Christmas Week

Our Christmas:
-Attending Isaac's college graduation on December 20th. He now has his undergrad in Math and Engineering and is interviewing for jobs.
-Going to the Murphy Christmas, always a large, loud crowd, but missing Grampa.
-Having all five of our kids home, and seeing that the baby is loving it. He has so many people to relate to. Anna Kate and I suspected he got bored with us, and now we're sure of it.
-Worshiping at our church's candlelight ceremony on Christmas Eve. It's probably my favorite night of the year. We drove through something resembling a snowstorm, and wondered if it was worth it to drive 45 minutes each way in such conditions. But when the candles are lit (with Malachi saying, "Hot! Hot!" the entire time) and a thousand people are softly singing "Silent Night," then yes. It's worth it.
-Hosting my parents, Nate's mom, and my sister's family here on Christmas Day. The weather was warm and the kids played outside for hours, sledding on our hill and building a snow fort. The annual tradition we most anticipate is Isaac's crocheted gift to Caleb. It's beyond description every time. Photographs do not do it justice. Also, photos could get somebody arrested. This year, Isaac decided that Caleb's trousseau was complete, and the torch was passed to Malachi. I can text a photo upon request.
-Going to my aunt and uncle's lake home for the Daggett Christmas party. Again, the weather was unseasonably warm and the kids played outside for hours. They skated on the lake and started another snow fort. During the day a few of us went on a little field trip to see my cousin Sarah's remodeled 1920's farmhouse. I love looking at houses, especially at houses like this one. Sarah's husband gutted the house, working during weekends and after his carpentry day job. They designed little sleeping alcoves in the upstairs bedrooms that are perfectly charming. The kids' bedrooms have a common area, but under the eaves, behind a wall, is just enough space for the beds. It's cozy and wonderful.

At each family gathering, we handed out the lyrics to "All Glory Be to Christ," and each group sang this new/old song with feeling. I mostly cried. I cried at the Murphy Christmas because I was reminded of Dad's legacy and how much he cared for all of us. I cried at our house because the room was filled with the people I love best in the whole world. And I cried at the Daggett gathering because the song was sung by my dear relatives, most of them gifted singers, and the music sounded just as it was meant to sound. All glory be to Christ.    

Some songs should be longer, and "Auld Land Syne" is one of those songs. Now with these lyrics, it's the right length, and it is worshipful.   

Cuddling with my toddler and reading one of his new books.      

We are in a deep chill again, so all the kids have their nose in a book. In fact, I can't always get help with the baby. Everyone is reading.    

A snowy day and a warm little guy.
A beautiful, memorable Christmas.
I hope yours was, too.
Happy New Year, and here are the new lyrics I wrote about.


All Glory Be to Christ
lyrics by Dustin Kensrue
traditional Scot folk melody

Should nothing of our efforts stand
No legacy survive
Unless the Lord does raise the house
In vain its builders strive.

To you who boast tomorrow's gain
Tell me what is your life?
A mist that vanishes at dawn
All glory be to Christ!

Chorus
All glory be to Christ our King!
All glory be to Christ!
His rule and reign we'll ever sing
All glory be to Christ!

His will be done
His kingdom come
On earth as is above,
Who is himself our daily bread,
Praise him the Lord of love.

Let living water satisfy
The thirsty without price
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
All glory be to Christ!

(Chorus)

When on the day the great I Am
The faithful and the true
The Lamb who was for sinners slain
Is making all things new.

Behold our God shall live with us
And be our steadfast light
And we shall e're his people be
All glory be to Christ!

(Chorus)

Fish Stew (Or, How to Lose Six Pounds)

This is one of my best recipes, a soup that my husband loves above all others, because it is full of flavor and heat and fresh ingredients.

I adapted it from Sara Foster's cookbook, one of the few cookbooks I don't regret buying.
Her stew is replete with mussels, clams, and shrimp. I skip all those and just use fish.      
    

This cookbook was worth buying for two recipes: the fish stew, and the black-bean dip.
Yesterday I snacked on Christmas cookies and fresh rolls all afternoon. It was terrible. Thankfully I had this stew on hand, because its real, hearty depth of flavor was purely satisfying in a way that cookies are not.
(My other two tips on how to lose six pounds: stop drinking pop, and eat a blueberry-walnut-yogurt breakfast. These tips sort of worked for me. I'm sharing them because they might help you. At the least, you'll feel better. At the most, if you're a woman, you might end up pregnant. Which means you will gain 20 pounds).        

Fish Stew

2 Tb. olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 leeks, trimmed and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
3 ribs celery, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed (Foster's recipe calls for 6 cloves. Go for it if you love garlic)  
1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes (I sometimes use a diced fresh tomato)   
8 cups broth, either fish or chicken
1 cup dry white wine (I use Three Buck Chuck, or sometimes skip the wine)     
2 teaspoons salt
1 tsp. fresh black pepper   
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (less if you don't like heat)    
grated zest and juice of two oranges
2 pounds of fresh or frozen fish (we like the wild-caught cod from Costco), cut into 2-inch pieces  
2 tsp saffron threads (this is so expensive that I use far less, just a pinch)
2 Tb. finely sliced fresh basil leaves (I often use dried basil) 

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat, add onion, cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes.  

While onions are cooking, soak the leeks in a large bowl of cold water. Rinse and drain the leeks, and add them to the onions. Cook and stir for 5 minutes.

