Night time rituals at my house have a way of hushing my soul inviting a settling down mood, what I like to call a closing of a day.
* Oatmeal, our morning's porridge, is put in a pan shortly after dinner cleanup to soak throughout the evening while we slumber. Firstly, take 1 cup of dried oatmeal, 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of whey (fresh) and soak overnight. In the morning, drain and lightly rinse your oats, add 1 cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the oatmeal; cook until done.
A note about whey. My preferred choice of whey is from fresh raw milk, but if you have no fresh whey in the refrigerator, lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar (I use Braggs) works wonderfully. What the acidic liquid is doing is breaking down the phytic acid in the grains which will make them more digestible. An extra bonus is I find it adds to the flavor.
*Knitting time to soothe with its ongoing rhythm
*A hot shower, a lavender-scented lotion, a cozy gown and robe.
*A bowl of popcorn popped in a well-seasoned iron skillet
*A small kitchen tidy up; wiping down, dispensing all dirty dishes and switching on the dishwasher
*Night time prayer with Charlotte, and tucking in
*A devotional, Spurgeon's, Morning and Evening
*An easy read novel on the bedside table, until my eyelids can't stay open a second later
This is only a capsule of what the closing of my day might look like on a certain evening in late March, the soft glow of our table lamps surrounding me before they are turned off and we sleep.
Drawing the blinds, snuffing out the lights, shutting down ...
...making ready for the morrow.
