Hello Blog Friends,
Welcome to August! Around here, summer is certainly whizzing by. We are fortunate that, although we have had some dry spells, we have not had the wildfires that are happening in the western provinces and in Europe.
Last Sunday’s in-person Pod Gathering went very well. We listened to an excellent Sermon on the Parables found in Matthew 13 and I had researched 2 songs, also based on the passage. After a good discussion and time of prayer, we closed and it was almost noon, so I logged onto the Morning Eucharist from Canterbury and ended up having a very late lunch! Later in the afternoon, there was also the informal Compline on Instagram, followed with Evensong from Canterbury. It sounds like a lot of screen time, but, thankfully the whole morning was face-to-face in “real time”!
Monday, involved all the follow up after last week’s 3 Day Camps. There have been. some great photos from both Edmonton and Deux Montagnes, the majority of which are now saved for the main “Day Camps Wrap up Post”. I have shared one from Edmonton, of the Pastor wearing a super stole, made during the camp, very cool!!
The week has also included a deep dive into research for Liturgical Dance music as attention turns to working on the 2027 program content. Tuesday, after playing one song on “repeat” for most of the morning, I think a choice has been made, and will share a recording of the piece, once we are sure it is the perfect one.
Believe it or not, Wednesday saw me sending out an email to Alumni about the 2026 Advent Program! Let me explain- last year, one component of each session was the making of candleholders, to create either an Advent wreath or use as a focal point for the four Sundays of Advent. We had hoped to include rolling beeswax tapers, but discovered that it is impossible in cold climates (aka Canada) to mail order beeswax after November 1st as companies cannot guarantee that the sheets will not crack in transit if temperatures are below freezing. So, it was decided that, during the warmer months, we would send out the info about purchasing the supplies so that participants would have time to order. An Alumnus who lives in Mississippi replied immediately that she is interested in joining the program and will be doing some research on where she can find the materials in her area and another in the Maritimes is also going to order beeswax, hoping she can participate!
That same morning, I was texting back and forth with my friend who is walking St. Cuthbert’s Way as the trail moved across the border from Scotland to Northumberland, England. While drinking my morning coffee, I conjectured on how fascinated my Mum (who died 26 years ago) would be to think that one could sit in a kitchen in Montreal and converse in real time with friends who are thousands of kilometres away. One grumbles a lot about modern technology but, sometimes, it is mindblowingly magical!!!
Wednesday, I also enjoyed a lovely lunch visit with Mae Anne. We try to have lunch together once a month but life gets in the way, but we did just squeak in under the wire for July, have last met on the first Sunday in June! I made Poke Bowls followed by Strawberry, Matcha Iced Lattés, yum!
During odd bits of “spare” time, the second pair of Christmas socks was cast on my needles, and progress is being made. I also sewed a sweet patchwork bag in which to give the toddler trousers, made last week. Several evenings have also been spent in making bead earrings and folding Origami boxes to hold these tiny gifts. The coloured pages of old National Geographics, when trimmed into squares, make great paper for origami-folding, repurposing always being a top priority!
Thursday, work continued on the Creative Connection of the 2027 Program Manual. The Liturgical Dance is part of this manual chapter but 3 other “Connections” need to be designed, along with a couple of alternates, geared to very small camps. At present a rough list of ideas has now been put together and I will be able to give an initial report at next Wednesday evening’s DC committee meeting.
Yesterday, news came that there were yet more changes to the JYC/YL name tags. AGH! So, once again, the printer was set up and a couple of sheets reorganised to squeeze in extra names. At this point it wasn’t to do with camper registrations, which have been officially closed for the past few weeks, but involved additional camp visitors. These people all receive a “Guest” name tag ,for quick identification and as a “safe church” practice. As Pippa is coming tomorrow afternoon to take away the completed folder, this was really the last chance to make any changes to the sheets, as they will now get run through a laminator and have cords attached, ready for the start of camp, when the staff members arrive, on August 8th, for the pre-camp training.
This morning was an early start as I wanted to do extra garden work but there was a forecast of rain. Fortunately, it has held off so I got the tasks completed, went for a long walk and am now settled in to the Bake. Today’s list includes the regular GF loaves, a Lemon Drizzle Cake, Digestive Biscuits and Peanut Chocolate Muffins. Last Sunday, we had such a good in-person Pod that a member has requested we meet in-person again tomorrow, so Sue will be able to pick up her loaves at the same time. Once the Bake is done the plan is to complete folding origami boxes in which to package the bead earrings Each box has a base and a lid and all the bases are completed so I should be able to finish the project this afternoon, although I need to, also, run some sheets of coloured paper through the shredder as some shreds are placed in each box to protect the earrings.
As the timer is about to ring and the last of the baking must be taken out of the oven. Here is this week’s recipe. I made one of these puddings, last weekend, and enjoyed it for several weekday breakfasts. It’s quick and easy to make and a real crowd-pleaser! This dish also makes a lovely summer dessert.Yum!
Lemon Sponge Pudding
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
Grease a 6cup glass baking dish, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and butter. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add ½ the mixture to the large bowl and whisk well. Add the milk to the large bowl and whisk well, Add the remaining flour and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the whites into the batter with a wide spatula. Place the glass dish into a large shallow pan and half fill the pan with hot water, pour the pudding into the glass dish. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes, until the sponge is golden and firm to the touch. Serve warm OR cool, cover, refrigerate and serve chilled, topped with berries or other soft fruits. Serves 4-6.