Ex Vivo

The Fleeting Days of Summer

2013-09-02T21:40:00.000-07:00

"One must maintain a little bit of Summer, even in the Winter."

-Henry David Thoreau

When I was a little girl, I was convinced that Summer was the shortest Season and the Winter the longest. The long Winter months seemed to drag on endlessly and the swift Summer months to be vaporous. As I've grown older, I've learned to appreciate Winter by its own right yet Summer has still maintained a kind of magical quality in the heart of my own imagination. This year, my Summer (Summer holiday, at least) has been extended due to my September departure to the UK. I have relished my extra time to witness the joys of late Summer days in CO. I am sad to see these days slip away but I welcome the crisp Autumn days that are upon us.

11 Ways I am Savoring these Last Days of Summer:

Long early morning runs and bike rides
Reading into the night on the back porch
Picking and preparing Summer squashes and tomatoes from the garden
Having my fill of juicy watermelon
Walking barefoot through the soft green grass
Bending down to observe a spider spinning his web
Falling asleep with my window cracked open and the soft hum of the fan
Sipping iced tea in the afternoon
Sending off letters of correspondence
Wearing all the flowing Summer skirts I can before the chill sets in
Pulling out my camera to capture the beauty of these late Summer days

Photo Friday: On the Lake

2013-08-15T21:53:00.004-07:00

I keep sailing on in this middle passage. I am sailing into the wind and the dark. But I am doing my best to keep my boat steady and my sails full.
Arthur Ashe

Photo Friday: Summer Foliage

2013-05-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

The Song of the Flower

I am a kind word uttered and repeated

By the voice of Nature;

I am a star fallen from the

Blue tent upon the green carpet.

I am the daughter of the elements

With whom Winter conceived;

To whom Spring gave birth; I was

Reared in the lap of Summer and I

Slept in the bed of Autumn.

-Khalil Gibran

Photo Friday: "Let us be Attentive"

2013-05-17T16:14:00.003-07:00

Prayer before the reading of the Gospel:

O Master Who loves mankind, illuminate our hearts with the pure light of Your divine knowledge and open the eyes of our mind to understand the teachings of Your Gospel. Instill in us also the fear of Your blessed commandments, that we may overcome all carnal desires, entering upon a spiritual life and understanding and acting in all things according to Your holy will. For You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, O Christ God, and to You we give glory together with Your eternal Father and Your all-holy, gracious and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

New Photo Post

2013-05-16T09:43:00.001-07:00

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5412701061174966082#overviewstats/src=dashboard

"For even the wise cannot see all ends" - A Question Concerning Capital Punishment

2013-01-17T07:38:00.000-08:00

Though matters concerning capital punishment are often debated on a basis of pure political and economic thought, when it comes to matters of life and death, such discussions surpass the bounds of political rhetoric. As with all matters of ethics, it is important to examine the intention and motive behind the matter at hand; and this topic is no exception.

A spirit of retribution appears to be the main governing motive behind capital punishment. Yet because it is impossible to restore the life that was lost, capital punishment seems to arrive at an insatiable end. To return death with death is hardly a reasonable solution, for what is accomplished in doing so? What in taking another life rectifies the life already taken? For the life of the victim is not restored, nor does the heart of the convict come to contrition. As the old saying goes, “two wrongs don’t make a right.”

Upon execution under the state, the cause of death stated on the felon’s death certificate is homicide. Homicide is defined as, “the deliberate and unlawful killing of another person.” What one man was sentenced to death for, another is justified under the law, to commit the same offense. By sentencing one to death, one is assuming the authority to violate life. Are we, as human beings, adequate judges of fellow human beings? J.R.R Tolkien provides beautiful insight into such questions. The character, Frodo, in expressing his wish that the creature, Gollum, would have received the penalty of death for his actions, receives this response from the wise wizard, Gandalf: “Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the wise cannot see all ends.” The very act of sentencing of a criminal admits to our own fallibility as human beings, and the judge and jury are no exception to this reality. In essence, man has no claim to another man’s life, and is not fit to judge otherwise.

