Hypothetically speaking, if you were a writing-literary sort of person who disliked both poetry and plays, and who didn't read the King James Version of the Bible because the archaic language filled up your head with no meaning, what would you Do about Shakespeare?
You'd check out Norrie Epstein's "The Friendly Shakespeare," giving you a conversant knowledge of most of the plays and the Elizabethan era, without actually having to read any of the actual text.
I first discovered TFS years ago. I remember lying in the grass on a warm Mississippi afternoon reading about star-crossed lovers and cross-dressers. My previous encounters with Shakespeare had been less than inspiring. Instead of rapturous sighs and murmurs over the beauty of his words, I was wont to screech, "Why doesn't he just GET TO THE POINT?!" Of course, as Epstein explains in her book, if Shakespeare just "got to the point," the plays would be impossibly trite and dull. This book, promised to be a painless (and not always glowing) introduction to the Bard, gave me a glimmering of why he is such a literary giant.
This Thanksgiving, I reread the book, and enjoyed it yet again. If I can dig up our Shakespeare collection, I'm going to take a stab at it again. (Not literally, I mean... which is definite progress.) What I really need to do is sit down with Darren and watch "Henry V" with him. Darren has agreed that we can stop it at any time and let me screech, "WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT?" (Darren is the person who, for one of his birthdays, invited friends over for a reading of "The Tempest.")
One word of interest: when one is an unmarried, virginal, good-courtship-girl, it is a very blushful experience to have Shakespeare's puns and wordplays explained.
In the same series, but by a different author, Natalie somebody, is "The Friendly Jane Austen." This book isn't as engaging as the Shakespeare one, but is good for a light read. The best, of course, is Austen quotes: she's terribly funny even after two hundred years, all the more impressive considering how quickly comedy goes stale. Of course, I didn't have to be convinced to love Jane Austen. I even found myself sighing -- yea, rapturously -- when I read that one of the women interveiwed owns not only a first edition of "Emma," but Jane Austen's autograph as well.
For a complete change of direction, Darren and I both have been introduced to manga, thanks to Darren's cousin Derrick. Manga is Japanese graphic novels -- more depth than comic books, but still escapist reading. We've finished two of the "FullMetal Alchemist" series. Despite some rather gruesome violence and some odd Japanese drawing conventions, the stories are lots of fun. It takes some initial adjustment: the manga books are printed in the Japanese format, which runs backwards to what we're used to. Occasionally I'll get disoriented and read the panels in entirely the wrong order. The story isn't exactly complex, however, so I easily readjust.
"Baby Doolittle" is over, so Daphne has joined me at the computer, so this blog post is done.
-- SJ
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Photo Hodgepodge
No particular theme, no particular order, but hey, it's pictures!
Five-year-old Stuart, the Pajama Pirate, wearing his gift from his godparents.
A Daphne-sized rocker. She's pretty pleased, you think?
Angels and Pharoahs on Halloween. I cut down Stuart's headdress later so it was more manageable. Both costumes are homemade... you think?
Not that Addie is quirky or anything. The other kids just have more gravity.
Because I never get a showing in these pictoral tours. Addie took this picture, hence the artistic angle. I'm holding Yellow Chickie, Daphne's great love. And I look just like my mother "except wearing brighter clothes," Addie said. (My mother favors rust and browns.)
The good Daddy and the budding bookworm.
-- SJ
Five-year-old Stuart, the Pajama Pirate, wearing his gift from his godparents.
A Daphne-sized rocker. She's pretty pleased, you think?
Angels and Pharoahs on Halloween. I cut down Stuart's headdress later so it was more manageable. Both costumes are homemade... you think?
Not that Addie is quirky or anything. The other kids just have more gravity.
Because I never get a showing in these pictoral tours. Addie took this picture, hence the artistic angle. I'm holding Yellow Chickie, Daphne's great love. And I look just like my mother "except wearing brighter clothes," Addie said. (My mother favors rust and browns.)
The good Daddy and the budding bookworm.
