In Which My Efforts Are Rewarded—and Appreciated

After the grimness of The Gulag Archipelago, my literary society is taking a couple of months to enjoy classic British mysteries. As I mentioned yesterday, the kids could pick any of the eleven Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayer to read this month. I have been a Lord Peter fan for a couple of decades now, and it was so enjoyable to reread one of the best of the bunch—even more so since I had completely forgotten the plot and could be surprised all over again!

The day started with a trip to Wal-Mart to buy last minute groceries, and also some candy for the advent calendar. This is my last year to have to stuff seven candies into each one of the little pockets:

When I made that thing, I only had two children!

By a striking coincidence, the tooth fairy finally got her act together and left some long-overdue loot for Lucy and Jasper tonight. Even more striking is the fact that the tooth fairy hoard seems to consist entirely of the same kind of Christmas candy I used in the Advent calendar.

Our menu today wasn’t terrible complicated, but it was one of those meals where you end up doing a lot of stuff at once at the end. We started with cheddar cheese soup, and it was such a hit that I’m including the recipe. I found the original version online but I ended up altering it so drastically that I feel I can take credit for the results!

First Sunday of Advent

Creator Of The Stars Of Night 

Creator of the stars of night,
Thy people’s everlasting light,
Jesu, Redeemer, save us all,
And hear Thy servants when they call.

Thou, grieving that the ancient curse
Should doom to death a universe,
Hast found the medicine, full of grace,
To save and heal a ruined race.

Thou cam’st, the Bridegroom of the bride,
As drew the world to evening-tide;
Proceeding from a virgin shrine,
The spotless Victim all divine.

At Whose dread Name, majestic now,
All knees must bend, all hearts must bow;
And things celestial Thee shall own,
And things terrestrial, Lord alone.

O Thou Whose coming is with dread
To judge and doom the quick and dead,
Preserve us, while we dwell below,
From every insult of the foe.

To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, Three in One,
Laud, honor, might, and glory be
From age to age eternally.

A Dutiful Post

I really don’t feel like blogging tonight. But, of course, the whole point of taking something on as a discipline is that you do it whether you feel like it or not.

Yesterday was a busy day. Up relatively early, and then cooking, cooking, and more cooking. I got the pumpkin eggnog pie in the oven before my parents arrived, and the corn pudding in the slow cooker. My mom made mincemeat pie (my dad’s favorite) and Lina made another lemon meringue pie, and then I made some gluten free chocolate cake for Mercy and the new recipe for stuffing and the green bean casserole . . .

About an hour before the big dinner, I set out pickles and olives and a bunch of chips with onion dip, guacamole, and cheesy sausage dip. The ravenous hordes descended but still ended up having an appetite for lunch!

Finally, all was in readiness:

Smoked turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potato casserole, corn pudding, frozen cranberry salad, “green stuff” fruit salad, green bean casserole, homemade whole wheat rolls, etc.

Sadly, Jasper did not join us at the table. He did not admit to being sick, but he had absolutely no interest in eating. Lucy was still feeling a bit queasy and only ate a few bites, and Mary was struggling to even stay upright. Otherwise, it was a very happy meal!

Afterwards, virtually the entire family collapsed. Most of the kids went to their rooms to rest, and my parents sacked out on the couches in the living room. I had a brief rest myself, though my intrepid husband did not.  Lina, after a brief rest, went out to take advantage of a sale to get some things to take to Zambia.

Eventually, all of us became sentient beings once again, which could only mean one thing—it was time for pie. Lina returned just as we were setting out all the desserts.

Pumpkin Eggnog Pie

Mincemeat Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie

I, of course, did not have pie, but I did have some berries and cream and a miniscule sliver of the GF cake. It was just so good sitting around the table as a family! Afterwards, we introduced my parents to the joys of Jeeves & Wooster (which Jasper refers to as “Jeeves & Rooster”) and Monk. When they left to go get some sleep, my Esteemed Spouse got a gleam in his eye and went to fetch an episode of Hornblower. During his last brief break from school we had re-watched the first six episodes, so last night we watched #7. It made for a late night but, well, it’s worth it if it involves Hornblower, right?

Today my parents arrived earlier than expected because my dad was on a mission. He wanted to wash his car, and this is a job that takes him all day.  My dad is a car nut. He doesn’t just “wash” a car. He washes, polishes, vacuums, and goes over the crevices with Q-tips. By the end the vehicle is gleaming like a showroom model. For reasons which I have never understood, he finds this activity enjoyable.

When Dad was done with the hose, the little kids took it on themselves to give Cadbury a bath. Doesn’t he look handsome now?

Meanwhile, I had time to wash sinkful after sinkful of dishes and visit with my mom and do some handwork. This afternoon we had a visit from my friend Peter. When I had seen him last July, I had loaned him a copy of my Sakeji memoir, and he finally got around to reading it yesterday, so today he came to bring it back and talk about it. It was good to see him, and my parents enjoyed seeing him too for the first time in over thirty years. I made a pot of chai and tried to imagine how good it tasted while drinking my inferior decaffeinated brew.

We had a supper full of delicious leftovers and lots of conversation. Then the church cleaning crew had to leave and I stayed here to visit with my parents and Lina and Mary. Mary is still feeling very poorly and has had to lie down all day. I really hope she starts feeling better tomorrow!

Parting Shot:

Something I’m very thankful for: kids who enjoy each other’s company!