Cottage Blessings

How do I love thee? Let me count the eggs

Not long ago, my friend Kari wrote to propose an idea so good that it left me almost beside myself with glee:

"Caroline and I would like to come watch the children on Wednesday while you do/go wherever. Will this work for you????"

Why, yes, as a matter of fact, it did work for me! And the note served as yet another reminder of what a blessing it is to have the world's most beautiful and thoughtful friends. While I was using this found quiet time, Caroline and Kari did more than merely watch the children. Caroline arrived with homemade dough, sauce and cheese to make the most delicious pizzas my homemade-dough-deprived darlings had ever eaten. (By a miracle, Marie, who cannot bear even the thought of pizza, loved Caroline's and asked for the recipe!) Kari brought jars of dye, candles, a ream of butcher paper and specialized tools to make Ukrainian Pysanky eggs. As you can see from the photographs below, the children learned a new skill, dying, waxing, and melting for hours.

If you are interested in learning the art of Pysanky, take a look at these step by step instructions or this online tutorial. I can't explain the steps myself, because while all this was going on, I was off writing a last minute addition to the Haystack!

As you can tell from the infrequency of my posting lately, life has been a whirlwind here for quite some time. This too shall pass, but in the meanwhile, we are beyond grateful for loving local friends always offering to help! [I realize that I can't link to most of them!]

Happy Easter tomorrow everyone!

For Helen: A Tea in Honor of Our Lady of Altagracia

With a smile on our faces over Anne's good news, we look forward to the long anticipated birth of Helen's little one (not to mention Elizabeth's!), due on the Feast of Our Lady of Altagracia.

You may remember that when Helen began the Hidden Treasure forum over at 4Real, she used the calendar to find "Our Lady of Altagracia" as its patroness. (The forum was scheduled to debut on her Feast, January 21st.) I had never heard of this title for Our Lady, but when Helen told me she was the patroness of the Dominican Republic, I quipped, "Well, I guess we know what country you will be adopting your next baby from." We both laughed, and, knowing the Blessed Mother, Helen agreed that this was quite likely.

Three months later, Helen found out Our Lady had a different grace in store: She was expecting a baby due on January 21st.

[Yes, I know you know that story! But it is such a good one--how can I not repeat it?]

Here is a Tea in Honor of Our Lady of Altagracia, served in thanksgiving for Helen's baby and to Our Lady for making this title so well known to all of us.

In planning the Tea, I consulted the Novena Prayer translated for us by Helen. If you have a moment, please refer back to it to understand the references below. It might make sense to read the prayer with the children, pointing out the symbolism of the items on the table.

Altagracia Tea

Activities:

Our Mother's Hands

The Love of our Hearts

Three Graces Tea Menu:

Love of Purity

Home Blessings

Maternal Arms

A Sweet for Our Lady of Altagracia

Activities:

1. Our Mother's Hands

At the outset of the tea: Create delicate paper hands to represent the loving hands of Our Lady. Help the children to draw or write their blessings on each hand, remembering to thank her for "the innumerable favors we have received from [he]r hands." Take a moment to remind the children of the image of the Miraculous Medal also showing the graces shining from the hands of our heavenly Mother.

2. The Love of our Hearts

Pass out paper hearts, allowing the children to decorate them lavishly (after all, Valentine's Day is coming up, making this the perfect decoration for the season), writing or drawing their special offerings to Our Lady. This could be a love letter to her from each one of us, including a word from the adults. We remember to offer her "all the love in our hearts."

Three Graces Tea Menu:

The Novena specifies the three graces we request from Our Lady, and the menu offerings of the tea reflect them in a simple way. [This is not fancy, but it is do-able!]

3. Love of Purity.

We serve something white representing purity to accompany the vegetables in the next menu offering. There are many recipes for dip that is white, and ranch dressing might work as well as anything.

In asking for the grace of purity, we remember the perfect purity of the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

4. Home Blessings.

We remember the humble home in Nazareth, asking for a shower of grace upon our homes through holy marriages. Our Lady of Altagracia is the patroness of the Dominican Republic, so we remember "Home Blessings" with produce that grows in this, her chosen homeland: snap peas or pea pods. [Here is a picture of pea pods to give you an idea of the type to buy.]

When you break open the side of the pod, the peas inside look like a family in their house. If the children have never heard the expression, "like peas in a pod," this would be a good time to mention it.

5. Maternal Arms

We ask the grace of flying to Heaven with the help of Our Lady's maternal arms. Small twisted pretzels would be the simplest possible addition to the table, and would go well with the dip. The original German pretzels were meant to represent arms crossed in prayer, but I think they would make a wonderful maternal embrace for these purposes. [I am hoping to keep this as simple and inexpensive as possible. As you can see, the first three offerings are not sweet or extensive. They are meant as a small snack, leaving everyone ready for a rich dessert!]

It is no coincidence, by the way, that the Novena to Our Lady of Altagracia takes place only a few weeks after the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (January 3). May we never cease to praise His holy name, engraving it on our hearts forever. [Please refer to the Novena prayer to see the connection.]

6. A Sweet for Our Lady of Altagracia:

The chief exports of the Dominican Republic are coffee, sugar and bananas. A delicious dessert honoring Our Lady of Altagracia could be made by spooning carmelized bananas over coffee ice cream.

