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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Yarn Along: The Generosity of Knitters and a Secret Project



The marine layer scarf is finished at last! For only needing buttons sewn on, it took me quite a long time. I worked a little bit on Nejat's star blanket during Vacation Bible School, but haven't done a whole lot more with the cloud border, because it isn't as portable as it was, and I have to pay attention to the pattern, which means I can't really work on it as easily during knit night. I'm almost finished with the Celtic braided scarf, but since I made the first section a little longer, I am about 30 - 50 yards short on the yarn. I didn't want to buy a whole new skein of the yarn and I can't even find the tag to see what the dye lot was, nor did I include it in my project page because I was sure this would be a one skein project. Lesson learned. However, a kind lady on Ravelry had a skein and was willing to wind off about 50 yards for me and send it in exchange for me buying her a pattern from her wish list. It should arrive here tomorrow or Thursday. There is another project I'm working on, but I can't share much about it for a few weeks. Shhh! It's a surprise!

Wedding Cake Murder is read and I even cooked something from it. It tasted good, but I could have made it better my own way. Since my reading has mainly been fluff lately, I wanted something with a little more worth. I've been wanting to read A Prayer Journal for some time, so I did. I should have read it long ago. It is not long, or hard to read. Here are many quotations that jumped out at me:

I ask You for a greater love for my holy Mother and I ask her for a greater love for You.

But the point more specifically here is, I don't want to fear to be out, I want to love to be in; I don't want to believe in hell but in heaven.

Give me the grace, dear God, to adore You for even this I cannot do for myself.

Give me the grace, dear God, to see the bareness and the misery of the places where You are not adored but desecrated.

I don't know if I've ever been sorry for a sin because it hurt You.

Help me to ask You, oh Lord, for what is good for me to have, for what I can have and do Your service by having.

Let me get away dear God from all things thus "natural." Help me to get what is more than natural into my work - help me to love and bear with my work on that account.

Virtue must be the only vigorous thing in our lives. Sin is large and stale. You can never finish eating it nor ever digest it. It has to be vomited.

No one can be an atheist who does not know all things.

Perversion is the end result of denying or revolting against supernatural love, descending from the unconscious superconsciousness to the id.

The S#x act is a religious act and when it occurs without God it is a mock act or at best an empty act. Proust is right that only a love which does not satisfy can continue. Two people can remain "in love" - a phrase made practically useless by stinking romanticism - only if their common desire for each other unites in a greater desire for God

No, the saints died for God and God died for the dead.

I am so weak that God has given me everything, all the tools, instructions for their use, even a good brain to use them with, a creative brain to make them immediate for others. God is feeding me and what I'm praying for is an appetite.

If I am the one to wash the second step everyday, let me know it and let me wash it and let my heart overflow with love washing it.

I can't believe it took me this long to actually crack this book. Of course, with some of her western views, I don't have complete agreement, but her private thoughts spoke deeply to me.



Also posting to Keep Calm and Craft On.


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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 6:43 PM 0 comments

Monday, June 27, 2016

Menu Plan: June 26 - July 2


This week is a little bit more restful. Only one child has activities this week, though Alexander has work to do, but he can get himself there and back. Our neighborhood has a cook out each year, and this was the week for it. I actually fell asleep on a blanket when most of the people had gone home. I did get a little volleyball played with the family and friends, though.

A touring ministry of relics came to a local church last week, and Rich and I were able to attend with two of the girls (ballet night). Rich made sure to tell me to touch my hand to the relics, and I am seeing relief and healing, which is wonderful. I ran out of one of my medications without a chance to get more because we had been so busy, so it was only prayer and the relics, and normal moisturizing going on this week. I've been able to wear my wedding ring and everything. I am praying for God's glory in His saints to be shown. The talk was instructive, but being able to see and touch the relics was awe inspiring and humbling. Even Yasmina was moved to kneel before each one. Seeing relics of the Apostles and of Christ's cross was enough to bring us to tears, and saints that we had taught about in Laudate were represented. Many of our favorite saints and some we met for the first time were there. We were even able to see a relic from Saint Mariam Baouardy, which was amazing. Since not all our kids were able to attend with us, we bought the video so they could hear the talk and see the relics on screen, at least. If you get a chance to see such an exposition, I encourage you to go.

Our farmers' market and the Grocery Outlet came through for us this week. There were plenty of excellent deals at both, and we came home with pickling cucumbers, pie cherries, some of the last of the fall Pink Lady apples, dill, garlic, and a gorgeous bouquet of deep pink roses and stargazer lilies, which we knew would come home with us as soon as we saw them. Rich used to bring me bouquets of stargazers all the time when we were dating, as he worked as a delivery driver and one of his stops was a florist, who would let him pick through her extras. One of the ladies who comes to knit night here also brought several boxes of apricots from her tree, which was a treat. Since our tree won't be ripe for another week or two, we are enjoying them quite a bit.