-- SJ
Friday, November 23, 2007
Cranial Entertainment
Note: I was not paid for this endorsement, but I should have been.
"No, Stuart. We already have one caribou. We don't need another one."
I actually said these words last week. My sister-in-law Jessica, who had called for gift ideas for Stuart, was a little surprised. She was further surprised when I directed her to the children's games (she was calling from a toy store) and said, "Find the Cranium games and choose one. Except Balloon Lagoon, Hullabaloo, Ziggity, and, of course, Cariboo." Didn't I want to specify which one? "Nope. They're all good."
We own or have played five Cranium games, not counting the original adult game, and they've all been hits. Jessica sent us Bumparena, and we've played it four or five times since yesterday. The games are marvels of design. They all have some sort of gimmick that the kids love, like balls or flipping doors or a musical timer. (Balloon Lagoon is so gimmicky that it rivals that Paragon of Gimmicks, Mousetrap.) However, the games are easy to set up (take that, Mousetrap!) and easy to put away. And the rules are simple: you can play a Cranium game within minutes of setting it up. The most amazing thing about these games, however, is that they're engaging enough for parents to play. Even without kids: Darren and I have a date to play Bumparena one evening after bedtime. (That sounds a lot racier than it actually it. The game consists of a tilted platform, plastic "bumpers" you can place at various points, and eight balls to navigate the course and end up in a goal at the bottom.)
Because of the multitude of pieces and parts, the games would be a disaster for the under-3 set. (We currently are missing one Cariboo ball -- out of six -- and the Cariboo "key," which I last spotted in the kitchen after Daphne got done with it.) But starting with age 4, they're perfect for a family game time. It helps fill up the years until the kids are old enough for Trivial Pursuit.
-- SJ
"No, Stuart. We already have one caribou. We don't need another one."
I actually said these words last week. My sister-in-law Jessica, who had called for gift ideas for Stuart, was a little surprised. She was further surprised when I directed her to the children's games (she was calling from a toy store) and said, "Find the Cranium games and choose one. Except Balloon Lagoon, Hullabaloo, Ziggity, and, of course, Cariboo." Didn't I want to specify which one? "Nope. They're all good."
We own or have played five Cranium games, not counting the original adult game, and they've all been hits. Jessica sent us Bumparena, and we've played it four or five times since yesterday. The games are marvels of design. They all have some sort of gimmick that the kids love, like balls or flipping doors or a musical timer. (Balloon Lagoon is so gimmicky that it rivals that Paragon of Gimmicks, Mousetrap.) However, the games are easy to set up (take that, Mousetrap!) and easy to put away. And the rules are simple: you can play a Cranium game within minutes of setting it up. The most amazing thing about these games, however, is that they're engaging enough for parents to play. Even without kids: Darren and I have a date to play Bumparena one evening after bedtime. (That sounds a lot racier than it actually it. The game consists of a tilted platform, plastic "bumpers" you can place at various points, and eight balls to navigate the course and end up in a goal at the bottom.)
Because of the multitude of pieces and parts, the games would be a disaster for the under-3 set. (We currently are missing one Cariboo ball -- out of six -- and the Cariboo "key," which I last spotted in the kitchen after Daphne got done with it.) But starting with age 4, they're perfect for a family game time. It helps fill up the years until the kids are old enough for Trivial Pursuit.
-- SJ
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Five Years Old!
Five years ago, I was lying in bed and holding a little bundle that looked like a sausage roll with a head. Today, he's far too big for me to hold in bed (although, like an overgrown puppy, he doesn't realize that) and he looks like a grin with feet.
Stuart seeks out things to laugh about. That failing, he makes up his own funny sounds and stories. Currently, they're funny mostly to him and his invisible cloud of "friends," but that seems to be enough audience to satisfy him. He's still obsessed with Age of Mythology. He's discovered the wonderful possilibilities of the syllables "pee" and "poo." He loves company, loves stories, loves draping himself over us.
