Welcome to Autumn’s Domestic Church!

 

Please make yourself comfortable, relax with a cup of tea and a home made cake  and share the joys of my vintage kitchen. There is always a warm welcome on the Home Front!

About Me!

Proverbs 31:27 ~ the captain of your ship

She watches over the ways of her household… 

It is often said that in the home, the woman is Queen of all that she surveys. This is as it should be, and is a Biblical pattern for us tof follow, but I prefer to think of the woman as the Captain of a ship. The Wife and Mother stands at the helm of her ship, steering the family through both calm and stormy waters. It is a great responsibility, and can sometimes feel like a lonely one.

A friend on a forum posted an article, Motherhood as a Mission Field about motherhood, which begins:

The closer you get to home, the less intriguing the work of sacrifice seems. As someone once said, “Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help Mom with the dishes.” When you are a mother at home with your children, the church is not clamoring for monthly ministry updates. When you talk to other believers, there is not any kind of awe about what you are sacrificing for the gospel. People are not pressing you for needs you might have, how they can pray for you. It does not feel intriguing, or glamorous. Your work is normal, because it is as close to home as you can possibly be. You have actually gone so far as to become home.

Being a Mum, a Wife, a Homemaker (all capitalised, because they are all names we carry) is a most over-looked, under-valued position, but an exceptionally valuable one. It is unglamourous, un-noticed, repetitive, sometimes drudging and occasinally even plain boring. It is so easy to count what we do as being so small as to be insignificant, and yet we are playing a vital part in the smooth running of our society. Family life is at the heart of a successful and healthy society, and it is a sign of our times that as the traditional family is ever more fractured and distorted, society has become more unpredictable, less caring, even dangerous. When we take the helm of the ship of family life, we are doing something which can and will benefit all, not just those closest to home…

Offered with thankfulness, your work at home is only the beginning. Your laundry pile, selflessly tackled daily, will be used in the hands of God to clothe many. Do not think that your work does not matter. In God’s hands, it will be broken, and broken, and broken again, until all who have need of it have eaten and are satisfied. And even then, there will be leftovers

Cakes and Tea

Eeeek! I have really neglected this blog lately, I do apologise to my readers. This is one of those times when real life has overtaken me and so reduced the amount of time I have to blog. But it’s a shame, because I really love this blog, as it reflects my home-maker heart  

My husband and I had a rare couple of hours to ourselves last weekend, so I made some cupcakes and we had afternoon tea. I used my Barker Brothers Fiesta crockery, and it was very civilised. Here’s a little glimpse into our “moment in time”…

And then this weekend, I made a cherry crumble cake, one of my favourites, for us to have after tea. It was good to connect with the kitchen again, and make something delicious to eat, all the while aware of the Kitchen Madonna with me…

“Let this kitchen be a place where those who hunger may be fed as much with love and understanding as with bread!”

making a start

I want some bright green rubber gloves like these!!

If you read yesterday’s post on Autumn’s Leaves you will be aware that I am failing miserably on the housework front. My house has never been such a neglected mess, and I feel both ashamed and overwhelmed by it. So much has been happening family-wise recently, that the house has taken a back seat, but I knew yesterday that I had to grasp the nettle and do something about it for my own peace of mind/mental state!! So, after tea, I cleaned the bathroom ~ the sink, loo, shelves and windowsill ~ while the bath was running. I then cleaned the bath after I got out and threw all the bathmats, rugs etc. into the wash. The taps are now gleaming, the sink clean enough to eat your cornflakes from (if you were so inclined), the loo sparkling and smelling fragrantly of bathroom cleaner and bleach. It is now a joy instead of a nagging reminder of all that I’ve fallen back on…

It’s quite amazing what a tonic housework can be. There is such a sense of satisfaction and “rightness” at the sight of a gleaming sink, a tidied/hoovered living room, a kichen side clear of clutter. Call me sad if you like, but I don’t care. I’m not a neat freak and have my share of clutter, but I can’t explain the feeling I get when I’ve plumped the last cushion, turned the lights down low, and sunk back into the armchair to survey my kingdom…because a woman’s home is her kingdom.