To carmelize the bananas, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the bananas in half and sprinkle with butter and brown sugar. Bake about 7 minutes or so. [You might be able to do this over the stove as well. I'd need to experiment!] If this is too difficult, use plain ripe bananas over coffee ice cream--or even vanilla ice cream with bananas and a drizzle of coffee syrup.

Sometimes improvising is key, particularly this time of year! I do not know about you, my friends, but we still need to get our Christmas decorations put away, so "less is more" at the moment!

Altagracia Tea, Shopping List

White dressing (ranch or homemade)
Snap peas or pea pods
Small twisted pretzels
Firm bananas
Butter
Brown Sugar
Coffee Ice Cream

A Bundle, a Basket, and a Buche de Noel

When my friend, Mary, invited us over for a potluck supper on the Feast of the Epiphany, we did not know it would turn out to be an evening of wonders, with old-fashioned games, a full-scale Christmas pageant, and even a visit from good St. Nicholas himself. My children and four other families had participated in an art exhibit at a local museum, and the gathering was planned as a way to celebrate afterward.

Here is one of the baskets we brought. Don't you love that Book of Kells tea towel? It was brought home for us from Ireland by my friend, Caroline:

We packed it with all the non-perishable ingredients for a Tea to Celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas and Epiphany [The perishables were toted in a far less photogenic cooler]:

After an afternoon of playing outdoors, the children came in for old-fashioned party games:

My personal favorite was the game of quotes. The children lined up in two teams with words from a famous quote on their backs. The object was to put themselves in the correct order without saying a single word to one another. [First team with the quote in order wins.] Here the girls show the mixed up words to Puck's famous quote, "Lord, what fools these mortals be!":

Next they had a scavenger hunt. All the objects on the list below were hidden in the living and family rooms. As a participant in this particular game, I will tell you they were not easy to find. The items were left in plain view, and the children were asked not to touch anything, so the game did not turn to chaos as it might have otherwise:

With the games completed, my friend Kari brought all the children upstairs to prepare for a beautiful, impromptu Epiphany Pageant, complete with poetry and hyms. They pulled names from a hat to determine roles and came down to perform for the parents.

I was amazed at how quickly they pulled it all together, right down to costumes. Here the parents wait for the performance:

The cast poses after a job well done:

While they were rehearsing, Mary, Caroline, Aleta and I set the table for the Epiphany Tea. You will notice we brought our Christmas pyramid along as a centerpiece. The children loved it, even when one of the candles fell momentarily and started to burn the surrounding wreath:

Here is our hostess Mary's clever take on "Baby Jesus in a Manger" for the Epiphany Tea, homemade gingerbread babes on soft beds of coconut straw:

Kari brought this traditional Buche de Noel:

Aleta made these almond studded jam tarts, a reminder of the host of angels in a starry sky:

[Although I do not have a picture, Caroline brought her famous scones, tiny "pillows" for the Baby Jesus.]

Agnes read her three letters to the Wise Men from last year to the younger children:

Just as we were getting to the last crumb, the doorbell rang. It was late, and we were not expecting anyone, so this was quite strange, but our hostess hastened to open the door:

Lo, and behold, there on the porch was a huge red bag full of presents for each and every one of the children and even the adults:

We did not see who left these welcome gifts, but the children were quite certain dear St. Nicholas had a hand in it:

Maureen was thrilled with her package of small toys and coloring book:

And the baby exclaimed ere she drove out of sight, "Happy Epiphany to all, and to all a good night!"

For the Feast of the Holy Name

O Lord Jesus Christ, teach us to love Your holy name, to hold it in awe and pronounce it with reverence. Deliver us from the sin of blasphemy. May the holy name of Jesus be infinitely blessed!

Vouchsafe O Lord, for Your Name's sake, to reward with eternal life all those who do us good. Amen.

Prayer from: Novena Calendar

Activities requiring no advance preparation:

--If you still have candy canes on hand (or even if not), show the children how the canes may be turned over to form a "J" in honor of the blessed name of Our Lord.

--When I was growing up, my parents always bowed their heads upon hearing or speaking the Holy Name. If this custom is new to you, consider introducing it as a new year's resolution.

--Recite the Litany of the Holy Name after dinner.

--Sing "Holy God, we praise thy name." [Hauntingly beautiful rendition here--please exercise caution when going to youtube. Complete lyrics may be found here.]

--Light a candle, preferably white or red, in honor of the Holy Name.

--Create an ornament or picture, cake or cupcakes with the letters "IHS," symbolic of the Holy Name.

--Read today's Mary Vitamin [627, The Holy Name of Jesus].

--According to the Mary Vitamin, "St. Isaac Jogues carved the Holy Name of Jesus into the trees around His mission house in upstate New York, in deference to the power of the Holy Name over the devils." How about allowing the children to hang a handmade sign featuring the Holy Name on a tree (or trees) outside?

Candy Cottage for Our Lady

Last year, we began a new tradition in our home--putting up a gingerbread house on the Feast of Our Lady of Loreto, a date so closely associated with Our Lady's prayerful and holy home.

Hoping to continue the tradition simply and manageably this year, I purchased a Wilton Cottage Cake Pan a few weeks ago. It reminded me of the Holy House of Loreto as depicted on holy cards and in this coat of arms:

[Loreto Coat of Arms courtesy of International Civic Arms.]