Addie is his best friend, Daphne is his biggest rival. (Both are thrillingly easy to annoy.) Daddy is still his hero above all heroes. And, for better or for worse, he's just like his Mama.
As everyone else celebrates Thanksgiving, we have the added pleasure of celebrating Stuart. He isn't as universally known, but he's good for a lot more laughs.
-- SJ
Stuart seeks out things to laugh about. That failing, he makes up his own funny sounds and stories. Currently, they're funny mostly to him and his invisible cloud of "friends," but that seems to be enough audience to satisfy him. He's still obsessed with Age of Mythology. He's discovered the wonderful possilibilities of the syllables "pee" and "poo." He loves company, loves stories, loves draping himself over us.
Addie is his best friend, Daphne is his biggest rival. (Both are thrillingly easy to annoy.) Daddy is still his hero above all heroes. And, for better or for worse, he's just like his Mama.
As everyone else celebrates Thanksgiving, we have the added pleasure of celebrating Stuart. He isn't as universally known, but he's good for a lot more laughs.
-- SJ
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Books, Plays, and What I Think
Did you miss me? Our computer went in for an upgrade (not switching from dial-up, sorry, RLR). So I've been offline since Sunday night. Poor me. Poor Darren. Poor kids. Poor world in general. Stuart was languishing on the floor yesterday and said pathetically, "I wish we'd sent the computer for an upgrade EARLIER." But now we're back, getting our fixes of blogging, emails, and Age of Mythology. And the computer works nicely, too.
In the cold void during The Upgrade, I read:
1. A book that drove me crazy
2. A book that delighted me
3. A book that made me laugh when it wasn't intending to.
4. Two plays that artlessly express the male and female perspectives of life.
1. My friend Deidre is, I suppose, now educated in the perils of recommending a book for me to read. A word, Deidre: I'm glad to talk over the serious themes of the book, really. It was a retelling of the Biblical book of Hosea, so there's lots to talk over. (For those who aren't Biblical nerds so don't know All The Stories: God told the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute, symbolic of His love toward wayward Israel. The prostitute, unfortunately named Gomer, ran back to her old life several times, but in an act of unconditional love, Hosea always went after her and brought her home again.)
So the theme of the book is great. It's just the setting and the characters that made me want to chew holes in the pages. 1850s mining town, golden-haired heroine (she was a prostitute, but OF COURSE was the most beautiful and most desired harlot in the whole town. Why couldn't she have been short, plump, and squinty?), and broad-shouldered, blue-eyed hero. And the author didn't name the heroine Gomer, either. Coward.
2. "Gilead" by somebody I don't remember. Darren's boss, Jim, recommended it to him, but I grabbed it first. It's a novel, but it reads like a real memoir. Rev. John Ames, an old man who knows he will die soon of a heart problem, is writing to his young son (he married late in life) to tell him everything a father would tell his son under normal circumstances. It's a deep book, slow-moving, but beautifully written. What starts out as a letter about antecedents and family history turns into an account of learning forgiveness late in life. I loved it.
3. "Signatures" by Dan O'Neill, a biography of John Michael Talbot. Talbot, a Franciscan monk and Christian singer, evidently has a long history in music circles: I didn't hear about him till I married Darren. His music is mellow and devotional. (Darren's brother and sister claim that Talbot has only one song that he plays over and over.) What about the book that makes Darren and me laugh is that the author simply cannot express his admiration of Talbot enough. He's cool, or he's a spiritual master, or he's wise, or he's suffered, or, well, he's just John Michael Talbot and let's sit at his feet and gaze upon him in wonder! We refer to it as the "St. John Michael book." It is written well enough that I'm still reading it. And still snickering.
4. The plays are originals, dictated by none other than Addie and Stuart. We're going to send them to my family in Mississippi, where Matt, Jessica, and Courtney are going to perform them for the family Christmas revue.
Addie's play involves unicorns, horses, and ponies. And one minotaur, who has one line: "Arrgh! Lots of nice meat!" (referring to the unicorns). They defeat the minotaurs by laughing at them and making them feel bad.