But one clean bathroom does not a clean kingdom make, and there is much more to get on with ~ but it’s a start, and a good one. A good, good friend advised me to tackle one job per day and take it from there. Today I shall clean the cooker and kitchen surfaces/sink. Tomorrow? Who knows? I reckon in 2 weeks time I’ll be back on top of things again, instead of sitting staring at the mess and feeling ever more glum…

A good idea of what my bedroom currently looks like!

Keep Calm and Put the Kettle On!

…is my motto!

This week, I have drunk a lot of tea! I come from a long line of tea drinkers, and remember my Gran, whose whistling kettle on the stove top never really ever cooled down, and the old brown teapot with a green knitted cosy on the kitchen table always felt warm.

…this isn’t it, but no-one took photos of teapots in those days!! But it’s funny the things you remember from childhood. Although the method of tea-making has changed, usually to an electric kettle and teabag plonked straight in the mug, without messy tea-leaves, the comforting taste of tea (with sugar!) is still the same.

Funnily enough, our electric kettle broke this weekend, great timing as these things often are! But instead of making any attempt to replace it whilst trying to negotiate a whole host of other stuff, I’ve been using my stove-top whistling kettle. All of a sudden, my kitchen is full of nostalgia, and I remember Gran’s battered kitchen table with an oil-cloth covering it, crocheted cushions on the chairs, and that teapot with the green, ribbed cosy. Earlier today, I got down my old, brown teapot off the shelf, and made tea in a cup and saucer. It’s been a good place to revisit, and I shall do it more often

Off now to put the (still warm) kettle on again

St. Zita: obedience

Her master, seeing his goods multiply, as it were, in her hands, gave her ample leave to bestow liberal alms on the poor, which she made use of with discretion, but was scrupulous to do nothing without his express authority.

From: St. Zita

“Without his express authority”. Saint Zita was always careful to respect and obey the authority of her master. Wise words for all of us, not least in respect to the authority of our Mother the Church. As Catholics, we are called to obey the Church. There are many who would disagree with that statement, and espouse the right of the faithful to question and sometimes even disobey. The trouble is, when we do that, we are no longer the faithful

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with questioning, especially when we come across something we don’t understand; there is nothing wrong with wanting to know the whys, hows and wherefores of our faith, but questioning needs to be done with a supple and compliant spirit, and with a desire to surrender to God’s will and be conformed to His way. The right kind of questioning is that which leads us to obedience to the Church’s teachings, and not into willful disobedience.

I saw, on a dissenting blog pertaining to be Catholic, a picture of a woman “priest” elevating the Host, in direct contradiction to the teachings of God, the Church and our Holy Father. It was a blasphemy. Questioning which leads to disobedience ultimately leads to blasphemy. As women, we are not called to be Priests, and those who decry this “lack of equality” have got it wrong. No woman is more elevated in any expression of the Christian faith than Mary is in the Catholic Church. God’s honouring of Mary honours us too, as women.

Sait Zita was humble and obedient to her station and her calling. May we always be humble and obedient to our Lord in thought word and deed. 

This is our rightful place, kneeling in humble adoration before our Lord…

 

Saint Zita’s Day, and making bread!

Today is Saint Zita’s Day!

In honour of her Feast Day,  my Grandson and I made St. Zita’s Bread, so called because of this story:

Each day she rose early while the household slept and went to hear Mass. On her return, her first duty was to make bread for the family. One morning she became so absorbed in prayer that the hour for bread-making was long past. Full of self-reproach, she hurried home, where to her surprise she found the loaves of bread laid out on the table all ready for the oven. She questioned every one, but no one would admit preparing the bread. It was soon evident that no human hands had shaped the loaves. A delicious fragrance surrounded them, and Zita became aware that angels had been at work while she prayed.

