Make Ready

We do love Christmas, especially the way the warm clothes, cheery music, and little manger scenes seem to soften our hearts. And, boy, do I need my heart softened right about now.  So we're getting ready for Christmas around here. 

No tree yet, but we do have our nativity sets out. The plastic set above (arranged in the Little People barn ala L) is actually pieces from two different plastic sets we've picked up at antique stores pretty cheaply. I love them because they're kitschy, and I don't have to worry about them breaking.

I also convinced John to build us this little manger this year. I saw this idea on Small Things last year and had to give it a try. We keep a jar of straw colored yarn next to the manger, and the girls get to add a piece whenever they do something kind or selfless. It's not very structured, it just sort of works spontaneously, e.g. "That was so kind of you to share your dog with your sister, J! Would you like to put some straw in the manger?" We explained to the children that just as Mary and Joseph made a soft bed for Jesus from the straw, when we are kind to others, we are softening our hearts to make room for Him, too. 

It's nice that we are working together to make something beautiful, rather than being nice in order to get stuff. It's a little hokey, for sure, but it seems to be the kind of thing the girls really understand. There will (hopefully) be a baby Jesus to lay in the manger on Christmas morning, but I haven't figured out how to make him yet. I'll get back to you on that. 

And finally, the girls totally talked me into buying this little ceramic nativity set at goodwill one day. It came with the cheesy homemade stable and everything. I set it up on the mantle with a felt path to count the days to Christmas. Baby Jesus is also hidden away from this set. Am I overdoing it yet?

Next week we'll do some gift making on St. Nicholas Day, bundle up with hot cocoa for our local Christmas Parade, and the girls and I are going get dressed up to see the Nutcracker. So Christmas preparations abound, and we're trying our best to make it a time of joy and love.

What are your traditions? I'm pinning ideas and loving expanding our family's traditions. Please share yours with me!

Laptop Messenger Bag

I'm in too much of a rush to say much here today. This seems to be my new normal relationship with the blogosphere. I can't say I'm unhappy about that.

Yet, briefly, I wanted to share this new pattern. I needed a bag to carry my laptop that was professional, but not one of those black ones with a million pockets and zippers that's all boring and busy looking (you know the one).

I put together this bag. It's very simple but uber-functional. I prefer the messenger-style, and this is padded to protect my computer on the go. It has large pockets inside and a pretty lining from Ann Tuck on Spoonflower. I meant to use this fabric for something else ages ago, but life got busy and it seemed a shame not to use it. 

So here it is. I'm very pleased with it, and I think I'll make a few in more colors. I think it will be just right for carrying art supplies also, for painting outside. It makes a nice guy-bag too, since it has no frills. The pattern is available in the shop.

One Eyed Jacks

We're enjoying our hens being out and about, and the eggs are definitely better for it. My latest breakfast craze (why do I get so excited about breakfast food?) are One Eyed Jacks. I'm still trying to figure out the right timing for putting the cheese on, because I feel a one-eyed-jack should have pepper jack cheese. The one pictured above has no cheese, and turned out perfectly with the white fully cooked and the yolk a little runny. I'm pretty good at cooking my eggs unevenly, so a perfectly cooked egg was heaven for me.

Here are a couple of recipes I'm referencing.

The girls thought that was too much for them, and they would not even try the egg in the toast. Which was just fine with me. They ate the toasted circles and regular eggs.

How do you like your eggs? Anyone know when to put the cheese on a one-eyed jack?

Library Books and Flour Dough

Weasel very proudly received her own library card this fall, and as usual, we've been pouring over library books. One of her favorite things to do is recreate scenes and stories that she reads in books. Last week, we made flour dough and made some of our favorite things from our favorite books. We painted them with acrylic craft paint after we baked them, but the paint has not held up very well. I think dying the dough with food dye before making things would certainly hold the color better, and would save me from cleaning up paint. Here are some of our little toys.

Jewelweed, from Fancy Nancy Poison Ivy Expert

An octopus from An Octopus is Amazing

The three ball brothers from Three Magic Balls

Flying Bunny and Bunny Tree from Runaway Bunny 

The frog, from Angel, What do You Hear?

Presence and Dishes and Joy

"Let a joy keep you. Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by."  - Carl Sandburg

To build the house we wanted, a beautiful house of our own design, we had to make some sacrifices to make it affordable. So we sacrificed a few luxuries. Our house is small, with only one bathroom, small closets, and small bedrooms. I've been a fan of the tiny house movement for a long time, so small (not quite tiny) was easy for me to embrace.  Not all of the sacrifices have been easy, though.

Like the dishwasher.

We were given a beautiful cast iron sink from one of John's colleagues. It has big drainboards on either side, and I love it so so much.  Like, if our life were a tv show, the sink would be a main character. But the kitchen is small. So we gave up the dishwasher to make room for the sink. We could squeeze one in if we had to, but giving it up seemed like the right choice.

But here's the thing I'm learning about luxuries - luxuries like dishwashers, dryers, internet, television, and cell phones: We forget what luxuries they are, and we become dependent on them. We make them necessities. Then they start to require things from us: money, maintenance, and most of all, our attention. Something that started out making our lives more convenient, over time begins to put demands on us.

It's not easy to give up some of these things. It's downright counter-cultural at times. But, being independent of these things offers more value than luxury or convenience. It offers presence. Giving up distraction and obligation to appliances, you get to be present in the current moment and involved in the stuff of life, and the people you share it with.

I'm still learning this, of course, reminding myself of it when I'm grumpy about washing the dishes. Most of the time I enjoy it though. I've been printing poems and sheet music, and learning and singing while I wash the dishes. I also just listen to the kids playing around me as a I wash, and watch the birds in the dogwood outside my window. It has become a little joyful time each day that I really look forward to.

I know you know know this, too. I'm sure we seek presence in different ways, and allow different indulgences. What do you give up? How do you stay present?

And because words aren't my strong suit, here are some other insightful, and perhaps more poetic, thoughts on washing the dishes by hand:
On doing dishes
Washing dishes together
Pretty over the kitchen sink
Joy of Washing the Dishes by Hand