Once upon a time ...

Once upon a time there were created two little mice, named Winifred and Millicent.
(I made these for my niece's sixth birthday, but I am rather taken with them myself.) 

Millicent liked to drink tea from her own special teacup and saucer, though it was a smidgeon too large for her small paws. It was given to her one Autumn by her cousins who lived in Brambly Hedge.

Winifred preferred playing in the teacups belonging to the humans.

But Winifred and Millicent shared a love of books.

And they lived happily ever after. 

(I know I have been stereotypical using pink and blue, but I had a small amount of blue yarn left over that was perfect for Winifred, and my niece actually likes pink, and so she may have pink (I don't believe in spurning gender differences in any case). I have broken down other stereotypes, however, in that Millicent ended up a fraction taller than Winifred (though technically they should be the same size - all part of the "uniqueness" of handmade items). This pattern is from Inside Crochet Magazine, Issue 35, which you can buy online and it is also in their Complete Guide to Crochet.)

Shakespeare, 22nd May

A virtuous and a Christian-like conclusion,
To pray for them that have done scathe to us.

King Richard III., Act i., Sc. 3.

He sits high in all the people's hearts.

Julius Caesar, Act i., Sc. 3.

To live a parnassian life

Today’s A Word A Day is one that I think I can put to good use.

parnassian

PRONUNCIATION: (pahr-NAS-ee-uhn)

MEANING: adjective: Of or relating to poetry.

ETYMOLOGY: After Mount Parnassus, a mountain in Greece, considered sacred to Apollo, the Greek god of music and poetry, and the Muses. Earliest documented use: 1565.

A prayer

We said this corporate response prayer in church on Sunday evening. I liked it, so thought I'd share it. (I believe it is from bettergatherings.com.au.)

Gracious God, we have come to see that our lives fall far short of your glory.
Have mercy and forgive us.

You have given your Son for us, and poured out your Spirit, yet we fail to return your love with all our heart.
Have mercy and change us.

Too often we are selfish and proud, ignoring you and neglecting others.
Have mercy and cleanse us.

When we do not truly trust and obey you, we are overwhelmed by self-pity, fear and worry.
Have mercy and deliver us.

In Christ we are given a sure hope and secure love, yet we follow the false hopes and desires of this world.
Have mercy and renew us.

Father, through the redeeming death of your Son, by your Spirit, and through your word,
enable us to follow you with joy.
 All this we ask, confident of your faithfulness and love. 

Amen.

(Also Wendy has reviewed two books on prayer. H/T Jean. I love Don Carson's and have Paul Miller's high on the "to read" list. Simone has been writing prayers on her blog, but they aren't labelled so you just have to go looking.)

Shakespeare, 21st May

Sure, He that made us with such large discourse,
Looking before and after, gave us not
That capability and God-like reason
To fust in us unused.

Hamlet, Act iv., Sc. 4.

Out with it boldly: truth loves open dealing.

King Henry VIII., Act iii., Sc. I.

Cooking for one

Cooking a meal for yourself every night when there is only you to eat it can get rather uninspiring, I say. But I do try to eat reasonably well – as in being healthy and minimising take-away.

I have only one shelf of a smallish freezer, so have limited capacity to cook larger amounts and freeze meals for the future. Also, a few years ago I decided to reduce consumption of the sort of meals that freeze well, which are usually doused in sauces (like curries, stirfries, casseroles) and served with carbs (like rice, cous cous, pasta), in favour of a portion of meat and fresher salad or veges more often.

Still, sometimes I just can’t be bothered with it all, or have run out of supplies, or need something that’s fast to make. So, here is one of the things I eat on those occasions (with apologies for the photo, which I took on my phone on impulse and is, for some reason, out of focus, and makes no attempt to hide the messy bowl – I am keeping it real – but I did instagram it, to give it some right to exist in social media).

All you do is cook the usual half a cup of cous cous, which is almost too much when you add a lot of other things, as you can see from this enormous bowlful here. Then I add a little tin of lemon and pepper flavoured salmon. I love this. I am not such a big fan of tinned salmon that comes with bones and skin in it, but I liked these flavoured ones, especially the lemon and pepper. (You could also use tuna, but let’s be honest, it’s not as nice). Then here all I added are some chopped cherry tomatoes and cucumber, but the possibilities are endless in terms of vegetables (or fruit).

And voila! It takes about five minutes, because while the cous cous sits and does its thing I chop throw the rest into a bowl, and is reasonably balanced, fat-free and inexpensive.

And that makes about two practical posts from me this year.

Shakespeare, 20th May

Truth hath a quiet breast.

King Richard II., Act i., Sc. 3.

If we do now make our atonement well,
Our peace will, like a broken limb united,
Grow stronger for the breaking.

King Henry IV., Pt 2., Act iv., Sc. I.