After a long day at work, it was a pleasure not to have to cook. Stacey invited me to her home for dinner. I met her husband Dan and their children Allison, Ben, and Cameron. The ribs were great and it was exciting to have some kids around. They're 4, 4 (twins) and 1 and, like our younger children, liven up when guests arrive. Or maybe they're always like that. Anyway, it was a great distraction from the very quiet house I now come back to in the evening.
Tomato Soup Surprise
That's my contribution to the potluck tomorrow evening after Stations of the Cross. I have the honor of being the only male name in the list of people signed up to bring food to the event. The group "in charge" is Caring Kitchen, so I'm taking Judy's place, at least this one time.
I found these ingredients in the house this evening, which I think will go together well enough to be palatable.
2 containers of organic creamy tomato soup
2 cans of Campbells Tomato Soup
2 cans of Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
Basil
Chipotle Chili Pepper
Paprika
I think it'll work if I add milk instead of water to the Campbell's soup and don't overdo the chili powder. The basil and paprika are really just for decoration. The key is it has to be quick enough for me to put together when I get home from work as late as 5:00, so I can go back to the chapel before 6:00.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Survivor Journal - Chapter 2
* I made a point of signing up to help with the volunteer work this Saturday.
* Finished repairing the server last night. Now to see about Outlook, Quicken, etc.
Tuesday Dinner
As I used to do a looooong time ago, I invented something for dinner. My little paper says Beef/Onion/Pepper Sandwich. Maybe BOP Sandwich would be catchier... I stir fried some beef, onions and peppers and mixed in this sauce:
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp hot sauce
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire
1 tbsp vinegar & oil dressing
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Korean chili paste
It came out pretty dry, so it could definitely work on a sandwich. I put it in some pita bread and ate it with a knife and fork (the pita is too crumbly to eat with fingers). It was good. I'll have to play around with the sauce a little. It had too much Worcestershire and maybe not enough Montreal Steak Seasoning (salt!). Oh, I should have put in some soy sauce! That was in the fridge too...
Earthquakes
There's a lot of interesting information on the Japanese Meteorological Agency web site. For instance, in the 18 days since March 11, there have been 372 aftershocks with a magnitude of 5 or greater. Sixty-three of those measured 6 or greater and three of them were 7 or more. The largest aftershock (7.7) occurred a half hour after the main quake.
One of the 6's rolled through here at 8:03 this evening. It was a 6.4 and it's center was, you guessed it, right off the coast of Fukushima. Those poor people... It had been a relatively quiet day until then. I only counted 8 other tremors during the last 24 hours and they were all less than 5.
It seems like this will never end. May God have mercy on us all!
* Finished repairing the server last night. Now to see about Outlook, Quicken, etc.
Tuesday Dinner
As I used to do a looooong time ago, I invented something for dinner. My little paper says Beef/Onion/Pepper Sandwich. Maybe BOP Sandwich would be catchier... I stir fried some beef, onions and peppers and mixed in this sauce:
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp hot sauce
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire
1 tbsp vinegar & oil dressing
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Korean chili paste
It came out pretty dry, so it could definitely work on a sandwich. I put it in some pita bread and ate it with a knife and fork (the pita is too crumbly to eat with fingers). It was good. I'll have to play around with the sauce a little. It had too much Worcestershire and maybe not enough Montreal Steak Seasoning (salt!). Oh, I should have put in some soy sauce! That was in the fridge too...
Earthquakes
There's a lot of interesting information on the Japanese Meteorological Agency web site. For instance, in the 18 days since March 11, there have been 372 aftershocks with a magnitude of 5 or greater. Sixty-three of those measured 6 or greater and three of them were 7 or more. The largest aftershock (7.7) occurred a half hour after the main quake.
One of the 6's rolled through here at 8:03 this evening. It was a 6.4 and it's center was, you guessed it, right off the coast of Fukushima. Those poor people... It had been a relatively quiet day until then. I only counted 8 other tremors during the last 24 hours and they were all less than 5.
It seems like this will never end. May God have mercy on us all!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Survivor Journal - Chapter 1
The biggest problem of being the only one here is the incredible lack of structure to my evenings and weekends. I have to work really hard to figure out what to do next. There are no little (or big) people asking me to: play a game, read a book, give a bath, brush teeth, floss teeth, comb hair, fix this, find that...you get the idea. I'm not used to thinking about what to do next. The activity or job just came to me. Now I have to go find it.
To Do list
My first attempt to alleviate the "what to do next" problem was to make a list. Here it is:
√ Adjust water heater
√ Clean kitchen
√ Vacuum bedroom/bathroom
√ Recycle milk cartons
√ Water plants
√ Fix RAID array in server
√ Blog about day
√ Make grocery list
_ Fold laundry & put away
√ Do laundry
√ Grocery shopping
√ Confession
√ Pickup mail
X Work?