Stuart's play is much shorter -- one scene -- but full of action. In fact, it had no dialogue: I had to add it. His cast involves himself, a cyclops, seven phoenixes, two centaurs, and 70 lions. It has a "really funny part" where he's running around and runs into a gate and falls down. I can't wait to see the stage version.
-- SJ
In the cold void during The Upgrade, I read:
1. A book that drove me crazy
2. A book that delighted me
3. A book that made me laugh when it wasn't intending to.
4. Two plays that artlessly express the male and female perspectives of life.
1. My friend Deidre is, I suppose, now educated in the perils of recommending a book for me to read. A word, Deidre: I'm glad to talk over the serious themes of the book, really. It was a retelling of the Biblical book of Hosea, so there's lots to talk over. (For those who aren't Biblical nerds so don't know All The Stories: God told the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute, symbolic of His love toward wayward Israel. The prostitute, unfortunately named Gomer, ran back to her old life several times, but in an act of unconditional love, Hosea always went after her and brought her home again.)
So the theme of the book is great. It's just the setting and the characters that made me want to chew holes in the pages. 1850s mining town, golden-haired heroine (she was a prostitute, but OF COURSE was the most beautiful and most desired harlot in the whole town. Why couldn't she have been short, plump, and squinty?), and broad-shouldered, blue-eyed hero. And the author didn't name the heroine Gomer, either. Coward.
2. "Gilead" by somebody I don't remember. Darren's boss, Jim, recommended it to him, but I grabbed it first. It's a novel, but it reads like a real memoir. Rev. John Ames, an old man who knows he will die soon of a heart problem, is writing to his young son (he married late in life) to tell him everything a father would tell his son under normal circumstances. It's a deep book, slow-moving, but beautifully written. What starts out as a letter about antecedents and family history turns into an account of learning forgiveness late in life. I loved it.
3. "Signatures" by Dan O'Neill, a biography of John Michael Talbot. Talbot, a Franciscan monk and Christian singer, evidently has a long history in music circles: I didn't hear about him till I married Darren. His music is mellow and devotional. (Darren's brother and sister claim that Talbot has only one song that he plays over and over.) What about the book that makes Darren and me laugh is that the author simply cannot express his admiration of Talbot enough. He's cool, or he's a spiritual master, or he's wise, or he's suffered, or, well, he's just John Michael Talbot and let's sit at his feet and gaze upon him in wonder! We refer to it as the "St. John Michael book." It is written well enough that I'm still reading it. And still snickering.
4. The plays are originals, dictated by none other than Addie and Stuart. We're going to send them to my family in Mississippi, where Matt, Jessica, and Courtney are going to perform them for the family Christmas revue.
Addie's play involves unicorns, horses, and ponies. And one minotaur, who has one line: "Arrgh! Lots of nice meat!" (referring to the unicorns). They defeat the minotaurs by laughing at them and making them feel bad.
Stuart's play is much shorter -- one scene -- but full of action. In fact, it had no dialogue: I had to add it. His cast involves himself, a cyclops, seven phoenixes, two centaurs, and 70 lions. It has a "really funny part" where he's running around and runs into a gate and falls down. I can't wait to see the stage version.
-- SJ
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Confessions
1. Everybody loves the "Little House" series. Addie's godmother, Dana, gave her the set for her last birthday, explaining that she (Dana) loved the series when she was Addie's age. Darren has been reading them aloud at night, now halfway through "Plum Creek."
My confession: I didn't like the books when I was younger, and with all due apologies to my "Little House" loving friends, I still don't like them. They don't inspire me with awe and excitement as I share with Lauran the hard pioneer life. They leave me wondering, "Why the heck did Pa drag his family away from the relative safety of the East for such a touch-and-go life on the prairie?!" A pioneer in spirit I am not.
2. One of the little joys of parenting is sitting with your children and reading aloud. One of the great joys of parenting is watching your child's love of books grow, as you read aloud to them.
