Tea Time

(I can't post many pictures because I can only post ones from folks who have previously agreed to let me post their photos on the blog....)

Last year I began an "annual Christmas Tea" for ladies of all ages at the chapel. This is a RELAXED time. We have a multi-generational group and I really enjoyed hearing some of our oldest ladies share their earliest Christmas memories last year.

This year we only had 7 signed up, so I switched the location from the chapel's fellowship hall to our home. What a blessed time. There is something "relaxing" about a group meeting in a home. I love having people over, so this was an added bonus for me. It was also MUCH easier to simply take things out and decorate, rather than try to make the barn of a fellowship hall feel "cozy" - haul all my things there, etc. I wanted to use REAL china this year and it is MUCH easier to do that in the home. On a side note, Father Jim told me that if I use my china and such to entertain for chapel groups Mike can count it as "pro gear" in our next move. ::snort::

We ended up with 14 women (young and old). It was fun. I was most pleased with the way my centerpiece came together. I bought 5 votive cups of different heights, wrapped a pine garland around them and threw in some pine cones. (Can't figure out this photo editor program to lighten).

I did ask several of our native Texans how to spell y'all or ya' ll.....wow....Darshia - you are RIGHT - there are varied opinions on this one. It was fun to discuss.

Mom, the little ones used the set of pink tea cups you sent....

We had a cookie exchange and an ornament exchange. Last year I was questioned about the appropriateness of "stealing" gifts...so we didn't. THIS year I told them that I don't care any longer what they think of me....basically they KNOW me NOW. ::snort:: We did "Dirty Santa" as Aaryn called it. It was fun. I began by saying the youngest could go first (which is a disadvantage) but there was some talk about the age thing....then I said the earliest Christmas memory....but the age thing again....then we went by date of birthday....everyone with a birthday on the 1st of a month....this meant I (at 24) was LAST. I was tempted to steal some of the cute ones but just couldn't.....and THIS is the ornament I got - the last one on the table. It's PERFECT!!! It'll remind me of our school this year and TX and the fun group of ladies.

The only drawback was that Arielle was the only girl her age in attendance. She's asked if we can have another tea with some girls her age. That will be next on the agenda..... She told me that she thought it was boring but then had a really good time. I asked what made the difference and she said, ::snort:: ::gasp:: :::hiccup::: "I realized playing with candle wax is a lot of fun!" Oh my.....

My friend, Debbie, stealing a snowman.....this is the one I mention often with the two boys who we went swimming with weekly over the summer.....and the one who "forces" me to go to lunch with her monthly while Mike is gone. The one who says I MUST read the Stephanie Plum mystery series....Doesn't she have a great smile?

THE GREAT CANTALOUPE CHALLENGE

(not sure where this post went....)

Yesterday, at co-op we had 13 shares. This made dividing a few of the veggies difficult. I decided to take 1 share of some of the veggies instead of 2 shares. I subbed for items of like value from the "extra" basket. I ended up taking more cantaloupe and pineapple.

At dinner, I mentioned that when Josiah was Jared's age he used to eat an entire melon at one sitting. I commented to Jared that we'd know he was a man when he could keep up with Josiah in cantaloupe consumption.

At the END of dinner, Josiah thumped Jared and said "C'mon, let's go!" Here's the show....

Magic
Jamin

The Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and crystal balls; are these one and the same? Are they completely different? If they’re different, where’s the line that separates ‘innocent magic’ from the point that is disturbing?


First, I believe it is important to define what magic is in context to writing. In a book, like The Lord of the Rings, magic is simply a way of expressing laws and authority in a make-believe world. “Other evils there are that may come; for Sauron is himself but a servant or emissary.” The Return of The King, p190. Gandalf said this when he was discussing Middle Earth’s arch enemy.


C.S Lewis, in The Chronicles of Narnia, also seems to understand magic as a natural thing that can be used or abused, under an authority. “I see what you are. You a little, peddling Magician who works by rules and books. There is no real Magic in your blood and heart.” Queen Jadis, The Magician’s Nephew, p83.


In these contexts, I believe that magic is positive reinforcement to the text. But not every writer puts magic in the same context. Magic takes its first step towards being immoral –or disturbing- when the story it is set in has no God-figure or sense of supreme existence. Magic, a person’s own resourcefulness or inner strengths, becomes the authority and supremely the god-figure of the make-believe world. Authority, in our world or in a fairy tale, turns corrupt when there is nothing to keep man and his corrupt nature in check.


Magic, whether good or bad, has the potential of radically affecting the text of a book. The way it is employed is only as good or bad as the theme of the work. Magic can be used to convey a worldview, add flash to the text with powerful characters, and make the reader more engrossed. After all, with magic anything is possible.


However, if a writer has no intention of conveying a worldview, he should abstain from magic, in my opinion. The only other time you can use magic without conveying a worldview is to spice up a book with action in a new dimension. This is an unsuitable use for magic, since when it is used in this way the writer has no imagination to convey except their version of what they’ve seen in the movie theaters.


In this context, magic is relied on too heavily to ‘spice up’ a document. Using magic too much in this sense is not immoral, but it enriches nothing and if it does convey a message, it usually conveys a bad one, such as “Believe in yourself.” Magic butchered in this way is like using a cocktail glass for changing oil in a car.


