This is ridiculous.

School's been closed since Friday last and won't open again until Monday. It's just a little snow!

No really, the school parking lot, which is horrible to begin with, is a sheet of ice. Hopefully it's melted by now, but it's supposed to snow again tomorrow, so there's no telling.

That's a whole week that the kids have had to forget their spelling words. That is not good. Monday shall be quite interesting.

It's snowing!

They cancelled church! Isn't that odd? School was out Friday and will be out tomorrow, too. Meanwhile, I'm drinking coffee and cutting out snowflakes. A happy occupation.

I realised something today. My parents used to tell me that a man wanted a clever wife who could carry on an intelligent conversation. They haven't said that in a while. I was wondering if that means I should stop reading and keep my mouth shut now? I shouldn't want to be too clever and monopolise the conversation.

Anyway, it was a funny thought. It reminds me of their story about my beginning to talk- evidently they thought I would never start, and then when I did, they thought I would never stop!

"Why Contemporary Reformed Theological Debate Makes Me Want to Vomit"

Getting in touch with my catholic side.

Because evidently, I am a heretic and not a member of Christ's Church. Please pray for me.

I have a headache. I'm going to go apply a salve: Rev. Wilson's biography of John Knox ought to do nicely.

Epiphanies

I'm sad to have missed the rest of the days of Christmas, but I've been a little busy. So, now that I have a moment, I'll just let you all in on a few things I've learned in the past three days of teaching first and second grade.

1. I hate Abeka curriculum with a passion.
2. Evidently, I can't tell the difference between a long vowel and a short vowel.
3. I forgot. That's what happens when all you've been saying all day consists of these six phrases (or variants of the same):
-Sit down.
-Stop talking.
-Obey me the first time.
-Meg! Stop!
-Do your work.
-Turn around and sit correctly in your chair.

I now understand (actually understand) why homeschooling the Veritas/Abeka way is ridiculous in the extreme. Why would you want to try to teach that many subjects at once, with that much material in each one? Give me a break!

On the fourth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me...

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

"Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord,
make His paths straight,'"

John appeared, baptising in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptised by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit."
Mark 1:1-8

And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.
And His mercy is for those who fear Him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
He has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel,
in remembrance of His mercy,
as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever."
Luke 1:46-55

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and they shall call his name Immanuel"

(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-5, 14

On the third day of Christmas my True Love gave to me...

But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Saviour appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:4-7

On the second day of Christmas my True Love gave to me...

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'

Isaiah 40:1-2 and Luke 3:4b-6

On the first day of Christmas my True Love gave to me...

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:2-4, 6-7

On gratitude, from http://havingtwolegs.blogspot.com/ , posted on Monday, 18 December, year of our Lord 2006:
"This table is the Eucharist, the table of thanksgiving....You may not go around acting like you eat at the table of bitterness and ingratitude. Remember your allegiance to Jesus. He is King. You are his people. Therefore be loyal subjects to the King. Come eat, drink, and rejoice and again I say, rejoice!"

Merry Christmas!

No more let sins and sorrows grow;
Nor thorns infest the ground.
He comes to make His blessings known
Far as the curse is found!

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2: 10-14

We now interrupt your regularly scheduled programme to bring you this report from Miss Puritan Chickie, coming to you live from the Saucy Chair.

Mischievousness: Book Titles Inspired by Sunday's Sermon

1. Why God Made Earthquakes: How I Came to Hate Dependence Upon Myself

2. Food For Thought: 101 Sermon Illustrations, including: "When I Was a Boy", "Mowing the Lawn", "When I Was in Seminary", "There Will Be a Test", "My Friend (insert name)", "Fishing Trip", "The Young Hippie", and so many more!

3. Church as Covenant Renewal or How I Began to Love High Liturgy and to Hate Three Songs and a Lecture

4. True Blessings: All Things Taken in Faith

5. How to Teach Your Congregation Through Football, Hockey, and Baseball Anecdotes
Examples inside!

_______
Special thanks to television, for giving me a short attention span in church and for the header from today's post.

Two Things: Coffee and Chesterton

1. I received my first Christmas present this morning (a little early, but I don't mind!). It's a French Press Pot! And it came with two flavoured coffees-- pumpkin pie and chocolate. Decaffeinated, of course. Jessie gave it me, and I'm having fun figuring out how to use it to make the best coffee.