√ Glue broken pottery
_ Fix Judy's watch
_ Trim tree branch
_ Check out Steve Stone's bike
√ Wash diapers
_ Fix bicycle pump
√ means I finished it; X means I decided not to do it; and _ means I haven't done it yet.
I made the list Saturday morning. I didn't think I'd finish it all that day and I was right. Here it is Monday and I've completed about half of it. Some things I didn't put on the list until Monday.
Too be fair, some of the tasks were going to take a long time. "Fix RAID array" is one of them. I started Saturday, but kept running into one problem after another. Today, I finally realized one of the disks is just plain bad and I needed to swap it for a new one. It looks like the RAID will be rebuilt in another 15 minutes. Then, I have to copy the data back onto it from the backup disk, which will take a few more hours.
Some of the tasks aren't that appealing or important (to me). "Wash diapers" definitely falls in the first category. "Fold laundry & put away" falls into the second. What do I care if the laundry is taking up space in the living room? I don't spend any time there anyway--it's too cold (that's probably ammunition for another chapter).
Some of the tasks require better weather, like "Trim tree branch" and "Check out Steve Stone's bike". The eight inches of snow from Saturday is only half melted and most of the dirt roads around here are a quagmire. So is the yard, for that matter. I'm sure it's not yet up to the job of supporting the ladder I need to get to the tree branch.
When I'm done with this post, I can check off "Blog about day"!
Menu for the week
The only logical way to make a grocery list is to start with a menu. Breakfast is the easiest to plan--it's always cereal and milk. Maybe juice. Probably coffee. Lunch is pretty easy too. It's either a sandwich or leftovers. Either one might be accompanied by carrots, a fruit and yogurt. I should also take some pumpkin bread either to have with coffee in the morning or as a snack in the afternoon.
Here's the simple dinner menu I came up with for this week trying to use up stuff that's in the refrigerator before it goes bad:
Saturday - Pizza, salad
Sunday - Grilled chicken w/gravy, brown rice, broccoli, carrots
Monday - Hot dogs, sweet potato fries, salad
Tuesday - Beef/onion/pepper sandwich, green beans, mandarins
Wednesday - Grilled fish, brown rice, broccoli, salad
Thursday - Turkey burger, sweet potato fries, green beans
Friday - Soup, bread, salad
Saturday, I was torn between Mokuteki or frozen pizza. I didn't write pizza on the grocery list, so I ended up with neither. I had a chef salad and whole wheat bread instead. Sunday, I wasn't that hungry at dinner time, since brunch was so late (~3:00 pm). I had a sandwich. Monday was the first night I ate what was on the menu!
Other things to write about
_ Observations about life in Japan before, during and after the crisis
_ What happens as I work on the To Do list
_ Anything unusual I do or try during my time alone
This solitude is not any entirely bad thing. It's just different.
* Checked off three more To Do list items on Tuesday.
* Washed the diapers on Wednesday, checking off one more item.
To Do list
My first attempt to alleviate the "what to do next" problem was to make a list. Here it is:
√ Adjust water heater
√ Clean kitchen
√ Vacuum bedroom/bathroom
√ Recycle milk cartons
√ Water plants
√ Fix RAID array in server
√ Blog about day
√ Make grocery list
_ Fold laundry & put away
√ Do laundry
√ Grocery shopping
√ Confession
√ Pickup mail
X Work?
√ Glue broken pottery
_ Fix Judy's watch
_ Trim tree branch
_ Check out Steve Stone's bike
√ Wash diapers
_ Fix bicycle pump
√ means I finished it; X means I decided not to do it; and _ means I haven't done it yet.
I made the list Saturday morning. I didn't think I'd finish it all that day and I was right. Here it is Monday and I've completed about half of it. Some things I didn't put on the list until Monday.
Too be fair, some of the tasks were going to take a long time. "Fix RAID array" is one of them. I started Saturday, but kept running into one problem after another. Today, I finally realized one of the disks is just plain bad and I needed to swap it for a new one. It looks like the RAID will be rebuilt in another 15 minutes. Then, I have to copy the data back onto it from the backup disk, which will take a few more hours.
Some of the tasks aren't that appealing or important (to me). "Wash diapers" definitely falls in the first category. "Fold laundry & put away" falls into the second. What do I care if the laundry is taking up space in the living room? I don't spend any time there anyway--it's too cold (that's probably ammunition for another chapter).
Some of the tasks require better weather, like "Trim tree branch" and "Check out Steve Stone's bike". The eight inches of snow from Saturday is only half melted and most of the dirt roads around here are a quagmire. So is the yard, for that matter. I'm sure it's not yet up to the job of supporting the ladder I need to get to the tree branch.