We began with plain yellow cake mix, ready-made frosting, pink and purple sugars, gumdrops, gummi bears, mini-marshmallows, and colored wafers:

Once the cake was baked, it was a snap to frost in white. Theresa gave the cake a crumb coat, and Margaret and Marie to applied the candy embellishments. This they managed skillfully [I was making dinner and let them at it on their own] in spite of the help offered by Patrick, Maureen, and Eileen.

Margaret was particularly proud of her own innovation--a chimney made of mini marshmallows:

Here is the work in progress--Marie's snowman stands to the left:

It was my bright idea to put the cake on a pedestal cake pan to keep out of the way during dinner. We left it in the dining room on the piano out of reach of the little ones.

Midway through dinner, disaster struck!

We heard a sickening thud and raced in to find our candy cottage face up on the floor:

Margaret's chimney was no more:

And look at our poor piano! [This photo was taken after we cleaned the keys.]

Disappointed, but undaunted, Margaret set about a reconstruction. The fact that we already had a picture of the cake in its original glory was a comfort to her. We talked about the Holy House in Loreto and how angels carried it from the Holy Land to Italy to prevent its desecration. Our Candy House had moved unexpectedly too! We like to think the angels helped it land face up, even though it fell face forward. : )

Every year, I save particularly beautiful Christmas cards, knowing we may eventually find a good use for them, and this image of the Blessed Mother in red was just the thing for our pretty house. I left a bit of the card edge at the bottom to stick into the icing, creating a vibrant "Loreto" cake topper:

A group of cherubs hold up the base, reminding us of the many holy card images we have seen of Our Lady of Loreto:

At the end of the day, the children gathered round, of all things, the laptop computer. We made the Consecration to Our Lady of Loreto from the wonderful Minnesota Mom. Having just prepared for the Total Consecration on December 8th, this was especially meaningful.

Before bed, I blessed the children with Loreto Oil from the Holy House, sent by my dear friend Anne for my mother. What a blessing it is to have such good and thoughtful friends!

Our Lady of Loreto, pray for us! Bless our homes and our families, and make us more like you!

In which we are invited to Tea and step inside the pages of Victoria Magazine

The same day I wrote the post asking the immortal question, "Does the Gunther Family ever stop taking tea?" I received an email from my gracious friend, Gloria, entitled, "Invitation to Tea":

"Could you come to tea at my house on Wednesday? We could do a high tea with sandwiches and scones with lemon curd etc. The girls love having tea parties."

Needless to say, I fired back an immediate response:

"We will come with great joy on Wednesday! Thank you for the invitation to your beautiful home!"

An automatic link to my blog appeared at the end of the message, and Gloria followed it, finding Cottage Blessings for *the first time.* When she read all those posts about the charms of Tea in San Francisco, she laughed out loud, knowing she had invited the right family!

My dear friends, feast your eyes on the spread Gloria provided for us. Its perfect elegance and beauty cannot be captured on film, because you cannot see the well-tended gardens surrounding the house with every sort of blooming or edible growing thing imaginable (all thriving as vibrantly as a Beatrix Potter watercolor) or the detailed architectural elements both inside an out, reminding me of why San Francisco is so famous for this. You cannot see Gloria's dear children showing me their artwork and telling stories, combing and ribboning Maureen's blonde head, or teaching their guests the Virginia Reel! These things are tucked away in my memory, but I know you can imagine them.

I will attempt to relay the menu, hoping not to forget a single delectable bite:

Vanilla Milk Tea
Earl Grey Tea
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches sprigged with mint
Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches
Date Tea Sandwiches
Peanut Butter and Jelly Triangles (for the very little ones)
Homemade Lemon Scones
Homemade Nutmeg Scones
Homemade Clotted Cream
Homemade Lemon Curd
Red Jam
Assorted Cookies
Miniature Brownies

All of this was served on fine china and an heirloom tablecloth with the strains of Bach and Pachelbel filling our ears.

Gloria thought of everything, and what Victorian Tea would be complete without a charming table for the littler girls?

In the Little Girl World, if you are a friend, you must be picked up. Maureen has found favor with the Princess.

Agnes found a copy of Maria von Trapp's "The Story of the von Trapp Family Singers" on a shelf. Not only did Gloria let her borrow it, she also sang a duet of "The Sound of Music" with Agnes, much to our great delight. Gloria is a Conservatory graduate, and her voice is ethereal!

The only difficulty was peeling my children out at the end--this was not easy, let me tell you. Tea Time in San Francisco keeps getting better and better!

*******
BTW, Gloria is a dear friend of Chari Bryans, not to mention Maria Peceli, Willa Ryan and Erica Sanchez--there is quite a wonderful group of mothers here in the Golden State of California.

In a double stroller

[San Francisco Zoo, July 31, 2007]

Teatime by the Park, or I found my heart in San Francisco

If you visit San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and squeeze your van into a spot on Martin Luther King Jr. Dr, you may find yourself wheeling a double stroller down Ninth Avenue. As you step outside the park, you will want to turn left at an Art Gallery that doubles as a Cocktail Lounge, skim past DaHil's Handwriting Analysis [a business that looks straight out of Dick Tracy] and pause a moment to glance inside the window of Cuschieri's Cabinet Shop. Keep walking, and you will be standing in front of a storefront bathed in the colors of the French countryside--all sage and suntan and strawberry--and crowned with a cheery striped awning and gilded sign: The Secret Garden Tea House.

