that entry?" My poor husband was fearful of being run off the road. Such are the dangers of driving through historic neighborhoods with me after dusk!

Note to self: study up on poetry, take a walking tour of Summit Ave this summer!

The Children:
After the Doll's Tea Party we feasted on Shrimp Salsa Soup, heart-shaped pizza and fizzy drinks (adult and kid's versions) before the babysitter arrived to take over. I think the special treatment eased any envy over our date night. We were equally happy to hear that the baby toddler went to bed more easily for the babysitter than for us.

The sending of Valentines:
Do you send them? To whom? We made the usual kind for close relatives and for one another with animals and flowers and butterflies formed from punched-out hearts. We forgot, however, to make some for the girls at dance class.

My girls were not the only ones empty handed. Another Dancing for Jesus mom explained that her family does not like to give out Valentines because they are unrelated to the real meaning of the day. Ok - as a Catholic I totally get that. But still. I forgot to ask if she puts up a Christmas Tree.

So - the girls planned to give out Valentines a week late - today. Of course they forgot all about it until the half hour before we planned to leave for dance. With the evangelical mom in mind, I quickly printed out bio information on the life of St. Valentine, the girls taped on candy, wrote their names and rolled them up like a scroll. I finished them off with a red ribbon and presto we had evangelical Valentines. Proselytizers are we. (I often do the same thing for Halloween - print off the history of All Saints and All Souls Day, tape on candy and roll 'em up!) In all charity, I do hope they are read with an open mind and foster an appreciation of St. Valentine as a defender of the Sacrament of marriage. He's not so far removed from love as some might think.

One more thing:

Is there anyone besides me feel guilty for ignoring the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius?

Doll's Tea Party Today

After getting the baby up this morning I was told by the other children to go back to bed. Something about a "Valentine's Day surprise". I obliged them and soon after the three of them came marching into the room singing "Happy Valentine's Day to you!" Each child held up a red paper heart - one with "I" the next with a heart and the last with "U". We then exchanged Valentines in mom & dad's bed. Dino wasn't prepared with one so he gave out hugs and kisses instead. Such a treat from a boy! Such a time to treasure in my heart!

After our traditional eggs-in-a-heart-shaped-nest and heart-shaped toast with red jam the children took off upstairs to begin the festivities. Mom and Dad were invited up for a viewing and here is what we found:

Have a great day everyone - off to do the grocery shopping!

Overheard . . .

"I can't decide what to eat first."

"My favorite food is the cranberry sauce!"

"How do I eat my mashed potatoes without the gravy spilling out of it's swimming pool?"

"Mmmmmmmmm!"

Happy Thanksgiving

From our Pilgrims and Indians to yours!