1000 Gifts- 21-40

This week has been one of illness here at Chestnut Hollow, but there is still so much to be thankful for.

Thanks be to God for…

21. A delightful visit with my mother-in-law—reading translations of Miltonic sonnets and a hot cup of tea included.

22. Weekly afternoon visits with one of Ish’s sisters and her son.

23. A facebook post from my brother letting me know he made it to the Middle East safely.

24. The many military men and women sacrificing their lives for their country. May God keep them safe.

25. The time spent with Ish’s family on Friday.

26. A cold that made me remember to be thankful for my health.

27. My dear friend Livia.

28. The prayers of friends and family.

29. Steaming hot homemade soups.

30. Amusing e-mails from my mother.

31. Working hot water.

32. Cookies and milk after Mass.

33. Afternoon naps.

34. Our Brita pitcher (Unfiltered Newark water makes me quite nauseous)

35. 3 blissful months of marriage!

36. The beautiful sunset on the way to Mass yesterday.

37. The sweet quiet time spent decorating for Halloween with Ish.

38. The passing of my headache that I had for almost 5 days.

39. Joyful news.

40. My husband who so kindly made me lunch this afternoon

1000 Gifts- 1-20

I have decided to join the Gratitude Community at Holy Experience in appreciating and recording the many gifts that God has bestowed upon my life. I will be posting 20 gifts I am thankful for each week. Thanks be to God for…

1. My wonderful husband who has been lovingly caring for me while I am sick.

2. My nieces and nephews who never cease to entertain me.

3. Chicken soup and hot chocolate.

4. My mom.

5. Colorful leaves and the brisk fall breeze.

6. Warm sweaters.

7. All the summer veggies preserved in my freezer.

8. The Rosary.

9. Snail mail from friends far away.

10. The squirrels that visit my patio door each day.

11. The beautiful sacrament of marriage.

12. The way my nephew Simon makes these cute little squeaky noises that sound like he is asking a question

13. This past Saturday’s indoor picnic with a couple of dear friends.

14. Homemade pizza on Fridays at Ish’s parents’ home.

15. Having the time I need to rest and recover from being ill.

16. Hand knit/crocheted afghans to keep me warm.

17. Clean laundry.

18. Modest skirts and thick tights.

19. Sunday night stir-fry.

20. Getting to enjoy my morning coffee with my husband

Fall is for freezing!

Autumn has finally arrived in Delaware; the leaves are changing colors, and the squirrels are burying nuts in the soil in front of Chestnut Hollow. The cooler weather is a welcomed change, but I know that I will soon miss the sunny fresh taste of summer vegetables.

Last week, in order to preserve a tiny bit of summer, Ish and I went to the Farmer’s Market to buy an abundance of fresh vegetables and herbs. I spent several days preparing the vegetables to be frozen. My Tuesday was spent making a double batch of roasted vegetables; admittedly, we ate half the batch in different meals through out the week, but the other half is sealed in a freezer bag ready to be pulled out for a midwinter treat. Wednesday morning I spent making several batches of pesto—some regular and some with basil and mint. I froze the pesto using my muffin tins and some saran wrap; I’m sure glad my mom taught me this trick. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, I dedicated myself to chopping a rainbow of bell peppers. I now have about a quart each of red, green, yellow, and orange peppers in the freezer. This is not only more cost effective than buying peppers in the middle of winter (in season vegetables are much less expensive), but summer peppers, even after being frozen and defrosted, taste much better than those found in the grocery store midwinter.

This week I am looking forward to preparing a few more vegetables for freezing as well as making a batch or two of homemade applesauce. What is brewing in your kitchen this week?

Obama's cameo on Dragnet

My husbands uncle made this video.

Blessing the rain...

Happy Feast Day!

Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Most appropriately I stumbled on this quote from the beloved author J.R. R. Tolkien:

"All my own perception of beauty both in majesty and simplicity is founded upon Our Lady."

Happy Feast Day!

Never forget.

“Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew. “
- President George W. Bush

Forays in Fiber!

Hi all! I just wanted to let everyone know that I am back to posting over at Forays in Fiber, the knitting/crocheting blog that Meg and I started earlier this year. Feel free to stop by and check out my current knitting project.

This blog will be back to regular updates by the end of this month. I am trying to create a more solid vision of what I want The Bantering Bookworm to be.

Notable Quotable

“If God were to take away all His blessings, health, physical fitness, wealth, intelligence, and leave me but one gift, I would ask for faith – for with faith in Him and His goodness, mercy, love for me, and belief in everlasting life, I believe I could suffer the loss of my other gifts and still be happy – trustful, leaving all to His inscrutable Providence.”

--Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy

The Story of Owen

I wanted to share the video my mother-in-law made to tell the story of the miraculous healing of my nephew Owen. Please take the time to watch this.

July Reading List

I have been meaning to start this feature on my blog for some time now. It is inspired by Anna and Miriam over at Maidens of Worth who keep track of what books they read each month and post mini-reviews for each one.

Since the past year and a half or so has been filled with wedding planning and for a chunk of time teaching eight grade mathematics, I have not read nearly as much as I would have like to for quite a while. 3 weeks ago, Ish and I were married, and shortly thereafter I was able to finish 2 books.

My July reading list:


The Air Between Us by Deborah Johnson
This novel takes place in a small town in Mississippi during the height of the civil rights movement. The book was a captivating in-depth character study. It did not have a very driving plot but instead several micro-plots expertly woven together. I would recommend this book for readers over the age of 16 as it deals with some disturbing subject matter that may not be appropriate for younger readers.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
A mixture of both historical and contemporary fiction, this novel is set in modern day France as well as during WWII. Sarah's Key intertwines the story of Sarah, a young Jewish girl who was part of the Vel d'Hiv roundup in Paris on July 16th, 1942, and the story of Julia, an expatriot journalist writing an article on the 60th anniversary of the horrific Vel d'Hiv. This skillfully crafted novel will bring you to tears--it is by no means a light read. I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of 16, as it deals with many heavy topics. If you are an adult, this book is a must read. Just don't forget your box of tissues.

Currently Reading:

The Art of Civilized Conversation by Margaret Shephard with Sharon Hogan.

Zinnias and Cucumbers

Yesterday evening, after helping to move a couch into our apartment, a dear friend of mine and Ish's invited us to visit the farm he and another good friend of ours started this growing season. Having spent the past several days shuttling back and forth between our apartment, Ish's parents' house, and various shops, our friend's invitation was received warmly and with much excitement.

After a short yet scenic drive, we arrived at the farm. Despite vacationing on a farm throughout my childhood, I have never seen anything quite like this. Even with a tough year weather wise, their endeavor is doing quite well. It was a joy to taste and see the fruit of our friends' labor.

They had an abundance of cucumbers in many varieties, some extra lettuce, and parsley. We were blessed to receive portions of them as well as a beautiful bouquet of freshly cut zinnias. Hopefully next summer Ish and I will be able to help them in the field.