If you happen to gaze through the door and catch a glimpse of chintz and china, you will no doubt wish to enter, yet the unwieldy stoller and two active babies may give you pause. Have no fear--the owner will wave you in with a smile, "Bring the stroller right in, and have a seat. Your table is ready!"

At least this was our experience, and I am sure it will be yours as well.

As I have written here before, the girls and I have a First Saturday tradition of attending Mass and Confession before spending a special night or afternoon together, usually at a restaurant or bookstore. We had hoped to continue this custom here in San Francisco, but, with no one to watch the little ones (and Daddy working quite a bit), we have had to put it on hold for a while. Several months ago, we read about The Secret Garden Tea House and hoped to give it a try for one of our First Saturdays, but it seemed we would never be able to get there without our spirited troupe of little ones.

A few days ago, I had an idea and proposed it to the girls: "Why don't we call the Tea House and ask them to pack us a picnic to bring to Golden Gate Park?" The gracious woman on the other end of the phone said she would be very happy to pack the Tea for us to take outdoors, but, hearing one of the younger set calling to me in the background, she asked, "Are you planning the Tea at the park because you have little ones?" I laughed and admitted that this was indeed the case, and she said, "Oh, they are very welcome to come along with you. This is a Family Place. Why don't you come in, sit down, and have some tea?"

With this encouragement, I very happily made a reservation for myself and all seven children, including my lively boy, active toddler, and bouncy baby. The staff at the tea house welcomed us with open arms, encouraging me to bring the double stroller right inside and seating us at a table so beautifully set I felt as if we were arriving for a party.

Soon three tiered servers laden with a host of delicacies began to arrive--cucumber sandwiches sprigged with mint, clotted cream and scones, dainty onion puffs, and tiny napoleans (to name but a few), alongside teddy-bear shaped cinnamon toast and miniature brownies for the littlest ones. The children were delighted, all choosing the same type of tea called "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Why am I not surprised?

Lest you feel a bit sorry for my dear boy in a place so lavishly feminine, please do not! He loved it as much as anyone, requesting to return for breakfast the next day. (I kid you not.)

Raggedy Ann was impressed with the food and service, asking politely for second helpings on almost everything.

Although children of all ages were welcome, the place was calm and soothing--even my littlest ones were inspired to serenity in such gracious surroundings. The food was dainty and delicious, and we certainly appreciated the florals and pretty touches all around.

After almost two months, we have learned to love a great many things about this wonderful city, and this warm and friendly Tea Room will remain high on our list of favorites.
[Baby Eileen smiles during her first Tea as if to say, "I am so glad this is a 'Family Place'!"]

Raggedy Ann and Andy in Wine Country

You didn't think we would leave them in New York, did you? : ) : ) : )

Now that's authentic

Noah's New York Bagels is a popular eatery here in San Francisco. I smile whenever I go inside to see its emphatic subway motif and list of coffees with homey names like "Midtown," "Gramercy," "Soho," and "Chelsea." We have become regulars at our local establishment, instantly lining the small shop to the walls and drawing amused glances from the locals every time we show up. (San Francisco is chock full of spry young mothers with babies in every kind of carrier imaginable, but not many moms with a double stroller and five children besides.)

The other day, I was shivering on a bench outside the shop, warming my hands round a piping hot cup of Soho, when Agnes observed, "These don't really taste like New York Bagels."

"No?" I asked. "What do they taste like?

"They taste exactly like the bagels we get at home."

Noah's should hire us for their next ad campaign!

Twenty-four hours to Our Lady

What do you do when you have less than twenty-four hours to prepare for Our Lady?

Tuesday afternoon, I found out that the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Guadalupe would be coming to our house on Wednesday! This image holds a deep significance for our family and all the members of our local homeschooling group. Four and a half years ago, it was brought to the bedside of our beloved friend after a near fatal and appalling car accident. I still have pictures of my children gathered round the image in the living room of our first home, just before bringing it to Brigid's bedside in the hospital:

Imagine my joy to learn that this miraculous image would be visiting us again, this time gracing our new home. More incredibly, my beautifully recovered friend and her two children would be on hand to greet Our Lady, thanking her for the precious gift of a mother's life.

Late Tuesday night, I had a moment of panic. With very few flowers blooming in the yard, I wondered how the children would welcome Our Lady, or prepare our home to receive her beautiful image. It had been on my mind to revisit the Marian May Baskets craft from last year, this time re-inventing it with pretty paper cones and ribbon for the first of May. Happily, it occurred to me that these simple cones would be perfect for crafting with a crowd, and the children could take the baskets home afterward to give as May Day gifts. Please take a look at this hastily prepared--but very well received--Marian activity:

Marie presents her First Communion-themed basket.

Two unfinished samples wait to be filled and hung on the front door of a loved one.

This Irish-themed basket, with a turf Madonna fringe of moss, graces our front door.

We started with patterned collage paper from the scrapbooking aisle (rectangular works best--one package makes twenty):

These were formed into cones with hot glue with two holes punched on each side for ribbon:

The pastel, blue, and lavender patterns on our collage paper were just perfect. If you are crafting with a crowd of children, it helps to fashion the cones in advance. (Hot glue and crowds of children don't mix!)

The cones store inside one another for easy transfer.

As a central element of each basket, I gave each child a small floral notecard to create a spiritual bouquet, encouraging them to write down prayers they will say for the recipients of their baskets.

