{this moment} - A single photo, capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. To see more visit SouleMama.
Joining Ginny at small things for this week’s Yarn Along.
I am trying to focus on quiet and solitude this week after a very busy span of First Holy Communion, Mother’s Day and a birthday. I’ve been battling pink eye since last week and I think part of getting sick was being run down from planning and planning and planning. So now I am focusing on quiet, family, and the last month of teaching.
After rushing to finish a little white shrug that wasn’t really needed during our 80 degree First Holy Communion, I am slowing down and trying my hand at socks. I’d tried them once before and gave up at the heel. This time I’m using a favorite yarn and a supposedly easy pattern. I initially rejected it since the socks are so short but went back to it after determining that life in New England often means needing something warm on your feet. The pattern is Easy Peasy Socks for First-Timers and the directions are very, very clear. I’m optimistic I can pull these off.
I’ve also got my Virginia Hospitality cookbook at the ready for some Brunswick Stew that my husband promised I’d make for the upcoming Boy Scout camp out. Thanks, dear! Other reading has been on the Nook, so not really visually appealing to photograph. My long, intellectual read is William F. Buckley’s Nearer My God: An Autobiography of Faith which is wonderful and thought-provoking. But it’s likely to be a long process for reading. My light, fun reading is Sometimes I Dream in Italian by Rita Cerisi. I’m not terribly far into it yet. I downloaded the sample and decided I loved it. Just bought the full book a little while ago. I’m on a big Italian kick right now for some reason. It goes in waves with me.
Ack! I woke up to a TEN year old. How on earth did that happen? Wasn’t he just born?
He was up at 5 (!) scouring the house for presents that I was smart enough not to keep in the house (thanks, Nona). But getting up did have its advantages - namely that I was up early enough to fix his favorite breakfast from The Official Harry Potter Cookbook.
Dad met him at school for his birthday bash. I’d taken about all I could for First Holy Communion. Sorry I couldn’t be there, but so glad the Hubby could be there.
After a nice sushi dinner, we came home and had cake together. It was a fantastic evening. He’ll also be going to bed in his new bedroom set : a loft bed with extra bed, desk and dresser. It’s huge but fantastic, and he’s hoping for a NY Rangers bedding set. We’ll see about that.
And we’re patiently waiting for the rain to let up to try out his new metal detector. Thanks to Ginny, who has shared her own sons’ finds on her blog at small things. I think it’s a huge hit.
There was First Holy Communion
Then there was Mother’s Day
And today was the May Crowning
And…tomorrow is a certain someone’s 10th Birthday!
We had a lovely Sunday here in Connecticut. It’s warm and sunny ~ perfect beach weather. After a wonderful brunch here, my daughter and I went for a long bike ride together while my husband and son bonded over The Avengers. I finally cleaned up the beach house from yesterday’s party and we are all settled back in at home. Another day of Communion festivities as the second grade at my children’s school crowns the statue of the Blessed Mother. After that I have a ton of photos to download from the camera!
Yesterday was my daughter’s First Holy Communion. It was a lovely day and she was absolutely beautiful in her dress and veil. We finished the day with a fun, low-key party at the beach with friends and family. Couldn’t have been nicer.
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An absolutely beautiful, haunting book. I couldn’t put it down. This was a selection for a Junior League book club and probably not one I would have chosen on my own. The voices of the women is mesmerizing. There isn’t one story in The Buddha in the Attic; there are many. It almost feels like sitting in the midst of a busy room listening in on other people’s conversations. Opening with hope and ending with emptiness, it really is a story to be savored.
The Kitchen House: A Novel by Kathleen Grissom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It has been a very long time since I read a book I just could not put down. I wore down the NOOK battery a few times while reading this so I imagine it would have taken me less time had I been reading an actual book.
From the very beginning, you are drawn into Lavinia’s world and the house slaves of Tall Oaks. There is so much drama, love, deceit, sadness, joy, tenderness and cruelty that you are riding the waves of emotion with the characters. The Kitchen House truly brings you into the story in a way that few books I’ve read in the last couple of years are able to do. It seems a very honest, frank story of a very complicated and difficult time. And as a former Williamsburg, VA resident myself, I can attest to the fact that the characters and situations Grissom describes are so true to life and have a strong historical background.
Absolutely fantastic!
I cannot believe it’s nearly May! This is by far the busiest month of the year so my husband and I are quietly trying to steel ourselves for a whirlwind of a month.
I’m doing this a day earlier than normal because I’m essentially stuck eating at home right now. I’m still doing Dukan, but trying to find some alternative recipes because I am just getting bored with the same old thing. I’m on the Cruise phase which means alternating days of Pure Protein and Protein/Vegetable to explain the letters after each day.
Sunday (P/V) - Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps (recipe here)
Monday (PP) - “Sunday” Roast (with salad and green beans for the family)
Tuesday (P/V) - Crab Cakes with Red Pepper (on a bun with lettuce & tomato for the family)
Wednesday (PP) - Pork Chops and Shrimp
Thursday (P/V) - Beef Stew (I really love my veggie days - they are so much easier to plan)
Friday (PP) - Stuffed Chicken Breasts (recipe here)
Saturday (P/V) - Broiled Salmon with Rosemary, one of my son’s favorites (recipe here), with roasted broccoli
I downloaded a Dukan cookbook for the Nook and have found a ton of other sites with recipes. I’ll have to post some good ones, provided I find any. At least the Skinny Taste recipes always seem to turn out perfectly.
I’ve been following the Dukan Diet for almost two weeks now. It’s been pretty easy to stick with because pounds have been dripping off, but I am getting a little bored with food choices. So when I spotted a recipe with sausage and pasta, I was thrilled. But…it called for tofu noodles. Never in my life had I seen tofu noodles but it just so happened that one of the preschool teachers at my school not only knew where to find them, but had some in her kitchen that she brought in for me to try.
Tofu noodles have absolutely no flavor, but a peculiar smell that cooked off (thankfully). But the texture! Blech!! Chewy, springy, those are the closest words to describe it. Although, the rest of the meal was very good. But I’ll be steering clear of tofu noodles from this point foward.