My confession:I don't like reading aloud, not even cuddled on the couch with my children. I can't read very long without yawning through the words. I never read the same book more than twice through. But, what I do love to do is tell stories, whether of my childhood or something I've made up. I'm glad to tell the kids ABOUT a book. I also enjoy reading their history aloud because we can stop and talk about it. Meanwhile, Darren does the real reading aloud, and they don't seem to be suffering: now when we get in the van, even Daphne clamors for a book to read.
-- SJ
My confession: I didn't like the books when I was younger, and with all due apologies to my "Little House" loving friends, I still don't like them. They don't inspire me with awe and excitement as I share with Lauran the hard pioneer life. They leave me wondering, "Why the heck did Pa drag his family away from the relative safety of the East for such a touch-and-go life on the prairie?!" A pioneer in spirit I am not.
2. One of the little joys of parenting is sitting with your children and reading aloud. One of the great joys of parenting is watching your child's love of books grow, as you read aloud to them.
My confession:I don't like reading aloud, not even cuddled on the couch with my children. I can't read very long without yawning through the words. I never read the same book more than twice through. But, what I do love to do is tell stories, whether of my childhood or something I've made up. I'm glad to tell the kids ABOUT a book. I also enjoy reading their history aloud because we can stop and talk about it. Meanwhile, Darren does the real reading aloud, and they don't seem to be suffering: now when we get in the van, even Daphne clamors for a book to read.
-- SJ
Thursday, November 08, 2007
What's in a Name?
As always, these are real and verifiable names (if you read my hometown paper, mostly) given to real and verifiable kids (if you contact their therapists later in life):
* Brailie
* Rance
* Annalise
Wait, Annalise? That's not so bad.
No, wait, it's spelled ANALYSE.
* Kage
Just ponder that one. It's the same sound as Gage and Kaden, only shorter, snappier, and stupider.
The following, taken separately, are a bit precious but tolerable (with the possible exception of Braylyn). But together, in one family, definitely exceeds the recommended allowance of uniqueness:
* Jewel
* Braylyn
* Dylan
* Dylanie
And then there's the Case of the Missing Vowels:
* Aydn Khol
It isn't a good naming trend to go with clusters of consonants and let people fill in the vowels. The Hebrews did it, and you'll notice that after a while they stopped producing ANY top-1000 baby names.
-- SJ
* Brailie
* Rance
* Annalise
Wait, Annalise? That's not so bad.
No, wait, it's spelled ANALYSE.
* Kage
Just ponder that one. It's the same sound as Gage and Kaden, only shorter, snappier, and stupider.
The following, taken separately, are a bit precious but tolerable (with the possible exception of Braylyn). But together, in one family, definitely exceeds the recommended allowance of uniqueness:
* Jewel
* Braylyn
* Dylan
* Dylanie
And then there's the Case of the Missing Vowels:
* Aydn Khol
It isn't a good naming trend to go with clusters of consonants and let people fill in the vowels. The Hebrews did it, and you'll notice that after a while they stopped producing ANY top-1000 baby names.
-- SJ
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Another Feast of All Saints
The Sixth Annual All Saints' Day party was last night.
The food was good.
The company was lively, the kids were uproarious, the singing was lovely, the game was fun.
And also there was good food.
This year, we asked everyone to bring a food related to the Bible. Or, rather, food "related" to the Bible. The tenuous associations made me glad that nobody among us makes a hobby of theology. One of the burdens of hosting is that we had to sample something of everything, but Darren and I valiantly rose to the challenge. It was very full-filling. Hahaha. (I can't believe I let that stand.)
We asked everyone to write out what they brought, and the justification for it. As follows:
Katie S.: "Bitter" herb bread.
Leah D.: A fruit tray. "Forbidden fruit: Eat at your own risk!"
Daniel and Rachel S.:
Bread with goat cheese "because David brought cheese and bread to the front lines of battle;
Ham: "Arise and eat!"
