Another year, and cause for meditation. What better than to sit in the new arm chair and to watch the seagulls circling, And to think. Although this is a grand term for what’s going on in my head at 6 a.m.”
Blythe, Stour Seasons, 2016
Hello friends!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading through “Stour Seasons” a few years ago, appreciating Blythe’s commentary of the seasons as I watched each one unfurl in turn around us. January does indeed give us reason to pause for thought. More on that later. It also beckons me to hibernate; to enjoy warming soups with crusty bread, to curl up in front of the fire with a good book and to delight in long walks under a wintry sun slung low in a pale blue sky.
Oh for ideals! While we’ve certainly consumed good amounts of soup and bread (running low on creative tweaks for pumpkin soup!) and I have found peace in some hushed afternoon walks, we seemed to hit January running not a flat, but a hurdle race.
In pre industrial Britain, January must have been a slower month with short hours of daylight and frozen or sodden ground. I wonder if this allowed both the workers and the land to rest, to be restored and reinvigorated before the long days of hard toil over the rest of the year. I trust that, as winter continues for a while longer, you will find time to savour some slower days, to recharge tired minds and bodies and to soak in the goodness of God’s creation all around you.
Molly x
Nature notes and homestead jottings
I’ve not tackled many outdoor jobs this month. The ground has either been frozen or muddy and I never seem to get over the hurdle of wet and cold. A fair weather gardener indeed! So I thought I’d gather together my ongoing fermenting projects, plus a couple of extras for good measure and write about these.
I have a weekly cycle of sourdough and kefir, keeping the starters in the fridge until the day before I want to make the bread/ strain the kefir. I keep a couple of large jars of cider vinegar fermenting at a time (the tall ones at the back). I used some of this to make fire cider, which I strained recently (the kilner jar in the middle). It certainly has a kick. I added some local honey, and if it boosts my immune system with as much potency as it hits my taste buds, it will do me good!
The tall bottle behind the sloe gin is rosehip syrup, high in vitamin C but also high in sugar. I wonder if the benefits of the first outweigh the disadvantages of the latter. Last is a sweet treat…a banana and chocolate loaf made with some squishy bananas. Perfect with a mug of tea this afternoon.
Homeschool journal
Everyone approaches planning differently; I don’t think any one way will work for more than one person. It’s maybe more helpful to look at how others plan, draw out threads which might work for you and create your own unique way of ordering your days. Some home educators don’t plan at all, especially in the early years, and if this is you, revel in the freedom! However, as our children get older, get more involved in activities outside the home and maybe start doing a little more structured work, planning can save time and energy.
I use a simple notebook with coloured pens; a different colour for each child and green for the all in activities. I plan every half term; I tick off what we’ve achieved from the previous half term, move goals forward to continue, or decide to drop any which are not working. I find this balance gives us the freedom off which we thrive, within a structure which helps to orientate our days.
After resisting meal planning for too many years, I finally acknowledged to myself that it really would make evenings simpler and save time and money. So, I devised a weekly meal planer, with space to jot down other jobs and notes. I’ve added a corner for gardening/self sufficiency tasks more recently. Some will want more structure, and some less, but this method seems to work for me. I fill it in every Sunday evening, alongside our family calendar.
Musings for our time
We’ve been studying the high mediaval period in history, and while we couldn’t get to Chatres to wonder at its stained glass, we have stood and stared at the light shining through the many coloured windows in Wells Cathedral.
One of my musings this month has been over how our homes can be places of warmth, celebration, creativity and order within a world which seems increasingly chaotic, fear inducing and lacking in human connection. I’ve always endeavoured for our home, however messy and filled with broken, sinful people as it may be, to also be a place of welcome, of healing, of fun and of discipleship. Sally and Sarah Clarkson’s “The Lifegiving Home” is an affirming and inspiring read for all who also hold this value.
However, more recently I’ve started to wonder if homes like this could in fact be even more significant in times to come. Places where we can hold onto and teach orthodox Christianity; places where we can robustly debate deep issues as we seek to walk along the narrow path; places where we can be enfolded in God’s beauty through stories, music, dance and art; places which offer a soft landing for weary souls.
The covid restrictions did their best to stop all this, and it’s amazing how our long held habits of hospitality have taken time to reinstigate. One such evening, which beautifully and graciously seemed to confirm this vision, was our recent Burns night celebration. We’re always in need of an excuse to have a party by the end of January so the timing is perfect. This year both boys came home, which filled my mother’s heart to overflowing. We also had a few friends and neighbours around to share in the haggis, cranachan and some Scottish dancing led by my husband. Afterwards we sat round the fire and chatted; easy talking born from walking alongside each other through difficult times. These dear friends don’t as yet share our Christian faith, but we’ve shared much of daily life over the years and for me it was an evening of warmth and safety within an ever darkening world. It was what I needed; thank you, Lord.
Mothering through the seasons 