After Breakfast

Diaper Mischief

This was before I discovered the trash can filled with clean diapers.

Study Nook

It has become apparent that Big Brother needs a quiet corner of his own where he can tackle his homework. There aren't many quiet corners left in our house.

The professor dug our old Eames table out of the attic while I kept Sister from climbing up the ladder after him. It's the table he bought when we were engaged. He called me one day from Ohio and said, "I bought us a dining table today, and if you don't like it I'm keeping it for myself." I liked the table and we used it for years. True to his word, he kept it even after we outgrew it.

I suppose he's been keeping it for Brother to use in third grade. It sits in our bedroom now... the only quiet corner left in the house. This is where Big Brother retreats in the afternoons to wrestle with math and grammar. As the days continue to grow shorter I expect we'll have to dig out a little desk lamp.

The Spirit Helps

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. Romans 8:26-27

Bathing Beauty

"Hmmm, this is more tricky than I thought."
"Better try the other leg."
"Balance check."
"So close... almost there."
"I am artistry, elegance, and grace. I am Esther Williams."

Windowsill Tomatoes

Let Evening Come

I suppose every mother of a student and every spouse of an educator hopes for a gentle start into the school year. Some beginnings are easier than others. For us, this year, the first few days and weeks have been particularly challenging and, yes, discouraging.

Today I was reminded of a long loved poem. As I savored the words and imagery it resonated with my weary spirit. On this evening, an evening that has blessedly come after a busy day, I exhale and am thankful to have been given an encouraging day.

Let Evening Come
by Jane Kenyon

Let the light of late afternoon
shine through chinks in the barn, moving
up the bales as the sun moves down.

Let the cricket take up chafing
as a woman takes up her needles
and her yarn. Let evening come.

Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned
in long grass. Let the stars appear
and the moon disclose her silver horn.

Let the fox go back to its sandy den.
Let the wind die down. Let the shed
go black inside. Let evening come.

To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop
in the oats, to air in the lung
let evening come.

Let it come, as it will, and don't
be afraid. God does not leave us
comfortless, so let evening come.

8:26 a.m.

Pleasurable Viewing

Hello morning sun... I love the way you light up the office.
It's always a pleasure for me to watch how the sunlight plays throughout the house over the course of the day, but when the sun goes down it's nice to have something else to watch. For your viewing pleasure allow me to recommend some flicks that the professor and I have enjoyed in recent months.
Exit Through the Gift Shop -- An amazing and entertaining film that we thoroughly enjoyed! "This is the inside story of Street Art - a brutal and revealing account of what happens when fame, money and vandalism collide."
Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman -- A fascinating documentary about the life and work of architectural photographer Julius Shulman. I really enjoyed this film because its subject matter combines my interests in photography and modern architecture.
The Gates -- Follow artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude in their quest to temporarily transform New York City's Central Park with panels of golden fabric.
The Secret of Kells -- An imaginative, animated Irish tale.
Herb and Dorothy -- A delightful documentary about Herb and Dorothy Vogel -- he a postal worker, she a librarian. They're an unlikely pair to have collected a staggering collection of modern and conceptual art, but over 45 years, one piece at a time, they amassed a collection that is worth millions.
The King's Speech -- "Britain's King George VI struggles with an embarrassing stutter for years until he seeks help from unorthodox Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue in this biographical drama... Logue's pioneering treatment and unlikely friendship give the royal leader a sense of confidence that serves him and his country well during the dark days of World War II."
Between the Folds -- A fascinating documentary about the art and design, science and philosophy of modern origami.
Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight -- "His name might not be very familiar, but the works of graphic artist Milton Glaser -- whose prolific output includes the "I Love NY" ad campaign, as well as album covers for Townes Van Zandt and Nina Simone -- are recognizable to many. Revisiting the famed paintings, drawings, logos, prints, posters and other works by Glaser, filmmaker Wendy Keys creates a rich and engaging mosaic of a key figure in American iconography." {This film contains a sprinkling of simple nudes.}
Frank Lloyd Wright -- Directed by Ken Burns, this documentary chronicles the life of the man whom many consider to be the most influential American architect of all time. As is typical of Ken Burns, this film is top notch... Sadly, the same cannot be said about the personal life of the Mr. Wright.
The Art of the Steal -- A close look at one of the art world's greatest collections and the years of controversy that have surrounded it.
Bleak House -- We're currently enjoying the mini-series of Charles Dickens' suspenseful tale about John Jarndyce, the tangled web of legal justice, and the secrets woven throughout.
*Please note, the films listed above do not contain immoral themes or scenes. However, some of them do contain coarse and/or offensive language.
P.S. Don't miss Anna's list!