Jesse and Charlessa McConnell:
Deviled eggs: "The term 'deviled' first meant 'highly spiced' and was first used in 1786. Today, it has a more general term of something with spice. 'Deviled' relation to the Bible: obvious."
Puppy Chow (Chex cereal coated with peanut butter and chocolate): "Because even we gentile 'dogs' get to eat the crumbs that fall from the table. Matthew 15:22-28."
* Stuart loved the puppy chow. He thought it was frosted shredded wheat cereal and wanted some for breakfast this morning.
Peter and Kelly S: Croissants, some with apple, and some with chicken: "Croissants were originally in a cross shape. They're cut into pinwheels in reference to the wheels in Ezekiel 1."
Peter and Julie L: Kung Pao chicken: "The Kings from the East brought some yummy Oriental food!"
Leah G: Little loaves of wheat bread and Goldfish snack crackers: "Seven loaves and a few small fishes"; grape jelly: "fruit of the vine" jelly.
Suzanne S:
Prodigal meatballs: "The prodigal son went from the pig sty to the fatted calf. These meatballs are made with pork and veal."
Famine cookies and pistachio nuts: "What Joseph's brothers took back to Egypt as a bribe to Joseph: "... take a little gift: a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. -- from Genesis 43)."
Grace M: Death in the Pot Stew (our synopsis, as we lost Grace's card): "The school of the prophets gathered food for stew, and someone put in poisonous gourds. 'Man of God, there is death in the pot!' they wailed to Elisha. Elisha threw in meal and the stew was safe." Grace said she didn't have meal, but checked Betty Crocker, who said that cornstarch could be substituted.
Deidre and Jeremiah M.: Garlic Mashed Potatoes: "Okay, Deidre, what on earth does garlic mashed potatoes have to do with the Bible?" "Well, there was a day that God created vegetables, right?"
Darren and Sara: Beef stew: "Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of 'pottage.' It was probably lentils, but we feel sure that Jacob would have made beef stew if he'd thought of it."
Nina and Dana S.: Chocolate-covered Chinese noodles: "John the Baptist ate locust legs!"
* This appetizing dish was big hit with the under-10 crowd. Addie didn't want Nina to take them back home.
"I'll give your mom the recipe," Nina promised.
"But we don't have any pretzels!" Addie protested.
"Actually, it's called Chinese noodles."
"But we don't have any Chinese noodles!"
"You can get them at the store."
"The store with the kids' playroom, or the one without?"
"Either one."
"But the grocery store doesn't know anything about China!"
This year we did do something that we could back up straight from Scripture: we made tied fleece blankets. I'd already bought the fleece and cut a fringe all around. Throughout the night, people tied the fringes, so by the end of the party, we had two child-sized blankets ready to be donated to the local women's shelter. In the Bible, James says that "true religion" includes taking care of widows and orphans; and he further warns that it's no use to say to someone "be warm and well-fed" if you don't give him anything to warm or feed him. We hope a warm, bright blanket will make a couple of displaced children and their mother a little happier.
The first year we hosted an ASD party, the younger set included: Addie. This year, the children's contingent included: Addie, Stuart, Daphne, Mollie, Evan, Mary, Liam, Gracie, Cary, and Jeremiah. Talk about an increase in volume, in many senses of the word! Fortunately, Daniel S. made sure that our new playroom was completed in time for the party, so our Grown-Up Party was interrupted only occasionally by free-range children. All of whom seemed to enjoy themselves, judging from the noise.
It was, as usual, enormous fun. Our guests always get into the spirit of things, making this party an event we look forward to hosting all year.
-- SJ
The food was good.
The company was lively, the kids were uproarious, the singing was lovely, the game was fun.
And also there was good food.
This year, we asked everyone to bring a food related to the Bible. Or, rather, food "related" to the Bible. The tenuous associations made me glad that nobody among us makes a hobby of theology. One of the burdens of hosting is that we had to sample something of everything, but Darren and I valiantly rose to the challenge. It was very full-filling. Hahaha. (I can't believe I let that stand.)
