Friday the 29th: Decorating

 *This is the extent of my Thanksgiving decorating. It's a glass pumpkin and a piece of wood from our cut down trees and an orange placemat.

 

 

Thursday the 28th: Thanksgiving and Food

 *Today I made a Honey Dijon Apple Bacon Cranberry Salad for Thanksgiving at my in-laws. The recipe came from my sister-in-law and was really well received. 

*On Sunday we had baked potatoes, roasted broccoli, bacon, and leftover nacho toppings. It's a baked potato bar, and it always goes over well. We also made Spritz cookies for Christmas, about 6-7 dozen.

*That's all for cooking this week! Now it's Thanksgiving leftovers for days, and I for one am very grateful.

Wednesday the 27th: Music of the Week

 *I'll try to do food tomorrow, but I thought I would touch on music this week, post Musical. I'm just working on Widor's Toccata and some Hanon for long distance projects, and then wedding music for a student's wedding this Saturday. That's it!

Tuesday the 26th: More Baking

 A few weeks ago I made the shortbread for Christmas. This recipe doesn't make a huge amount but it's very elegant and quite tasty. I didn't have quite the right shape for the middle to cut out so it's actually a flower rather than a circle. After I started separating the pieces I realized they were still a little doughy right in the center, so I put them back in the oven for a while to make sure they were completely dried out.

 Sometimes I dip them in chocolate, but I really like the elegance and simplicity of these pieces.

 

 

Monday the 25th: Saints of the Week

 There are only two saints this week, and then next Sunday we begin a new Church Year and new readings cycle (Year C Sunday and Year I Daily).

*Sunday was the Solemnity of Christ, the King of the Universe. This picture from the Basilica in Washington DC does a good job of one person's imagining what the second coming will be like, as described in the first reading for this Sunday from Daniel, but the gospel gives us another image, that of the Suffering Servant, of the ruler who lays down his life for his flock. Both are simultaneously true of Christ.

 

*Today is the optional memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria. She was removed from the calendar in 1969 and added back in 2002. She was supposed to be executed on a spiked wheel but she touched it and it broke apart. She was beheaded and is honored as a virgin martyr (and philosopher). She was one of the saints that appeared to St. Joan of Arc.

*Saturday is the feast of St. Andrew. He is the Protoclete, the first called, and the older brother of St. Peter. He was martyred on an X shaped cross. From a homily of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of John: "After Andrew had stayed with Jesus and had learned much from him, he did not keep this treasure to himself, but hastened to share it with his brother Peter. Notice what Andrew said to him: “We have found the Messiah, that is to say, the Christ.” Notice how his words reveal what he has learned in so short a time. They show the power of the master who has convinced them of this truth. Andrew’s words reveal a soul waiting with the utmost longing for the coming of the Messiah, looking forward to his appearing from heaven, rejoicing when he does appear, and hastening to announce to great an event to others. To support one another in the things of the spirit is the true sign of good will between brothers, loving kinship and sincere affection." “Saint Andrew the Apostle“. CatholicSaints.Info. 16 June 2024. Web. 25 November 2024. <https://catholicsaints.info/saint-andrew-the-apostle/>