The children hung their baskets in the shrubs surrounding the image, making April bloom like May!

The cones were such a happy sight, offering a festive atmosphere of love and welcome.

At the last possible moment, I arranged for a friend (a high school music teacher off this week) to join us for the afternoon leading the children in song: "Bring Flowers of the Fairest," "Salve Regina," "Regina Caeli" and other devotional hymns. The children said the Rosary with love and reverence, each one offering prayer requests to Our Blessed Mother.

I prayed for all of you--particularly those trying to conceive and Heather, a young mother diagnosed with a brain tumor. Here is a partial group shot of the children. (Too bad the pole from our volley ball net is in the way!)

The glorious Spring weather seemed an earthly reflection of the graces showered on our home and families. What a blessed day it was!

[A special thanks to Theresa F. for bringing the image to our home yesterday! You are beautiful inside and out!]

St. Patrick's Day in Louisiana

is celebrated with spoon saints this year!

I wish I could express to you how much good it does my heart to see these St. Patrick spoon dolls, created by thoughtful Cottage Blessings reader Jean Boyer and her wonderful 6th grade CCD class!

And wouldn't I love a slice of this clever and elegant Celtic Cross cake, also created by Jean for the incredibly lucky children in her class!

Jean, may God bless you, not only for taking the time to share these images, but also for all you do to bring our precious Faith to a new generation!

Scenes from the Feast of Candlemas--and a Few More Seeds Scattered

Our first celebration of Candlemas was one we will not soon forget.These two photographs show our Candlemas Tea centerpiece. Three pure white rose candles--one for each member of the Holy Family--floated in a bowl of holy water to signify the Purification and Presentation. At the last moment, Margaret decided to perch two turtledoves on either side. The effect was dazzling, soothing to the eye, and rich with symbolism. Earlier in the day, our beloved Pastor blessed the candles, doves, and several other religious articles, adding so much to the celebration for us.

Here are a few highlights from the menu, beginning with "Holy Simeon's Arms":
Eleven-year-old Theresa had the brilliant idea of adding mustard to represent the stinging, yet divinely inspired, words of Simeon's prophecy to Our Lady. (Mustard is spicy and even burny, yet it is good, not unlike the words of Simeon.)

I would have preferred sword-shaped toothpicks for these "piercing swords," but there is always next year! The children liked the combination of tomato and mild cheese, a good accompaniment for salty pretzels.

(As you will see, I am not above improvising on my own menus and do so often!)

Although Mallomars (Nabisco) would have been far better to represent "Anna the Prophetess," they were unavailable at our local grocer. Hershey's brand York Peppermint Patty cookies were a perfect substitute--black on the outside to represent Anna as a widow, with a pure white (minty) center to show her goodness and holiness, and a cookie bottom to remind the children that Anna never left the floor of the temple, but stayed there praying day and night.

If there is one thing I love to serve, it is a bowl of strawberries. The children are always so pleased, and nothing is so lovely on the table. Of course, the bowl of fresh and lightly sweetened whipped cream helped to make "Pure Hearts" a hit. The children were interested in the fact that Mary's heart was completely sinless, yet she went to the Temple to be purified as an act of humble obedience. I reminded them that their hearts should remain as pure as Our dear Lady's, the perfect discussion to precede our First Saturday trip to Confession.

The table was set simply, in white with hints of red and gold.

There was more than enough for all!

As the children picked up their warm pretzels, I repeated not only Simeon's prophecy (that the Child would be a light to the gentiles), but also the words Our Lord would say to his followers--"You are the light of the world"; "You are the salt of the earth."

Even these dear "snowman" teacups, a gift from Marybeth Foss to my daughters, served a purpose--blue for the Blessed Mother, white for her purity, and red for the love she bore her Son.

Just for fun, I told the children I'd hidden two more birds in the room (not exactly turtledoves, but close). It took all of two minutes for them to find this glistening pair of ornaments tucked in the chandelier, a gift from Lissa at Christmas.

Then it was off for the celebration worth infinitely more than all the Tea rituals ever planned: The Holy Mass! Our Mass was held in the evening, no less, with a slight sleet coming down from the heavens--just the way Alice O'Brien and Anne Maloney would have wanted it.

My heart swelled when little Patrick slipped into the Sacred Heart chapel to say a prayer. Here he is--the picture of scruffy, lovable boyhood.

Maureen stood at the holy water font blessing herself for no less than ten minutes. As you can see, she has her "Name of the Father" down cold.

The celebration continued when we returned home. What would Candlemas be without a flood of candlelight, and where better to find it than our Advent Log, a tradition inspired by my dear friend Rebecca and her father? Candlemas marks the traditional end of the Christmas season, and the white birch bark just seemed to cry out "Purification"! Now I have no doubt that most of you good housekeepers put away your Advent Logs weeks ago, but, at least this year, it payed to procrastinate. I replaced the mottled cranberry Christmas candle with a pure white one, exchanging the tired greenery for silk dogwood and cherry blossoms in honor of Our Lady. A pair of Presentation turtledoves completed the picture, looking almost ready for Valentine's day nestled atop a scarlet bloom. Next year, I hope to use blue flowers and blue ribbon for this display, but, to make it happen on Friday, items on hand were better than nothing. (We are firm believers in using whatever is around when an idea strikes, and these silk flowers had been languishing in the garage since Margaret's First Holy Communion almost two years ago.)