We asked everyone to write out what they brought, and the justification for it. As follows:
Katie S.: "Bitter" herb bread.
Leah D.: A fruit tray. "Forbidden fruit: Eat at your own risk!"
Daniel and Rachel S.:
Bread with goat cheese "because David brought cheese and bread to the front lines of battle;
Ham: "Arise and eat!"
Jesse and Charlessa McConnell:
Deviled eggs: "The term 'deviled' first meant 'highly spiced' and was first used in 1786. Today, it has a more general term of something with spice. 'Deviled' relation to the Bible: obvious."
Puppy Chow (Chex cereal coated with peanut butter and chocolate): "Because even we gentile 'dogs' get to eat the crumbs that fall from the table. Matthew 15:22-28."
* Stuart loved the puppy chow. He thought it was frosted shredded wheat cereal and wanted some for breakfast this morning.
Peter and Kelly S: Croissants, some with apple, and some with chicken: "Croissants were originally in a cross shape. They're cut into pinwheels in reference to the wheels in Ezekiel 1."
Peter and Julie L: Kung Pao chicken: "The Kings from the East brought some yummy Oriental food!"
Leah G: Little loaves of wheat bread and Goldfish snack crackers: "Seven loaves and a few small fishes"; grape jelly: "fruit of the vine" jelly.
Suzanne S:
Prodigal meatballs: "The prodigal son went from the pig sty to the fatted calf. These meatballs are made with pork and veal."
Famine cookies and pistachio nuts: "What Joseph's brothers took back to Egypt as a bribe to Joseph: "... take a little gift: a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. -- from Genesis 43)."
Grace M: Death in the Pot Stew (our synopsis, as we lost Grace's card): "The school of the prophets gathered food for stew, and someone put in poisonous gourds. 'Man of God, there is death in the pot!' they wailed to Elisha. Elisha threw in meal and the stew was safe." Grace said she didn't have meal, but checked Betty Crocker, who said that cornstarch could be substituted.
Deidre and Jeremiah M.: Garlic Mashed Potatoes: "Okay, Deidre, what on earth does garlic mashed potatoes have to do with the Bible?" "Well, there was a day that God created vegetables, right?"
Darren and Sara: Beef stew: "Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of 'pottage.' It was probably lentils, but we feel sure that Jacob would have made beef stew if he'd thought of it."
Nina and Dana S.: Chocolate-covered Chinese noodles: "John the Baptist ate locust legs!"
* This appetizing dish was big hit with the under-10 crowd. Addie didn't want Nina to take them back home.
"I'll give your mom the recipe," Nina promised.
"But we don't have any pretzels!" Addie protested.
"Actually, it's called Chinese noodles."
"But we don't have any Chinese noodles!"
"You can get them at the store."
"The store with the kids' playroom, or the one without?"
"Either one."
"But the grocery store doesn't know anything about China!"
This year we did do something that we could back up straight from Scripture: we made tied fleece blankets. I'd already bought the fleece and cut a fringe all around. Throughout the night, people tied the fringes, so by the end of the party, we had two child-sized blankets ready to be donated to the local women's shelter. In the Bible, James says that "true religion" includes taking care of widows and orphans; and he further warns that it's no use to say to someone "be warm and well-fed" if you don't give him anything to warm or feed him. We hope a warm, bright blanket will make a couple of displaced children and their mother a little happier.
The first year we hosted an ASD party, the younger set included: Addie. This year, the children's contingent included: Addie, Stuart, Daphne, Mollie, Evan, Mary, Liam, Gracie, Cary, and Jeremiah. Talk about an increase in volume, in many senses of the word! Fortunately, Daniel S. made sure that our new playroom was completed in time for the party, so our Grown-Up Party was interrupted only occasionally by free-range children. All of whom seemed to enjoy themselves, judging from the noise.
It was, as usual, enormous fun. Our guests always get into the spirit of things, making this party an event we look forward to hosting all year.
-- SJ
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