4th & 5th day of Christmas

The above pictures were from day 4.

It was a day of various phone calls and rest...

it's a blessing that we have such nice food to eat

via our grocery delivery service; 

I just love the chicken and mashed potatoes! 

I had a 60% cocao one square sized treat from our

tower of sweets from Mr Husband's parents,

and it was so very enjoyable,

the best chocolate I've had this week I think.

We watched a Walton's episode again and

did prayers together, ... lots of rest and trying to recover.

On to day 5...

Day 5 was another good, quiet day.

I felt good when I awoke, the sun was shining brightly and it was only 8:30 

in the morning (I had been sleeping in till close to 10! the flu will do that!)

I felt so much better, I had hopes of doing a bit more that day.

I was able to do two things extra:

I lit all the livingroom lampadas and I collapsed many boxes that I no

longer had need of. 

I also ended up taking a nap in the afternoon, I was suddenly so tired

and I was actually more congested towards evening again.

We had enjoyable meals, I had I think 6 different types of tea!

(Green, black with chili and mango, African Autumn, Ginger Lemon and Gypsy Cold Care).

It was a real drink-all-the-teas day.

Actually between gifts I have been given, teas I have bought and teas I have

made mixes of, I do have a pretty large collection of teas.

It's fun and I love having so many choices also to offer others!

I also got a new teapot lid holder/drip catcher via amazon; so far so good!

We also watched another episode of the Walton's and I made extra popcorn

so I could have some tomorrow without the fuss of making it again.

We are enjoying the very last of the pate also.

I was able to a potluck spreadsheet for help

for my belated 40th birthday party 

and that is giving me something to look forward to

as we recover.

Mr Husband is seeing the doctor on Friday,

please pray for this.

He has a long way to go yet, longer than myself I fear.

I admit I was getting a bit stir crazy earlier today,

it's been over a week since I got sick,

I am gaining but slowly and I am not well enough really to leave the house

(esp as it was so cold) and it gets a bit 'cabin fever' but not too bad.

I find that taking pictures of my day and varying things

like what treat I get that day, what teas I want to have, what I am reading,

they bring a difference into the convalescence house-bound time.

My quilting-friend DV is coming Friday to keep me company

and help me with somethings 

while Mr Husband has his appointment.

So I am looking forward to this as well.

I am finding that if I focus my mind on thanksgiving for the 

many, many blessings I have, 

then I see how good it is right now

and what a blessing it is to be with my Husband

and how wonderful a piece of chocolate or a cup of tea is.

Well, time to rest again now.

I am thankful for day 4 and 5 of the 12 days of Christmas!

{about today} Much to be thankful for...

Like my kitchen window in our old place, 

I found this to be a beautiful and peaceful scene 

and I am thankful for it...

I found this funny. 

Mr. Husband's lunch

(he had jury duty)...

My friend made this wonderful chicken soup...

she took pity on my cold and I know the

soup did wonders!

I am better other than some use of Kleenex,

which may be allergy related...

To celebrate feeling better, on Monday

I had my end of summer treat:

an ice cream snickers bar from

the local Bodega :)

I had one at the beginning of summer and 

one at the end...

*

And that are the many things I am thankful for!

Not to mention, of course, my marriage of now

two years to Mr. Husband!

*

What are you thankful for today?

Hurry, Hurry...

Coming back from being gone.



It seems it always takes a good 3-4 days before things are
righted.

But our humble Christmas tree is up.

More beautiful ornaments every year.

Mr. Husband and I had two epic grocery runs.
The second one included getting this faux fir garland.

For my birthday my Mom filled this
vintage bag with the most beautiful and treasured things.
My Aunt P. gave my Mom my Oma's
knitting book from 1947 and a bunch of her knitting needles
for me.
I can not tell you how loved I felt, how warm.
*
I remember my Oma consulting her knitting book,
I remember the needles.
*
I still wear the slippers she made me,
the little tree red square 'skirt' for my humble tree was made
by her... the same yarn made my red scarf that I wear at Christmas,
that my Mom gave me the day or the day after she passed away.
*
I hope in the New Year that is now here to
make my husband socks from this book;
he has requested Navy Socks.
*
What yarn should I get and that would wick well?
*
Have you read Anna Marie Horner's latest blog post,
about her Mother's last days and the room with icons where she prayed?
It is beautiful and the love and warmth
and memory of her Mother reminds me of my Oma
and how now I have her knitting book.
My heart swells with a sense of gratitude and a sense of being protected.