By the flicker of that brave little row of candles, we sang "Oh Most Holy One," "Sing of Mary," and "Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above." To be sure, there are better Candlemas hymns, but these were songs we knew and could sing with joy. No doubt the gentle Virgin from Nazareth heard and appreciated them--I could not help musing that hte pleasant glow of tapers felt almost like the light of her smile. Snuffing out our candles for the last time until next Christmas, we stayed a while longer to say the Rosary--the Sorrowful Mysteries for Friday, plus an extra decade to remember the Presentation.

The children went to bed happily after that, lingering only for a few extra kisses before heading upstairs. Agnes seemed to speak for all of them in observing smilingly that it had been "such a happy, holy day." With God's help, a few more precious seeds were sown in those seven ready hearts.

*******
Production Crew

Centerpiece construction: Mom and Margaret, with Patrick to pour the two bottles of holy water
Mantle decoration: Mom and Margaret
Table Settings: Agnes, Theresa, Margaret, and Marie, with a word here and there from Mom
Menu Tweaking: Theresa
Pretzel piling and mustard mounding: Theresa
Cream whipping: Agnes
Strawberry arrangement: Margaret
All other food and beverage preparation: Mom
Best Boy: Patrick
Babysitting: Marie, with help here and there from the older three
Comedy Relief: Maureen

A Word about Liturgical Teas--and a Shopping List

Thank you so much for the kind comments expressed here this week, particularly the cheering words for the "Coffers of Grace" and "Cottage Catastrophe" posts, not to mention today's Candlemas Tea and plans. After reading the Candlemas Tea Menu, my dear friend Jennifer commented:

"Simply is the key word there, I appreciate how your Teas can be done with simple, common ingredients."

This was significant and deeply gratifying to me, because the philosophy behind the Liturgical Teas is simplicity. My hope is that mothers will be able to read the suggestions, make a run to the grocery store, and have everything on the table in an hour or so. The Teas are meant to create an impression on the children, and--simple beings that they are--they are happy with sugar cubes and pretzels and cherry tomatoes, God bless them! Is it any wonder Our Dear Lord tells us to "be like a little child"? My dearest wish is that, thanks to you good mothers who make things happen, a handful of children may never look at a Mallomar or a strawberry again without thinking of something happy and holy.

Candlemas will be upon us soon. From your comments, I see that our family will not be the only one celebrating for the first time. Let's make this a great Feast and remember to pray for one another during the day. Perhaps you might consider saying the Purification Novena Prayer after grace--it is perfect for a Tea with children:

"O Blessed Mother of God, who went up to the Temple according to the law with your offering of little white doves, pray for me that I too may keep the law and be pure in heart like you.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation."

--from the Novena for Purification.

To help you all with that last minute shopping trip, here is a list of the ingredients you need for the Candlemas Tea:

Tea (Look for package marked "pure tea.")
Sugar Cubes
Milk
Spring water (optional)
Turtledoves (see note below)
Twisted Pretzels
Toothpicks (preferably swords)
Grape or cherry tomatoes
Cubes of cheese
Mallomars (Nabisco)
Strawberries
Whipping Cream or Cool Whip

Optional:
White chocolate morsels for melting
Shoestring licorice for edible tapers

*******
A Note on Turtledoves: We are using craft store doves, but something white would work well here--try mini bagels, split in half with a bit of cream cheese, or, if you don't mind something sweet, white meringues. The brilliant Amy suggested Marshmallow Peeps. Believe it or not, this occurred to me too, but I am not sure if they are available yet. Fear not, however, the Mallomars will make up for it!

If you are feeling a bit too rushed, it might make sense to consider hosting something like this over the weekend. It will be First Saturday, after all!

Tea, Turtledoves, and Treading Water: When Candlemas Comes to Call

O Blessed Mother of God, who went up to the Temple according to the law with your
offering of little white doves, pray for me that I too may keep the law and be pure in heart
like you.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

--from the Novena for Purification

I have a confession to make--we have never celebrated Candlemas in our house. Candlemas, for me, is a pleasant sounding holiday with a name that makes me think of medieval times, kind of like Michaelmas and Martinmas, two other celebrations we only discovered recently.

This year a series of events led me to believe that the Holy Spirit might be prompting us to do more for this great feast of the Purification of Our Lady.

First, the Purification Novena scheduled months ago at Loreto Cottage began (prayed especially for the wonderful Theresa)--it was several days before I even realized that The Purification and Candlemas are the same Feast! (So that's what Candlemas is!) Then out of the blue, a local friend emailed a beautiful Candlemas prayer. Another friend announced she would be hosting the Loveliness of Candlemas Fair. (I could not wait to read it, but did not at first even think about participating--after all, we had *no* plan to celebrate the feast at all!) The final straw--a straw from the manger perhaps--came when a dear friend from our local homeschooling group presented me with a bright yellow folder on Friday. Tucked inside were page after page of Candlemas prayers and hymns collected from several of her treasured out of print books--all painstakingly photocopied just for me.

At that point, I knew God was telling me something!

For those of you unfamiliar with Candlemas (myself included up until about a day or so ago), it is the Feast of the Purification of Our Lady and the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple. Traditionally called Candlemas because candles are blessed on this day to help us remember the words of holy Simeon who called the babe in his arms, "A light to lighten the gentiles and the glory of your people, Israel." Luke 2: 32.

