Before Advent

My favorite collect - indeed, the first one I knew - is the week before Advent:

STIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

It is this collect, and the preparations of Stir-up Sunday (in a culinary sense, at first) are what first began my pull away from Quakerism and toward the Church. At first, it was tongue-in-cheek. Now, I'm very serious about the importance of the Christian calendar and the true Church. We conclude this year with a farewell to our old life, and a look forward to the further journey home.

The Yearly Spice Procurement

Every year in November, I make a special shopping trip to restock the pantry spice shelf with bulk purchases of spices. I only buy the amount I need, i.e. a nickle's worth of chervil or double the amount in a spice jar for tarragon for less than half the price of one. I save a lot of money and a lot of waste not buying the standard sized spice jars at the supermarket. It took me seven years of marriage to use up the allspice jar I bought at the supermarket as a new bride. Today was the day for 2009, and I'm fully stocked for holiday cooking. I'm able to cook much better foods from scratch by maintaining a full pantry, and can do so much more cheaply than using supermarket allotments. I highly recommend searching out those merchants that offer choices in spices and making special trips - even if only once a year.

Library

Today was library story time and errands.

The last week before the storm

Next week begins a new business with the holiday, and then Advent. It will be my first year of true Advent, and the first year since I was a child that I paid any attention to the season. Thus, I'm enjoying a quiet week and the children. I've also got some house cleaning to attend to, and preparations for the upcoming feast. It will be an increasingly busy time, so a quiet day is much appreciated.

Shopping and appointments

Today is out and about with shopping and appointments. Lessons were accomplished by Nana during one of my shopping trips.

Propers for ST. MARTIN, Bishop of Tours November 11.

The Collect

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit didst enable thy servant Martin to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil: Grant that we, in the same Spirit, may with pure hearts and minds follow thee, the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle
Isaiah 58:10-12.

IF thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt he called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

The Gospel
St. Matthew 25:34-40. THEN shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred. and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred. and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

A Quiet Return to Regular Days

Today we've had a quiet day to return to our regular schedule. After all the craziness, we don't want to begin the holidays exhausted and in a blur. We'll pull back, and just do what needs to be done.