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

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!”

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!

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
]]> http://bloomingathome.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/keep-calm-and-put-the-kettle-on-2/feed/ 1 Mrs.Pogle Posted Image :wub: ;) http://bloomingathome.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/st-zita-obedience/ http://bloomingathome.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/st-zita-obedience/#comments Tue, 17 May 2011 15:41:34 +0000 Autumn http://bloomingathome.wordpress.com/?p=1086 […]]]>

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…

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

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. 

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.

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… 

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!