The First and Last

This is what the Lord says -- Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
Isaiah 44:6

Friday Afternoon Relief

The first week of school, with all its excitement and challenges, is behind us.We're already enjoying the weekend!

Homemade Kettle Corn

It's cheap and easy.Don't forget to sprinkle with sea salt.Once you start eating you won't be able to stop!{Recipe}

Back-to-School Rainbow Play

Last week the children and I hosted a back-to-school play gathering to renew old friendships and make new ones. My budget for the "party" was $0.00... Here's how we created a fun and colorful morning without spending a dime.

Every August I stock-up on Crayola crayons when Kroger puts them on sale for 25-cents a box. Using a few boxes from my stockpile, I placed small jelly jars filled with fresh crayons along with a big stack of drawing paper on the dining room table. The children helped themselves throughout the morning {and even created their own treasure hunt}.


Each mother brought a kid-friendly or mom-friendly snack to share. I provided drinks {water, lemonade, and iced tea}, painted cookies, and kettle corn, all of which were prepared from ingredients that I had on hand. I dug the plates, cups, and napkins from my cabinets. We had more than enough food!


I strategically placed group-oriented toys throughout the house and backyard... Outdoor toys next to the swingset, the Quadrilla marble railway in the living room...


Legos in the office, and, of course, the art supplies in the dining room. The children also enjoyed playing in the boys' room where Hot Wheels cars and Automoblox were in ample supply.


Everyone {all 13 of us!} had a fun and fantastic morning... including the mothers, who were actually able to sit down and chat!

Morning Goodbye

7:32 a.m.

This morning we woke to a hint of autumn in the air... a comforting reminder that the summer heat and humidity won't last forever. As for the cooler air, how timely! The boys embarked on kindergarten and third grade today. Sister and I missed them but managed to keep ourselves busy. Thus far, all reports from the school boys have been positive. The task at hand now... to convince the Strawberry Girl that carpool lines aren't as maddening as she insists; three months off seems to have erased every bit of progress that she made in that arena last year.

God of Righteousness

Lift up your eyes to the sky,

Then look to the earth beneath;

For the sky will vanish like smoke,

And the earth will wear out like a garment

And its inhabitants will die in like manner;

But My salvation will be forever,

And My righteousness will not wane.

Isaiah 51:6

Smitten Lately

This week I've enjoyed unexpected {and beautiful} summer blooms in the dining room and we've had fun moments with precious friends, old and new, at the pool and at home. Both flowers and friends make life beautiful.


What a month it has been for serendiptious furniture finds! Look what the professor dragged home this past weekend... an Arts and Crafts style, oak rocking chair. It's very old and very heavy. The story of this acquisition begins in a familiar the way... "One man's trash..."


It's blueberry pomegranate chocolate chunk ice cream and it's better than good. Smitten indeed.
At our house we're fans of all things Frances. Little Brother and I read a passage this week that I loved from Russell Hoban's Best Friends For Frances:
When Frances got to Albert's house, he was coming out, and he was carrying a large, heavy-looking brown paper bag. 
"Let's play baseball," said Frances. 
"I can't," said Albert. "Today is my wandering day."
A wandering day... doesn't that sounds lovely?! I'm smitten with the idea. Here's wishing that all your wanderings this weekend are wonderful!

Fresh and Crisp

Lettuce is like conversation; it must be fresh and crisp,

so sparkling that you scarcely notice the bitter in it. 