However, while we are not worthy judges of who deserve life and who deserve death, this is not to say we should idly regard those who have taken life. Rather, I would argue for a sentence of life incarceration as opposed to the death penalty. Life incarceration prohibits the convict from committing additional offense to society, yet allows more fully for human error in the event that someone be wrongly accused. This alternative, under the appropriate conditions, would aim at a goal of the convict’s repentance rather than a recompense that cannot be fulfilled.

To violate life in any form is to negate the value that life itself holds. Therefore, let us value life and thus do all we can to preserve it.

This blog post is an official entry for the <a href="http://www.joshuapondlaw.com/scholarship">Law Blogger’s Scholarship</a>, sponsored by The Law Office of Joshua Pond, <a href="http://www.joshuapondlaw.com/">http://www.joshuapondlaw.com</a>.

©Madeleine Stokes 2013

Photo Friday: Simplicity

2013-01-16T12:12:00.003-08:00

“The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.”

- Thomas More

And the Feast goes on ... the 12 Days of Christmas

2013-01-03T09:40:00.003-08:00

"Christ is born! Glorify Him!

Christ descends from the heavens, welcome Him!

Christ is now on earth, O be jubilant!

Sing to the Lord, the whole earth

Homemade hot cocoa mix - made with all wholesome and natural ingredients. :)
Click here for the recipe.

Vasilopita - St. Basil Day Bread.
Click here for the recipe.

"I behold a strange but very glorious mystery:

Heaven -- the cave;

The throne of the Cherubim -- the Virgin.

The manger -- the receptacle in which Christ our God,

Whom nothing can contain, is lying".

(A lighter) St. Basil's Day Bread

2013-01-01T14:48:00.000-08:00

The Feast of the Holy Hierarch, St. Basil is commemorated within the Church by the baking of St. Basil's Bread. (Click here to read the beautiful story of St. Basil the Great.)

This year, I was deemed with the task to bake this delicious and festive dessert. As I scanned through the various recipes, they all seemed to follow a similar trend: lots of butter, sugar and heavy ingredients. After the many days of Christmas cookies, egg nog and fudge the thought of another overly sweet and syrupy dish made my insides squirm a little bit. So, I took a risk. I set out to construct a version of the delicious bread that is just a bit kinder to my already weighed down and sluggish body. After the preparing and baking was complete, we said a short prayer of St. Basil and . To my delight, the cake turned out beautifully, moist and scrumptious.

(This lighter version was adapted from this recipe.)

Vasilopita/ St. Basil's Day Bread

Ingredients:

Cake:

* 1.5 cup all purpose flour
* 1.5 cup whole wheat flour
* 2 tsp. baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 1/2 cup butter or earth balance
* 1/2 cup applesauce
* 2 Tbs. of coconut oil or some other oil
* 1/2 cup unbleached sugar (or to taste)
* 1/2 cup agave nectar or honey
* 3/4 cup greek or natural plain yogurt
* 1/4 cup of milk of choice (or can replace milk with an additional 1/4 cup of yogurt)
* 6 eggs
* 2 tsp. lemon juice
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1 tsp. almond extract
* Additional 1/2 cup of sweetener of choice (agave, table sugar, honey, truvia, stevia, xylotol, etc.)

Topping:

*1/2 cup slivered almonds
*1/4 cup brown sugar
*1.5 Tbs. of honey/agave

(And don't forget the coin to put in the St. Basil's bread!)

To Prepare:

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease 2 8-inch cake pans and set aside.

In a small bowl combine almonds, brown sugar and honey/agave. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and soda and salt. Set aside. In a larger bowl, beat sugar, butter and oil well. Mix in applesauce, agave and remaining sweetener. Mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla and almond extract.

Begin slowly adding in flour mixture to larger bowl, alternating between flour and milk/yogurt. Mix all ingredients well.

To Bake:

*Spread the almond topping around in the bottom of each 8-inch pan. (Make sure the pan is greased well.) You can also choose to top the cake after baking it if desired.

* Wrap the St. Basil coin in foil and hide under the batter.

*Split the batter between the two 8-inch greased pans and bake 25-30 minutes or until firm. If needed, turn the oven off and keep the cake in there for several additional minutes.

*Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, cut, serve, say your prayer (Apolytikion to St. Basil attached below) and enjoy!

