We took a road trip this weekend, because our bishop was visiting a church in our communion, and stayed with the priest and his wife there. I spent our trip re-doing and re-doing and re-doing the calculations for the short row neck shaping on Amira. I'm still not really happy about how they are working out, and may mess with two of the sizes again, anyway. Most of my actual knitting was on the scarf portion of Marine Layer, though. You can see that above. The way I've designed it, if you want to make the scarf a little longer, you can, but if not, you can make a second set of the mitts, with the colors reversed, and have two ways to wear your set.

Also, the Peace Out, Eugene, Unicorn Dandruff Cowl has an owner now. Our priest's wife wears colors like this, and it was her birthday, so I gave it to her. She looked lovely in it, and it fit her personality, and she doesn't even live in Eugene. I forgot to get a picture of her in it, of course.



So, funny story: As we were leaving their house toward church, Rich said, "Hey, I think that sign said yarn!" When we were heading back, he said that he would turn around and look at it again, but as he got my hopes up, if it said yard or something else, he would make sure I was able to pick up yarn somewhere else. Well, he was right. However, we had an opportunity to go to breakfast with both our priest and his wife and our bishop and his wife, and then drive over to our old home and visit with friends of ours, the husband is a close friend of Rich's and turns 90 tomorrow, so we had no time to shop for yarn. It was so worth it to spend time with them, that I didn't mind at all. I love that Rich keeps his eyes open for yarn signs, though. It turns out that this is Crown Mountain Fibers, which I had heard about from some knitting podcasts, and never realized was based in our state. Now I know to schedule time to visit on our next trip.

I have done no reading on my own this week, but Rich asked me to bring along Theology of the Body in Simple Language for us to read together. We started it almost a year ago, but never read through the entire book, and since we had been reading it together, we neither of us read it on our own. So, I read aloud several chapters while he drove on our trip this weekend, and it gave us lots to discuss. He also asked me to bring along One Flesh to cover the Orthodox position, but we never finished the first. I've read just the beginning of it, though, and it looks to be a great book, so it will be our next marriage book. With the exception of the references to the doctrine of Original Sin in Theology of the Body, which we simply mentally replace with Ancestral Sin or concupiscence, however, neither book is strictly Catholic/Western or Orthodox/Eastern. Both are the Church's teachings on marriage, rather than a particular church's teaching, and both are valuable. Even just taking the time to read and discuss these ideas brought us closer together, and really has given us new eyes with which to appreciate each other and our marriage. The books are also full of lenses that help focus one's view correctly and realign oneself to the right path with regard to marriage. I highly recommend them both. Even only having read the introduction and first chapter of One Flesh.



Also posting to Keep Calm and Craft On, and The Philosopher's Wife.


We left for our priest's house immediately following Jerome's baseball parade and opening ceremonies on Saturday and joined them for dinner. It was nice to have a relaxed breakfast with them on Sunday morning, and Rich and I had a great conversation touching on theological and practical elements of our faith with our priest until late in the night. As my hand/skin has been giving me so much trouble, we also had him and our bishop pray for my health after the Eucharist. They prayed and anointed me with the oil of chrismation, which was wonderful. Our bishop spoke so well and gave us much to think on, and then to be able to receive the Eucharist with our church body was such a blessing to us. We don't take it for granted now that we can so rarely receive as a family at church.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Southwest Scramble, Toast, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Ham Supper after Church
• Monday - Feast of Saint Mark
  Breakfast: Breakfast Out
  Dinner: Trio of Bacon Frozen Pizzas with Sliced Peppers, Pineapple and Olives
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Brown Sugar and Raisins, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, Rice, Harissa
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Mevgal Manouri Cheese with Za'atar and Olive Oil, Toast, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Cucumber Egg Salad Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Lentil Soup from Freezer with Kielbasa and Rolls
• Friday
  Breakfast: Almond Butter Toast, Pineapple, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Torteggas, Fruit Salad
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Kofta and Potatoes, Harissa, Salad

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up.

Labels: Books, Church Year, Design, Faith and Morality, Family, Fesah', Homemaking, Knitting, Menu Plans, Pascha, Tales from the Kitchen, Yarn, Yarn Along