waiting for the storm

 "As we walked, there came the sound of distant thunder. A storm was rolling through the dales. I'd scarcely noticed how the light had pulled itself down beneath the leaves of the great trees, how they seemed to glow with the threat of storm to come. And instead of returning the way we came, back down through the young wood and through the churchyard, we followed a path along the back hill, coming out on the edge of the ruins, slipping into the courtyard garden and passing blooms trembling in anticipatory glory. Rain was coming, and every living thing was in wait. Down a bit of stair in the southwest corner, and through an arched passage leading beneath the Glass Walk, we came out onto the stretch of lawn near the house, a view of the lake unfolding."

                                            -  from The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, vol. 8

There's been a wind advisory in effect since noon yesterday, but there isn't much wind yet. It was beautifully breezy yesterday, but got quiet later in the day, and all night (although I was not awake all night to be sure of that). The wind began to appear mid-morning, it's been gusting and blowing on and off since, and I'm starting to hear thunder. It's supposed to be a whopper, so we'll see what happens next. I did all the laundry I can do, and there's a pot roast in the slow cooker. 

I went out last evening before dark and everything had a pinkish tinge -

and even this guy 

I would like to cut out a dress, and get out some fall-ish decor. Maybe bake a cake.

a storm coming

I am a countryman, Lord,
who comes from the country of the world.
Teach me your city's ordered ways,
the courtesies and gracious manner of your court.
Remove from me the likeness of the world,
on which I had been modelling myself,
and make me like your citizens,
lest in their midst
I seem as one deformed.
And teach me too
the language that I do not know,
the language I began to hear
when I came out of Egypt,
but do not understand
because I had grown up in an alien land.
Teach me the language you speak
with your sons and they with you.
And make me understand those little
signs, by which you give
understanding hearts to know
what is your good, acceptable,
and perfect will.

-  William of Saint-Thierry

It was windy earlier and there's a bit of rain now - a nor'easter is coming. Very windy, lots of rain, for a couple of days. I like going out in the wind - it was quite pleasant today, after I got rid of the headache, which may have resulted from the heavy weather approaching? I don't know. But it was breezy, mild and fresh. 

a perfectly moist cake

 It being the beginning of fall and everything, I baked a pumpkin chocolate chunk bread (cake!) yesterday, but when I got it out of the pan, it felt slightly dry; I was afraid when it was cool it would be noticeably dry. There is something you can do about this.

Once upon a time, a former co-worker baked a cake. She took it from the oven, and after cooling a bit, she turned it out of the pan. But before it could cool entirely, something urgent came up and there was no time for bothering with cooling cakes - she popped it back into the unwashed pan and got it in the freezer. When she thawed it eventually, it was so moist, she could hardly believe it. And so from that day forth, Darlene always froze her warm cakes, trapping the moisture before evaporation took place, and all her guests lived happily ever after, which everyone does after enjoying a properly baked cake.

So, instead of feeling sorry for myself yesterday, I put the loaf cake into a plastic ziploc bag while it was still warm. Today, it was perfect!

The recipe: (because it's Really Good)

the dry ingredients:
mix 1 3/4 cup flour, 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (I used 1 tsp. cinnamon, one half each of nutmeg and ginger), 1 tsp. baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.

Mix: (a whisk is fine) 1 can pumpkin puree, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup oil, 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla. Fold in the dry, then add one cup of chocolate chunks or chips. Bake at 350 F in a greased and floured loaf pan for around fifty mins., or as long as it takes. This recipe is from the Stop & Shop website.

an eastern phoebe

 

Over the last two weeks, I've seen a bird perching, every now and then, on a post outside the kitchen window. At first I thought it was a mockingbird - the coloring is right, but the shape is not that of a mockingbird. This was not a familiar bird to me. So finally I took a picture. 

"Flycatchers perch in an upright attitude and often sit quite motionless."

                                               -  A Field Guide to the Birds, Roger Tory Peterson

I found a photo just like mine - this is an Eastern Phoebe, a type of flycatcher. He sits quietly for a while on his post, and then he's gone. I've never seen one before, but if he's catching flies and other bugs on the wing, he won't be coming that close to the house, I guess. Many's the time I hear unfamiliar bird calls and have no idea what bird is calling. I'm not sure if one of those bird ID apps would work unless I'm closer than inside the house with the window open. If we didn't have these short and temporary posts, I wonder if he'd come - he seems to like them particularly. Another bird book said they wait for insects to fly past, then they go - it's called hawking.               

I put up new "curtains" in the living room today - this consisted of two lengths of fabric, hemmed at either end and clipped up. No lining, and not even a need to hem the sides - the selvedges won't fray. But they aren't really long enough to swoop up with the ribbon. Also, they don't meet in the middle of the rod, and I always wish I could think of something to hang in the middle. I have no more fabric, but am hoping I can think of something.

Very plain, but I like the light color.

giving God away

 "Give money away, or spend it, and it is no longer yours. But give God to others, and you possess him more fully for yourself."