When I'm done with this post, I can check off "Blog about day"!
Menu for the week
The only logical way to make a grocery list is to start with a menu. Breakfast is the easiest to plan--it's always cereal and milk. Maybe juice. Probably coffee. Lunch is pretty easy too. It's either a sandwich or leftovers. Either one might be accompanied by carrots, a fruit and yogurt. I should also take some pumpkin bread either to have with coffee in the morning or as a snack in the afternoon.
Here's the simple dinner menu I came up with for this week trying to use up stuff that's in the refrigerator before it goes bad:
Saturday - Pizza, salad
Sunday - Grilled chicken w/gravy, brown rice, broccoli, carrots
Monday - Hot dogs, sweet potato fries, salad
Tuesday - Beef/onion/pepper sandwich, green beans, mandarins
Wednesday - Grilled fish, brown rice, broccoli, salad
Thursday - Turkey burger, sweet potato fries, green beans
Friday - Soup, bread, salad
Saturday, I was torn between Mokuteki or frozen pizza. I didn't write pizza on the grocery list, so I ended up with neither. I had a chef salad and whole wheat bread instead. Sunday, I wasn't that hungry at dinner time, since brunch was so late (~3:00 pm). I had a sandwich. Monday was the first night I ate what was on the menu!
Other things to write about
_ Observations about life in Japan before, during and after the crisis
_ What happens as I work on the To Do list
_ Anything unusual I do or try during my time alone
This solitude is not any entirely bad thing. It's just different.
* Checked off three more To Do list items on Tuesday.
* Washed the diapers on Wednesday, checking off one more item.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Domestic Church
Since I am directing the upcoming (tonight!!) Misawa Home Educators production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, I haven't had time to write anything except the column for the parish bulletin. So here's this week's effort:
Domestic Church "The Second Vatican Council calls the family the 'Ecclesia domestica', the domestic Church, teaching that parents are 'by word and example...the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children.'" (CCC1656)
Ground hog day is this Wednesday, February 2nd. Did you ever wonder why February 2nd would be chosen as the day to look for the coming spring?
It may be because February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation, was once the end of the Christmas season. On this feast day, we celebrate Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, presented to God in the Hebrew temple. The Mass readings tell us of Simeon and Anna, holy prophets who waited God’s Messiah at the temple. Upon seeing the Christ Child, Simeon exclaims
"Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
My own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
A light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.”
--Luke 2:29-32
Christ the Light has come into the world.
And so we celebrate light, the Light of the World. This coincides with the gradual return of light, slightly lengthening days, of spring in the northern hemisphere. So, people began to think of spring, and wonder how much longer winter’s cold might last. Their attempts to predict this led to the traditional search for a groundhog to “predict” the weather. And it makes sense that they searched on this, the last day of their Christmas celebration..
It is fun to make Christian connections with our secular holidays. Often our children do not realize how much of our culture is based on Christian ideals and practices, and it is a blessing to be able to share these celebrations with them.
How to celebrate the Presentation at home? With candles!
This celebration of the Light of the World is also the day that Christians blessed candles for liturgical use in the coming year, and so it is also called Candlemas. Light some candles on your dinner table or put birthday candles on a special dessert. Find a favorite song about light; take a walk in the evening dark and enjoy the starlight. Talk about Mary, the pure Mother, who presented her Son to God on this day. She is also known as The Star of the Sea and as the Sorrowful Mother (because of the suffering and death of her Son, which Simeon also predicts in the second chapter of Luke). Once again, suffering and joy are tied up together in the story of Our Lord and His holy Mother, Mary. You might read the story of the Presentation in the Bible aloud with your family, pray the Canticle of Simeon together, but most of all, take another opportunity to Rejoice in the coming of our Savior!
For other beautiful ideas for celebrating the day, check out :
Cottage Blessings:
http://alice.typepad.com/cottage_blessings/2007/01/when_candelmas_.html
and Women for Faith and Family:
Friday, January 7, 2011
Words, words, words
The little entry somewhere down to the right of here is hardly doing justice to the question of what reading material is currently taking up space on my night stand! Here's what it looked like:
I doubt it's the most esoteric collection of books ever assembled, but I think it'll do me some good to go through them and remember why they're there. This is a slightly more organized view of them:
And here's their "status", one at a time:
Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville - The "classic treatise on the American way of life". It's quoted in several other books in this list. I haven't started it yet...
At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon - A novel about a Protestant minister living in a cozy, southern town. Judy recommended it. I'm about 60 pages in...
The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek - A "passionate warning against the dangers of state control over the means of production." I'm learning a lot about the differences between socialism and capitalism, but it's not easy to read. I'm in the third chapter of sixteen...