2. A quote from Chesterton's The Ball and The Cross:
"...Now, let us put the matter very plainly, and without any romantic nonsense about honour or anything of that sort. Is not bloodshed a great sin?"
"No," said MacIan, speaking for the first time.
"Well, really, really!" said the peacemaker.
"Murder is a sin," said the immovable Highlander. "There is no sin of bloodshed."
"Well, we won't quarrel about a word, " said the other, pleasantly.
"Why on earth not?" said MacIan, with a sudden asperity. "Why shouldn't we quarrel about a word? What is the good of words if they aren't important enough to quarrel over? Why do we choose one word more than another if there isn't any difference between them? If you called a woman a chimpanzee instead of an angel, wouldn't there be a quarrel about a word? If you're not going to argue about words, what are you going to argue about? Are you going to convey your meaning to me by moving your ears? The Church and the heresies always used to fight about words, because they are the only things worth fighting about. I say that murder is a sin, and bloodshed is not, and that there is as much difference between those words as there is between the word 'yes' and the word 'no'; or rather more difference, for 'yes' and 'no', at least, belong to the same category. Murder is a spiritual incident. Bloodshed is a physical incident. A surgeon commits bloodshed."

It's snowing!

Recipe for Baked Apricot-Wild Rice Chicken

This recipe is one I discovered and then altered to make it my own. It's very tasty and homey.

This recipe makes six servings.

Place one whole chicken (or 1/2 chicken breast per person) in a roasting pan with one large onion and three cloves garlic, minced. Glaze with honey and the juice of one lemon. Sprinkle lightly with turmeric. Roast, covered, for one hour at 350*.

Remove chicken from roaster and measure out the juice. Add water or broth to make 3 to 3 1/2 cups. Pour 1 and 1/2 c. rice and liquid into pan. Add 1/2 c. apricots (dried, chopped), some rosemary, sage, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Place chicken on top of mixture. Cover and bake 35-45 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir 1/2 c. pecan halves into rice and serve.

*Rice:
I use a mixture of white and brown rice because the family isn't very keen on brown rice yet.
White rice: use 1/4 c. per person, and 1/2 c. liquid per person.
Brown rice: use 1/4 c. per person, and 1/2 c. liquid per person, but add another 1/2 to 3/4 cup liquid.

*I haven't used a whole chicken in this recipe yet, so I'm not certain of the times.

Food!

Since I've been cooking and baking so many new things recently, I thought I'd post some pictures and recipes of my (new) favourites. I've already posted the recipe for Georgian Khachapuri (the delicious cheesy bread), but there's nothing like a picture when you can't actually see something. Here's one from the batch I made Thanksgiving night for supper. That stuff you see coming out of the top is CHEESE, thanks be to God.

We threw a surprise chocolate party for A's birthday last Friday. What with chocolate pecan pie, Death by Chocolate Cake, truffles, Chocolate Peppermint Sticks, fudge, Dad's Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies, and chocolate coffee pudding, I think we're all going to be on a sugar high for weeks! Unfortunately, we ate most everything, and didn't take pictures before we fell to. Next time I make Death by Chocolate Cake or truffles (the best ones, in my opinion), I'll be sure to have my camera ready.

For Thanksgiving dinner, I made Baked Apricot-Wild Rice Chicken. We also had cranberry sauce, broccoli, and rolls, followed by pumpkin pie and chocolate cheesecake. The cheesecake was a big hit. I also made a centerpiece by baking bread in the shape of a shock of wheat.

Also this week, I've made Bouillebaisse, which is a new family favourite. It's a fish stew sort of dish and it's excellent with some crusty bread. I like to make baguettes to serve hot with supper. Sad thing, I don't actually like to eat the stew. Everyone else does, though, so I've added it to our list of meals.

Next week is our cookie exchange. I'll be getting some new recipes then, so I'll have plenty more baking to do! I'll be making my grandmother's now-famous molasses cookies. So tasty.

Recipes tomorrow!

A Miscellany of Men, G.K. Chesterton

...we are far too seldom reminded that just as church-going is not religion, so reading and writing are not knowledge, and voting is not self-government.

The notion of self-government was not (as many modern friends and foes of it seem to think) the notion that the ordinary citizen is to be consulted as one consults an encyclopedia. He is not there to be asked a lot of fancy questions, to see how he answers them. He and his fellows are to be, within reasonable human limits, masters of their own lives. They shall decide whether they shall be men of the oar or the wheel, of the spade or the spear. The men of the valley shall settle whether it shall be hoary with thatches or splendid with spires. ... And in case the word 'man' be misunderstood, I may remark that in this moral atmosphere, this original soul of self-government, the women always have quite as much influence as the men. But in modern England neither the men nor the women have any influence at all. In this primary matter, the moulding of the landscape, the creation of a mode of life, the people are utterly impotent.

[The local man] would be, I seriously believe, the best judge of whether farmsteads or factory chimneys should adorn his own sky-line, of whether stupid squires or clever usurers should govern his own village. But these are precisely the things which the oligarchs will not allow him to touch with his finger. Instead, they allow him an Imperial destiny and divine mission to alter, under their guidance, all the things that he knows nothing about.