The following recipe is the only one I could find on-line. I cheated, and used a white bread mix as my husband can’t eat wheatgerm, to which I added and egg, butter and some honey, and put on the dough setting in the breadmaker. It is honestly the nicest recipe for bread I have ever tried. I had some for tea with butter and strawberry conserve. A fitting way to celebrate St. Zita’s life!

ST. ZITA’S BREAD

Ingredients
•1-1/2 cups boiling water
•6 Tablespoons soft shortening
•1-1/2 cup honey
•1 Tablespoon salt
•2 packages active dry yeast
•1/2 cup warm water (105-115°)
•2 eggs
•1 cup wheat germ
•5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Method
Combine boiling water, shortening, honey, and salt; stir until shortening melts. Cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add yeast, eggs, wheat germ, and half the flour to lukewarm mixture. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed with electric mixer or 300 vigorous strokes with a spoon. Blend in remaining flour with a spoon. Dough will be sticky. Spread dough evenly in 2 well-greased loaf pans, 9 x 5 x 3 inches. Smooth tops by flouring hand and patting into shape. Let rise in warm place until 1 inch from top of pans. Bake at 375° for 45 to 50 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Crust will be dark brown. Remove from pans at once; brush tops with melted butter or margarine; cool on racks before cutting. Makes 2 loaves.

Cooking as Prayer

Taken from Living Lent Daily

If prayer is raising our minds and hearts to God, then anything can be prayer. Preparing a meal can certainly be a wonderful prayer. If our cooking is for our family or others with whom we live or our friends, then it can also be a great act of love.

The recipe for stew that follows is an example of healthy meals that people have made for a long time. Many families grow the food they eat, and stews like these can be much more than meals. They are part of a culture, a way of life, a set of values.

If we start with a great desire to let cooking draw us closer to the Lord and to those in need, then the preparation of these special meals can become a time of grace.

Ratatouille

(I’ve substituted the US recipe for one I am more familiar with, the original is in the link above!)

2 large aubergines
3 medium courgettes
2 medium onions
2 red or green peppers
4 large tomatoes, or 1 x 14 oz (400 g) tin Italian tomatoes, well drained
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 level tablespoon roughly torn fresh basil
salt and freshly milled black pepper

• Begin by wiping the aubergines and cutting them into 1 inch (2.5 cm) slices, then cut each slice in half; the courgettes should be wiped as well and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) slices.
• Now put the whole lot into a colander, sprinkle generously with salt, press them down with a suitably sized plate and put weights (or other heavy objects) on top of the plate. Let them stand for about 1 hour – the salt will draw out any bitterness along with excess moisture.
• Meanwhile chop up the onion roughly, deseed and core the peppers and chop these up too. Skin the tomatoes (plunging them into boiling water for a couple of minutes is the best way to loosen the skins), then quarter them, take out the seeds and roughly chop the flesh.
• To cook the ratatouille, gently fry the onions and garlic in the oil in a large saucepan for a good 10 minutes, then add the peppers. Dry the pieces of courgette and aubergine in kitchen paper, then add them to the saucepan.
• Next add the basil and seasoning of salt and pepper, stir once really well, then simmer very gently, covered, for 30 minutes. After that time add the tomato flesh, taste to check the seasoning and cook for a further 15 minutes with the lid off. 

a sad event

The little baby robins I posted about below have all died

I have become so attached to my babies! They had grown quite big and robust, and I could hear them chirping excitedly every time I walked past the shed outside, where their nest was. I have spent the last 2 weeks  watching Mum and Dad going constantly backwards and forwards, from dawn ’til dusk, with worms and other insects in their beaks, feeding their hungry brood. If anyone strayed too close to the nest, the Mother bird would swoop frantically round the yard making strange whistling calls.