Victory over Vice by Archbishop Fulton Sheen - A commentary on each of the seven deadly sins with a look at how to embrace the corresponding virtues. If you only read one page, make sure it is 108. I finished this book, but it's worth reading over and over again...
Surrender by Carmen Marcoux - It's a Catholic novel Judy read. I started it, but I guess it wasn't that engaging. Maybe I'll get back to it when I finish At Home in Mitford...
The Lies About Money by Ric Edelman - A book on personal finance, it's a well presented argument against the mutual fund industry with suggestions for creating an investment portfolio without mutual funds.
The Death of a Pope by Piers Paul Read - I remember starting this, but I don't remember finishing. Not sure what that says about it. Maybe I should try again...
Economics for Dummies by Sean Masaki Flynn, PhD -I got this more for the kids than myself, in case they wanted to learn a little about economics. It's an easy-to-understand overview of of the basic concepts, as you'd expect from a Dummies book. I did finish it...
Pensees by Blaise Pascal -A 400-year old defense of Christian beliefs. I'm only a few pages into it...
The Fatal Conceit--The Errors of Socialism by F.A. Hayek - This it to read after The Road to Serfdom. It's one of several books I purchased so that I can better enunciate why I disagree with the policies of the current administration...
The Ballad of the White Horse by G.K. Chesterton - An epic poem about "King Alfred's heroic battle against the Danes in 878." I've read a chapter or so. Probably stopped when the book was buried...
The Travels by Marco Polo - You know it's time to clean when you have two different versions of the same book on your nightstand (see below). It appears I've only read the introduction and the prologue...
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury - A classic story about life in rural Illinois during the summer of 1928. I'm about 2/3 of the way through it. Not sure why I stopped...
Frequent Confession--It's Place in the Spiritual Life by Benedict Baur - "Instructions and considerations for the frequent reception of the sacrament of Penance." I haven't started it yet. It looks like good material to have on hand during Eucharistic Adoration...
Fatherless by Brian J. Gail - I just received it on Epiphany and I haven't started reading it. It's a novel about the "Catholic experience in America in the late 20th and early 21st centuries." It's pretty likely the next book I'll actually finish...
Every Man's Battle by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker with Mike Yorkey - A "resource for overcoming the struggle and remaining strong in the face of temptation." I've read more than half of it, but it's best taken in small doses...
The Gargoyle Code by Dwight Longenecker - This is a book on spiritual warfare written in the style of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. It's an easy, but enlightening, read, designed to be digested slowly over the seven weeks of Lent. Since Lent does come to an end, I finished this book...
The Discernment of Spirits--An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living by Timothy M. Gallagher, OMV -This must have been a gift from Judy. I haven't yet begun to read it...
The Heart--An Analysis of Human and Divine Affectivity by Dietrich von Hildebrand - Another gift and still not started...
The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo - I've barely begun it. I suppose if I were to keep a travelogue, it would turn out something like this...
Listen, My Son--St Benedict for Fathers by Dwight Longenecker - It's the Rule of St Benedict divided into 120 pieces with the author's commentary on each. It could be read daily over four months. It took me longer, but I did finish it. I had thought I would continue to re-read it, but I haven't so far. Going through it once a year would be fruitful...
Love & Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla - A "remarkably eloquent and resourceful defense of Catholic tradition in the sphere of family life and sexual morality." I hear it's dense reading. I haven't yet worked up the energy to begin...
The Classic Fairy Tales by Iona & Peter Opie - I have no idea how this ended up on my nightstand, at the bottom of one pile, no less. Judy Gibbons inscribed her name at the top of the first page and the price was only $9.95. It must be hers from college...
I doubt it's the most esoteric collection of books ever assembled, but I think it'll do me some good to go through them and remember why they're there. This is a slightly more organized view of them:
And here's their "status", one at a time:
The Classic Fairy Tales by Iona & Peter Opie - I have no idea how this ended up on my nightstand, at the bottom of one pile, no less. Judy Gibbons inscribed her name at the top of the first page and the price was only $9.95. It must be hers from college...
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Christmas Day in the Morning
The children' excitement on Christmas morning--over new discoveries and the generosity of relatives--is contagious. May we all seek to re-discover the ultimate Gift every day of the year!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Air travel
We're praying Patrick home today. I keep checking the weather info on the internet, and the airline flight information, and all appears to be well. I need to get to sleep, so I think I will leave him in the capable hands of St. Joseph of Cupertino, patron of airline travelers, and St. Christopher, patron of travelers, and just for good measure, Our Blessed Lady, his mother in heaven, who will watch over him with loving care while his eartly mother gets some much-needed rest.
What a comfort it is to have faith and the Communion of Saints to pray for us to God!
We are also praying in thanksgiving for Tommy, Tara, and Anabel's safe arrival in Philadelphia. While we wish they could join us in Misawa for Christmas, we are happy that they are safe in the arms of Tara's loving family. And Anabel will get lots of hugs and cuddles from her mama's family in the coming weeks of Christmas break.
