Seven Quick Takes Friday, Vol. 52

It's finally Friday! Linking up for the usual shenanigans over at Conversion Diary.

I

If this is Global Warming, I'm a fan. We've had highs around 50 all week, and it has been amazing. I can't remember ever seeing such warm weather this far into October, and the weathermen are calling for it to continue indefinitely! It has been alternating between rain and sun, which is just so weird: the only thing that's supposed to fall from the sky after October 1 is snow. I'm certainly not complaining, though! The only downside is the dark: usually by this time of year there is a permanent layer of shiny white snow everywhere to reflect what light we are getting, effectively as much as doubling our light. With no snow, but the light fading at the same rate as normal, wow it's dark! The sun is officially rising about 9 am and setting about 6, but it is dark enough to need lights on in the house by 3:30 or so in the afternoon.

II

Today is looking a little bit crazy: cooking and cleaning to prepare for a dinner party tonight, while catering to the whims of a child who is getting at least two of his incisors in and barely slept last night... so neither did I... but only one of us is getting a nap today! I'm so glad we've just about reached the weekend. Maybe he will cooperate and sleep in a bit tomorrow, so that I can catch up.

III

Cleaning for company: when do you clean the bathroom? I have a whole crazy list of things to clean today, but the timing of that particular chore has always flummoxed me. If you clean the bathroom first thing in the morning, you're just asking someone to go year it apart and splash water everywhere later in the day. But if you wait until a half hour before you're expecting people, what happens when there's a minor kitchen disaster or the child dumps a glass of water on you and you have to go change again? Running out of time and having a dirty bathroom definitely isn't good! It's times like this that I cannot wait to have kids old enough to help out with chores: one of us older girls was always dispatched to wipe down bathrooms five minutes before company was expected so that my mom could stay in the kitchen.

IV

Happy Feast of St Luke! I always knew that he was a patron saint of physicians, but somehow I'd forgotten that he is also a patron of artists. He's actually believed to have been the first iconographer of the Church, and as many as 600 icons are attributed to him! I will have to see if we have duplications of any of his icons; that would be a good addition to our table centerpiece this evening. In honor of his feast, tonight I'm making salmon with a balsamic reduction, rice pilaf with carrots, a green salad, and an apple pie. If I remember to chill it, we will even open a bottle of Chardonnay! It's been a while since I've done a nice dinner, but it is a feast day, and I'm looking forward to it.

V

Fun piece of history: scholars believe that St Luke may have lived in the Roman province of Troas, which held the ruins of ancient Troy, because his narration in Acts switches to first person "we" whenever St Paul is in that area.

VI

And Blogger just are my last two takes, and I don't remember what they were. Oh, computers.

VII

Words! Little Bear's vocabulary has just taken off recently. In the past few days, I've heard: Mama, Dada, bear, dog, book, baa (ball/that), nose, mou(th), Ees (Jesus), Mama Maa (Mama Mary), up, bread, peek, pom (problem)... When he feels like it, he will also make the sounds for the cow, goat, cat, dog, bear and monkey in animal books! Being able to communicate makes him so happy, but when he doesn't know how to ask for what he wants it really frustrates him.

Enjoy your weekend!