Ashes, prayer, and sacrifice may all be parts of the way that adults reflect on their faith on Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. The 40 days of Lent evoke the time that Jesus spent in the wilderness before beginning his ministry on Earth. This is a lovely framework for adults who use [...]
Author Archive > Austen
The Passing of January
Attention may be one of the best ways to show affection, but it cannot be the only way. For, in spite of my dearth of entries over the past two months, I really do love this blog and interactions with all of you. Shall I offer excuses? They do exist. They begin with the expected [...]
Wednesday Evening Poem
This evening, I found myself drawn to Christina Rossetti again. There is something about her poems that makes me want to curl up in front of a fire with a cup of hot cocoa and vegetarian marshmallows (which I recently, happily discovered). Rossetti composed several poems for Advent. The following poem is circa 1886. Enjoy.
Advent
Earth [...]
The Last Day of November
Today is the last day of November, which means that it is the last day of National Blog Posting Month. My November challenge was to write for this blog every day, no matter how the day went. So, I posted when my 4-year-old was sick, when I was sick, when we were on a trip, [...]
It’s All Theology
Cursory readers of Basil & Butterflies may have some trouble categorizing its genre. Is this a writer’s blog? A religious blog? A “mommy blog”? A blog on natural living? Does it provide information or simply commentary? The seeming randomness here reflects my equally unexpected thought processes. But most regular readers may have put together the [...]
Beginning Advent
Sunday (Nov. 29) is the first day of Advent. The first Sunday of Advent always takes me by surprise because I have barely moved past Thanksgiving. (I tend to get really absorbed by celebrations). Still, Advent is one of my favorite seasons of the year. For four weeks, slowly, mindfully, joyfully, and with great hope, [...]
Gray Friday: To Buy or Not to Buy
As we all know, the biggest shopping day of the year is the Friday after Thanksgiving. Generally, this makes it the perfect day for Geoff and I to stay away from shopping. Neither of us loves shopping to begin with, but when you add in massive crowds, flashing “deal” signs, and traffic-jammed parking lots, the [...]
Now the Day is Over
God grant us a peaceful night and a perfect end. Amen.
Sweet dreams.
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Wednesday Night Poem
Tonight is Thanksgiving Eve. How many of us are up late cooking or straightening for guests? All so that tomorrow we can share a feast with friends and family, expressing gratefulness to one another and to God. The day takes effort to create, but really, all the best things do. It is a day for [...]
Geoff’s Famous Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
This year, we have had a hard time deciding which pies we want to make for Thanksgiving dinner. We knew we wanted to try a new blueberry pie recipe, leaving only one spot for two contenders: pumpkin pie or Geoff’s famous Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie. This was actually a silly quandary, born from my recent [...]