May your year be blessed, regardless of if you find the coin or not!

Hymn to St. Basil the Great:

"In all the earth that received thy sayings, thy melody did resound, O righteous father, through which thou didst go about and proclaim, as worthy of God, the nature of creatures, cultivating the character of mankind, O thou of kingly Priesthood, Basil."

Lastly,

Products used in making this cake:
EfaGold Coconut Oil - 16 fl oz (Google Affiliate Ad)
Stevia Leaf Alcohol-Free - 2 fl oz (Google Affiliate Ad)

The Part Isolated from the Whole

2012-12-31T13:22:00.000-08:00

“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

-Albert Einstein

Photo Friday: The Cool Light

2012-12-21T10:44:00.003-08:00

Photo Friday: Warm Colors

2012-12-21T10:32:00.001-08:00

People observe the colors of a day only at its beginnings and its ends, but to me it's quite clear that a day merges through a multitude of shades and intonations, with each passing moment. A single hour can consist of thousands of different colors. Waxy yellows, cloud-spat blues. Murky darknesses. In my line of work, I make it a point to notice them. ”

― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

Pixoto Award

2012-11-04T10:48:00.001-08:00

I was quite fortunate to capture the beauty of this meadow in the golden hours - the lighting was spectacular. The photo recently won an award on a photography website which I post some of my work. You can view the photo here: http://www.pixoto.com/images-photography/landscapes/prairies-meadows-and-fields/autumn-gold-74895212

"I"m So Glad I Live in a World Where There Are Octobers."

2012-10-26T11:34:00.004-07:00

I"m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."

L.M. Montgomery

October 7th - Alicia's Birthday Celebration

Featuring Alicia's Favorties:

Indian food, Tolkien, St. Francis, and her friends of course.

My adorable roommate brought me flowers. Aren't they lovely?

And what would October be without the vibrant foliage?

Photo Friday: Gold

2012-10-12T11:41:00.001-07:00

Galadriel's Song of Eldamar

I sang of leaves, of leaves of gold, and leaves of gold there grew:

Of wind I sang, a wind there came and in the branches blew.Beyond the Sun, beyond the Moon, the foam was on the Sea,And by the strand of Ilmarin there grew a golden Tree.Beneath the stars of Ever-eve in Eldamar it shone,In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion.Ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind,long years numberless as the wings of trees!

The Setting of Summer

2012-08-24T08:07:00.003-07:00

An agitation of the air,

A perturbation of the light

Admonished me the unloved year

Would turn on its hinge that night.

I stood in the disenchanted field

Amid the stubble and the stones,

Amazed, while a small worm lisped to me

The song of my marrow-bones.

Blue poured into summer blue,

A hawk broke from his cloudless tower,

The roof of the silo blazed, and I knew

That part of my life was over.

Already the iron door of the north

Clangs open: birds, leaves, snows

Order their populations forth,

And a cruel wind blows.

-Stanley Kunitz

Newest Photography Post - A Documentation of my Parish

2012-08-22T21:43:00.001-07:00

http://captistempore.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-place-of-life-and-love-parish-of-st.html

New Photography Blog

2012-08-02T16:04:00.001-07:00

I am launching a new photography blog! Check it out at:
http://captistempore.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-lovely-summer-wedding.html

First Fruits

2012-07-26T16:22:00.001-07:00

"When Adam gardened, he imitated his Maker in a purely recreative act of cultivation and care. He did not need to subdue the earth in order for it to yield fruit. Rather, the plants were Adam's palette, and the earth was his canvas. There was nothing but delight in the Garden, for Eden itself means "garden of delight."

- Vigen Guorian

Thanks to the great and admirable labors of my mother, our garden yielded its first fruits. Professor Guorian describes gardening as being an endeavor that acts toward the restoring our senses as well as blessing and sanctifying the earth given to us.

In cultivating the earth may we also learn to cultivate our souls.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Creation

O God, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen:

You place us in your creation, and you com- mand us to care for it.

Your works declare glory and splendor, and you call us to praise and reverence.

Where we have degraded or destroyed earth’s bounty, forgive us.

Where we have taken beauty and majesty for granted, have mercy upon us.

Where we have become estranged from the creatures with whom we share this planet, grant us your peace.

