1. When I was in college, I ended up on many catalog mailing lists. In one, this would be about 14 or 15 years ago, there was a gift set of the story book of The Princess and the Pea and an enamel pea pendant. I didn't buy it then, because I had no need, but thought it was cute and kept it in my mind should I ever have a daughter. Now, there is nothing like it that I can find. This pendant is the closest to what I remember, but it is a bit fancier, more expensive and does not include the story. Any ideas?

2. Did I mention I'm knitting again? Well, I am. I am even somewhat close to having something finished. I am more delighted than you can imagine. I have high hopes of knitting on a regular basis again. Maybe even sewing and crocheting, too.

3. Again, I am confused about the seasons in our new home. Since when have below zero temperatures, sleet, freezing rain and snow been fall? This is winter. This was not in the brochure. I was promised four seasons here.

4. I discovered this week that we will not be hurting for toilet paper if we get snowed in. Aside from the two on the roll already, we have at least 97 double rolls of toilet paper in our house.

5. We do not really do Halloween (or rather, we do celebrate All Hallow's Eve, but not the secular or pagan version of the day) and as we still don't have a church home here, we can't do our traditional All Saints feast and party, we are commemorating it a little on our own this year. We've dressed as our favorite saints for years, learning a little more about those we choose or choosing those we've learned more about sometimes. We'll be carving our pumpkins in Christian symbols as well as in more iconic images. I have never liked the reactionary anti-Halloween sentiment that can be found in churches, because the Druid celebration of it did not intersect with the Church until long after All Saints was already commemorated and because I didn't think that dressing as Snow White and eating too much candy was all that big a deal to get so worked up about, but the pagan and dark elements of the day seem to be what are emphasized more and more now, so we are backing off a bit. Our children get plenty of time to dress up as they wish, we asked them if they really missed it and it seems to be more a fun and candy thing for them, so we make sure they get loads of candy and celebrate the Church year instead. Since we now have to shield them against pr*stitute costumes as well, we are glad we live too far away from most people to have a big trick or treat issue anyway (as we did for the last seven years as well). How about you?

6. Would that more Protestants thought as this pastor does about Reformation Sunday.

7. I saved this for last, because it is more serious and I just didn't want to go back to something trivial or silly after it. When I read things like this, aside from being heart broken for these people who are persecuted and more determined to pray for the persecuted Church, I am aghast at how little religion reporters are expected to know about religion. By these same standards, I could write about sports or nuclear physics. After all, I can write a bit, I have heard of them, surely there can't be too much to it.

Labels: Family, Seven Quick Takes