And then we had a hard frost on Sunday night. Yesterday when I got in from work, I went outside and could hear nothing as I walked past. I tiptoed and took a peek inside the nest, and saw all 4 baby birds cuddled up together, but they didn’t seem to be breathing. I gently moved the ivy covering the nest, and no response. I gently blew on the little ones. Nothing. I knew they were dead, and on further investigation, they were cold, eyes and beaks closed shut.

I wept, and kept on crying periodically all evening. These robins feel like my babies and the loss felt quite overwhelming. I felt for the poor Mother bird, who had put all that effort into building her nest, and diligently feeding her babies. This morning, I saw both parent birds in my yard, the Mother perched on the edge of the bird bath, her head tilted towards the nest, as if listening for that familiar, comforting *cheep cheep*. I cried again.

I know this is nature at work, and that all life is fragile, but it will take me a long time to get over the loss of my baby birdies. I pray they are now*cheep cheeeping*  in God’s heavenly garden with St. Francis.

St. Zita: the simple life

She never kept anything for herself but the poor garments which she wore: everything else she gave to the poor.

From: St. Zita 

We live in a world of excess, with multiple choices. Our homes, kitchens, wardrobes, cupboards are stuffed full of *things*. How many pairs of shoes? How many jackets? How many towels? How many plates, cups and saucers….and then there is the technology. A mobile for each member of the house, 2 cars, 3 televisions, 2 computers. And so the list goes on. We don’t travel light through this world anymore.

Having a strong interest in history ~ wartime, Tudor, Victorian ~ I am always amazed at how people once managed on so little, with much of that “little” being home-made or recycled from scraps. How can we aim to get back to some of that “Make Do and Mend” mentality.

I often hear Christians defending wealth by quoting the words of Jesus:

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly. ~ John 10v10

…but I am certain that here, Jesus wasn’t talking about material, but spiritual abundance, especially when I read the first half of the verse. So often, it is only the last sentence which is quoted, but in the light of the first, it does seem to me that the abundance Christ promises is the opposite of what Satan offers, and satan often tempts through money, wealth, status, possessions. Barnes’ notes on the Bible back this up…

Might have it more abundantly – Literally, that they may have abundance, or that which abounds. The word denotes that which is not absolutely essential to life, but which is superadded to make life happy. They shall not merely have life – simple, bare existence – but they shall have all those superadded things which are needful to make that life eminently blessed and happy. It would be vast mercy to keep men merely from annihilation or hell; but Jesus will give them eternal joy, peace, the society of the blessed, and all those exalted means of felicity which are prepared for them in the world of glory.

God’s abundance, in Christ, is the spiritual joys and blessings which come through knowing and loving Him, and seeking to walk in His footsteps. Of course, that doesn’t mean we will all be called to live a life of Holy Poverty, as Saint Zita did, and as many religious orders do today. But it is a call to examine our worldly goods in the light of our spiritual rewards, and not to store up treasure on earth, but to aim for the abundance of life which leads to eternal peace. If we are fortunate enough to be blessed by wealth, then we can share it with others, or put our money to better use through alms-giving, instead of buying a new pair of shoes we don’t need. And if we are struggling, as many are in this economic climate, it can be humbling to compare our lives to those of many in the word who cannot guarantee a hot meal each day for their children, or shoes for their feet, and an opportunity to live simply and thankfully. Indeed we are blessed!

Something to ponder for today… 

 

The Hidden Life

I went to a Carmelite Spirituality Group on Saturday last, which you can read about here. On the journey home, I was pondering one of the most famous Carmelites, St. Therese of Lisieux, and her influence on the world, despite the fact that she spent most of her life hidden within the walls of the Carmel of Lisieux. During her time in Carmel, she performed small, hidden acts of penance, by being especially kind to a particularly abrasive Sister who rubbed her up the wrong way, but quietly and joyfully accepting the faults and imperfections of others. To the outside world she was unknown, and on her death, when decided what to write as her obituary, one Sister remarked: “Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus is a good person, but she has done nothing. What can we write about this poor little creature?”

