Mother's Bible

First Happenings

A morning-glory morning with its usual glory,

dawn particularly startling with citrons and 

mauves, petunias in the garden flashing their

tender signals of grattitude.  The sunflowers

creak in their grass-colored dresses.  Cosmos,

the four o'clocks, the sweet alyssum nod to 

the roses who so politely nod back.  

 

And now it is time to go to work.  At my desk 

I look out over the fluttering petals, little

fires.  Each one fresh and almost but not quite

replicable.

 

Consider wearing such a satisfying body!

Consider being, with your entire self, such 

a quiet prayer.  

  -Mary Oliver 

 

 

Maybe being with my entire self, a quiet prayer,  looks something like this:

I These 4:11 

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands.

 

 

 

morning glories-  photo link

 

petunias- photo link

sunflower

cosmos- photo link

 

 

four o'clocks- photo link

 

sweet alyssum - photo link

rose- photo link

 

 

 

 

 

wash day

The Names of Flowers

An introduction always includes a name.  Yet, all too often I draw a blank when introducing my children to new plants.   This summer will be different.  We are going to learn the names of as many different flowers as we possible can.  Here is what we've done so far:

 We learned five spring flowers by reading The Story of the Root Children.  All of the books by Sibylle von Olfers are outstanding.  The illustrations are enchanting, and the words are soft and magical.  The Story of the Root Children is my favorite.

  The root-children slumber all winter until Mother Earth gently wakes them up for spring.

 "Each of the root-children choose her own colour to make a dress.  The snowdrop chose a snow-white cloth, the forget-me-not a sky-blue piece, the buttercup bright yellow, the daisy white with yellow and a bit of red,  and the poppy a bright red."  

 

And introducing ........

snowdrop- photo link

 The petals of the snowdrop look like creamy drops of milk, poured from an elegant green pitcher.  They are a brave little flower.  Even with Winter's white still on the ground,  they appear,  giving off the warm fragrance of sweet honey. (story and poem.)

forget-me-not-  photo link

Flowers are rich in folklore.   The forget-me-not,  a star of  five petals, has a romantic and tragic tale.

buttercup

Buttercups are a water-loving plant.  Ranunculus, their Latin name, means little frog because they like to live near or in water. The buttercup symbolizes cheerfulness and charm, but also childish behavior.  If you give a person buttercups, it can be a subtle way of saying, "Stop acting like a child."     Who could forget Buttercup from The Princess Bride!  I can see so many shades of meaning in her name.

 

daisy-  photo link 

 At the beginning of our courtship, Brian gave me a simple bouquet of daisies.  He had removed the florist's waxy tissue paper that always cheapens flowers.  Along with the daisies was a handwritten note, "Because it's Monday."  It was one of those moments when I knew this was the man for me.  There were no expensive roses or trite overstatements of affection, just simple pungent romance.

 

poppy-  photo link

 Hsiang Yu, a Chinese warrior known for his great bravery and strength, had a beautiful and faithful wife Lady Yee.  She followed him into every battle, giving him her support.   At last Hsiang Yu  met an enemy he could not defeat.   Lady Yee then danced with her husband's sword, her body like the beautiful petals of the poppy, and then with traditional Asian honor, she committed suicide.  On her grave a field of poppies grew.  There are other Western associations to poppies, but we liked this one.  

 

 

Something more....

Idea from-  Imagine Childhood

 This is a clever idea, and it was easy enough to do.   Screw an eye hook into the end of a wooden dowel and attach ribbon of all different colors.  Make sure the ribbon is wide enough to write on.  

When we meet a new flower friend, we simply write its names on the ribbon that correspond to its color.

I'm not sure these will make it through the summer, especially Abra's Maypole.  He uses it as a light saber, but it will be easy enough to replace the ribbons.  It is fun to have a stick of colors to wave about on nature walks.  For Northern kids stuck inside too much of the winter, our rainbow poles are a summons to spring.
 

 

Spring, the sweet spring, is the year's pleasant king;

Then blooms each thing, then maids dance in a ring,

Cold doth not sting, the pretty birds do sing. Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!

                                                                                            ---Thomas Nashe (1567-1601)

Bucket Verses

There she stands, wobbling a bit as she finds her balance, her strong leg taking most of her weight.  With careful thought she brings her hands into prayer pose above her heart.  She bends her head slightly and in a small voice says, "Peace be upon you, Momma. "  I assume her pose and respond, "And upon you, Em." 

These mantras of peace are new to our family.  They are a gift, a first gathering of the harvest promised,  in response to my callow prayers (James 3). Even on days where disagreements are endless, I know the seeds of peace have started to change us.  It is our intention, even if it is not yet our reality.

 

The more we sweat in peace, the less we bleed in war.

                                                                                            -Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

 

This next unit of verses is about relationship building.  Healthy relationships are at the heart of peace.   Malice kills peace.  Love promotes peace (I Peter 4:8).   Learning to forgive and to not keep record of wrong sustains peace.    All of this takes work.  Learning these verses is part of that work.    It's part of the sweating.

