Cottage Blessings

Now Playing

in the Cottage Garden:

Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (unabridged)! [Captions from the script appear above each corresponding photo.]

"If music be the food of love, play on."

"What country, friends, is this?"

"By my troth, Sir Toby, you must come in earlier o' nights."

[Patrick.]

"I marvel your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal."

"He's but mad yet, Madonna, and the fool shall look to the madman."

"I will on with my speech in your praise, and then show you the heart of my message."

"I am bound to the Count Orsino's court. Farewell."

"Were not you even now with the Countess Olivia?"

"Would you have a love song, or a song of good life?"

"What a caterwauling do you keep here!"

"My masters, are you mad?"

"Mistress Mary, if you prized my lady's favour at any thing more than contempt, you would not give means for this uncivil rule."

"If I do not gull him into a nayword, and make him a common recreation, do not think I have wit enough to lie straight in my bed. I know I can do it. "

"My purpose is indeed a horse of that color."

"But if she cannot love you, sir?"

"Get ye all three into the box tree: Malvolio's coming down this walk."

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."

"I could marry this wench for this device.
--So could I too"

"Nay, but say true, does it work upon him?"

[The scenes above were from Acts I and II.]

Too bad the rhododendrons weren't blooming!

********
Gorgeous scenery by Mary Maggio-Smith and others
Beautiful costumes by amazing seamstress Hope Giambalvo (age 16) assisted by Mary Smith and others
Directed by Kari Riess

Our children's parts:
Agnes: "Maria"
Theresa: "Viola"
Margaret: "Feste the Clown"
Marie, Patrick, and Maureen: sign carriers

A day in May

A day in May begins with Twelfth Night practice.

Our director gave notes to the cast:

in the shade of a large oak:

A sword fight broke out (and, no, this was not part of the play):

We observed the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with a small altar (can you find it?):

Here is a closer view:

And here it is again after the younger ones (the brothers and sisters of cast members) spent the day adding flowers to it!

A birthday was celebrated:

Make that two birthdays:

And a good time was had by all!

[From left to right: Maria, Feste, and Sir Andrew Aguecheek conspire against Malvolio.]

Once upon a time

A week or so ago, our family discovered the most wonderful website ever: Storynory.

We are all enjoying listening to classic stories beautifully narrated and unmodernized, and there are dozens of them, so it will be a great while before we have heard them all.

When Spring returns, I am always particularly eager for the children to be "unplugged," avoiding computer activities in favor of time spent outdoors. This is one site I will always encourage, particularly if I can sit right by their side and hear the tales myself!

[Please note: We have not come close to listening to all the stories. Based on what we have heard so far, I am assuming there are not problematic elements in any of them.]

For mothers, a poem worth considering

Any Woman

I am the pillars of the house;
The keystone of the arch am I.
Take me away, and roof and wall
Would fall to ruin me utterly.

I am the fire upon the hearth,
I am the light of the good sun,
I am the heat that warms the earth,
Which else were colder than a stone.

At me the children warm their hands;
I am their light of love alive.
Without me cold the hearthstone stands,
Nor could the precious children thrive.

I am the twist that holds together
The children in its sacred ring,
Their knot of love, from whose close tether
No lost child goes a-wandering.

I am the house from floor to roof,
I deck the walls, the board I spread;
I spin the curtains, warp and woof,
And shake the down to be their bed.

I am their wall against all danger,
Their door against the wind and snow,
Thou Whom a woman laid in a manger,
Take me not till the children grow!

--Katharine Tynan (1861-1931)

[My father's favorite poet, William Butler Yeats, advised Katharine Tynan to specialize in Irish Catholic poetry. I think he made the right call.]

More Backyard Bard

The Short Long Winter

Mom: So, Patrick, do you like The Long Winter?

Patrick: Nope.

Mom (surprised): Really, why not?

Patrick: It's long!