Now, there cannot be many in the would who have not heard of her. Her name is even familiar to many non-Catholic and non-religious people. Her Little Way has touched the lives of many, and she has fulfilled her desire to spend her time in Heaven doing good on earth.

Pondering some more, I realised that many of us, as Mothers, will live a Hidden Life. Our homes are our Carmel. Our deeds go unnoticed by the majority. On our death, people might just as easily say we have done nothing. And yet, we too will perform small acts of penance every day: keeping a night vigil over a sick child. Forgoing a lie-in for months, even years, while our children are small. Putting our own need and interests to one side for the sake of our children and family. But we too will have a lasting legacy if we make sacrifices when our family is young. My girls are grown-up now, yet these opportunities still present themselves to me as a Grandmother. There are times when I long to be left alone but it’s not going to happen just yet!! I am involved in very little outside of paid work and home life, and no longer feel guilty about that, as I have realised that there is no greater service I can offer as to be available to my daughters and Grandchildren when ever they need me. My home is my Domestic Church.

 

I pray that you will be blessed by the Hidden Life, as I have been. Remember, St. Therese is praying for you as you live it!

Life at Home

Just a quick catch-up with home life, and what I’ve been up to

Thursday tea-time, we had an indoor picnic, with my vintage 1960/61 picnic set, in the living room. My Grandson was staying over, and great fun was had by all. I bought the picnic set recently from a colleague at work for a very measly sum. The crockery itself (Barker Brothers Fiesta) is worth twice as much as I paid for the whole thing. It is intact and in great condition, and the glass vacuum flasks still keep tea hot! It was a fun way to eat tea, with no cooking involved!

The following day, we had a lovely surprise. My husband trimmed the overgrown ivy off the garden shed, and underneath we found a robin’s nest. This was initially a concern for anxiety, as the nest was rather exposed, and hubby can also cut down a dead bush in front of it. We have done our best to disguise its location, by moving an ornamental tree in a pot in front of it, and hanging ivy and foliage from elsewhere over it. Before doing so, I managed to get a wonderful photo, as you can see below:

I do hope they survive! They leave the nest after 2 weeks, and hop around on the ground while the male robin teaches them to fly, which is the most dangerous time for predators. I shall be permanently anxious about the little birdies until they can fly off and look after themselves!

So that’s just a window into my life recently. I pray that you too have been blessed

Keep Calm and Put the Kettle On!

I am really benfiting from reading about St. Therese’s “Little Way”, and journeying through Lent with her. Her spirituality is so simple, and yet profound at the same time in its simplicity, and I am learning a lot!

This might sound a strange thing to say, but I have been finding Lent far too easy, and really feel I need to set myself more challenges I’m finding the fasting isn’t bothering me, not eating chocolate isn’t bothering me, and not spending money except on essentials isn’t bothering me! Not good enough!! (I really feel it needs to hurt if only a little bit!!) Even extra acts of service I have tried to do haven’t *pinched*…

Which is why I was glad to have a difficult day yesterday/today, because it was a struggle a) with tiredness, b) with a craving for personal space (I’ve had none since I got up yesterday morning!) and c) with having to put to one side everything I wanted to do in favour of what everyone else wanted to do. I actually feel I have made a sacrifice in the last 24 hours, and it hasn’t always brought out the best in me, so I am at least aware of what I need to work on (snappiness and impatience come to mind!)

Personal space is one of my priorities, and I find it hard to function fully and healthily without it. I also spent an hour and a half tidying up after Grandson no. 1 went home yesterday, when Grandson no.2 was having his bath/going to bed. I was so tired when I went to bed, I could only manage a very short prayer as I fell asleep… This morning it’s a mess again, so more tidying, but I find that a calm and serene environment is also important for me too, and mess doesn’t contribute to that! Not that I’m over particular about the house, but I do recognise my environment has an effect on my state of mind! But I also recognise that many of these concerns are not only trivial, but selfish and focused on myself, so it’s been good to have a real opportunity to put them to one side. The real issue has been “peace and quiet” ~ I really struggle without it. It just goes to show how much I need to work on *Interior Silence*!