Magic is as good or bad as the theme of a work. It has the potential of enriching a document, or degrading it to the extent that it relies on action scenes. It’s important when evaluating a book in context to magic that we don’t become so engrossed in magic that we either overlook a Godly worldview, or see magic as the ultimate evil of the text. Magic is only a vehicle for the theme. You wouldn’t say a hammer was destructive if you knew it was being used to make a nuclear warhead.

*A project that Jamin's been working on in his spare time...defining for himself the proper use of magic in a work of fiction.

QUICK COOKING QUESTION

When a can of fruit is weighed, do they count the juice? In other words I'm using fresh pineapple....recipe calls for 16 oz of pineapple (drain well).....16 oz of fresh pineapple is about 3 C - seems a bit much....Kristine - it's your curry chicken salad.....

BUTTER CREAM FROSTING (FROM KATE!)
*You know the drill - my adaptations in (*)

Has to cool after cooking so plan ahead.

1 C milk
1/4 c all purpose flour (WW)
1 C butter - room temp
1 C granulated sugar (rapadura)
2 tsp real vanilla

Combine milk and flour in small saucepan on medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. I used this as written and it was fine - could have been thicker - add more flour in this stage for thicker.

Cream butter and rapadura until very fluffy - 5 min in the Bosch for me.

Add vanilla and flour mixture and continue to beat until very fluffy and sugar is dissolved. Scrape bowl every couple of minutes. Take a tiny bit and rub between your fingers to see if sugar is dissolved.

This was WONDERFUL - the children liked it better than my honey frosting attempt. LOL It was off white because I didn't use bleached sugar - but it tasted like butter cream/vanilla frosting. Because of the rapadura it had a slight "coffee" taste according to my children...but they ate it all....I think it's a molasses taste that they are catching and not really mocha.

BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE
*Betty Crocker's Cookbook (My adaptations in (*), sorry Betty)

1 C all purpose flour (used WW)
1 C sugar (rapadura - sucanat would work)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 C plus 2 T buttermilk (used milk with Apple Cider Vinegar)
1/4 C shortening (coconut oil)
1 egg (2 eggs and a tad of gluten due to heavy KA flour)
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate (cool)

Preheat oven to 350* Grease and flour 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Beat all ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed, 3 minutes. Pour into pan. Bake 30 - 35 minutes

Frosting to follow....

FRIDAY

3:00 - 4:15 up with Stacia

6:00 alarm goes off, shower

6:15 - 6:45 - Word

7:00 - 8:00 breakfast - french toast, smoothies, fruit plate, clean up, mop etc.

8:00 - 8:15 - hair, makeup

8:15 - 9:00 - speech

9:20 - 10:40 pick up produce, sort

10:40 - 11:00 - add final selections and amounts to co-op newsletter and print

11:00 - 12:00 - visit with friends as they pick up produce, take cash for next week etc.

12:00 - 1:30 lunch and clean up

1:30 - 2:00 begin preparing for tomorrow's tea by cleaning the littles bathroom (which is the main bathroom)

*Call from NARHS. They love TOG. They were thrilled with my records and how I figured a grade for Rosetta Stone. They have used my ideas with two families who called in for help this week. ::snort:: THEY were NOT impressed with my understanding that if you finished 90% of a text you could count it as a credit....so....Jamin has some tests to finish up and mail in. I guess in the rest of the homeschool world that works - but not with NARHS. We laughed about how we've had these charter schools through high school to keep me honest....but I am such a free spirit that I KNOW it is good the children wanted to go this route. LOL They told me that while they were impressed the boys made 100% in something, that colleges will look at it and go "Mommy grade" so they asked about changing the grade to 99...still an A. Yeah - whatever. Sort of seems STUPID to me (excuse the bad word) - If you make 100, you should get 100....but I do see their point about colleges. She also thought I needed to buy Rosetta and finish with it since we began with it. Something about teaching Dinosaurs in 9th grade and again in 1oth grade....I had trouble following the logic but I'm sure it will make sense at about mid-night. They changed the title of our history credit from TOG - fine by me.

1:45 - 2:30 couch school (will plan 4 day school week next week - leaving Fri for games, lapbooks and history quilt)

2:30 - 3:00 tried to get Stacia to take a nap

3:00 - 3:30 tea with Stacia while the youngers enjoy Play Station - a treat that Zander purchased for them by redeeming 60 tickets

3:30 - 4:30 read email and such while holding Stacia - finally goes to sleep, 4 more families want to join produce co-op since this a.m.

4:30 - 4:45 - search out the Curry Chicken Salad recipe....get side tracked...get back on track...I'm going to make cute little filo shells and fill them with chicken salad.

OK - I've seen several of you do this and I've decided my life is far too boring to do a daily log....ya'll (see I spelled it right - MIKE you are anonymous aren't you LOL) KNOW I'm busy if you've ever seen me with my crew. I'm done. ::snort::

Let's just say "typical day in my life..."

The rest of the day will include pizza, movies, getting things out for tea...WHY did I mop the floor this morning BEFORE cases of produce entered my home???? OH YEAH, it's my routine. ::snort::

Dorothy, I agree that something always falls off when something new is added. I don't mind it being outdoor exercising at this point!!! It's far to cold to be outside anyway.

I had a fright this a.m. when I began the family inductive study and it had me a week behind...I was sure Advent began on the 2nd but they have it beginning in November. I checked everywhere else and I'm o.k. I still have a bizarre Advent countdown candle.....I've hugged it, shaped it, burned it non-stop.....it simply won't burn! Is that a sign that the world will end before Christmas, Liz? Chris? Maybe December?????