 

Here's the main prop for this series of verses:

The book uses the metaphor of a bucket to explain that personal happiness comes from treating others with kindness and love.   It's simple and memorable.  If you want to hear the entire book, watch this YouTube video.  

Bucket Verses from Lisa Lang on Vimeo.

 

Bucket Verses 

Watch Your Mouth:  Ephesians 4:29-32

 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

It may be helpful to define some of the words to your children.   Here are the words we looked up:  bitterness, slander, brawling, and compassion. 

--our high place

Our meanness doesn't just affect other people, it also grieves God.  Let's get rid of it.  Try this visualization with the children:

Imagine you are at the top of a great canyon (or choose any high point your child can relate to).   Drop your rage and anger down that canyon.  Let your spirit of discord drop too.  Get rid of your meanness in the same way.    Then watch as a small white cloud  settles above your head.  Reach up and grab hold of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.   They are gifts from Jesus.   Put them on.  Wear them.  Let them be you (Colossians 3).

 

 

 

Children tend to hold stress in and then release it in a fury.  Our favorite techniques  for managing feelings before they get too BIG is progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing.   This book was suggested to us by a counselor.  It is a good introduction to these methods.

 

 

No More Fighting:  I Peter 3:8-9

 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.  Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing,

This was one of the first verses we learned together as a family of seven.  Here is a lesson and video to help teach it.   

Monkey:  Romans 12: 9-10

  Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

We call this the monkey verse because we want to cling to good like a monkey clings to a tree. 

Love:  I Corinthians 13:4-8

  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

When I feel lost in how to love, I look to I Corinthians 13 for guidance.   The words never get old.  For a simple lesson, I wrote down what love is and what it isn't according to this scripture.   The kids sorted the cards into the two groups, talking about what each card meant and what the opposite of that trait would be.  We took turns putting the cards on the board.   When we had finished this, we took three deep breaths to focus our thoughts, and slowly I laid the cards down a second time.  This time we prayed through the verse.  Praying scripture is one of my favorite ways to talk to God.  The cards are now stored in a cabinet that holds our memory verse props.   They are there for anyone who wants to use them to meditate and pray.

 

 This book is brimming with examples of what love is according to the Apostle Paul.  Sometimes the illustrator's message is subtle and takes some thinking.  It's is one of those books you take with you to the hammock and look at for hours.  Amazon link 

 

Not everything we did for this unit is included in this post.  If you are interested in doing these verses with your children and want to learn more about our memory verse props or the actions we made up to learn these verses, please leave a comment below or email me at mothersbible@gmail.com.                                                                                                     

   -Peace Be Upon You.

 

 

 

 

  If you have any sort of imagination, drop dried peppers into a pot of steaming ginger broth.  It looks exactly like the fiery breath of a dragon. 

This soup is fun and simple, with minimal prep work.  The most laborious task is cutting carrots and celery into matchsticks.  When doing work like this, take time to notice color, texture, and the form of that which you are cutting. Live mindfully, thinking about what you're doing......and nothing more.  

Dragon Soup is chicken noodle soup with a bit of spice and asian flair.  We eat it with chopsticks because we could use the practice, and of course we pretend the chicken is dragon meat.

Most recipes I double(or at least I double aspects of it) and alter slightly.  If you're interested, here is the original recipe for Dragon Soup.

My version (serves 9):

4 cups chicken broth 

4 cups water

4 dried peppers

1 inch ginger root, finely diced

1 cup carrots, julienned

1 cup celery, julienned

18 ounces (a box and a half) fettucini noodles

whatever amount of chicken you have available- shredded

scallions chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Bring the water, broth, ginger, and peppers to a boil.  Add pasta, chicken, celery, and carrots.  Cook until pasta is al dente.  The celery and carrots will have the texture of steamed vegetables.  They add bite to the soup.  Next, salt and pepper to taste.  Add scallions.  

Isaiah ate an entire pepper and then wished he hadn't.  This was a good lesson on capsaicin.  

"When the capsaicin enters your mouth, the hydrocarbon side chain penetrates and binds to certain cell receptors. This opens the cell and allows calcium ions to enter, which in turn triggers a pain signal to your brain. This is the same reaction that happens when your cells are exposed to heat. The bond formed by the hydrocarbon side chain is strong, but it can be broken when capsaicin encounters certain chemicals. The casein protein in milk is one such chemical, and this is why drinking milk can quickly stop the burn from a hot pepper."
                                                                                                                             --source

 

Hana loves noodles.  She's not a big fan of spice, but this soup isn't overly spicy (unless you eat an entire pepper to prove to your little brother that you can).  If you've got an issue with heat, add fewer peppers.  

 

 
Em enjoying her dragon meat.