It has made me really appreciate how hard my daughters (and all Mums!) work, every day, and what a wonderful job they do as Mothers, plus how thankful I am for the space I do regularly get, which I won’t take for granted or waste so much in future!

To come back to St. Therese, much of her life was spent unseen and unnoticed, hidden in the Carmelite Community. When she died, one of the Sisters remarked that she hadn’t done very much in her life, certainly nothing worth writing about. And yet her Little Way is now known throughout the world. What I have learned from her writings, is that she sought to please God with small, daily sacrifices, the kind that could not be perceived by others: being especially kind to a difficult and hard-to-please Sister; not complaining about being splashed with dirty water in the laundry, but learning to see it as a blessing; taking the blame for something she hadn’t done; remaining content to be small and insignificant. Of course, in the home this is often our lot too. So much of what we might do in our day will go unnoticed, and sometimes unappreciated ~ our trials and mortifications are often invisible to those around us (unless we broadcast them!) ~ but God sees all, and will “reward us in secret”. I shall continue to work on the little things I can offer up every day, and to become more joyful when difficulties come my way, knowing that I can embrace them for God. For my difficulties are tiny and insignificant in the light of day…perhaps I should pray for a greater challenge this Lent.

Now everyone has gone home, and I am alone. I shall set to putting the house back in order again, and then enjoy some time just sitting and *being*, and allow myself to enter into God’s presence and really pray. I’m so looking forward to it! But first, a nice cup of tea. I guess that’s one of my life-savers ~ Keep Calm and Put the Kettle On. And what better way to have a cup of tea, than to share it with God.

Proverbs 31:26 ~ wisdom and kindness

She opens her mouth with wisdom, 
     And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

Wisdom and kindness. Wouldn’t you desire other people to describe you as a woman of wisdom and kindness? Not out of any sense of pride in oneself, but out of a desire for others to recognise the presence of God within you?

But what is wisdom? What is kindness? As Catholic Christians, our interpretation of these words will be different (sometimes vastly) than the world’s understanding.

Wikipedia has the following to say about Wisdom in the Bible:

In Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10, the fear of the Lord is called the beginning or foundation of wisdom while Proverbs 8:13 declares “To fear the Lord is to hate evil”. In Proverbs 1:20, there is also reference to wisdom personified in female form, “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares.” Continuing in Proverbs 8:22-31, this personified wisdom is described as being present with God before creation began and even taking part in creation itself, delighting especially in human beings.

Wisdom is also one of the seven gifts of the Spirit listed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Wisdom: With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the whole image of God. We see God as our Father and other people with dignity. Lastly being able to see God in everyone and everything everywhere.
[St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologica]

So wisdom is inherent in Christian theology, but how does it translate into everyday life? St. Thoma Aquinas points us towards the understanding of Truth, recognising God as our (loving) Father, and regarding other people with dignity. Perhaps these are 3 points that we can examine in the light of Proverbs 31:26, and ask ourselves if our lives speak of these gifts of the Spirit. Do I hold fast to the Truth of the Church and the Word in my life? Do I see God as my loving Father? Do I respect the dignity of all life, especially of the unborn? I need to pray and ask God to bless me with the gift of wisdom today.

The second quality touched upon in this verse is that of kindness which seems to speak for itself. The dictionary describes kind as:

1. of a good or benevolent nature or disposition, as a person: a kind and loving person.
2. having, showing, or proceeding from benevolence: kind words.

Recently, there has been an emphasis on “Random  Acts of Kindness”, whereby people are encouraged to perform a spontaneous act of kindness every day. For myself, as a Catholic, acts of kindness should perhaps be given deeper thought. Yes, of course it’s lovely to be spontaneous and on the lookout for opportunities which present themselves, but kindness needs to be an attitude we carry into all that we do. It’s no good buying a stranger a random cup of coffee as a kindness if we then go home and shout at the children and be grumpy with our husbands Kindness comes from the heart, and is often a sacrifice, especially at those times when we are tired and weary. With God’s grace, we can go that extra mile, or offer a cup of water, in His name.