Charles Dudley Warner

This summer we've been eating fresh salad greens like bunnies with healthy appetites. While the bags of pre-washed lettuces are certainly convenient, I've found that they're costly and they have an annoying habit of irritating my tummy in the most unpleasant ways.

Yes, I prefer to buy our lettuce by the head, washing it and preparing it myself. The problem... we don't own a salad spinner for drying our greens. Nobody enjoys a wet salad, so this is my simple way of insuring that we have fresh and crisp, clean and dry lettuce waiting in the refrigerator when it's time to make a summer salad.

I start with a head of fresh lettuce and two large kitchen towels. {See above.}


Wash the leaves thoroughly in cold water and lay half of them in single layer on one of the towels.


Next, place the second towel on top...


And then repeat with another layer of greens.


Now it's time to gently and loosely roll the layers.


Place the entire lettuce wrap in the refrigerator for an hour {or until most of the moisture is absorbed}. When the leaves are mostly dry, remove the lettuce from the towels, tear into bite-sized pieces, and store in a large zip top bag in the refrigerator.
Now you have pre-washed, bagged salad greens. All that's left to do is create your salad.

Water Baby

Unstaged and Definitely Unscripted

Sister has taken a shining to toilet water.How I wish it was the sweet smelling French kind.Just keeping it real, my friends. Very, very real.

All Sufficient God

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Smitten Lately

Smitten lately...

With a fresh gardenia next to my bed. Have you ever tried this? I highly recommend it. Smelling the soft, sweet fragrance while falling asleep and waking up is lovely.

With Orange-Ginger body lotion. I picked up a sample and it has captured my fancy.

With Kate Spade's Checkered Tracy Dress and Floral Wynne Dress. At those prices I'll never own one, but I'll keep the designs in mind and look for similarly styled {but less expensive} options. This spring I ordered Norma Kamali's Cap Sleeve Shirtdress in black from Walmart for $18 and I love it.

With the Friday Special. My sister found the recipe for a favorite entrée at one of our very favorite Greek restaurants in our hometown city. I made it for dinner last night; I could eat it every night.

With Trader Joe's Premium 100% Greek Kalamata Extra Virgin Olive Oil, an item the professor and I picked up while in Atlanta last weekend. It reminds me of the olive oil we had in Italy. Enough said.

With two boys who really, truly believe they can build and fly a cardboard airplane powered with a lawn mower engine in our backyard. I've been presented with design renderings and a list of needed materials. "Aren't you excited, Mommy? Because, we've never owned an airplane before! Do you think we can use our street as a runway?"

Have a great weekend, y'all!

What has you smitten lately?

A Daily Ritual

Perhaps it's simply a coping mechanism, but when the temperature outside is 96 {and feels like 105 thanks to the humidity} a girl has gotta do something to make herself feel like she has a small measure of control over the summer heat.
Each day when the intense afternoon sun makes its way westward I lower the shades in our west-facing windows. We find refuge in the cool dimness. I keep the shades down until early evening when the sun dips behind our big sweet gum tree, finally casting a shadow of relief over the house and yard.

Summer Succotash

Eating seasonally is not only delicious and good for you, it's easy on the pocketbook as well. Over the past few months we've enjoyed this colorful and flavorful mix of fresh vegetables often. This dish is simple to make and versatile enough for you to add your own creative improvisation. So far, I've served it as a side with grilled salmon {pictured} and grilled chicken, pork tenderloin, and even hamburgers.

Summer Succotash

1-2 T. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped {about 1 cup}
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ears corn, cut off of the cob
1 to 1.5 cups lima beans {fresh or frozen}
1 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced across
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 t. salt, plus more to taste
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 T. cider vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 t. dried basil or Italian seasoning

Heat oil in a large skillet with lid, add onion and cook until just tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add chopped vegetables, cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper {or my favorite, Krazy salt}. Just before serving stir in cider vinegar and basil. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

What are some of your favorite fresh summer recipes?

What resources inspire you to eat seasonally?

Nine

Nine years ago you made me a mother.
Nine years later I'm so very proud of the young man that you are becoming.
But, most of all... I love you.