Renew us in the waters of baptism,

refresh us with the winds of your spirit,

and sustain us with the bread of life.

In the name of Jesus Christ, and for the sake of the new creation, we pray. Amen.

A Full & Special Day

2012-07-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

Vespers at Holy Theophany Parish in CO Springs:

A stop at my favorite coffee/book store: Agia Sophia

Dark chocolate espresso cake (made by my amazing mother) and delicious coffee ice-cream at this creamery.

An Ode to the Beverage of the Century

2012-07-13T08:30:00.001-07:00

It is known by many various names and variations. Java, joe, iced, hot, light, dark ...

Oh glorious coffee.

Can you feel the warmth of the mug? Smell the dense aroma rising? Taste the richness on your tongue?

Coffee has served as a constant companion of many and sees us through many trials. (Deadlines, exams, classes, finals ..!!! Just to name a few)

But then, Summer comes - and as many of your coffee fanatics may agree, iced coffee is often less than satisfactory. Rather than rich and robust it is flat out watery and bland.

But no need to fear my dear coffee lovers! Summer days can indeed be completed with refreshing yet robust java!

A dear friend of mine shared this link with me and it has since restored my love for coffee - even iced. Check it out for yourself.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/perfect-iced-coffee/

Here is a documentation of my own variation on this genius idea:

Step One:

Measure out you desired amount of freshly grounded coffee bean and put into a mason jar or some other type of container. (I measure out about 2 Tbsp./ 1 cup of water)

Step Two:

Stir this delightful concoction, while noting its intense aromatic quality.

Step Three:

Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours - I like to do mine over night. (The patience will pay off!)

Step Four:

After the time has passed and the coffee has settled, place a strainer or cheesecloth over a separate container and pour the mixture.

The remains. I would suggest throwing them in your compost pile or garden is you have it.

Step Five:

Throw in a could of ice cubes and prepare as desired. I like to add some frothed almond milk and agave nectar to mine. Other variations may include a splash of half and half, some raw sugar, stevia, etc. And for the boldest among us: just drink it black and take in the full goodness of the flavor.

Photo Friday: Red, White, and Blue

2012-07-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

And because I couldn't help myself ...

'American Dream' by Switchfoot

When success is equated with excess
The ambition for excess wrecks us
As top of the mind becomes the bottom line
When success is equated with excess

If your time ain't been nothing for money
I start to feel really bad for you, honey
Maybe honey, put your money where your mouth's been running
If your time ain't been nothing but money

I want out of this machine
It doesn't feel like freedom

This ain't my American dream
I want to live and die for bigger things
I'm tired of fighting for just me
This ain't my American dream

'Cause baby's always talkin' 'bout a ring
And talk has always been the cheapest thing
Is it true would you do what I want you to
If I show up with the right amount of bling?

Like a puppet on a monetary string
Maybe we've been caught singing
Red, white, blue, and green
But that ain't my America,
That ain't my American dream

Without Rain

2012-07-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

A PRAYER FOR THE GRANTING OF RAIN:

Father Paul S. Fedec

“O Lord Almighty, who has scattered the clouds over all the ends of the Earth; we ask that You create a tempest with rain, send forth the wind from your Heavenly Treasury, gather the waters from the seas and let them pour down upon the face of this Earth, for it is in You alone that we have great hope.

We acknowledge our sins and weaknesses, and we humbly ask for Your mercy. Command the clouds to provide the rain that will re-freshen the land on which we stand. Be kind and merciful to the Elderly and the Young, to all of Your servants, and to all the animals of the Earth; for it is only with moisture that we are able to grow food for ourselves and for our animals.

Receive the prayers of all Your people, O Lord; do not deny us of Your Grace, neither ignore us in Your anxiety, nor punish us in Your anger, but accept our prayers as from creatures in need.

All of our eyes are turned to You, O God, and it is our firm hope that You will be merciful to Your people and that You will be generous in granting rain that is necessary to restore this parched land to its fullness.

We ask this in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen

Photo Friday: Blue

2012-06-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

The lady in blue, herself.

Photo Friday: Black and White

2012-06-08T20:41:00.002-07:00

A medley of black and white . . .