But, it is important to remember that kindness doesn’t always mean doing what other people expect of us. If kindness isn’t governed and led by God, then it isn’t kind. Something to ponder!

More from Proverbs 31 again soon

the reluctant housewife

Yup, that’s me…

I haven’t blogged here regularly for a long time. In one way that could be a good thing, because I’m living the life rather than writing about it. On the other hand, I do recognise that my homely-housewifey-homemaking skills have fallen by the wayside somewhat in recent months…I have to carve out time to bake cakes, and plan ahead as it seems I have too any ativities to fit in. Life is like that sometimes

We are now in the Season of Lent, and it’s a good time to review my life. The verse from Proverbs, which I shall be blogging about in due time, has come to mind:

“She watches over the ways of her household, 
     And does not eat the bread of idleness.”

…and while I do acknowledge that my timetable has been full, I also hold my hands up and admit that recently, I have eaten the bread of idleness on occasion. The temptation to slouch on the computer in my dressing gown on a Saturday morning is great!

So, I am starting up this blg again, (not as an excuse to slob at the computer!!) but as motivation not to I shall soon be picking up my reflections on Proverbs 31 and Saint Zita. In fact, I’ve almost come to the end of examining St. Zita’s life, so will have to choose another Saint to focus on ~ Perhaps a Mother this time

So watch this space!

Ten Cake Challenge: no. 5

I never finished posting my cake challenges, so here’s the next one…

No. 5 is a marbled lemon and lime curd cake!

This is relatively easy, just a basic sponge (4oz marg, 4oz sugar, 2 eggs and 4oz flour). Add 2 tablespoons of lemon or lime curd, the juice of half a lemon and the juice of half a lime and mix well.

Divide between 2 bowls, and colour one half yellow and the other green. Layer in a loaf tin, green, yellow, green, yellow (don’t bother smoothing it out as it will mix the colours up!)

Bake at Gas 4 for about 30-35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the tin after about 10-15 minutes, (carefully, as it will still be warm)

Put the juices of the other halves of the lemon and lime in a pan, and add a good amount of icing sugar, and heat until hot but not boiling. It should be quite runny. Pour over the cake and smooth quickly as it won’t take long to set.

Decorate with lemon jelly slices, and then eat. It’s yummy, one of the best so far

2010 in review

I got this e-mail from WordPress this mornng, and thought I’d share it with you. And a HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my readers, and thanks for your faithfulness in reading what has been a very quiet blog of late…

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

The average container ship can carry about 4,500 containers. This blog was viewed about 15,000 times in 2010. If each view were a shipping container, your blog would have filled about 3 fully loaded ships.

In 2010, there were 71 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 183 posts. There were 74 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 3mb. That’s about 1 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was May 29th with 96 views. The most popular post that day was A Simple Woman’s Day Book.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were iamhisbeloved.wordpress.com, blogger.com, hstrial-cwatts1.homestead.com, mulier-fortis.blogspot.com, and search.aol.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for when we are weak he is strong, time warp wives, chocolate orange, savoury bread and butter pudding, and kitchen table.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

A Simple Woman’s Day Book January 2010
2 comments

2

Mary and Joseph: the hidden life May 2009

3

Proverbs 31:17 ~ when I am weak, then He is strong! June 2008
4 comments

4

time warp wives June 2009
7 comments

5

Home Altar May 2009
9 comments

my first commercial baking venture!

I just made 36 of these, to be sold in a local tea shoppe! Mini Christmas Cakes…

I hope they sell!

Oh my, how long??!!

…since I up-dated this blog!