*******
Life imitated art in the cottage tonight.

To begin with, I served the family a meal to mirror the one we had been reading about in The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder--pot roast, pan gravy, mashed potatoes--it was everything a snowed-in pioneer family with dwindling provisions could desire. The girls, bless their hearts, instantly recognized my purpose, entering right into character. With one or two pointed remarks about "running low on flour," "the train from the east" and "burning straw," dinner was passed most pleasantly, although we all missed Pa who was apparently out in the stable tending to the stock.

Later on, Ma was washing up with Mary and Laura, when Mary remarked upon how determinedly cold the kitchen seemed. (Blindness sharpens the other senses.) The indefatiguable Laura looked wide-eyed and shivery, and even Ma had to admit that the sink water was running rather icily.

Sure enough, our heat was out--in real life--and no crisis has ever been better timed!

With all the gravity and unflappable level-headedness of Ma, I told the children we must pass the time as best we could until the heater could be fixed, ordering them to wear their warmest nightclothes. [They change into pajamas every night--why is it that tonight the process seemed--and was--magical?] They were back in a flash and all smiles, with Marie sporting an ensemble that could best be described as a "get-up": a too-short red plaid nightgown, stray ballerina pajama pants, and a lamb-studded pink button down sweater. Crowning the effort most emphatically was mommy's brown felt hat, absurdly cute when worn by a seven year old and tilted just so. Our intrepid girl looked as if she could have held out until Spring and quite possibly intended to do just that.

Still in character as Mary and Laura, the older girls swaddled Maureen (our Grace) in toasty blankets, and we all huddled together in the big four poster bed upstairs to read. The advancing chill added to the ambiance, so that it was a joy to begin each new chapter--The Wheat in the Wall, Not Really Hungry, For Daily Bread, Four Days' Blizzard--surrounded by those bright-eyed blanket-bound listeners. Patrick and Maureen dozed on a pillow next to me, and the older girls lounged comfortably on all sides. I half expected to hear Pa's fiddle ring out in the distance or perhaps the windswept whir of a storm brewing, but the next sound we heard was a smart rap on the front door.

No, gentle readers, it was not Mr. Edwards or even Almanzo Wilder, but only the oil burner repair man. The moment his unmistakable poundings met Ma's ear, she thrust baby Grace (by this time played by understudy Eileen) to the nearest empty-handed girl and bounded off to let him in, returning to 2007 by way of the front stairs and ending our little fantasy for the night.

But, oh, it was fun while it lasted!

Wise Men's Gifts, Plan C, or a Bit of Unexpected Poetry

It was getting late in the day when I asked Agnes to write the three letters to Jesus on behalf of our family for our Christmas and Epiphany Tea. I told her my vision for the project, rattling off the top of my head something akin to the sample I posted here yesterday. She said, "Sure, Mom," and returned 45 minutes later with these, each separate letter written in careful script with a line drawing of the individual Wise Man kneeling before the Infant to offer his gift.

Letter Number One:

Dear Jesus,

Melchior brought
His gift of gold
For he had legions
Of wealth untold.
But You were poor
And had nought but rags
And a stable to shut out the cold.

So do we give
The gold that we make
Away to the Church
For Your people's sake.
And with Your help,
May we not withhold
From those that You love
The least scrap of our Gold.

Letter Number Two:

Dear Jesus,

Caspar was wise
And he knew not to bring
A gift that was meant
For an earthly king.
He neither gave livestock,
Nor clothing, nor wine--
He gave you a gift
That was for the Divine.
May all that we offer--
Our thoughts and our prayers--
Rise to heaven like incense
For all of our years.
To Thee do we cry, Lord,
For You we are yearning--
May the incense we offer You
Never stop burning.

Letter Number Three:

Dear Jesus,

As Balthazar watched
A tear came to his eye--
How could he tell Mary
Her Son would soon die?
He knew of the sorrow
It would give to her.
He spoke not a word
Yet he offered You myrrh.

As, surrounding the manger,
We witness Your birth,
Let us offer our sorrow
As well as our mirth.
When You leave the world
It will be a great loss--
Perhaps, by our pains,
We can lighten Your cross.

Baby Jesus was not the only one to receive three gifts today.

