CrumbBums – Page 6

Reading…

Books, by lauren, December 20, 2016, 8 Replies

The Wonder, by Emma Donoghue

Set in her homeland of Ireland, more specifically the boggy Irish Midlands, in 1859, The Wonder is a mystery that unfolds slowly and dangerously as an eleven-year-old girl lies mostly holed up in her room over the course of many days. The mystery is one of survival and deceit; she has, supposedly, subsisted for 4 months on no food and a meager few teaspoons of water each day. The nurse who is hired to watch her and uncover the truth, a science-minded woman in a land of severe religious believers and superstitious minds, seeks to uncover the truth, and in turn, begins to love the chid as her own.

I loved this book, as I did Donoghue’s Room, for its ability to stay in one place while going elsewhere in mind. Donoghue notes that the story is based on true events of the nearly 50 cases of “so-called Fasting Girls” between the 16th and 20th centuries, many of which were found to be hoaxes. The town’s desire to believe in a miracle blind them to the physical degeneration of the girl, and as the story progresses, uncovering the truth becomes a race against time. Of the 50 or so books I’ve read this past year, this one ranks in the top 10. It is a page-turner and exciting mystery, an indulgence that raises questions about how religion can go too far.

The Green Chair Portraits

Motherhood, by lauren, December 19, 2016, Leave a Reply

It’s been awhile since I’ve taken portraits of the boys. I used to do it weekly with the 52 Series, but it became too much, so I stopped. Now I see why it’s such a great thing; look how much they have changed! I am thoroughly enjoying watching these young men grow. I also included our dog Proudie and one of myself for good measure, though my hair is messy and full of static from wearing a hat – oh, well – (and Andrew preferred not to be a part of it this time). Proudie’s moving a lot slower these days, and I didn’t get a good shot of her because she didn’t want to sit on the chair and kept moving to jump down. Poor old stinky dog.

I hope you are having a lovely Monday!

Circus 2016

Motherhood, by lauren, December 15, 2016, Leave a Reply

This past weekend, the culmination circus shows for Milo and Oliver took place at Circus Harmony. They have worked so hard for months on end, so it was unfortunate that Oliver was just too sick to perform on Saturday morning. It was a tough call; he was supposed to perform a partner aerial act with another student, and she had to go it alone. But we made the right choice, as Oliver was again listless and completely devoid of energy all day Saturday. But he was much better on Sunday, so we all went to Milo’s show, and despite being very nervous (for the first time since his very first show years ago), he did very well! It was a partner acrobatics act that included lots of flipping and balancing. I was so proud of Milo and his partner; they have developed a great amount of trust and respect for each other as they’ve worked together for a couple of years now (this is the third act that they have performed together).

Continue reading “Circus 2016”

Our Favorite Gingerbread Cookies

Food, by lauren, December 13, 2016, 1 Reply

A couple of weekends ago, Emil invited a friend over to bake some holiday cookies. It was a lot of fun — both were intent on helping: cracking eggs, measuring baking soda and spices, turning the mixer on and off — and the cookies, which are very easy to make, turned out chewy and delicious! We doubled the recipe (below is the doubled recipe; feel free to cut it in half if you want to make fewer cookies) and gave away most to our friends around town. The cookies are soft and chewy and stay that way for days — something about that molasses, I think!

Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup molasses
4 cups flour
4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cloves
2 tsp ginger

Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter and sugar together for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add molasses, scraping down the sides of the bowl to incorporate. Mix dry ingredients with a whisk, then add to wet mixture. Mix well. Place into refrigerator for 10 minutes or more so that dough will not be too sticky.

Roll tablespoon-sized amount of cookie dough until round, then place on cookie sheet with parchment (or use nonstick, or grease cookie sheet), being sure to space out evenly, as the cookies will spread in the oven. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from cookie sheet.

Enjoy!

I’m on Instagram!

Motherhood, by lauren, December 12, 2016, 5 Replies

I have a confession. For the past few months, I’ve been looking at Instagram accounts longingly. They are mostly accounts of people with whom I have connections from blogging that started years ago, people like Jessica Kraus, Anne Rivera, Julie Letowski, Allison Wilson, Milla, and Lilly and many others. They are women who constantly inspire me, make me laugh, and make me think. And after Andrew passed on his iPhone to me last month, I said, screw it, and decided that those devices are for so much more than finding your way if you get lost, they are for finding your way if you get lost. You know, lost. It is a place of connection and I could use a little of that in my life. I know Instagram can be a place of over-curation, and I will strive to avoid that as much as possible. I joined because I feel a connection with these women and so many others. It is an easier place to quickly say hello and I support you and You inspire me.

So, while I’m new to all this and still learning, I’m happy to be here. And there. Follow along if you’d like!