We're cooking as much from our freezers and pantry as possible over the next few weeks. At the end of July, we should have a steer in our freezer, so we need to clear things out and clean up so all the meat will fit. We've also needed to defrost our stand up freezer for some time, so we are planning on getting that done during this time, too.

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.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:14 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Yarn Along: Finished, Finished Finished, and Almost Finished



Bah'ar is finished, blocked, and given away and I have finished the knitting on the marine layer scarf. There are two buttons to sew on before I can count it as finished, finished. That makes the set complete. These are intended as a gift for someone later this year.

It's been a while since I picked up Nejat's star blanket, but as I am still working out the neck line on Amira, I figured I'd get it and see if I could make some progress. I am working on the clouds. Since the star afghan is a little too big and requires more attention now, it is staying at home to be worked on there, and I picked up the Celtic braided scarf and have made significant progress on that. I forgot to make the strips for the braids in stockinette stitch, but I think I'll actually like them better still in 2 X 2 ribbing.

Since Mr. Yarn is marking their yarn down significantly more than they already did (if you order $75 dollars or more in retail price of the yarn, it is now 35% off and free shipping), I picked up some yarn that is even more beautiful than this photo. It is far deeper and richer than that picture, and the picture is so beautiful that it sold me on the color.


Sweet Georgia Superwash Worsted in Saltwater

I am trying to decide if I want to make it into one of these three sweaters:

Graduated Ribbed Top, which I've wanted to make since I first bought that book in 2000 or 2002.

Tubey (solid colored, without striping).

Corcoran.

The first two leave me with only about 100 yards to spare, the third will leave me with nearly 400 yards. I like the graduated ribbing on the first sweater and the neckline of the second one. I do like the third sweater quite a bit, but then I have to have the right shirt underneath to match the yarn color and I don't know how much I will wear it, while I think an interesting ribbed sweater will get worn quite a bit. So, I may mash up the first two to keep the parts I like best about each.

I started and finished Double Fudge Brownie Murder, and started Wedding Cake Murder. It looks like there was a book in between the two, but our library doesn't have it. So far, they haven't refused any of my purchase requests, so I may ask them to order it.



Also posting to Keep Calm and Craft On.


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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:52 PM 6 comments

Monday, June 20, 2016

Menu Plan: June 19 - 25


I thought summer break would be a break, but we didn't even get one day. Last week, we had ballet dress rehearsal and recital, baseball camp, a summer film class, and our monthly dance. Oh, and it was Rich and Dominic's birthday (which means we're half way through our family birthdays now), and Rich took me out on a date to a local theater production (which was fun, but exhausting). This week, it's baseball camp, the film class, Vacation Bible School, the girls' ballet class' final week of instruction, an event at church, a hefty delivery that we need to meet and pick up, a birthday party for the older kids, and more, which has me running from one drop off to the next, then pick ups and so on. And, of course, Father's Day. Which is all on top of our normal weekly life and errands. Oh, and did I mention that our washing machine broke last Wednesday, and we just had the repair man show up today (not their fault, it was the earliest they could come)? So we also have almost a week of laundry to try to take care of, too.

The rest of the month is like this. Then, there is a two week break, then more ballet, and driver's ed for one of the boys, and maybe after that, we can breathe. As far as I know, this is the busiest week we have. Next week is pretty full, though not as much as this week, and there is a big deal event at Rich's work that he's been working on for quite some time that will come to fruition, and I hope after that we can rest a little.

Since we have four different groupings of kids going in different directions at the same time each day this week, our breakfasts are dependent on a blessed find at our local Grocery Outlet. They had organic toaster waffles with blueberries, and we are eating a lot of them. They aren't that great, to be honest, but there is no time for homemade. In fact, the kids ate in the van this morning, and probably will the rest of the week, too.

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.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:03 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, June 07, 2016

Menu Along: June 5 - 11 (Sea Themed Scarf and Shawlette)



Still keeping on keeping on with bah'ar and the marine layer scarf. The goal is to have the lace finished, washed, and blocked by this weekend. Wish me luck!

I've picked up Circus Mirandus, which is just a fun kids' book about magic and mystery and family and love.



Also posting to Keep Calm and Craft On.



We have a few repeats. There was a heat wave of temperatures at or over 100 this weekend, and I'm going to try to serve cold food or food that can be made quickly for the first part of the week. We're supposed to be back in the 80s and 70s by Thursday.

Alexander finishes his first year at the college this week. We're praying for him as he takes his finals. I'm so proud of what he's done this year. We're going to spend part of the summer on some of the things we couldn't cover this year because of his schedule. Ballet recital is next week, so I'm bracing myself for dress rehearsal and being a stage mom for a couple days.

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.

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// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 3:21 PM 4 comments

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