I couldn't agree more

Me (reading Mother Goose to Patrick and Catherine):

"What are little boys made of?
What are little boys made of?
Frogs and . . . . "

Patrick (earnestly): No, Mommy, they are made of the love of God.

Tagged Twice

It is an honor to have been tagged for a Book Meme by Lynn at Life is Beauty (a blog that truly lives up to its name) and Elizabeth Foss, a woman who needs no introduction.

Well, here goes:

1. One book that changed your life:

Sixty Saints for Girls by Joan Windham

Back in my Catholic school days, we visited the school library every other week, and I kept borrowing the same book over and over--Sixty Saints for Girls. I read it and re-read it, practically learning it by heart. Those lively stories of the saints imbibed at a young age impressed me in a way I have never forgotten.

2. One book that you've read more than once:

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Is there anything more worth re-reading than a courtly and eloquent Jane Austen romance?

3. One book you'd want on a desert island:

I would really need two books--the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

4. One book that made you laugh:

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

The first time I read this book, my husband kept asking, "What are you laughing at?" Each time I replied, "David Copperfield," he thought I was pulling his leg. After all, in high school, most of us learned to dislike Dickens, considering his works dry and depressing. Fortunately, as I discovered by chance in my mid-twenties, David Copperfield is one of the most insightfully comical books ever written.

5. One book that made you cry:

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

I know, I know--how could I select the same book for both the laughing and crying categories? Well, it just goes to show the depth of Dickens' writing. I must have re-read chapter 53 through tears at least a dozen times. It begins:

"I must pause yet once again. O, my child-wife, there is a figure in the moving crowd before my memory, quiet and still, saying in its innocent love and childish beauty, Stop to think of me -- turn to look upon the Little Blossom, as it flutters to the ground!"

[Excuse me while I grab a tissue . . . .]

6. One book that you wish had been written:

I wish there was a series of fabulously illustrated and engagingly written children's picture books on the lives of at least a hundred individual saints.

7. One book that you wish had never been written:

Misty's Twilight by Marguerite Henry

This is admittedly a quirky pick on my part, but I so loved the Misty of Chincoteague series, and Misty's Twilight, written by Ms. Henry much later in life, was disappointing in the extreme.

8. One book you are currently reading:

The Latin-Centered Curriculum by Andrew Campbell

9. One book you have been meaning to read:

I still have not read Crossing the Threshold of Hope and several other works by Pope John Paul II, but would very much like to do so. Hmm, maybe I'll take one of those off the shelf tonight!

Tag:

Here in the Bonny Glen

Mozart & Mud Pies

Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks

kristina's world

S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen

Narnia Quiz

As Aslan, you are brave, noble and have an astute awareness of morality. You may be quick to anger at times, but you have a heart of gold, and are respected greatly among your peers.

(And here I thought it was just my unruly mane!)

MacBeth's daughter tipped Agnes off to this quiz. It is a good one!

Playing with Picture Books

With discussions of Boyhood and Girlhood picture book favorites humming along at the "4Real" message board, I found myself searching through my computer's saved documents for lists of great books compiled when the older ones were small. In my hunt, I inadvertently stumbled across this outline of planned literary activities meant to be shared with Lissa and her daughter back in the blessed days when they lived nearby:

Favorite Picture Books

1. A Time to Keep: The Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays

Let’s try to recreate some of the memories shared by Tasha Tudor. This could be done throughout the year beginning in January. There are so many beautiful ideas in this book.

2. Little Oh by Laura Krauss Melmed and Jim LaMarche

We could make origami animals and a paper “Little Oh” clothed in beautiful Japanese paper (we already have this). If our husbands can watch the little ones, we can take the older girls for an authentic meal at a Japanese restaurant.

3. The Rainbabies by Laura Krauss Melmed and Jim LaMarche

We could play “Rainbabies” with the girls. Maybe Agnes and Theresa could surprise Jane by leaving rainbabies in the garden for her. I am sure they would get a big kick out of this.