The fourth week of Advent is going to be a joyous one in both our households. : )
What a comfort it is to have faith and the Communion of Saints to pray for us to God!
We are also praying in thanksgiving for Tommy, Tara, and Anabel's safe arrival in Philadelphia. While we wish they could join us in Misawa for Christmas, we are happy that they are safe in the arms of Tara's loving family. And Anabel will get lots of hugs and cuddles from her mama's family in the coming weeks of Christmas break.
The fourth week of Advent is going to be a joyous one in both our households. : )
Friday, December 17, 2010
Progress
Japan Rail (JR) has opened the Tohoku Shinkansen all the way to Aomori. We were very excited when we heard this news. Only one more step--under the channel between Honshu and Hokaido--and we will be able to take the Shinkansen all the way to Sapporo! And to top that news, there are new, faster trains coming in 2011.
Then we discovered that since the Shinkansen now goes all the way to Aomori, Misawa is off the railroad map as far as JR is concerned. There used to be a limited express train through Misawa Station from Hachinohe, formerly the end of the Tohoku Shinkansen line. That train schedule coordinated with the arrival of the Shinkansen so that passengers only waited 6-11 minutes in Hachinohe to make a connection.
Now, however, Misawa Station is served only by the Aomori Railway, which has scheduled fewer trains throughout the day. This means that the minimum wait in Hachinohe for the Misawa train is 40 minutes. You can drive up here in 30 minutes.
So it looks like we will now be driving 30 minutes to Hachinohe Station to meet visitors (and Patrick on Monday night :D) instead of 5 minutes to Misawa Station. The inconvenience is annoying.
The fact that we are annoyed may be an indication of just how long we have lived in Misawa. When we first arrived here, we would never have had the expectation that train travel should be more convenient than driving. And a 30-minute drive to pick someone up from commercial transportation wouldn't have bothered us in the least. Now it seems a major inconvenience. We think the train should bring visitors much closer to us on a much more convenient schedule. We have become very spoiled by Japan's super-convenient, (formerly) highly-connected transportation system.
Thus, we are not as excited about the completion of the Aomori leg of the Tohoku Shinkansen line as we used to be.
“Progress is man's ability to complicate simplicity.”
Thor-HeyerdahlDriving directions from Misawa to Hachinohe Station:
Take the POL Road (becomes Route 10)
to the Momoishi Toll Road. (The entrance is on your left before the overpass.)
to the Momoishi Toll Road. (The entrance is on your left before the overpass.)
The first toll gate, at 4.5km, will cost 200yen.
Travel 8.5 km. Exit at Hachinohe-kita. There is no toll here.
Turn right onto Route 45.
After 3.0km, exit to the left, following signs to "Hachinohe Sta." Turn right at the bottom of the ramp. *
Follow this road for 2.9km, and turn right at the stop light (you will pass Harley Davidson on your right, and the Fish Market on your left).
After 1.7km, this road comes to a T-intersection at Route 454. Turn right on Route 454, and you will see the station in front of you.
Long-term parking: turn right after 1.0km, following signs to the West Exit.
Short-term parking is available in a small parking lot in front of the station. Get in the left hand lane as you drive toward the station. Instead of turning left, cross the street to the parking lot ticket booth.
*If you miss the Fish Market turn, keep going on Route 45 for about 1 km, and make a right onto Route 104. After a little more than 1 km, turn right onto Route 454 and drive approximately 3 km to Hachinohe Station.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Prayers for our students, please
Please keep Tommy, Tara, and Patrick in your prayers as they go through final exams this week.
Patrick is midway through his drawing final as I write this, and he has a 10-page paper due in theology tomorrow morning, psychology exam on Thursday, calculus and physics both on Friday, just so you will know what to pray for. I'm sure he has lit a candle in The Grotto by now, so we can join our prayers with his. :)
Tommy and Tara, as you know are undergoing their first final exams since Anabel's birth, so keep all three of them ever in your prayers, please.
St. Joseph of Cupertino, pray for them and for all students taking exams this week. May the questions on the tests be the ones they know the answers to!
Patrick is midway through his drawing final as I write this, and he has a 10-page paper due in theology tomorrow morning, psychology exam on Thursday, calculus and physics both on Friday, just so you will know what to pray for. I'm sure he has lit a candle in The Grotto by now, so we can join our prayers with his. :)
Tommy and Tara, as you know are undergoing their first final exams since Anabel's birth, so keep all three of them ever in your prayers, please.
St. Joseph of Cupertino, pray for them and for all students taking exams this week. May the questions on the tests be the ones they know the answers to!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
St. Lucy's Day - December 13
Detail, St. Lucy Altarpiece, Veneziano"This holy woman fought to the death for the law of her God, never cowed by the threats of the wicked; her house was built on solid rock."