You’ll be happy to know that Life on the Home Front hasn’t stopped chez moi ~ in fact, quite the opposite, hence no time to blog about it I am working really hard at the moment trying to build spaces of peace and quiet into my (too) busy life and blogging isn’t the top of my priority list. But I’m just grabbing a bit of space on my lunch hour to post a quick up-date and to say hi…

It’s the season for hunkering down at home right now, and enjoying home comforts: hot milk, warm blankets, open fires, Christmas carols and good old-fashioned books. For remembering that there was once a time when the tv did not dominate the living room, and hearty stews with dumplings were made from scratch. When Christmas wasn’t all about commercialism and shopping, and gifts were often hand-made and stitched with love. There is no reason why we can’t reclaim some of this old-fashioned beauty and weave it into the tapestry of our days…

I found this poem today and it whispered warm words to my heart. I pray that it does so for you, too…

Always one more meal to get;
one more train which must be met;
one more hopeless sock to mend;
one more invalid to tend;
one more salve for one more knee,
one more visitor to tea;
one more future bruised and scarred;
one more drop of spikenard;
one more problem, one more doubt;
one more mood to be smoothed out;
one more smile and one more kiss—
Ah, but ministry like this
will outlast the radiant sun.
Woman’s work is never done.

Fay Inchfawn

Advent and the Domestic Church

Pope John Paul II has repeatedly referred to the Catholic family as the “Domestic Church”, for it is within the family that we form our first ideas about life and love, and about God and His Church. Women for Faith & Family

…this has very much been on my mind these last few weeks, how the family can be a microcosm of the Church, and sacramental in the way it lives, loves and nurtures. I am very conscious of this as we hover on the eve of Advent, and am looking at ways in which I can bring the wonder and holiness of the Christmas story into my home this year.
Tonight, my Grandson stayed over, and we made our Advent wreath, using holly and ivy from the garden. He lit the first candle! We also went to a Christingle service at the CofE Church, and then I went to Adoration and Mass afterwards. I have printed off some Advent colouring pictures for him to do tomorow. Then next Sunday, we will be celebrating St. Nicholas day, with small gifts, sweets and of course stollen (which I will attempt to make myself!)

I love the season of Advent, there is something “other wordly” about it, and at this time of year, if I look past the commercial nonsense, I feel that the veil between heaven and earth is very thin, as we prepare to welcome the Christ Child afresh into our world and our hearts. This year I intend to put aside two undisturbed hours a week to reflect and pray, watch and wait with Mary in readiness for the birth of her Son. My prayer for you is that God will bless you during this season, and draw you closer to His heart, and that you will wait, pregnant with anticipation, for a new birth, a new beginning.

Here are some photos of the lighting of our Advent wreath (although my Liturgical colours are all wrong as I couldn’t get pink and purple candles anywhere!) Mary is covered up, as we wait with her for her to give birth to the Messiah, Emmanuel, God with us! Praise His Holy Name!

God bless you, my friends!

Afternoon Tea!

Hello dear friends and readers!

It’s a while since I posted anything of substance here, but as I am beginning to emerge from the rather drear and gloomy place I have been in, thought I’d stop by and say hello I have still been busy pottering in my kitchen whilst off work, and am begining to feel brighter by the day. Although a bright day in the literal sense would be nice. It’s been wall-to-wall rain today (def. not a washing day!) But I have been busy in the kitchen making fish pie and jam tarts, so feel I have achieved something.

It’s that time of day when all one wants to do is curl up in front of a warm fire and eat cake! I don’t have the warm fire, as I am waiting for the sweep to pay his annual visit first, but I do have cake, and jam tarts, and little triangular sandwiches and a pot of hot, steaming tea. What more could one ask for on a wet, miserable Autumn day?

This is our afternoon tea, using my lovely orignal 1940s Woods Ware Beryl crockery, with jam tarts made by me, and beautifully decorated carrot cake made by my eldest daughter, who has inherited my love of cake-baking, it seems (and who I am certain will surpass my skills any day soon )