4. The Big Green Pocketbook by Candice Ransom and Felicia Bond

This book is for very young children, but it is so much fun that I could not leave it out. We could make big green pocketbooks out of felt (no sew) and take them for a “Big Green Pocketbook Day.” In the story, a girl and her mother spend the day running errands. They take a bus into town and the girl fills her pocketbook with little items she gets in each store. If we want to be very adventurous, one of us could take the older girls on a bus while the other follows behind in a car with the babies.

5. One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey

Let’s see if we can take the girls for a real motorboat ride. It would also be a lot of fun to go clam digging and try the clam chowder at a seafood restaurant.

6. Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

Using the narrative of the book, we could help the girls to create a “Jumanji” game board and then let them play.

7. Mudpies and Other Recipes: A Cookbook for Dolls by Marjorie Winslow

Lets have a dolls’ tea party and allow the girls to cater it. They can send invitations, plan their own menu, and, of course, prepare the delicacies. Most of the ingredients can be found in my backyard (pine needles, leaves, mud etc.), but some will have to be gathered in advance (seashells, sand, pencil shavings).

8. Helen’s Special Picture by Davide Previtali

This is a beautiful book about the life of Sister Faustina. I am sure that we can think of many activities to go along with it. It might be a good time to teach the girls about the canonization process. We can make and decorate “Jesus, I trust in you” pictures (or stained glass) for the girls’ rooms. Sister Faustina could easily be made into a clothespin doll as well.

9. If Jesus Came to My House by Joan G. Thomas

The first time I read this book, it brought tears to my eyes. A boy talks about how he would welcome Jesus if Jesus really came to visit him. He then realizes that he can welcome Jesus by being kind to others. At first, I thought it might be a good idea to have the girls take turns welcoming each other to their homes and treating each other as they would treat Jesus if he came to visit them. Then I realized that they are always so good to each other that this would be nothing new! Instead, I think we should let them have a special day for the little ones. They could think of activities and games that would be fun for Margaret and Rose and let them play with their favorite toys. They will all have a great time.

We could also find some ways the girls can help others. You already visit an elderly woman. Maybe we could make something special for her. We could try to get the girls to choose some toys and books to give to charity (as the boy does in the book). This would also be great time to emphasize the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

10. The Paper Princess by Elisa Kleven

This book is so much fun. Agnes and Theresa have already made princesses complete with clothing and accessories, but I am sure they would not mind doing this again. This is a good book to read in conjunction with “Little Oh” because the two books can be compared and contrasted.

Needless to say, these ideas are still in the “drawing board” stage. Even the books themselves were hastily selected (although they are all great). I cannot wait to see your selections.

******

The funny thing is that we actually pulled off quite a bit of this! Ah, those were the days!

Wanted: Literary Detective

Can you identify the Mystery Literary Location at Cay's Cajun Cottage?

Prayers from the Ark

Sunday's readings on Noah's Ark were a timely reminder to me that the Holy Spirit is always with us, even during trips to the library. Just the afternoon before, I had discovered two tattered and unassuming volumes of poetry tucked timidly beside works written by the likes of Robert Frost and John Keats. My first unexpected find was "The Creatures' Choir," translated by Rumer Godden from the original French of the obscure poet, Carmen Bernos de Gasztold. Originally published in booklet form by the Benedictine Abbey at Limon-par-Igny, France, this cluster of poems, presented from the point of view of the animals on Noah's Ark, was rediscovered by Godden, who determined to introduce the work to the English-speaking world.

Far from being sappy or sentimental, The Creatures' Choir" presents the animals' point of view in an authentic and often heart-rending way. Although I have never paused to consider how an animal might "feel," the poetry rings true at every turn. Each individual animal cries to our heavenly Creator with simple faith, confiding in Him its every affliction and aspiration--and oftentimes, the humblest of creatures have the most to say. Here are some examples:

The Toad

Lonely and ugly--
who hasn't a horror
of me, Lord?
Yet my song trills
of an unmalicious heart.
In the night that hides me,
I dedicate
the melancholy chant
of my unwholesomeness
to You, Lord.
Of Your mercy
graciously accept it,
and at last I shall learn
to bear my odium
with love.

Amen.