--Entrance Antiphon, Mass for St. Lucy's Day, December 13
--Entrance Antiphon, Mass for St. Lucy's Day, December 13
We haven't made a whole lot of St. Lucy's Day before, but this year, after reading Lucia, Saint of Light, by Katherine Bolger Hyde, the kids and I thought it would be fun to celebrate.
Last night, I baked some Lussekatter: cross-shaped, saffron buns. I had to adjust the recipe for my instant yeast and fresh-ground flour, and I used brown sugar instead of white. Then they didn't rise. Oops! I forgot that I should have dissolved half the sugar with the warm milk and butter. Baked the buns anyway, since I had all the dough. And they were tasty, if a little heavy.
The swirly cross shape fills the plate in a pleasing way.
Surprisingly, we had to wake the kids at 7:00. I was sure they would be up by then! We wanted to eat together before John went to work. He scrambled some eggs to compliment the Lussekatter. We had a little fruit salad left from yesterday's brunch, which made our breakfast complete. And yummy!
As the kids came downstairs, I lit the candles on their rolls.
We don't have a St. Lucy crown, and Katie was not awake enough to wear a white gown with red sash at 7 a.m. She observed that in Sweden it is dark most of the day at this time of year, so if they get up in the dark, it doesn't necessarily mean it was early; it might be 10:30 in the morning. We'll work on her for next year. ; )
We prayed Morning Prayer for the feast of St. Lucy from my Magnificat. The readings and antiphons are all about eyes, sight, and light, like this antiphon before the Canticle of Mary.
"I shall deliver you from this people to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God."
(cf Acts 26:17-18)
(cf Acts 26:17-18)
Later in the morning, Matthew cut out a St. Lucy paper doll for Meghan,
and some of us colored in a line drawing of St. Lucy by Matthew Alderman that I found online and printed. Alderman is an architect in Chicago (an alumnus of Notre Dame) and also an artist and blogger.
The older children were only disappointed that she wasn't holding her eyeballs on a plate. It appears that our attempts to instill a Catholic artistic sensibility in them haven't been completely unsuccessful.
Or something.
Meghan's St. Lucy art (line drawing by Matthew Alderman)Tonight, we are hoping the clouds will have cleared so that we can watch the Geminid meteor shower. Our day will have begun with candlelight and ended with starlight.
"May the eyes of our hearts be enlightened, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to God's call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones. Amen. (cf Eph 1:18)"
--Magnificat, Evening Prayer for December 13
--Magnificat, Evening Prayer for December 13
St. Lucy, pray for us.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Domestic Church
"The Second Vatican Council calls the family the 'Ecclesia domestica', the domestic Church, teaching that parents are 'by word and example...the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children.'" (CCC1656)
Rejoice! Today is Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent. Gaudete is Latin for "Rejoice," which is the first word in the traditional entrance antiphon for today's Mass. We are more than halfway through Advent, and the coming of the Lord is at hand. So rejoice today as you light the pink candle on your Advent wreath and sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel together. (for more on Gaudete Sunday, check out this Catholic Encyclopedia article: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06394b.htm )
Entrance antiphons were sung or chanted by the choirs in the earliest Masses as the priest entered the church. Particular antiphons were assigned to each day of the liturgical year, and they introduce the theme of each Mass. Antiphons are also sung during the Liturgy of the Hours every day of the year. Special antiphons from Evening Prayer are on the way this week as we start what are called the "O Antiphons". In the Octave (group of 8 days) before Christmas, these antiphons each begin with an attribute of Christ, the coming Messiah. They are:
December 17 - O Wisdom (symbol: book)
December 18 - O Lord and leader of Israel (symbol: fire, burning bush)
December 19 - O Flower of Jesse (symbol: flower--maybe a poinsettia or a Christmas rose)
December 20 - O Key of David (symbol: key)
December 21 - O Radiant Dawn (symbol: rising sun, light: go out and enjoy the Christmas lights tonight)
December 22 - O King of the Gentiles (symbol: crown)
December 23 - O Emmanuel (symbol: creche, but you could also relate this to the Holy Eucharist: "God with us": a holy card or picture of the Blessed Sacrament could be placed on the table)
If you go to http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/NonEnglish/veni_veni_emanuel.htm you will see the original Latin verses of O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Each of the verses starts with one of the O Antiphons and expresses our great love and longing for the Savior. The richness of our Catholic faith--the connections between song and liturgy and human desires for God--are again shown to us in the beautiful tradition of the O Antiphons.