As we often do with feasts, the girls and I are planning a Tea, along with a special centerpiece and craft. It is admittedly hastily planned, but we never let perfectionism stand in the way of fun!

Candlemas Tea Menu

Pure Tea
Sugar Cubes for Our Lady
Milk for St. Joseph
Water
A pair of turtledoves
Holy Simeon's Arms
Piercing swords
Anna the Prophetess
Pure Hearts
Theresa's edible tapers (optional)

Reading: Luke 2: 22-40.

Recipes and Suggestions:

1. Pure Tea

I hope this will not sound too silly, but many boxes of tea are marked "pure tea." It seems to me that this might be pointed out to the children in conjunction with a discussion of the ritual of purification.

2. Sugar Cubes for Our Lady and Milk for St. Joseph

This is an idea borrowed from Our Epiphany Tea, and the explanations fit just as well here. When discussing Our Lady, I would point out that the whiteness of the sugar reminds us of her purity. Out of obedience and humility, she went to the Temple for the ritual of Purification, but she was at all times sinless and spotless from the moment of her conception.

3. Water

Water is so associated with purity and purification that a pitcher of spring water for the table makes sense for this celebration. We are also planning a holy water centerpiece (below).

4. A pair of turtledoves

There are so many possibilities for this offering--anything from delicate white sandwiches to small meringues, but for this celebration, the children in our family will be preparing a small craft for the table featuring craft store doves in a basket. (I purchased the doves on Saturday, and it has been all I could do to keep the children from playing with them! I found one attached to a handwrought floral fairy's car today!)

5. Holy Simeon's Arms

Holy Simeon held the Christ Child in his arms saying, "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation." Luke 2: 29-30. To remember the loving arms of Simeon, twisted pretzels (first invented in the middle ages to represent arms folded in prayer) will be a readily obtained and simple symbol.

As you are serving them, remind the children that Christ would later preach, "You are the salt of the earth . . . . You are the light of the world." (Mt. 5: 13-14.)

6. Piercing Swords

Simeon was moved by the Holy Spirit to declare to Our Lady, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted, and you yourself a sword will pierce, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Luke 2: 34-35.

A simple cube of mild cheese, topped with a grape tomato and pierced with a toothpick would provide a good visual for the children. If you have a party store near you, you might even pick up the perfect box ofSword Toothpicks.

7. Anna the Prophetess

Oh, how I love Anna--worshiping in the temple day and night at the age of 84. [This would be my mother if she did not have grandchildren. : )]

Because Anna was a widow, something black might represent her well. I can think of many possibilities, but our family will pick up a box of Mallomars. They are perfect for Anna. The black outer shell shows that she is a widow, but inside you will see the purity and goodness of her devout heart represented in the white center. Note that the marshmallow stands on top of a graham cracker, and remind the children that this good woman never left the floor of the Temple day or night.

(By the way, up until recently, I would have told you I could not stand Mallomars, but I tried one around Christmas, and it was surprisingly good.)

8. Pure Hearts

Have the children dip strawberries in fresh whipped cream to represent Our Lady's pure and innocent heart. If you managed to get sword toothpicks, it would be very effective to skewer each strawberry for added significance.

Another possibility:

We have a small fondue pot that rarely gets used. I may let the children dip the strawberries into melted white chocolate kept warm over a candle, just because I like the idea of the candle for Candlemas.

9. Theresa's Edible Tapers

Speaking of fondue pots, 11 year old Theresa made a creative suggestion we will not have time to test in advance. Cut small pieces of shoestring licorice--dip several times in melted white chocolate leaving a bit of licorice exposed as a wick. If it works, you will have tiny and adorable edible dipped tapers.

Here are some photographs of our Candlemas supplies:

On Friday morning, we will attend Mass at our parish, asking the priest to bless these floating white rose candles. The white rose seemed the perfect symbol of the Purification of Our Lady, and I plan to give the centerpiece added meaning by floating the candles in holy water, allowing the children to bless themselves (before the candles are lit, of course!)

A print of the Presentation will grace the table as well, along with a children's project--doves in a basket. We only have six doves, so, just as Mary and Joseph shared a pair of turtledoves, each pair of my children will share a pair as well.

I never did post pictures of my glorious Advent log in its fully lighted beauty. (Thank you, Rebecca!!!) Fortunately, I am a procrastinator, and the log is still on our living room mantle. I plan on replacing the red Christmas candle with a large fat white one, decorated with Marian symbols to become a Mary Candle. We will light the white side candles and sing Candlemas hymns, processing out afterward to bid a last farewell to our outdoor creche. It will be a fitting end to the official Christmas season, and for once I am glad we never got around to putting some things away!

And a word about treading water. As you know, the learning room of our cottage is soaked through. Yesterday, a workman brought me over to survey the cleanup effort, and I was shocked to see the room stripped down to the studs. The walls and ceiling were ripped out, and even part of the adjacent bathroom wall was no more. The place looked worse, if anything, so much worse than when it was merely wet with a ceiling piece hanging down. Still, I knew it had to be done if the room is to get better.

Then it occurred to me that the stripped room was a perfect metaphor for purification--in many ways, to improve our hearts and become true followers of Christ, we need to strip them down to the studs, lopping away all that is festering within us and holding us back from Him. Even Our Lady, pure and sinless though she was, was pruned and groomed in the school of suffering--told on the very day of Purification of a sword that would pierce her heart.

