While I wish I could say I finished Nejat's blanket, all I've been working on is Saint Nicholas. Aside from the fact that I need to get a finished photo to the editor, I realized that I wanted to include this design in the 2016 Indie Designer Gift-a-Long, and that means it needs to be published no later than November 12. Yikes! So, I'm hustling. In between taking care of the eleventy billion things going on at home, with the kids, in our neighborhood, and so on. This also means that my photo is from this past Saturday instead of yesterday or today, so there is actually more knit now.

Rich and I are still reading Hillbilly Elegy. It's slow going, because we are reading it aloud in bed, and only when we are not too exhausted to read.

After finishing Persuasion with the kids for their literature, we took another turn at Life, the Universe, and Everything for fun. We're just about finished, and will move on to the fifth book of the increasingly ill named trilogy.



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


We have been slammed over the past couple weeks months, who am I kidding? The past year. However, in the past couple weeks, we've been preparing for Amira's ballet studio dancing the Thriller routine four times at our local Halloween trick or treat event (which was so amazing!!! If you "know" me on Facebook, take a look at the videos posted), along with preparing for Nutcracker (even Alexander has been roped in to play a party parent), Alexander has some make up work to do from things he had missed that have a hard deadline, our neighborhood is set up on irrigation ares, kind of like a grange system, and Rich and I are in charge of getting the invitations to events made and sent out, and that's on my list to finish up today, I've had design work that is pressing, and I'm still slogging through trying to get it completed, plus getting ready for that GAL I mentioned above, which means knitting, organizing, promoting, editing photos and patterns, then being available to be involved during the event, plus I'm teaching a knitting class at our co-op, and my normal, weekly, knit night here, and our monthly dances (which we talked about doing twice a month, but just can't figure out how we'll manage that), Rich is doing his first oral prep for his defense today (please pray for him), and I've been helping him quiz and having him take more time away from home so he can study, so I'm picking up a lot of what he normally handles here, on top of normal homeschooling and homemaking, and life. I'm just thankful that the hard winter has held off so far, and we're instead of ice and below freezing temperatures, mostly getting rain and clouds. It's the greenest I've ever seen this desert. It has also bought us some time, as our winter firewood isn't completely chopped/split and stacked, and there is still one row of potatoes to harvest.

Today, though, Kim is on my mind. Along with all the people we love who have died to this world in the love and faith of God, she is on my mind especially on this All Saints' Feast. We are thankful for all those who have gone before us, who lived as examples of the life of Christ, and whose work continues as they pray for us in the presence of God. We also pray for all those who have passed that they might find eternal rest and joy in the resurrection. One thing we always try to do is to listen to the Litany of the Saints. Our children love to listen for their names. They usually hear the litany at three liturgies of the year, unless there is a funeral mass. But each year we play it on the feast of All Saints.

O Almighty God, who has knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord; Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys which thou has prepared for those who unfeignedly love thee; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Apples and Cinnamon Sugar, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Penne with Meat Sauce, Caesar Salad, Italian Bread, Pumpkin Cupcakes
• Monday
  Breakfast: Toast with Feta, Tomatoes, Za'atar and Olive Oil, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Takeout Pizza (We had two vouchers for a free giant sized that we used, since we knew we'd be late with the whole Thriller performance thing), Salad
• Tuesday - Feast of All Saints
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Leftover Poundcake, Sliced Asian Pears, Coffee and Milk
  Dinner: Fancy Hot Dogs, Egg Noodles, Salad
• Wednesday - Commemoration of All Souls Departed
  Breakfast: Chilaquiles with Poblanos and Onions, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Cream of Onion Soup, Herbed Biscuits, Winter Carrot Slaw
• Thursday
  Breakfast: BLTs, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Arabian Spaghetti (with Lamb), Slow Sauteed Green Beans
• Friday
  Breakfast: Cold Cereal and Milk, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pasta with Sardines, Leftover Slaw
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Waffles with Butter, Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Enchiladas Blancas, Black Beans, Salsa Rice, Salad, Ice Cream

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: All Saints, Books, Church Year, Design, Family, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Homesteading, Knitting, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen, Yarn Along