Charlotte’s Blog
Top 10 most-read posts from 2020
My top 10 most-read posts of 2020 contained some surprises. Some new posts made the top 10, along with some of the first blog posts I wrote. Number 10: Pascha baskets and Pascha basket covers This post was #6 in 2019. It includes history and traditions related to...
St. Nicholas takes the executioner’s sword
Nicholas had learned, in the emperor’s prison, to sleep through the sounds of screams and shouts and blows. But that was years ago, and now the sound seeped through, disturbing his sleep. He rolled over without opening his eyes. And then he heard his name. He was...
With Two She Flew: Philoxenia with angels and autism
Because I ordinarily review picture books, the first thing I should tell you is that With Two She Flew is not a picture book. It is, however, an extraordinary book, quite unlike any other children’s book I have ever read. And it sits squarely at the intersection of...
Keeping Advent and Christmas during the pandemic
Remember what it was like, keeping Lent and Pascha at home this year? There was so much that we couldn’t do, because of the pandemic. That meant we had to figure out a different way of celebrating. We had to build on the foundations of our traditions, to create a...
St. Corona, the patron saint of pandemics
St. Corona seems to have become the patron saint of pandemics. But she hasn’t always been so. Here’s how it happened. The martyrdom of St. Corona and St. Victor St. Corona was martyred in the year 170, or perhaps 177. As with so many early saints, we know very little...
The Dancers: A book about dancing with your heart
I love the opening line of The Dancers: “Three summers ago, when I was still a little kid, my mother and auntie took me to a powwow where we danced and danced.” Of course, the narrator is still a little kid. You know that. I know that. But she doesn’t know it. And her...
Miss Rumphius: Making the world more beautiful
I didn’t read Miss Rumphius when I was young, of course. It came out in 1982, when I was already an adult, but didn’t yet have children. And so the book escaped my notice for many years. And when I first read it, standing in a bookstore, I thought it was sweet and...
Holiday gift guide for Orthodox families
My husband and I love Christmas shopping. We skip the malls and go to the small, eccentric, family-owned brick-and-mortar shops that have unique and meaningful gifts. And we fill in with gifts from small online shops. This year's going to be different, though. It...
Jump-O-Ween: A Halloween party with a sensory kid
Li-Li, the sensory kid who stars in Miracle at Bates Memorial, is back! In Jump-O-Ween, the third book in Gin Noon Spaulding’s “Adventure of Li-Li” series, it’s Halloween. Li-Li’s church has borrowed the neighborhood school for their annual Hallelujah Party. It’s full...
Build your own Saint Nicholas Day gift bags
Friends, St. Nicholas Day is on December 6. And this year, St. Nicholas Day falls on a Sunday, just like it did in The Saint Nicholas Day Snow! Because of that, and because 2020 has been such a hard year for everyone, I wanted to put together a sweet St. Nicholas Day...
All the Way to the Top: A story of the Capitol Crawl
I have two things to say about All the Way to the Top. First, this book is important, and every child should have a chance to read it. If you have a picture book shelf, this book should have a place on it. There really isn’t another book like it. Second, All the Way...
Have a St. Nicholas party in July!
I know you and your little ones are feeling a bit stir-crazy right now. I am, too. All of my regular summer activities have been cancelled. We’re all looking for something fun to do. And I have just the thing: The Nativity of St. Nicholas falls on July 29. You can...
THE MAGIC OF BOOKS
Share the joy of Pascha through the magic of a book: Catherine's Pascha.
