Annette

Candle

Man proposes, God disposes…

or

The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft agley…

Whatever quote I pull out from the back of my brain, the fact is that we are four days into Advent and I am already behind.

Although really, behind in what? It’s not as if Advent is a school assignments. It’s not a work requirement. It’s not an appointment or a meeting or something I have to check off my to-do list. It’s not something I have to do in order for Christmas to come. It’s a choice.  Read more...

Advent and New Beginnings

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It’s a funny thing about growing up Catholic– I always think of Advent of the beginning of a new year. I actually feel pretty lucky that I get multiple beginnings this way–Advent, the actual new year, the beginning of the school year, each new season, new month, new week. To quote St. Benedict, always we begin again.

Part of being willing to begin again is realizing that beginning are not always perfect. And yet, to quote again, “from small beginnings great things come.”  Read more...

November is always a big month for us. It’s a bit of a bittersweet month– the twins’ birthday is always shadowed a bit by my PPCM diagnosis, and we begin the month remembering those who have gone before us. Here are some of our upcoming November celebrations.

November 1/2: All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. We lump these together in a bit of a remembrance celebration, and this year will actual be celebrating late– tonight in fact! We try to keep it positive and remember those who have come before us, both those we have known and loved personally and those we admire and hold up as examples. We do not co-op other traditions– it is not Dios de los Muertos, although we might watch Coco.  Read more...

For several years now, I’ve been shelling out the domain and hosting fees on this blog every time the year turns over. I wasn’t sure why, but the only thing I definitely knew was that I wasn’t quite ready to let it go.

You see, it started when
* I had lots of young babies/toddlers/children.
* I was homeshooling them using the Waldorf method.
* I was a religious pastor’s wife.
* I wasn’t working.
* I didn’t have a lot of health challenges.  Read more...

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“Smooth and clean and frosty white, the world looks good enough to bite. That’s the season to be young, catching snowflakes on your tongue” -Ogden Nash

Happy Winter! Just a reminder that Winter Seasons of Joy is here to help get you through those long winter days. The book includes…

Circle Time Themes
A Winter Movement Adventure
Winter Woods
Winter Tea Time
Winter Light
Jack Frost

Fairy Tales
The Candles
The Mitten
The Elves and the Shoemaker
Star Money
The Boy Who Went to the North Wind

Handwork Ideas, Including
Paper Snowflakes
Dip Dyed Silks
Finger Knitting
Felt Doll Quilt  Read more...

Advent Collage

Advent… from the Latin word adventus, which means, quite literally “coming” or “arrival.”

These past few weeks have been rough.  First the tragic murders at the Tree of Life Temple in Squirrel Hill, followed by an sad uptick in the daily news of hate crimes, gun violence, and tragedy. And then, just when we had one beautiful autumn day where the leaves were bright and the air was crisp, we got sick, one after another. Martinmas was forgotten in all the laundry and the washing and the sanitizing.  Read more...