                                                    -   Fr. Garrigou-LaGrange

what we have

I kept last month's Magnificat because of several passages and meditations which struck me. Here's one:

 "What do you have that was not given to you? This is the true foundation of Christian humility. All pride should be smashed under this divine saying! The humility of the saints thus becomes more and more profound, because they come to know better and better their own frailty in contrast to the grandeur and goodness of God."

                                              -  Father Reginald Garrigou-LaGrange

Consider how the lilies of the field grow; they neither toil no spin,
yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed
like one of these.

-  Matthew 6:28b-29

                                                               

pleasant days

 The weather is getting nicer - I used the oven twice today, and the house really didn't get uncomfortable! I've wanted to make bread, so I used a quick rising recipe for raisin bread - it's delicious, but I do prefer slow rises with less yeast. Soon, when the temperatures come down!

We still have loads of tomatoes coming in, and zucchini. I used a huge one for a big pot of soup, and I think I'll grate some for the freezer. It's a pleasure to do these things on a mild, dry day like this one. 

Leon, sleeping deeply. 

I couldn't take it anymore

 I decided to stop reading The Brothers K - I won't miss them. I w

rote down the publisher, and the translator in case I ever have a reason to go back to them. For a good reason, I might; if so, it may as well be the same edition.

I've had the cushion for the rocking chair in my bedroom, waiting for some finishing touches, so long that I kept forgetting about it. But enough was enough and today I was looking at it. Basically, I'd covered the whole thing with some corduroy, just going right over the original, piping and all, and it almost was enough to cover the whole pad, but there's a space at the back of it that I just handstitched on. I've been meaning to cover it with something - nothing seems like a great idea. So I left it that way; it's on the chair and nobody's going to notice it until something strikes me. 

The offending area is at the back, where the chair spokes (is that the right term?) are, quite unobtrusive.

I took a video of Benny, coming up our driveway:

He stopped at the "crossroads", to ponder whether to go ahead to the back door, or take a left to the front door. 

I picked up Gladys Taber's The Best of Stillmeadow, which I apparently read six years ago . I hadn't remembered that a previous owner of their old farmhouse had murdered his wife! They didn't seem to mind it. They wanted their children to grow up in the country, with fresh air and nature all around. The house was rather run-down, more than they'd realized.

"Our basic equipment for this venture consisted of a staggering fortitude and no common sense. But we didn't know it then. We came out the next weekend and paid some more money. By then, most of the furniture had vanished, except three carders and five spinning wheels, and one rope bed which had been too big for moving out quickly.

High hearted, we advanced. We bought tons of wallpaper, and it turned out to be tons, since we had never papered before and so were uncertain about quantities. For years we gave away wallpaper. I sent for some furniture stored in Virginia, and three weeks later a disturbed Kentucky racehorse arrived while the furniture rode along to some racetrack. It takes time to swap a horse for your furniture. But by then we had discovered the fatal truth about every sink, toilet and tub in the house.

'Well, one could not expect a man to drain the pipes before shooting his wife,' said Jill. 'He didn't think of it.'"

Leo is lost

 

That is Leon eating, and the other is Leo, his brother. They're twins, and this photo was taken about a week ago. Leo isn't used to us; he will come through, but not let us near him.

We didn't want Benny going home after dark this evening, so my brother carried him over there. Dianne was outside and said she hasn't seen Leo in a week.

Last night I heard a Great Horned Owl outside at bedtime. Maybe he wouldn't be able to pick up a furry cat like Leo - let us hope. But prayers would be appreciated - we hope he isn't stuck in a garage somewhere.

A little more ferocious looking than his brother, Leon.

the love amazing

 There was a wedding - a young couple from our church. Many who were not going to the reception still attended the wedding mass itself. Everyone must have felt as uplifted as I did by the end; God was definitely the main character. 

They met in college, and both impressed the chaplain with their faith, self-discipline and sense of community. Three visiting priests concelebrated with our own pastor. 

The recessional hymn was O God, Beyond All Praising; it was a fantastic thing to sing after such an event:

O God, beyond all praising,
We worship you today
And sing the love amazing 
That songs cannot repay;
For we can only wonder
At ev'ry gift you send,
At blessings without number
And mercies without end:
We lift our hearts before you
And wait upon your word,
We honor and adore you,
Our great and mighty Lord.

Then hear, O gracious Savior,
Accept the love we bring,
That we who know your favor
May serve you as our King;
And whether our tomorrows
Be filled with good or ill,
We'll triumph through our sorrows
And rise to bless you still:
To marvel at your beauty
And glory in your ways,
And make a joyful duty
Our sacrifice of praise.

I do love this hymn and have posted it here more than twice, I'll bet. But it's another thing entirely, after a marriage takes place, to all be singing these words together. Especially from "and whether our tomorrows," to "and rise to bless you still", because who knows what path life will take when two people pledge to be faithful to each other? I wish them very well, such nice kids.