And so, Candlemas has come to call this year, in more ways than one.

Sowing a Seed

"Joshua and the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho! Joshua and the battle of Jericho! And the walls came tumbling down!"

I can still see the scene in my mind's eye: the cafeteria of St. Mary's School, surreal to me at night, with an assortment of neighborhood children pressing round a fortress of cardboard milk cartons. The gang of us are singing at the top of our lungs, before bolting forward with a whoop to topple the flimsy firmament at just the right moment. This simple, boisterous game was all part of "Family Night," an event promoted in those days by a young priest named Father Daily and filed away forever in my treasure chest of joyful childhood memories. I am not sure what I knew about Joshua or Jericho at the time, yet the fun and wild abandon of the game remains with me still.

Then there was Lent at St. Mary's Church and the 7:30 evening Mass in its dimly lit basement. My mother and our neighbor, Mrs. Maloney, would rarely miss it. Anne Maloney and I could not wait to pile into the car for the novel nightly outing, or better yet walk under the train trestle with its flourescent lights and cooing pigeons, pretty sure of a soda at Alexander's afterward, and, if we were very lucky, a piece of creamy white chocolate to split between us. How I loved those Masses with Anne at my side and holy Father Callahan on the altar. The memory of them brings a pleasing mist to my eyes even now.

Looking back on my early "spiritual" experiences, I see now that, although they were in some ways less than ethereal, those blessed moments are cloaked in a mantle of simple childish gladness and mirth. To this day, I love the Mass and the Church and the Holy Bible and our parish priests, and, it seems to me, the seeds of Faith and love and loyalty were sown deep, sown in the ready heart of a child and fed and fertilized with soda and smiles, war whoops and white chocolate.

In passing on the Faith to our children, it is a great hope of mine that we will allow them to form many happy associations like these. Armed with a childhood of fond religious memories, they surely will fare far better against the world's onslaught than those tottery milk cartons in the cafeteria. With this in mind, we have begun a new tradition in our home--First Saturday Outings.

The idea was born over hot chocolates in Starbuck's back in December. I had taken the four older girls and my favorite slingrider to do a little window shopping while dh watched Patrick and Maureen. The night was pleasingly temperate, and our spirits were so high that it made me wonder why we rarely go out together in the evening. It happened to be First Saturday, and I considered what fun it would be make a special trip every First Saturday night. The girls were at once taken with the idea and talked about the first Saturday of January for a full month. Even the wonders of Christmas and New Year's could not dilute their eager anticipation.

First Saturday morning, the children awoke already talking about Mass and Confession and the special trip planned for afterward. This month, our outing consisted of omelettes at a local diner with a walk through Border's Bookstore afterward. Dh and I decided to spring for a round of hot cocoa at the cafe, but, much to everyone's dismay, they were all out of (gasp) cocoa powder. Fortuitously, the girl behind the counter offered white chocolate as a substitute, and, you will be glad to learn, the pale variety was accepted by today's young Catholics as readily as it was by Anne Maloney and Alice O'Brien those many years ago.

We arrived home late and began the usual bustle of toothbrushing, pajama hunting, and laundry rounding ("It's like herding cats," quipped dh.) The little three were asleep in an instant, when I remembered we had not yet said a Rosary or meditated an extra fifteen minutes on the Mysteries for First Saturday. The four girls were only too happy to stay up a while longer for a cozy, quiet Rosary, and I was just about to remind them of the quarter hour's meditation, when an idea struck me.

"Get on your coats, girls."

Eight eyes opened wide, and even dh uttered a disbelieving, "Did you say 'coats'?"

Within two minutes, we were outside under the stars--barely chilly with the springlike weather we have been having--and singing around our outdoor creche. Everything but the creche was pitch black, and the children's voices rose sweetly in the thin night air. Hymn after hymn of their own choosing: "Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming," "Adeste Fideles," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "Do You Know What I Know?" "Away in a Manger"--they formed the merriest little quartet of carolers you ever heard, inventing harmonies and smiling toward the stable. I listened silently, my heart swelling with hope that these blessed hymns might be their "Joshua and the Battle of Jericho," with each heartfelt note girding them for adulthood.

As we walked back to the house, I found more than one young hand had made its way into mine, and a couple of the girls walked ahead arm in arm. Margaret turned to me with a face as bright as the moon above our heads and proclaimed, "This was such a fun day!"

More music to my ears.

Scenes from our Tea for the Twelve Days of Christmas and Epiphany

Our Tea for the Twelve Days of Christmas and Epiphany was appreciated by all the children, and I am hoping it will become a tradition in our house for many years to come.

How perfect is this teapot (coffee pot, actually)? Its deep burgundy and woodsy hues form a cozy backdrop for the lyrics to "Silent Night." I found this treasure at an after-Christmas sale and almost did not purchase it. That is, until I caught site of the nesting sugar and creamer and was smitten instantly and irrevocably. I had never before seen a creamer resting atop a sugar bowl, and, although I realize it will never hold enough milk to accommodate that hulking coffee pot, true love isn't necessarily practical. Believe it or not, it was only when I brought these home that I realized how perfect they would be for our Christmas Tea! After all, tea may be brewed in a coffee pot!

"Tea from the Innkeeper":

"Sugar Cubes for Our Lady":

"Milk for St. Joseph":