Recipes and Recommendations for Imbibing Beauty through Books and Beverages
By Annie Nardone
Pages, Pints, and Pours introduces you to a beloved Christian poet, Luci Shaw. Her wonder-inspiring words pair with a warming mead toddy or warm apple sipper.
THE PAGES: ACCOMPANIED BY ANGELS AND THUMBPRINT IN THE CLAY BY LUCI SHAW
“Blue homespun and the bend of my breast
Keep warm this small hot naked star
Fallen to my arms. (Rest . . .
You who have had so far to come.)
Now nearness satisfies
The body of God sweetly. Quiet he lies
Whose vigor hurled a universe. He sleeps
Whose eyelids have not closed before.”
—Luci Shaw, “Mary’s Song,” Accompanied by Angels
One purpose of the Anselm Society is to remind Christians of who they are in the Great Story. Luci Shaw’s writing is a clear path to that end. This Christmas edition of Pages, Pints, and Pours blesses you with a pair of books by this Christian author: collected poetry and an anthology of essays. Her writing is filled with awe and wonder, and the perfect accompaniment to this holy season.
Shaw has been writing poetry since the 1940s when she was a young girl. In those early years, she loved to create her own Advent and Christmas cards, inserting her own verse into her handcrafted designs. She continues the tradition to this day. Accompanied by Angels: Poems of the Incarnation (Eerdmans, 2006) is a collection of those Christmas poems that celebrate our Savior from the time of His annunciation to His resurrection. Filled with joy and poignancy, this compilation of Shaw’s poetry is a wonderful read for meditating on the life of Christ throughout the year. She writes with an essence of simplicity, capturing a moment in time—Gabriel’s visitation, the infant Jesus’ first breath, and more.
Thumbprint in the Clay: Divine Marks of Beauty, Order and Grace (IVP 2016) is an inspiring anthology of essays focused on the beautiful attestations of our Creator. Shaw’s consistent theme is that “God’s thumbprint” on creation is clearly evident. She conveys encouragement in every essay, assuring the reader that “You are an image of God, with a difference from all others.” She inspires us to see the wonder in both a handmade coffee mug and the enchantment of the stars. This little anthology includes a personal poem or two in each essay. Luci Shaw calls us to be attentive with a childlike delight to the little miracles that surround us. Her essays inspire me to always be amazed.
“There is also a spiritual dimension, an unseen but very authentic reality that will alert us to evidence beyond our senses. We call it transcendence, or the supernatural.”
—Luci Shaw, Thumbprint in the Clay
PINTS AND POURS
Whether you enjoy festive holiday gatherings or quiet time with a good book and a crackling fire, sip in the season with a steaming mug redolent with spices, honey, and apple. Enjoy a specially spiced cider or warmed mead, an ancient wine created from fermented honey.
MULLED MEAD
Bottle of your favorite mead
Whole cinnamon sticks
1 piece of sugared ginger root
5-6 whole cloves
Honey bourbon
Whole star anise
1 orange, thinly sliced
Pour mead into a heavy saucepan. Stir in the cinnamon sticks, ginger, and cloves. Slowly warm over low heat. Ladle hot mead into mugs, add 1 shot of honey bourbon, and stir with a fresh cinnamon stick. Serve with orange slice, top with a star anise.
SWEATER WEATHER CIDER
½ gallon apple cider
¼ cup real maple syrup
Whole cinnamon sticks
1-2 pieces of sugared ginger root
½ tsp. nutmeg
5-6 whole cloves
Whole star anise
1 thinly sliced lemon
Pour cider, maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves into heavy saucepan or crock pot and slowly warm up. Stir occasionally. Ladle into large mugs and top with lemon slice and star anise.
Annie Nardone is a lifelong bibliophile with a special devotion to the Inklings and medieval authors. She is a Fellow with the C.S. Lewis Institute and holds an M.A. in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Christian University. Annie is a writer for Cultivating Oaks Press and An Unexpected Journal. Her writing can also be found at Square Halo Press, Rabbit Room Press, Clarendon Press U.K., Calla Press, and Poetica. Annie is a Master Teacher with HSLDA and Kepler Education and strives to help her students see holiness in everyday life and art. She lives in Florida with her husband and six cats, appreciates the perfect cup of tea, an expansive library, and the beach with family.