The Mole

I dig and dig,
looking
for life itself.
You have chosen darkness
for me, Lord,
and my tunnel
lengthens
in cavernous night.
Here and there,
a tiny hillock
shows above ground;
the rest
is buried in deep dark.
A hidden life,
Lord,
but not a poor one--
my velvet coat shows that.
In shadowy gloom
one can walk without presumption
and be perfectly safe--
but the sun
can turn one's head;
Lord, keep me from the vanities of the world,
and guide the strivings
of my little paws
so that they reach
some secret Paradise.

Amen.

The Ladybird

Dear God,
I belong to Our Lady, Your Mother.
That isn't hard to believe;
It's written in my name.
Oh! May my midget
thanksgiving,
the small circles of my flight
across the meadow,
gladden Her heart.
How I love each blade of Your grass!
I love to land there,
resting the happy whirr of my wings--
dotted with small black eyes.
Thank you for having made me
so that no one is afraid of me:
a little toy,
a penny toy,
a mite of comfort and laughter.

Amen.

Rumer Godden notes in the introduction that some of the poetry defied a proper translation. For example, the word "gnat" in French means both "gnat" and "color," so the double meaning intended by the poet is lost to an English speaking audience. Perusing these poems in French would make an excellent addition to our study of the French language.

"The Creatures' Choir," is a companion work to another separate volume, "Prayers from the Ark." My library carried a picture book version, translated by Rumer Godden and beautifully illustrated by Barry Moser. Once again, the poetry is tender and moving, although this time, a human voice cries out to Our Lord as well:

Noah's Prayer

Lord,
what a managerie!
Between Your downpour and these animal cries
one cannot hear oneself think!
The days are long,
Lord.
All this water makes my heart sink.
When will the ground cease to rock under my feet?
The days are long.
Master Raven has not come back.
Here is Your dove.
Will she find us a twig of hope?
The days are long,
Lord.
Guide Your Ark to safety,
some zenith of rest,
where we can escape at last
from this brute slavery.
The days are long,
Lord.
Lead me until I reach the shore of Your covenant.

While we have enjoyed this edition of "Prayers from the Ark" enormously, it only contains selected poems from the original, and I would love to get my hands on an unabridged version.

For more on Noah's Ark, take a look at Jan Brett's site for patterns to make a mural with your children. Needless to say, Jan Brett's lavishly illustrated version of the story is not to be missed. I also found a site with a fun online matching game, not to mention a wildly expensive, but well worth a glance page of heirloom Noah's Ark toys. These remind me of the handcarved Noah's Arks early American children were allowed to play with once a year on Christmas!

Several years ago, by the way, my husband surprised me for Mother's Day with Rien Poortvliet's gorgeous and glossy masterpiece, Noah's Ark. Each animal is presented in fine detail, making it a perfect book to pore over with young ones. Normally, because it is quite expensive, I would not recommend it for purchase, but it is currently marked down significantly.

Asleep at the Switch

Every once in a while, I realize that, despite my efforts, I have been asleep at the switch when it comes to screening what the children read.

Theresa completed "The Pearls of Lutra" Friday night and couldn't wait to find a new read aloud to share with me. She decided on "The Hostile Hospital," one of the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. At first, I found the book amusing, with an outlandish plot and droll humor, but Theresa hesitated early in Chapter 3 remarking, "I think this next sentence might be irreverent." I asked her to pass the book to me and, to my dismay, found a joke insulting to the Blessed Mother. It was a gratuitous little aside, extraneous to the plot and subtle enough that most children could read it without even noticing the problem. No doubt "Lemony Snicket" and his editors thought the gibe might amuse any adults who happen to pick up the book.

Unfortunately, I realize more and more that it is wrong to assume that today's "Children's Literature" will be wholesome and suitable for children. In this case, I couldn't even expect that the book would be free from derision toward our Faith. Is it any wonder Pope John Paul II noted, "[i]t is true that young people today experience difficulties that previous generations experienced only partially and in a limited way . . . the isolating and alienating influence of a large part fo the media . . . can produce a confusion in young people about the truths and values which give a genuine meaning to life." (John Paul II, Homily for World Youth Day's Prayer Vigil, January 14, 1995.)

