Thursday, April 15, 2010

Projects

I thought I'd take a moment to write what's on the project roster right now. Here goes:

*There are some mommy crafts that I'd like to finish for a baby shower this Saturday. I'm one of the organizers of the shower, and since I've been thinking a lot about baby showers, I'd also like to write a pseudo-ethnographic blog entry on how they function as life phase rituals.

*I'm collaborating with friends on a kids' book--the illustrations will be my next big creative endeavor.

*Completing my counselors training for the WCN. Still need to finish reading the manual.

*Create a plan for processing our books--Don bought me Delicious Monster personal library software for Christmas. I'd like to enter our books. I'd also like to remove some books to storage in order to free some more space for craft supplies and also to make the shelves more aesthetic.

*Cleaning C0-op --Maria and I will attend weekly cleaning co-op meetings. (Kellie wrote up our first meeting in her wonderful blog, the Life Pursuit)

*Implement a daily cleaning regimen.

*We have some artworks that needs to be framed and hung. I'd also like to rearrange some of pictures and hang some of the pictures that are currently sitting on tables or leaning against walls

Monday, April 5, 2010

The Work of Our Hands: Easter Crafts



A friend recently told me that one of the tenets of the Montessori method is to create "a home that is rich with culture." This kept coming back to me as I prepared our first Easter tree. Growing up, I loved my family's Easter trees. Nana, my paternal grandmother, decorated one of her houseplants with wooden ornaments, silk flowers and craft birds. After mass we'd find our Easter baskets sitting at the plants base. My mother put flowering branches in a vase and hung them with painted eggs.

I didn't think I'd have time to make and paint ausgeblasene eggs like we did growing up, so I tried to recreate paper ornaments that I'd seen at Pottery Barn. I used vintage images from the Graphicsfairy. (Thank you so much, Jennie, for introducing me to the site!) I poached forsythia branches from one of our local parks. We had scambled eggs for dinner on Good Friday, so I decided to make ausgeblasene eggs after all--I painted them a simple gold and hung them with red, white and pink ribbons.

I'm very pleased with how it turned out and look forward to adding to our trove of ornaments in years to come.

Happy Eastertide



"Christ our Lord is arisen"

"That is a true truth. Hallelujah, hallelujah!"


Nature knew it was Easter and put on a sweet face. New leaves came out on the trees and the cherry blossoms and magnolias were at their zenith. We woke at the usual time and had a breakfast of homemade bread and chocolate malt balls. We washed the baby and even got her to take a morning nap before heading out to the Oratory for Mass. Marimar felt properly jubilant during mass and crooned along with the scola. During the homily, her croons turned to full-out crowing, so I moved to the back. (I was sorry not to hear the end of the homily--Fr. Drew was speaking about the meaning of the the empty grave--the need to encounter a kind of existential emptiness before fully understanding the glory of the risen Lord.)

After mass, we took pictures in front of Oratory's flower beds. We saw a number of friends, including Eva and Nate; Niki and Peter; Lynn, David, and Gracie; and the Memole clan. Everyone looked wonderful in their Easter outfits, especially the children. Lynn has some lovely pictures on her camera. I hope to share them soon.

We went home and prepared to spend the afternoon feasting. How great it was to have all the food prep done and have nothing to do except lay the table and make the salad! Our friends arrived--Ritesh, Josh, Lynn, David, Grace, Brian, and Fr. Mike. Their wonderful contributions made an opulent meal. The menu included three beautiful quiches (Brian), sausage and pepper empanaditas (Lynn), pasta salad, seafood salad, braided egg bread, a fruit platter (Josh), strawberry-rhubarb pie (David), tiramasu (Fr. Mike), and maple candies (Ritesh). After the meal Don and Brian went outside to juggle. Ritesh, Marimar and I were their audience.

It was a glorious day and a wonderful beginning to the Easter season!