It's been a while since I've shown any progress on Nejat's blanket, but I'm so close to finished with it. I really hope I can get the crocheting complete by this weekend. Maybe, just maybe, I can get to all the finishing I need to do (like on my top, and the second mitt, as well as sewing down cloud borders and weaving in ends on this blanket). Nejat loves her blanket. She doesn't care that it was supposed to be finished for her birthday. Last year. She comes up to it and rubs her little face on it, and tells me how soft it is. I can't wait to have it finished, because I just want to be done with it, but I also can't wait to give it to her for her to enjoy.

I forgot to give the update on Marine Layer. It was supposed to be published in October, but the magazine has gone monthly in order to spread out the patterns so they get more attention. So, instead, the set will be published in November.

What am I reading? I finished The Stitching Hour, and started An Everlasting Meal, which, so far, I am enjoying.



Also posting to Keep Calm and Craft On and Yarn Fanatic.

Our school schedule hit me like a truck on a dark highway. We've been going full tilt, and I'm not getting as much done as I'd like. I try to have my menu plans at least started, so I can just finish them off by Saturday, but I had nothing. With Alexander at home all day, too, I've been trying to cram as much in while he has full time school at home, before he switches to part time at home and full time at the college.

Dominic had planned on doing two courses with the public school here, but after trying it out for the summer, he decided it wasn't rigorous enough. It was fun, and he learned things in the class, but it didn't seem as challenging to him as he wanted. Since it was something he loves, we agreed with him that focusing on the core of our curricula, and getting him to where he needs to be with his own writing and mathematical skills would be a better use of his time, since he could take on an apprenticeship or learn from someone else or take college courses for the film and media aspect of what he'd like to do. In the interim, he wanted his education to be more well balanced and full. So, that's what I'm working on with him.

Ballet and co-op, meetings and all the normal bustle of life are also coming at us pretty rapidly, and we have Nutcracker to think about in less than two months. Bleh. I love them doing the Nutcracker, I just hate that it eats up our Thanksgiving weekend with dress rehearsals and performances. I was hoping that wouldn't be repeated this year. Not only all of this, but Thursday, Mariam came down with an awful case of hives from a reaction of some sort, which resulted in two nights in a row of us being up just about all night, and watching cartoons with her to keep her distracted from the pain and itching that was literally making her shake from the pain. She is doing much better now, but it was so hard for her, and so hard for us to watch and try to help. We still have no idea what triggered it. Fortunately, Rich had the sense not to do the work on our barn roof the Saturday after all of this, I canceled a trip I was going to take with a friend, and he had a BFR canceled, which was probably the safest thing for everyone.

Anyway, here is my menu along with my yarn along. Since we have about a million peaches, and keep getting more, we are eating a ton of them. We have at least one major repeat of a meal this week. Speaking of peaches, I still owe you all the peach upside down cake recipe. I'll try for this week if nobody gets hurt or sick or stays awake all night, two nights in a row.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Peaches and Cream Oatmeal, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Italian Beef Sandwiches, Homemade French Fries, Fresh Garden Slaw
• Monday
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast, Sliced Peaches, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Leftover Meat over Rice with Leftover Slaw
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Peaches, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Tex-Mex Skillet, Rice, Salsa
• Wednesday - Feast of the Exultation of the Venerable Cross
  Breakfast: Yogurt with Jam, Sliced Peaches, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Potage Parmentier, Rolls, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Fruit Plate Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pastrami Sandwiches, Vegetable Sticks, Pickles
• Friday
  Breakfast: Brown Sugar Biscuits and Chocolate Gravy, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream, Cheese, and Chives, Salad, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Caramel Apple French Toast Strata, Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chipotle Beef Tacos, Black Beans, Green Chile Rice

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, Crochet, Design, Family, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen, Yarn Along