7 Quick Takes Volume 9*

1.

I am writing this Quick Takes on a Wednesday. Because during the past few weeks we have had Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, a house move and a bout of #SpecialPoorlyWomanFlu for me. Which are probably only a few of the reasons why I haven't blogged, but ultimately, I haven't been blogging, and I would like to. SO I figure out if I start today, by Friday, I might even be finished!

Safe in our new home for Christmas, yay!

2.

Jennifer Fulwiler has a lot to answer for. Not only have I used a Quick Takes template to write this post, but I am definitely considering getting a Kindle, after being a naysayer for so long. (My husband says he was going to get me one for Christmas, but instead I asked for a subscription to Church Times - the UK's leading weekly Anglican newspaper, don't you know.)

3.

A pleasant bonus from my Church Times subscription was The Celtic Way of Prayer, by Esther de Waal.  It's subtitle is 'The Recovery of the Religious Imagination' - isn't that beautiful? Pieces of it remind of the way of prayer visited in God's Whisper in a Mother's Chaos: Bring Peace Home (another lovely subtitle...oh and did you see that I linked to the Kindle edition???) and Angela Ashwin's Patterns Not Padlocks: Finding Christ Amongst the Chaos (should I have just done a Quick Take on books with good subtitles?) but it is definitely a treasure in itself. We have Celtic services at our church on Sunday evenings sometimes, but I've never before attempted to understand the Celtic heritage of Christianity within the British Isles and how it entwined with Catholicism in early centuries, and how it fits within Protestantism today. So it's an informative read I would already recommend, that contains some beautiful prayer (my only complaint is that it does not come with an accompanying CD with some of the prayer and poetry set to music!) Over at Elizabeth Esther's website, I have been inspired to purchase Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel. Which makes me reading two more books than I did in December. (And did I mention I might be getting a Kindle?!)

Celtic Cross Clip Art :-)

4.

While we are on the power of reading, can I say it's just awesome that while I've been sat lying on the sofa waiting for someone to come and care for ThirdSister, she has been bringing me book after book to read to her. (I must plan to lie on the sofa more often.) And SecondSister year old has plunged into reading things herself in such a profound way recently, it's a joy to behold. (If I don't mention FirstSister it's because she finished the entire Lemony Snicket series over Christmas and doesn't need a mention about how awesome her reading is. Oops.) 

5.

Did I mention I was ill this week? My overloaded husband got the slowcooker out and made the lamb recipe I had lined up for Sunday. I had made butternut squash soup for our Meat Free Monday which just needed getting out of the freezer, and managed to roast a chicken yesterday. We have some frozen fish and fries for tonight, we'll use the chicken leftovers in tortillas on Thursday and by Friday, I hope to be well enough to cook Leanne's carbonara. Which tells me this - thank goodness and thank God for FlyLady and Leanne!

6.

Just before I got ill, before the kids returned to school, I had the privilege of taking SecondSister to the ice rink. As far as our family were concerned, 3 January was still Christmas, and so to be able to skate around (and push her on a plastic seal pup!) to festive songs was a rare treat. I know that the ice rink were making money from their venture, but I was so pleased that we could do something with a Christmas lightshow and a festive feeling AFTER the 25th December. On her return to school SecondSister had a project on her favourite places and she listed one of them as the ice rink.

Second sister after skating, drinking and spilling hot chocolate, and generally enjoying herself. 
Apologies for the blurriness, it was taken from my BlackBerry! If you look closely
you may make out the reindeer!

7.

I'm a bit late with the whole New Year thing, although we enjoyed making a fuss at Epiphany. I don't resolve at this time of year, although I have chosen the word Honour (English spelling) which fits in with the One Word 365 project. I do, however, wish to enter into 2012 with the following:

• The aim of feeding, clothing, bathing and loving the 3 Sisters and my husband well on a daily basis
• Focusing on books, conversation, craft and cooking where possible
• Getting out more in the fresh air
• Sharing this new home with other people
• Developing my ministry to others in balance with the above aims.

Happy Epiphany and 2012 everybody!

* with thanks to Jen Fulwiler @ ConversionDiary.com for hosting - head over there now and read a whole load of other Quick Takes!