I got this vintage stocking in MI at a thrift store
with my Mom.

I am still making it through this book.

Today I hope to bottle my vanilla.
Tomorrow I hope to make more tea.
I have dreams of baking but Christmas is coming soon
and I have a blanket to finish
and a Holy Supper to prepare.
All the ingredients for this have been obtained.

I am hoping to finish a few more wash clothes;
an easy thing that I can pick up and knit a row or two.

 

I am grateful for my new life.
For my marriage.
Every night Mr. Husband and I try to remember to always pray
for protection for our marriage and that love and peace can
always be in our home.
Soon DV it will be our second Christmas together.
We are looking forward to some special Christmas meals,
the Holy Supper beforehand and all the goodness that is entailed.
Not one of Mr. Husband's presents are wrapped yet.
It will wait... we are not opening gifts till the night after Christmas
to keep things simple.
It is beautiful that way.
*
12 Day of Christmas and before they are done
I will be making a short trip to Ottawa again this year
for Theophany
(Mr. Husband is staying home with Cleo who no doubt will be
missing me again).
*
I am trying to gauge these days well,
not over doing things as I do not want to fall ill
again like I did after it was all over last Christmas and Theophany...
*
Wishing you all God's upholding during these Holy Days.

Second Thursday of the Dormition Fast

Yesterday not only did I bake
the peach crisp...

But I made one of Mr. Husband and I's favourites:
fried onions and potatoes in olive oil.

This pan was my parent's.
The handle fell off again yesterday and
I distractedly put the handle on upside down.
But I think it is funny,
so it stays.

The potatoes were wonderful and
there is enough of both the
potatoes and mushrooms for another meal!

We are loving the summer tomatoes. 

The peach crisp!

This morning it stormed...
was so wonderful to light candles in the
grey of the morning.

Lampadas never cease in their
light and giving of hope...

Our little Dormition Icon...
with St. John and St. Phanourios

It all points back to Christ...
His Cross, the light of His Resurrection... 

 

I think we are all praying that we will
be revived,
that like the flowers, that
our lives too will bud forth with fruits...

Sunshine again on a Wednesday - with banana bread and chocolate

Before I begin my post
on banana bread
that I made yesterday
while the bread was rising,
may I mention that our table that
I hoped would be here for the house-blessing has arrived!
I just brought it up from downstairs
(we do not live on ground level)
and wow,
that was heavy; but I did it!
*
So I did not know if the bread
I made yesterday would work out
so I made a simple
banana bread in the meantime.
It was easy.
I have the red canisters with sugar and flour and the
red mixer near by...
I used this cookbook
Eet Smakelijk: A Collection of Recipes
that I got years ago at a garage sale.
*
Here's the recipe:

Instead of nuts I added
chocolate chip cookies!

You can see that I followed the directions
for beating the eggs before
putting it all together... 

I love batter.
It's beautiful. 

As you can see,
my cookbook was very loved
by the previous owner!
When I found it
I knew I had found a treasure! 

I grew up knowing these words

Eet Smakelijk

to be said before the meal;

I was told it means

eat heartily

but my sister-friend

who knows Dutch

told me what the cookbook also says

eat with taste. 

Very cool hey?

I love the recipe books cobbled together
by many women and published...
*
I have at least 6-7 church cookbooks like this...

It turned out well!
*
After conferring with a wonderful
bread baker about
pizza stones
(thanks if you are reading this!)
and now keep the one Mr. Husband and I
have in the oven
to keep the temperature even in the oven.
So this is now one of the things
I am doing for baking and cooking... 

A simple bread
and a great way to use up bananas that are
going a bit soft and ripe!
*
PS: just realized about the bread recipe
that cranberry bread 
that I forgot to mention that I opened the oven to spray water
in for moisture a few times...
*
Oh, and look at this cake recipe that I was given -
I know!!
It looks very enticing!!
I am going to make this God willing for this
Friday, house blessing day...
*
Meanwhile,
I am going to see about a recipe for small oranges
and maybe pears...
while doing laundry...