Share the O Antiphons with your family this year. Each night, you can place a symbol of the antiphon on the table at dinnertime, read the full antiphon before your meal prayer (available here: http://www.wf-f.org/OAntiphons.html and here: http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0374.html), and keep singing O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
Rejoice!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Domestic Church
"The Second Vatican Council calls the family the 'Ecclesia domestica', the domestic Church, teaching that parents are 'by word and example...the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children.'" (CCC1656)
Are you putting more emphasis on Advent this year? You might have some fun with Advent Saints. Celebrating these special Saint days helps children to bear the long wait for Christmas.
Tomorrow (December 6) is St. Nicholas Day! If you have ever lived in Germany or the Netherlands, you are probably familiar with Nikolaas, who rides his white horse from house to house on the eve of his feast day and brings treats to good children and a switch to naughty ones. It is wonderful to share the story of the origin of Santa Claus--he was a real person after all--a bishop in Myra, Turkey, who loved the poor and gave his fortune to help them. Tomorrow would be a great day to take the children shopping for your Angel Tree gifts and to tell them more about St. Nicholas.
Tonight, you could fill the children's shoes with little treats--chocolate coins (available at the commissary), an orange, a candy cane, and a short note from St. Nicholas praising each child for some good thing s/he has done or sacrifice s/he has made and suggesting a virtue to work on to prepare his or her heart for the Christ Child's birth.
Lots of St. Nicholas activities are available (some to print out for free and some to play online) on the St. Nicholas Center website: http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=102
More ideas are available at http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=953
And they might even have a video of the story of St. Nicholas in the R.E. library.
More ideas are available at http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=953
And they might even have a video of the story of St. Nicholas in the R.E. library.
Another fun Advent Saint is St. Lucy, whose feast day is December 13. Lucy's name comes from the Latin word for "light". In Sweden, St. Lucy's Day is celebrated by the daughters of the house getting up early and serving breakfast in bed to their parents. A special wreath of candles is worn on the oldest daughter's head. While you may not want your daughter walking around with lit candles on her head next Monday, a special family breakfast with a lit candle in the center of the table (or lighting your Advent wreath at breakfast time) might be a fun way to start this day.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Colors
Meghan has learned the name of her first color.
And it is pink.
We are really in for it with this girly girl.
: )
And it is pink.
We are really in for it with this girly girl.
: )
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Domestic Church
"The Second Vatican Council calls the family the 'Ecclesia domestica', the domestic Church, teaching that parents are 'by word and example...the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children.'" (CCC1656)
Today is the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year and the Feast of Christ the King. One simple way to celebrate this feast with your family is to have the children make and decorate a paper crown and place it in the center of your table at dinner time. You can sing together "Crown Him with Many Crowns" (lyrics and music at: http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh327.sht) and "Lift up your Heads, ye Mighty Gates" (lyrics and music at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/u/lupyhymg.htm )
Papal Encyclical on the Feast of Christ the King: http://www.newadvent.org/library/docs_pi11qp.htm
Christ the King prayers: http://www.wf-f.org/ChristTheKing.html
You don't have to have a large party, but there are some fun activity ideas that you could adapt to a family celebration on this web page: http://www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/20010101/FRIDGE/christ_king.htm
Family prayer after dinner: http://thankevann.com/homeschoolgoodies/?p=4559
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Domestic Church
"The Second Vatican Council calls the family the 'Ecclesia domestica',
the domestic Church, teaching that parents are 'by word and
example...the first heralds of the faith with regard to their
children.'" (CCC1656)
Coming up this week are two princess Saints: St. Margaret of Scotland on Tuesday the 16th and St. Elizabeth of Hungary on Wednesday the 17th. Young ladies might like to dress up as princesses to celebrate, and then you can tell them the stories of these princesses who married kings and lived in castles, but never forgot to love Jesus first, to teach their subjects about Him, and to take care of the poor. You can pray together the prayers of the day for these Saints, or ask them in your own words to intercede with God to help your family imitate their care for others, especially the less fortunate.
A fun way to celebrate St. Margaret's day is to cook a Scottish dish for dinner, maybe a beef pot pie, or some shortbread for dessert. Possible recipes at:
http://www.motherlyloving.com/2009/11/feasts-of-st-andrew-st-margaret-of
.html
St. Elizabeth was always giving away her food and clothing to the poor. Wednesday might be a good day to clean out a closet, a shelf, or a drawer and find some things to donate to the thrift shop for the less fortunate on our base.