Pages 6, 7, and 9

I've had an apostrophe...

Lightnin' has struck my brain.

This article was posted on the RUF list-serv (e-mail discussion forum). I was writing an e-mail to respond to it, and I realised, half-way through my second proof-read, that I have way too many commas in this sentence. That's not actually, what, I realised, I just, thought, that I, would write that, because, it was getting, ridic,ulous. Ahem. Sorry...Where was I? Oh, yes. I realised that I hate list-serv discussions. And now I know why, because I unconsciously wrote it out in my reply. Here's what I said (unedited):

"Before everyone jumps in and tears this author and his article to teeny-weeny pieces for any and every reason other than the legitimate one, that of disagreement on Biblical grounds-- I just want to say that I agree with what he wrote. Especially with this bit: "The purpose of this article was to encourage careful thinking about this issue and the seeking of God's truth." That is why I'm saying I agree. I don't want to argue with anyone about all of the possible "exceptions" or "special circumstances". All I know is, we should have babies. Anything beyond that is on each individual's own conscience. We cannot make a rule based upon possible exceptions. Stop trying to outline the entire boundary of our free wills. It isn't possible because no-one is able to speak for anyone else's conscience. It is important, however, to recognise truth when we see it. Therefore:
1. God made us fertile.
2. He is in control of everything.
3. He commanded us to be fruitful and multiply.

Why wouldn't you obey him?"

I was in the middle of editing for content and flow of argument when I came across that bold sentence which tells me exactly what I think of these people. "Stop trying to outline the entire boundary of our free wills." Stop nit-picking! Quit it, you Pharisees! The only reason you all are doing this is because you don't want to obey in the big things, just the little tiny ones! It makes me wonder if they tithe their mint and cumin, too.

And now I wonder how I got to this place in my life. I used to be just as legalistic and pharisaical. Honestly, I thought I still was, but I see from my reaction that I'm not any longer. That is very strange and very wonderful.

Henry Tilney on the Understanding of Women

"And now, Henry," said Miss Tilney, "that you have made us understand each other, you may as well make Miss Morland understand yourself--unless you mean to have her think you intolerably rude to your sister, and a great brute in your opinion of women in general. Miss Morland is not used to your odd ways."
"I shall be most happy to make her better acquainted with them."
"No doubt;--but that is no explanation for the present."
"What am I to do?"
"You know what you ought to do. Clear your character handsomely before her. Tell her that you think very highly of the understanding of women."
"Miss Morland, I think very highly of the understanding of all the women in the world--especially of those--whoever they may be--with whom I happen to be in company."
"That is not enough. Be more serious."
"Miss Morland, no one can think more highly of the understanding of women than I do. In my opinion, nature has given them so much, that they never find it necessary to use more than half."

From Northanger Abbey, pages 78-79

Beware of young women who love neither wine nor truffles nor cheese nor music. -Colette

Chicken Parmesan

I'm fairly certain that this is a fit subject for this blog, considering how I got the recipe. A's birthday dinner was Monday night, and he requested that I make Chicken Parmesan. Never having eaten it, I had no idea what it even was. But I looked up some recipes and decided it looked pretty simple, so I made up my own recipe as we went along. Mom and K helped me chop and stir and set the table. We sat down to eat and lo and behold! it was excellent. I couldn't believe that I'd never had it before. I'm definitely making Chicken Parmesan again. Meanwhile, here's my recipe:

Chicken Parmesan a la Miss Puritan Chickie: serves 10 adults
Marinara sauce:
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
3 or so cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon or so basil
2 cans tomato sauce
------
Chicken:
5 lb. pkg. chicken breasts, thawed, pounded flat, and halved
3/4 cup flour, seasoned with herbs,** salt, and pepper
1 egg, beaten with about 3 tablespoons milk
1 pkg. crackers, crushed and seasoned with herbs** (no salt!), plus 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
3/4 lb. or thereabouts of Mozzarella cheese

Sauté garlic in oil, remove from heat. Stir in basil and let sit a few minutes. Add tomato sauce.
Dip chicken breast halves in flour, then egg, then crumbs. Pan fry until golden brown on both sides. Pour marinara sauce into a casserole dish and lay chicken pieces on top. Cover chicken with slices of mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Serve on top of pasta (angel hair is great).
**I used an herb blend from our local farm market. It's a mix of oregano, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, basil, and sage.

I've just read Mansfield Park, and I really think that Mrs. Norris is the most hateful and disagreeable woman I've ever encountered. She is positively cruel to Fanny Price, and in contrast, Fanny is the epitome of everything modest, agreeable, submissive, and kind. Jane Austen proves to be brilliant once again.