HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEBASTIEN!

We miss you dear son! I hope you have a merry birthday with your friends at Belmont Abbey. See you soon.

Sebastien with the two deer he shot Thanksgiving weekend!

Happy Birthday Matthias!

The sun was just rising when the little boys gathered in the kitchen to see the traditionnal birthday table.

And of course, just like Felix on his birthday, Matthias also wanted a new cloak.

Now, he is ready for battle!

Happy birthday dear Matthias!

Thanksgiving Day

Raphael killed his first deer!

Happy St Therese Feast Day!

Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity.

~St Therese of Lisieux

"It is like what our father St. John of the Cross said: "Since, I gave up trying to secure the good things of life, out of self-love, every kind of good thing has come my way.".

"You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love at which we do them."

~St Therese of Lisieux

This prayer is very dear to me. I like to say it every day following night prayers, asking St Therese's intercession for some intentions very close to my heart.

PRAYER TO ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS AND THE HOLY FACE

O little Flower of Jesus, ever consoling troubled souls with heavenly graces, in your unfailing intercession I place my confident trust. From the heart of our Divine Savior, petition the blessings of which I stand in greatest need, especially..................... (here mention your intention) Shower upon me your promised roses of virtue and grace. Dear St. Therese, so that swiftly advancing in sanctity and perfect love of neighbor, I may someday receive the crown of life eternal.

St Therese pary for us!

The Song of the Acorn Fairy

To English folk the mighty oak

Is England's noblest tree;

Its hard-grained wood is strong and good

As English hearts can be.

And would you know how oak-trees grow,

The secret might be told:

You do but need to plant for seed

One acorn in the mould;

For even so, long years ago,

Were born the oaks of old.

Inspired by friends, we are hopping along on a little rabbit trail down Fairy Land. This morning, while the children were out doing chores, I started to sketch Cicely Mary Barker's Acorn Fairy. After lunch, I put the finishing touch with watercolor pencils. It has been ages since I'd picked up a pencil to draw... I think this got me started. o;)

I just changed the picture on my header to Cicely Baker's Good Shepherd, the same picture that was on my first blog, École Buissonnière.

St Augustine of Hippo

Bishop and Doctor

Saint Augustin was born at Tagaste in Africa in 354. He was unsettled and restless searching for the truth until he was converted to the Faith in Milan and baptized by Ambrose. Returning to his homeland, he embraced an ascetic life and subsequently was elected bishop of Hippo. For thirty-four years he guided his flock, instructing it with sermons and many writings. He fought bravely against the errors of his time and explained the Faith carefully and cogently through his writings. He died in 430.

From Christian Prayer: The Liturgy of the Hours

"Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance." ~St Augustine

"Our hearts are restless till they rest in you, O Lord." ~St Augustine

~Happy Name Day dear Augustin!~

Handmade Toys

Alice at a number of things is hosting a Homemade Toy Fair tomorrow. Since today is Felix's birthday and we only start school tomorrow, I have a little bit of time to play on my blog. I could write about many neat things that happened in the last two months (and I will later), but since today is a milestone day for one of our boys (officially a teenager now!), instead I am going to look back at much older days. It seems a fitting day to spend in reminiscences.

Creativity is something at the very core of my being. Give me raw material and I delight in their possibilities. Many years ago, I received my very first Heart Song Catalog. I couldn't afford much, but it awakened in me a desire to surround my children with beautiful toys made with natural material. So I made my own. I only wish I had taken more pictures of all the toys, dolls, and puzzles the children and I made, but in those days, without the convenience of a digital camera, pictures were sparse.

The picture above is about twelve years old! Inspired by the halfpenny dolls sold then by Hearth Song, I made Peter of Blueberry Land and a Cranberry Girl. A few years later the wires from the pipe cleaners broke and the dolls fell apart, but they had been well loved! Here is a picture of the table setting that Easter, more than a decade ago. I had also knitted a little rabbit, some gnomes, and a few balls. My husband used to work for a company which made felt for the paper industry. The huge felts were made with carded wool, he would bring me bags of it. I dyed it (with natural dye stuff), made felt with it, and even fashioned puppets out of my homemade felt. Sadly I do not have any pictures of those.

And yes, I kept my first catalog for inspiration!

Another Easter table of long ago.


This picture is even older. I made this little doll for Sara's birthday almost twenty years ago!


Many of the projects were from the book The Childrens' Year. Much more than shown here. Sara and I made gnomes, slippers, dolls, knitted animals, window stars, and gnomes' hats to name a few.

Three year old Lydia with one of these dolls.



Sebastien wearing one of the gnomes' hat Sara knitted. Oh, how I wish I had pictures of those lovely knitted gnomes Sara made for each of her brothers one Christmas!



The boys also made toys. We made and sold puzzles, wooden animals, and cut wood silhouettes backed with colored transparent paper. We still have this pig Gabriel made with a scroll saw ten years ago. I drew the pattern, he did the cutting. The boys got to be very good at it!



Here are Lydia, and Raphael on a homemade swing. She was about four and Raphael two.

Hetty (Lydia) and Hank (Raphael) are looking at their bag of turnips in front of Augustin's log house. We were rowing Down Down the Mountain a Five in a Row title. Augustin built this log house when he was in his teens.

There was and still are plenty of costumes for playing dress-up .

The Holy Family.



St Joan of Arc praying before her martyrdom.



Burning "behind" the bonfire.



Lydia wrote a play on St Thomas Aquinas. It was a great success.

Sweet Dominique has been seen asleep at the tea table, all decked in his Dominican habit, with his head resting on his folded arms.

The always popular crowns!

Sara made these for two little girls she took care as an au pair in England.

Remember my hobbits?

Frodo four years ago!

I am sure you will not be surprised to hear that Felix asked for a new cloak for his birthday. With his homemade bow and arrow he is ready for battle.

Happy Birthday dear Felix!