Letter 26: A reflection, Handel's Messiah, and holiday binders.
November and December 2024
Notes from Me
Thoughts: Happy New Year!
A little personal update: to our family’s great joy, our fourth son was born and we became a family of six in September. Since then, our home has been filled with visitors, and we have received a tremendous amount of help from family and friends. I feel humbled and truly grateful for the gifts of hospitality and support from our community.
With a new baby, this season has been one of simplifying and leaning into tried-and-true routines. I have pivoted from more ambitious plans and re-calibrated my expectations. The Shakespeare study I planned was set aside for now; I didn’t try any of the recipes I had dog eared; and the laundry and dishes languished longer than usual. A new baby has a way of forcing you to slow down. I have relished holding my baby boy and singing to him, while working to prioritize the relationships in my home with my children and husband. It is humbling to have many items undone on the to-do list, and to give up the perfect for the good enough. I have been stretched and taxed but also filled with joy and gratitude.
Listening: For the last two years, I have been a student of George Frideric Handel’s oratorio, Messiah. As part of my study, I read the song lyrics and several books about Messiah. But mostly, I listened to it. Instead of podcasts or audiobooks or other songs, I listened to it again and again. During the fall semester, I taught a class of 6-9 year-olds about Handel’s Messiah. The kids came to my home one afternoon each week and we listened to a section of Messiah together, choral books splayed on the dining table before us.
To culminate our study, the class attended a beautiful production of Messiah by our city’s symphony orchestra in December. While I have listened to recordings of Messiah many times, I sat and, for the first time, heard the songs live in a hall built for music. I knew I would thrill at some of my favorite songs, like “The Hallelujah Chorus,” and “His Yoke is Easy,” but I was surprised to be so moved by “The Trumpet Shall Sound,” sung that evening by a baritone with a rich, commanding voice. I hope to listen to Messiah as long as I live.
Listening: I also liked Leslie Odom, Jr.’s album, Simply Christmas. “My Favorite Things” takes some unexpected turns - it was my favorite track.
Reading: I enjoyed Shannon Hood’s “You (might) need a Thanksgiving binder.” She inspired me to work on organizing my recipes and notes for Thanksgiving and other family feast days. Having such a binder, will no doubt make it easier to begin to delegate components of our special celebrations to my capable children. Shannon’s whole post is well worth a read. Here she introduces her approach:
Feasting (and what is a holiday without a feast?) takes a vast amount of planning, diligence, and effort. And I don’t want to be stressed out and grumpy in the kitchen on Thanksgiving, slamming pots around, wondering why no one is helping me. If my family is staying away, it’s probably because of my (bad) attitude, or it's possible that they may not know what to do, or what to help with. Having a binder that contains every recipe means that you can say to your husband/child/sister/aunt–hey, can you start on the green beans/mashed potatoes/rolls, etc.? The Binder means you don’t have to do it all yourself.
With the Boys
Reading: We are two chapters from the end of The Railway Children by E. Nesbit. I’ve read it with my sons (ages 5, 7 and 8) over the last month or so (at lunch time, mostly) and it is wonderful. We paused briefly due to our Christmas travel plans. In March 2023, after listening to the audiobook, I wrote, “The story is full of adventure and warmth. I look forward to reading it together with my boys sometime soon.” I’m so glad that intention has come to fruition. I’m looking forward to finishing it in January.
In December, we also read from our stack of Christmas picture books (see some of them here). The most repeated this year were The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey and How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
In the Kitchen
Eating: I made gingerbread cookies from Smitten Kitchen (my “something new” from December 2023). They strike the balance of spicy and sweet and have a good texture. Highly recommend.
Small Joy
This candle’s scent, just right for late Fall/early Winter.
Until next time,
Susie
P.S.
This Kermit meme really got me.
The holiday binder is such a good idea. I want to make a life binder. Each tab has significant things we do in each season. Thanks for the inspiration!
Ha! Dark Kermit nailed it! Hug all FOUR boys for Auntie Con! ♥️