A Legacy of Love

"My hands reach down, trembling with anger, reach toward the needy child, but instead of roughly managing her they close gently as a whisper on her body. As though I am somehow physically enlarged, I draw her to me, breathing deeply. The tension drops away. At this moment, I am invested not with my own thin, worn endurance, but with my mother’s patience. This is a gift she has given to me from far away. Her hands have poured it into me. The hours she soothed me and the deep quiet in which I watched her rock, nurse, and comfort my younger brothers and sisters have passed invisibly into me. This gift has lain within me all my life, like a bird in a nest, waiting until the moment my hands need the soft strength of wings."

 

LOUISE ERDRICH, The Blue Jay’s Dance

        Related Post: Teaching Love

ice cream

Mindfulness, creativity, and ice cream are my themes for the year.  Let's start with the ice cream.

This Christmas, on our anniversary getaway, Brian and I vetoed a chance to go to the movies, for a book of our choice at Barnes and Noble.  I bought Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reece.  When I first heard this book reviewed on NPR, I thought, "How me!"  As it turns out my passion for avoiding anything processed is a national trend.  It's like naming your kid Aiden (and then discovering so did everyone else).  Some things are popular for good reason. I like this book, and I love the concept.  It's part recipes (120 in all) and part witty repartee.  Reece is funny, in a wry sort of way.  Plus, I can relate to her.  I value economics, but I'm not enslaved to them. I like gourmet, but also french fries from McDonald's.  I definitely want a slue of  livestock in my urban backyard.  Her blog, where she cooks her way through various cookbooks, is one of my favorites.  In her premier book,  Ms. Reece does the work of figuring out what should be made from scratch and what should just be purchased at the supermarket.  She takes into account time, effort, cost, and taste.  I'm now grinding nuts when I need almond  or  peanut butter.  I've got a bottle of pepper sauce curing in the front closet, and  I've dug out my ice cream maker. 

I'm crazy for this Blackberry Frozen Yogurt (original recipe found on this blog).  I changed it a  tiny bit because the original recipe made more than my 1-1 1/2 quart machine could hold.  

Recipe:  

Ingredients:  1/2 can sweetened condensed milk,  2 generous cups of frozen blackberries, 1 3/4 cups homemade greek yogurt.

Put these three ingredients in the blender and puree. Next, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker.  Proceed according  your machine's instructions.  

Yes, it's that easy.  I serve it to the children in little ramekins or straight off the paddle.  It's healthy and delicious.  My goal is a new ice cream every month in 2012.  January's flavor was an amazing grapefruit sorbet.  I have some in the freezer right now.  My husband likes to finish a meal with something sweet, and a spoonful of this  sorbet is a perfect ending to any meal.  The recipe is in Reese's book.  It's worth checking out.

More Homemade Greatness

Happy Valentine's Day!

It has been months now since I blogged with any sort of regularity. There are seasons for everything, and lately I've spent my free time reading.  What I'm learning has occupied my mind, leaving me room for little else.   In addition, we've moved the children's bedtime from 8:00 to 9:00 (which means I have one less hour of solitude), and I've started exercising on a consistent basis (chop off another 40 minutes of my day).  That's ok.  These things are important to me.  Still, I do have goals for Mother's Bible. 

 

1.  Memory Verses:  The last section of verses I shared was a series of verses written by the Apostle John.  As we started memorizing these, it just didn't feel right.  It wasn't a cohesive unit.   I made some changes.  Next Tuesday we are having a John party as a way of celebrating Valentine's Day.  Also, we've started and almost finished another section of verses on light.  I'm very happy with this one.   I will get it posted!

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Mother’s Bible is on Pinterest.  I pray people are not just pinning verses, but memorizing them as well.  Bible memorization has infinite blessings! 

2.  New topics:  I spend most of my down time reading and cooking, and yet these two hobbies have taken a backseat in my blogging.  My children will not remember me as an expert seamstress, but I’m certain they will remember me making food in the kitchen or on the couch with a book in hand.  This year my goal is to review more books and blog more recipes.  I would like to get most of my recipes on-line and perhaps turn the posts into a book someday for my children.  I've made some cool New Year resolutions.  There is somewhat of a Cooking Renaissance happening in our kitchen.  

3.  I want to continue to celebrate family life.  We still have many aches and pains.  Being a blended family is not easy.  I cannot even remember easy, but I don't blog about that. Blogging is (f0r me) about rejoicing in the good and happy moments.  I mention our growing pains because sometimes people make comments about our family that do not accurately reflect who we are.  As I’ve said before, we live gritty, real lives.  That is true of most families, and it is certainly true of ours. 

4.  I'm a big fan of resolutions.  Every year I have themes that define it.  This year is about mindfulness, creativity, and ice cream.  That's the stuff I will be blogging about.   It will make sense.   I promise.

kitty's birthday

I like how we sew in response to a need.  This time is was Kitty's birthday.  We needed a cake.  The idea and template for this project came from Super Cute Felt, a hand sewing book I received for a Christmas present.  Although the apple cake was originally created to be a pin cushion, it worked well for Kitty's special day.   

Hana and Elia are my sewers.  Elia is creative, but Hana is steadfast and precise.  I imagine after years of sewing they will weave together their strengths.  That is the beauty of companionship.  That is the beauty of sisters who are ever fixed friends.