Carmelizing fennel and shallots for a hearty autumn stew

Our recent days have been overflowing with the blessings of friends, family, and church.   In addition to homekeeping and homeschooling, I've been helping my husband with scheduling and planning church activities, reaching out to neighbors, and entertaining guests.  Spending alone time with God has been more important (urgent!) to us than ever before.  We cannot give of ourselves, of our own strength; we must be full of Him and draw from His strength.  Haven't you found that to be true, too? 

Early last week, we enjoyed the company of dear friends for dinner and dessert.  They graciously brought an apricot almond tea cake, and I baked an apple pie and coconut cream pie from scratch...

Did you notice the homegrown tomatoes from a friend and the last of the pretzel bread from supper?  We had such a wonderful evening.

The next day, my mother-in-law arrived from the West Indies.  We don't see her often, so we made the most of our time together in between my husband's work and church responsibilities.  One afternoon we chose to keep things simple and enjoyed a leisurely walk through a local park, capturing memories along the way...

She left to return home early this morning, and now we're focused on cleaning out the guest room and preparing for my mother and nephew to arrive tomorrow afternoon.  This weekend is our Pastoral Installation Service, and we'll have a few more guests arriving from out-of-town these next few days. 

Very early this morning, I stole a few minutes to finish reading Catherine Levison's book, A Charlotte Mason Education.  We're integrating some Mason teaching philosophies into our homeschool and I've found this book an inspiring resource.  I'm hoping to begin Levison's next book, More Charlotte Mason Education, and then progress to Ken Ham's book The Lie: Evolution.

What's been happening in your busy home?  What are you reading?  I'd love to know!