Add celery and carrots, cook and stir for 5-10 minutes

Add garlic, cook for 2 minutes

Add tomatoes, broth, wine, salt, pepper, marjoram, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes. (Foster says one hour, but I like my veggies to have some personality).  

Increase heat to medium-high, add orange zest and juice, fish, and saffron. Stir to mix. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fish is done. This might only take about 5 minutes. Fish is done when it begins to flake.

Remove stew from heat.

To serve, ladle into bowls and sprinkle with basil     

This was a date meal, since we like it and our younger kids do not.
(Look at Malachi's concerned face. He's wondering what in the world he's getting for supper).

 

Calm and Bright

We have a wood Nativity set on the ledge above the sink. 
Today it was flooded with bright early light.
Nate's parents gave it to us many years ago, when we had three children,
and each figure has a name written on its underside.
The baby Jesus says "Caleb."          

I love looking through this window (even when it's annoyingly in need of a washing).
On sun-drenched winter days, the living room glows warm and beautiful.   

I know that many words have already been written about Advent.
Most of them are better than anything I can write.
Yesterday morning I was up early, thinking about prayer and all the "askings" we throw at the Throne.
I besiege Heaven all the time, and I had a sudden picture of the Father, full of mercy, 
listening to the desperate and aching requests from His Beloved,
and hearing each one.

God With Us.
While we wait for the answers to all of our begging,
for healing, and restoration, for the end of loneliness,
while we long to be happy, and to have our desires met,
He is near.
He is here.

Sometimes we have to get rid of a lot of noise and clutter in order to see Him,
in order to hear Him.
  
Today I'm trying to be a bit more still, a bit more quiet.
(However, Malachi did not get the memo about stillness and quietness).        

There should be a rule that any hymn by Charles Wesley be sung in its entirety. 
Here is one of the best.
If today is a bad day, and life seems either too boring or too busy or a little of both,
the words to this song are true and timeless.

Listen to "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" here.

Simple Gifts #4: Small Stockings

For reasons unknown, I woke up this morning singing a childhood Sunday School song: 

"Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown
When Thou camest to earth for me.
But in Bethlehem's inn did they find no room for Thy holy nativity.
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee."

What a great song!
I'm not sure I have the words right, but that's how I remember it.
(And now all of you who know this song are singing it too. 
That makes me so happy).   

Our new stockings are so little, Santa can hardly fit anything into them.
And it's better that way.
It's too much work for the big guy to fill big unwieldy stockings, in addition to bringing all those gifts for under the tree.
Last year I made these out of old linen clothing and some pillowcases.
I've always hated throwing out (or not utilizing) the beautiful trim on the edges of vintage linens.
I used lace, scalloped edging, and even raw edges for the cuffs of these stockings.

I highly recommend making Christmas simple by getting smaller stockings.
Of all the changes I made last year, this is the one that saved me the most time and money.     

Remember, I had to hang these on dining room chairs this year, because Malachi pulled down the stockings hung by the chimney with care.
This stocking cuff has the handmade lace from an antique European pillowcase.   
This was Anna Kate's tag, but the baby pulled off all the paper tags from last year.
I replaced them with number place-cards I found at the thrift store.
(probably originally from Target)  

 

Here is Caleb's stocking (he is Child #2). I love the scalloped edge (also from a vintage pillowcase).
Of all our kids, Caleb was most bitter about the loss of the old, cavernous stockings.
That son appreciates candy.    
A person can be 22 years old, and a responsible med school student, and still love to open a stocking.
I remember being married by the time I was 22, and quite unhappy about not getting a stocking that Christmas.            
       

Isaac's stocking is in front.
You can't tell, but I left the linen edge raw. It looks sort of manly, and it sure was easy to make.

Julia's stocking edge is a vintage doily.   

I'm not giving instructions or templates, but here's an idea of the shape of our stockings.
I had to make them narrow since I didn't have much fabric.
Otherwise I would have made the tops a bit wider.   

"

Baby Mick's stocking.
He's too little to care that it has a fair amount of lace on it (which you can't see in this pic).   

Have a wonderful weekend.
How are you simplifying the house this year?

Here's an excerpt from one of our favorite Christmas stories:

"Ma took one of Mary's clean stockings and one of Laura's, and she hung them from the mantel-shelf, on either side of the fireplace. Laura and Mary watched her over the edge of their bed covers.
'Now go to sleep,' Ma said, kissing them good night. 'Morning will come quicker if you're asleep.'

She sat down again by the fire and Laura almost went to sleep.
She woke up a little when she heard Pa say, 'You've only made it worse, Caroline.' and she thought she heard Ma say: 'No, Charles. There's the white sugar.' But perhaps she was dreaming.

Then she heard Jack growl savagely. The door-latch rattled and some one said, 'Ingalls! Ingalls!' Pa was stirring up the fire, and when he opened the door Laura saw that it was morning. The outdoors was gray.  

Laura saw the stockings limply dangling, and she scrooged her eyes shut into the pillow. She heard Pa piling wood on the fire, and she heard Mr. Edwards say he had carried his clothes on his head when he swam the creek. His teeth rattled and his voice shivered.

'It was too big a risk, Edwards,' Pa said. 'We're glad you're here, but that was too big a risk for Christmas dinner.'

'Your little ones had to have a Christmas,' Mr. Edwards replied. 'No creek could stop me, after I fetched them their gifts from Independence.'

Laura sat straight up in bed. 'Did you see Santa Claus?' she shouted.

'I sure did,' Mr. Edwards said."

From Little House on the Prairie
by Laura Ingalls Wilder