St. Margaret's story & prayers:
http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/kids/saints/1116.asp;
http://www.wf-f.org/StMargaret%20of%20Scotland.html
St. Elizabeth's story & prayers:
http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/kids/saints/1117.asp;
http://www.wf-f.org/StElizabethHungary.html;
http://anotherespressoplease.blogspot.com/2009/11/feast-day-of-st-elizabeth-of-hungary.html
the domestic Church, teaching that parents are 'by word and
example...the first heralds of the faith with regard to their
children.'" (CCC1656)
Coming up this week are two princess Saints: St. Margaret of Scotland on Tuesday the 16th and St. Elizabeth of Hungary on Wednesday the 17th. Young ladies might like to dress up as princesses to celebrate, and then you can tell them the stories of these princesses who married kings and lived in castles, but never forgot to love Jesus first, to teach their subjects about Him, and to take care of the poor. You can pray together the prayers of the day for these Saints, or ask them in your own words to intercede with God to help your family imitate their care for others, especially the less fortunate.
A fun way to celebrate St. Margaret's day is to cook a Scottish dish for dinner, maybe a beef pot pie, or some shortbread for dessert. Possible recipes at:
http://www.motherlyloving.com/2009/11/feasts-of-st-andrew-st-margaret-of
.html
St. Elizabeth was always giving away her food and clothing to the poor. Wednesday might be a good day to clean out a closet, a shelf, or a drawer and find some things to donate to the thrift shop for the less fortunate on our base.
St. Margaret's story & prayers:
http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/kids/saints/1116.asp;
http://www.wf-f.org/StMargaret%20of%20Scotland.html
St. Elizabeth's story & prayers:
http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/kids/saints/1117.asp;
http://www.wf-f.org/StElizabethHungary.html;
http://anotherespressoplease.blogspot.com/2009/11/feast-day-of-st-elizabeth-of-hungary.html
Friday, November 12, 2010
Hirosaki Castle autumn
Hirosaki Castle TowerLast Friday was our 22nd wedding anniversary. To celebrate, John took the day off, and we drove over to Hirosaki to visit the Chrysanthemum Festival. Hirosaki is famous for its spring cherry blossoms, but I did not realize how beautiful it would be when dressed in autumnal glory.
Ushitora Turret
This was good luck. Last spring, we went on a Sunday to see the cherry blossoms, and we spent the first hour in the city just looking for parking.
Honmaru
Takaoka-Bashi Bridge2011 is the 400th anniversary of the building of the castle, which, according to the English visitor's brochure, was "completed in 1611. From that time, the Lord of Tsugaru and his successors lived in Hirosaki Castle, which remained the center of governance of the region by the Tsugaru feudal clan for around 260 years until the abolition of the feudal clan system.
The castle was opened to the public as Hirosaki Park in 1895 and designated as a Historical Site in 1952." The citizens of Hirosaki donated most of the cherry trees in the park, beginning in the early 20th century. Today, there are more than 2,600 cherry trees of different varieties, including Japan's oldest Somei Yoshino cherry blossom tree, planted in 1882.
Inner East Gate, with oldest Sonmei Yoshino cherry tree in foreground
Put off by the extra entry fee, we had never been into the Hirosaki Castle Arboretum before.
This time, the flower and fruit displays made it worth the entry price.
Even the playground was decorated with floral displays.
Between us, John and I took an insane number of photos.
In the Central Moat
Tatsumi Turret
Just ask Katie. I'm certain that was her favorite part of the whole adventure. ; )
She's a good sport, though.
On our first (springtime) visit to Hirosaki, we took a photo of Matthew that was later published in the National Catholic Register's "Baby Mugs" column.
He's too old for the column now, but I think he's just as cute.
And his little sister isn't so bad either.
We climbed up into the castle tower
and enjoyed the view of the Gejo-Bashi Bridge from above.
We took even more photos,
Approaching Takaoka-Bashi Bridge
Central Moat
Great blue heron in the Inner Moat(viewed from the Kita-no Kuruwa area)
It took a few minutes. I was dissatisfied with the photos and wishing I had brought my SLR along. So I gave up and turned around to join the family.
Who had disappeared.
Who had disappeared.
Butokuden Rest House/Kita-no-Kuruwa
Until I realized that I was not going to find them easily. Thank goodness for cell phones. :) After a quick call, Katie told me where they were, and I headed out toward the festival food booths. I went the long way, as it turned out, but that gave me the chance to take more photos.
No visit to a Japanese festival is complete without yakitori and yakisoba. And that is where I found my family, who had already purchased our lunch and were waiting and wondering where in the world I had gotten to.
The outer path in the Sannomaru area, walking toward the Gardening Information Center
My favorite photo of the day--taken while I was "lost"Somehow, despite an outdated road atlas and maps with too little detail, John (I can take no credit here. I will not say more.) managed to find Route 7 and get on it going toward Aomori. From which, we re-located the toll road and made it back to Misawa too late to stop home, change, and shower, but with several minutes to spare before Mass. To the unknowing observer, it simply appeared that the Riordons had arrived early and a bit underdressed. We'll let that impression remain until one of our fellow-parishioners reads the blog. : )
Sugi-no-Ohashi BridgeWishing you were here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)