As parents, we too "experience difficulties that previous generations experienced only partially." Let us pray we are up to the challenge.

A Week in the Mossflower Wood

Theresa is apparently trying to find out how many "Redwall" books one ten year old can read simultaneously.

Our family is almost finished listening to "Mattimeo" in the car on tape. Meanwhile, she has been reading aloud "The Pearls of Lutra" to me, "Redwall" to Grandma, and "Salamandastron" to her younger sisters. She began the Pearls of Lutra ten days ago, and already we are up to Chapter 51, with only a small sliver of a book left to read. She catches me with the "Pearls" every chance she gets--whether I'm washing dishes or sweeping the floor--and I must say, her companionship has made those mundane tasks far more pleasant. In two days of reading "Redwall" to my mother, they have already reached Chapter 14. Theresa is relishing the task of introducing her grandmother to our beloved friends from Redwall Abbey and informed me excitedly that "Grandma LOVES Redwall."

Grandma certainly has plenty of company in this house!

The Yellowed Pages

One of our tricks at the library is to seek out books with frayed covers and yellowing pages--the kind that always seem to find their way to the discard pile. As you literature buffs undoubtedly know, these books are often out-of-print beauties well worth delving into.

During our most recent library visit, we discovered two old treasures:

"The Kate Greenaway Treasury," with introduction by Ruth Hill Viguers, is a thick volume including a biography of the famous artist, her letters and photographs, and vibrant facsimile copies of all her works. The book is so breathtaking that I am contemplating offering a bribe to the librarian to see if she will let me keep it. Kate Greenaway, like Beatrix Potter, was primarily home educated, something I did not know before. Her good humor and creativity are evident on every page, and I am that much more appreciative of her art work now that I know she insisted on using live models dressed in the quaint and curious costumes popular a century before--most of which she handmade or prepared herself for historical accuracy. She had an undeniable knack with children, managing to find infinite ways to absorb and entertain them during their lengthy sessions of posing. Sharing her merry verse and incomparable illustrations with my own children has been a joy.

Another uncommon find from this week's treasure hunt was "Wings from the Wind," an anthology of poems selected and illustrated by Tasha Tudor. We met Tasha Tudor at a birthday party held in her honor two years ago, so the children perceive her as their personal friend. Her poetry selections are especially appealing in that they are just slightly unexpected, with novel works we have not seen in other collections for children. Her illustrations are black and white line drawings, making them a bit more accessible to young nature journalers. I anticipate that some of these works will be copied in pencil by my girls. As charmed as we are by the book itself, perhaps my favorite aspect is the rather young looking photo of Tasha Tudor on the dust jacket. Taken in 1964, she looks as if she is still in her forties.

This week's teatimes will be that much more more delightful with Kate Greenaway and Tasha Tudor at our table.

Once upon a time

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."

--Albert Einstein

We picked up a beautiful array of Hans Christian Anderson illustrated fairy tales at the library this morning and spent a quiet afternoon reading our favorites and admiring the appealing artwork. One of the things I like best about sharing old fairy tales is the strong religious faith evident in so many of them. In Anderson's "The Little Mermaid," for example, the mermaid desires with all her heart to become a human because, unlike her kind who may expect to live a few hundred years, human beings possess an immortal soul and the potential to reach Heaven.

This is a bit of the text from the original version:

"'If human beings are not drowned,' asked the little mermaid, 'can they live forever? Do they never die as we do here in the sea?'

"'Yes,' replied [her grandmother], 'they must also die, and their term of life is even shorter than ours. We sometimes live to three hundred years, but when we cease to exist here we only become the foam on the surface of the water, and we have not even a grave down here of those we love. We have not immortal souls, we shall never live again; but, like the green sea-weed, when once it has been cut off, we can never flourish more. Human beings on the contrary, have a soul which lives forever, lives after the body has been turned to dust. It rises up through the clear, pure air beyond the glittering stars. As we rise out of the water, and behold all the land of the earth, so do they rise to unknown and glorious regions which we shall never see.'

