I just can’t believe that we are already about to celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent! I am totally convinced that the days of December only hold 12 not 24 hours. How else can one explain the rapidity with which they fly by!
The Season of Advent is so special. What could be better than a whole Season of expectation and hope? Isn’t there a quote about how expectation is supposed to be better than realisation? Well one cannot take the analogy that far with Advent, as obviously Jesus’ coming into the world is better than just waiting for Him, but, oh! I do enjoy the waiting time!
This week has actually been surprisingly productive on the Day Camp front. There have been conversations with a prospective Training Day Camp location, some interesting progress around the “Prayer and Share” package and some exciting new recruiting documents, promise of help with recruiting at a college in the Midlands of the UK, and good fellowship with several current and former Team Members, some of it in person and some via email!
I am extremely thankful to see the level of interest in Summer Ministry happening in the dark days of early December. God is very good.
At home I have been tackling the mountains of catering work which I have agreed to undertake. Today I completed the 4th kind of hors d’oeuvres for one friend. Since Thursday I have produced-76 Onion Bhajis, 63 Crab Cakes, 93 Lamb Koftas and a tub of Spicy Dhal filling. Whew! The next few days will be a bit of a cooking frenzy too as I launch into the 2 dinner parties ( each for 24) which will be happening on Wednesday and Thursday at the home of another friend.
I’m delighted to have also completed the painting of the Unicorn in the little girls’ “Fairy bedroom”. I’m really not keen on “Disneyish” Fairies but Corie is happy, and I’m quite pleased with the Unicorn, even though this photo is atrocious!
Today I baked my annual St. Lucia Wreath (recipe below). Her Feast Day is this coming Thursday and since I will then be up to my eyebrows in Baked Tuscan Soup,Clam Cannelloni, Peppermint Cheesecake and Walnut Torte I thought I would be pretty happy to pull the wreath out of the freezer as part of Klara’s and mydinner that evening!
As I worked in the kitchen this afternoon I seemed to have an inordinate number of long-distance phone calls, including 3 from my former Boarder Maria (the 2nd and 3rd were necessitated as I was providing step by step instructions on preparing Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup!) It was lovely to chat with her as I rolled out Torte pastry and mixed Cheesecake.
Maria is taking a gap year back on her family farm in Saskatchewan after graduating in performance piano, last Spring from McGill. I was telling her about all my catering jobs, which will culminate ( I think!!) with the stuffing and roasting of a turkey for a friend’s family Christmas Feast on December 27th. I commented that I may well be eating scrambled eggs on toast for my own Christmas Dinner this year, but I would still get to enjoy the smell of roasting turkey!
I was moved to tears when she responded that she wished she could come and spend Christmas here with me. That remark was such a precious Christmas gift and I intend to hold onto it in the days ahead.
And now here is the St. Lucia Wreath…..
2 Tbsp yeast
1 cup warm water
3 eggs
1/8 tsp saffron
½ cup melted butter
½ cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup sugar
1tsp salt
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. When foamy, beat in eggs, melted butter, salt, sugar, saffron and cranberries. Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time to form a stiff but sticky dough. Cover bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
When ready to bake, divide chilled dough into 3 equal parts and roll each piece into a 48inch long rope, on a lightly floured surface.
Braid the pieces together and form into a wreath, neatly tucking in the ends and pinching them together.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with a tea towel and allow to rise for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400F. Brush risen wreath with a glaze of 1 egg beaten with 2 Tbsp water.
Bake for 20 mins.
Sunday thoughts…
As I light the second candle on my wreath the darkness of the December Evening is truly brightened, even if only for a short while as the radio is issuing gloomy predictions of a “Winter Storm Warning” for Quebec. I pray that the bus bringing Klara home from a hockey tournament in Boston will make it safely through the Green and White Mountains of New England, this evening.
This morning I rode my bike to church again! surely this will really be the last time for a long while. Even though I’m trying very hard not to miss St. Matthew’s I felt the loss keenly this morning as we sang 4 very nice praise songs but not one Advent Carol. However I am thankful for a collection of over 30 Advent and Christmas Cd’s so I can spend every afternoon, this Season, listening to beautiful music and singing along to my heart’s content. Must get back to crocheting a pair of slippers, the gifts are not yet all complete!