NewBorn Afghanistan

It's odd- when I added on the next bit of yarn- you can barely tell the change. But when I use flash- viola! - the new yarn stands out.

Oops.

I'll be mailing this off in the morning, sending it on it's long journey half-way around the world. 

First stop: Pennsylvania. 

Second: Kabul. 

Blessings, child who will end up with this. And prayers be with the mother.

Monday, Monday

Today's the day I should've stayed at home. And it's not half over.

In math, I spent a good chunk of the time scared that I'd flunked the test I took last week. She'd marked -0, +5. Of course, my mind translated this as only five points.

Afterwards, my teacher congratulated me on my 105% on the test. That -0 meant that I'd missed none, and the +5 was because I did the extra credit problem. That I didn't know was an extra credit problem. 

Then I spent a good two and a half hours looking for inappropriate or misleading/false advertisements from magazines. Now that I've finally got them, I've got two hours of Spanish to face. Then three hours of speech class where I get to talk about my misleading ads. 

Oh, I'm so glad the semester is half-way over. 

I'd really rather be at home drinking tea or something. Writing and knitting would be nice, especially when compared with Spanish grammar.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

I'm on a food trend now. No stopping me.

Well, this is actually another autumnal thing Mum made. Pumpkin pie meets spice cake.

And it's topped off with walnuts.

How good is that?

Pretty good, I'll have you know.

Especially when eaten on my green polka-dot plate.

Autumnal Eating

Okay, I don't know what special foods are eaten during this time of the year in the Southern Hemisphere, although I've always wondered. Maybe that's one of the reasons I've always wanted to live in Australia for a year. To answer my questions.

However, for us, apples are in season. I love apples- so lovely fresh, or baked, or stewed, or roasted. I do rather miss going to an orchard near HC and picking two bushels of apples. Ah well, that was lovely, but that's not going to happen up here in wintery Alaska.

But my Mum makes the best cooked apples ever. It's not mushed out like applesauce, but it's soft, and slightly spiced. And oh, so good.

It's great to eat apples up here in late autumn. Wouldn't you like some?

Winter's Coming Around the Next Corner

It's beginning to feel like winter's about to hit up here.
It's grey outside, and cold. So cold, settling into my hands and feet and bones.
Perfect weather for curling up in blankets with hot tea or cocoa. Add a book and some quiet music and I'm just about set.

Too bad today isn't the perfect day for algebra, isn't it? Since I had to read over fifty pages of algebra text just to cement logarithms into my head. And after this semester, I'll likely never use logarithms ever again. My teacher encourages me that it develops brain development and critical thinking. I feel I've had about as much as I need. Give me geometry first. Besides, I prefer creative thinking.

And we're due for snow tonight. I'll let you know if it's true. At any rate, I'm expecting it at any moment.

First Frosted Leaf of Winter

First Frosted Leaf of Winter, originally uploaded by LindenWillowcliffe.

On Sunday, I took a walk after Mass. 

It was a chilly, crisp morning- bringing tidings of the soon-coming winter.

And then I saw this frosty little leaf... still green. 

So beautiful.

Warmth and light ~ Laura

A Very Lewis Breakfast

The other day, I was reading through The Horse and His Boy. Now Lewis bothers some people because he wasn't like his good friend Tolkien. Tolkien was the master of describing grass for about three or four paragraphs. Lewis had the gift of being short. (Physically and writing...)

Now I don't think that's really such a problem. Sure, he doesn't go into great detail with battles, but the things he does describe are beautifully worded. And usually involve food. That's the sort of author I feel at home with.

"And immediately, mixed with a sizzling sound, there came to Shasta a simply delightful smell. It was one he had never smelled in his life before, but I hope you have. It was, in fact, the smell of bacon and eggs and mushrooms all frying in a pan.

... By the time Shasta had finished his porridge, the Dwarf's two brothers (whose names were Rogin and Bricklethumb) were putting the dish of bacon and eggs and mushrooms, and the coffeepot and the hot milk, and the toast, on the table. 

It was all new and wonderful to Shasta for Calormene food is quite different. He didn't even know what the slices of brown stuff were, for he had never seen toast before. He didn't know what the yellow soft thing they smeared on the toast was, because in Calormen you nearly always get oil instead of butter..."

 Now, after reading that, and it does go on for a bit, I found myself very hungry. This morning, in celebration of not having to be at school early, or indeed of having to leave the house at all, I decided to make myself a very Lewisian breakfast.

That included fried eggs with bacon and mushrooms, British Muffins with butter, and a pot of hot tea.



It was absolutely delicious. I think I shall make it again someday soon. And maybe a bit of porridge to go with? (And not so many eggs if I'm the only one eating it!)

We Shall Fight On the Beaches

It my brother Theophilus' birthday today, as well as my dear friend Eddie. So, in case they're reading, happy birthday!

On another note- I've prepared a speech for tonight on Winston Churchill's "Fight on the Beaches". Last night, I found a recording of some of the key parts of the speech, twelve minutes, so roughly half of the brilliant speech. And now I'm on a Churchill buzz.

Then I ran into my teacher, and he informed me that he would love the speech, but I should be prepared for the fact that half the class would never have heard of this speech, and the other half wouldn't know who Churchill was.

Isn't that just a sad statement on the American education system? Oh well, I'll just go read some more of his books and dream of a reformed school system. At least I get to have a bit of a fun time in speech tonight, with one person to understand what I'm saying. Unfortunately, I have Spanish between now and then.

More posts heading tomorrow!

It's... October?

Okay, so I promised last week that I'd post photos of the TARDIS scarf, but since I was so close to finishing it, I decided to put that off till I was done. And consequently, the last of September vanished with a merry twinkle of the eye and I'm sitting here thinking: "Hold on, it's October already???"

That's right, three months left to the year. So not ready for that. So much to do, so much I won't get done.

Next week are mid-terms. Not sure how I feel about that, but at any rate, I don't think I'll be cramming. There really isn't any point for cramming after all- tests only show what you don't know, and I've been faring alright so far this semester.

So, hopefully I'll finish the scarf tonight, and perhaps, if I'm very very good, we'll have photos by tomorrow!