"'Why have we not an immortal soul?' asked the little mermaid mournfully. 'I would give gladly all the hundreds of years that I have to live, to be a human being only for one day, and to have the hope of knowing the happiness of that glorious world above the stars.'"

Check the shelves for these Hans Christian Anderson titles on your next library visit:

The Snow Queen, illustrated by P.J. Lynch

The Tinderbox, adapted and illustrated by Barry Moser (post civil war version)

The Nightingale, retold by Stephen Mitchell

The Steadfast Tin Soldier, illustrated by Thomas Di Grazia

Thumbelina, illustrated by Arlene Graston

The Centenary of a Country Diary

This year marks one hundred years since skillful nature enthusiast Edith Holden fashioned her "Nature Notes for 1906," later published in facsimile as The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady. We began new 2006 nature journals yesterday, inspired by Miss Holden's appealing artwork, meticulous notes, and heartening quotations and poetry.

We also made the notable discovery that Noritake once manufactured a china pattern featuring Miss Holden's work called "Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady." It is available in both octagonal and round shapes. What an enchanting outdoor teatime these pieces would make!

From Today's New York Times

When the famously reclusive author, Harper Lee, agreed to endorse an annual "To Kill a Mockingbird" essay contest, her one stipulation was that home educated students be allowed to compete: Harper Lee, Gregarious for a Day.

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

We spent the past day or two calling on old friends we had not seen since August--John, Susan, Titty, Roger, Nancy, Peggy, Dorothea, and Dick--beloved characters from the memorable Arthur Ransome series, Swallows and Amazons. In "Winter Holiday," the fourth book in the series, our favorite pirates and explorers skate, trudge through the ice-covered arctic, erect an igloo, dwell in a desolate houseboat, and streak across a frozen lake under sail, all the while never missing a single teatime.

We have read Swallows and Amazons many times and listened to the entire series on tape this past Summer. Needless to say,"Winter Holiday" is an entertaining read any time of year, but back in July we vowed to revisit the story during the colder months. Two nights ago, with no prior introduction, I settled the kids down to begin an unnamed read aloud. There were a few murmurs from the ranks, with curious children wondering why I was being so mysterious. I cleared my throat and began the first sentence: "Steps sounded on the wooden stairs, and counting, 'Seven and eight and nine and ten and eleven and twelve and that's the dozen.'" Instantly, a cheer of elation and acknowledgement went up--it was as if I announced a pending trip to a favorite ski lodge.

With younger children, we always read and re-read favorite picture books numberless times. As every mother will attest, for pre-schoolers, the hundredth read is as gratifying as the first--more so even. They thrive on the familiar and delight in the anticipation of a favorite line or illustration waiting right round the next bend. It occurs to me now that we have begun to re-visit many of our old favorite novels, this delight in the familiar does not impede with age. Agnes, Theresa, Margaret, Marie, and, in his own way, even Patrick, were as excited to begin Winter Holiday as Maureen is when I pick up "Fox in Socks." At one or two points, Agnes precipitated choice lines from the book just as I reached them. "The Arctic might be in a poor way for ice," I would lead off, and she would whisper, as if on cue, "but inside the igloo, with the lantern and the fire, what did it matter whether the world outside was as they left it or fathoms deep in snow?" It reminded me of the days when she completed each line in "Madeline's Christmas" as an eighteen-month-old toddler. That easy friendship with books has never faded for her or the others, but only flourished and flowered with time.

Years ago, when the girls were first old enough to read something more advanced than picture books, I remember poring over booklists of "must read" novels. In my mind, there was a checklist of these must-reads, and I wanted the girls to experience every last one of them. Undeniably, there is great value in discovering new books and personalities to love, but we are careful not to neglect our first friends. Year after year, we drop in on Ebeneezer Scrooge, Laura Ingalls, Martha Morse, Matthias and Cornflower, Bilbo Baggins, Basil Stag Hare, Charlotte Tucker, Anne Shirley, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, the Pevensies, Mary Lennox, the Bastables, Heidi and others. These characters have a life of their own to us, and our bond with them is deepened with each fresh read.