Feast Day Fun: Michaelmas

Happy Feast of the Archangels, Michaelmas!    Michaelmas is one of our favorite feasts to celebrate.  I don't even have to coach the kids anymore - they know all about it.  Who the three archangels named in the bible are, why Satan is portrayed as a dragon, how St. Michael threw the devil out of heaven, and even why we have blackberries every year on this day (an old legend about the Devil landing in a raspberry bush, turning them black).  This year, we celebrated with our traditional dragon rolls, but also turned our chicken into a dragon.  We had asparagus SPEARS (weaponized vegetables are always appropriate for warrior angel feasts), and angel food cake with blackberry sauce.  We recited the St. Michael prayer, which is so so so so needed right now... in our country, in our world, in our church, in our families.  St. Michael the Archangel, protect us in battle!!!

KINDA looks like an angel?  Maybe?  Dragons turn out much better in biscuit-form

Blackberry-topped angel food cake!  It became obvious that I need an ANGEL PLATE to celebrate this feast day!  Another trip to the kiln is in order!  And yes, Jesus is missing a hand.  I'm sure he just has a long sleeve on one side.

Gremlin Marching Band

So... maybe.... I relived a little of my youth through my boys tonight.  Maybe it brought back a flood of memories about hanging in the bleachers with my friends during football games, rubbing my hands to keep warm, cheering every play, and rocking the half time show.  Maybe the hot cocoa tastes exactly the same "luke warm and watery" as 28 (really??  TWENTY EIGHT???) years ago. These are the things you will remember, boys, when you are OLD!  I am so glad my boys are in band, and love music.  It allows some common ground in the vast chasm between 14 year olds and 46 year olds.  And maybe I'm biased, but I thought the band did FABULOUS with their "Galaxy of the Guardians" themed half time show!  Really disappointed that my phone died and I wasn't able to capture the whole thing, but... maybe next time.  Go Gremlins!

Little Flowers Girls Club Cider-making Kick Off!

Our Little Flowers Girls Club has grown!  We now have 17 girls from 4 parishes, from kindergarten to sixth grade, and it is such a fun group!!  The weather was cold and drizzly for our cider-making kick off event, but... as I seem to say too often... Yoopers don't melt.  We had a bonfire, "straight from the tree" apple cider, and campfire apple fritters to keep us warm and our belly's full.  It's going to be a fun year!

Apple Season

September, for all its craziness and busyness, also brings apples.  And that makes me happy.  I have to admit that DOING SOMETHING with the apples is always hard this time of year, as there is so little time to make things while running between soccer, Lego League, school, work, Little Flowers, Sunday School, piano lessons, etc. etc. etc.  But still.  If September would slow down enough to savor it, I think I could really love it.  Because it brings apples.  

Grandma LaVerne's 80th Birthday!