"Holy Spirit, inspire me. Love of God, consume me, on the true path, lead me. Mary, my Mother, look upon me, with Jesus, bless me. From all evil, from all illusion, from all danger, preserve me."

"Always remember to love your neighbor; always prefer the person who tries your patience, who tests your virtue, because with them you can always gain merit."

"The proud person is like a grain of wheat thrown into water: it swells, it gets big. Expose that grain to the fire: it dries up, it burns. The humble soul is like a grain of wheat thrown into the earth: it descends, it hides itself, it disappears, it dies; but to revive in heaven."

"It is sweet to think of Jesus; but it is sweeter to do His will."
~ Saint Mariam Baouardy (Mary of Jesus Crucified) ~

We have two birthdays this week: Mariam and Shawn. We won't have Shawn with us this week, and I suspect it will be a little more subdued than normal. Please offer all the prayers you can for her this week. Not only is it a birthday week, but it is a nameday week, as well. The feast of Saint Mariam Baouardy is also this week.

I'm not a superstitious person, generally speaking, though I do roll up my car windows to make sure it won't rain. However, that whole troubles come in threes thing has come twice, and now we have had three other challenges/difficulties, and at this point, I am hoping that is the third set of three, and that we will be set for a while.

Fall weather is definitely here. Wind and rain, much cooler feeling air, and I even wore a sweater yesterday - with long wool socks. We still have temperatures in the 70s at the height of the day, but our evenings and mornings are feeling frigid. In a couple months, we will long for temperatures in the 40s, but for now, they feel quite cold. The air conditioning units are still in the windows, in a nod to a slight superstitious hope that I will keep the alleged heat spike predicted for the end of the week at bay, but our windows are almost all closed, and the fans have been off all this past week.

We have so many ducks and geese to butcher! We are still cooking mostly from our freezer, and cooking it down so we will have room for them. When it is cool enough, there will be a couple weekends of pretty significant poultry harvest. Our Gleaning Club and even our garden are keeping us well stocked in beautiful produce. Except for potatoes and onions, we haven't had to buy produce in a few weeks. We are using what is fresh and in season, and it is delightful. This is one of the bright lights in our challenging time.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Rum Raisin Coffee Cake, Fried Eggs, Sausages, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Rouz Zirbyan with Lamb, Watermelon, Cucumber and Feta Salad with Herbs, Sides/Salad/Fruit/Dessert brought by Church Family
• Monday - Feast of Saint Mariam Baouardy
  Breakfast: Breakfast Veggie Crinkle, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Cheese Zombies (Cheese Crisps for Jerome), Tomato Soup, Peach Melba Cheesecake with Almond Crust
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Monica
  Breakfast: Yogurt, Toast, Cubed Cantaloupe, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Stuffed Dover Sole, Herbed Rice Pilaf, Sliced Nectarines
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Augustine of Hippo
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas and Summer Squash, Sliced Canteloupe, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Tbikhat Ful, Tamis, Battatas Harra, Sliced Watermelon
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Steak and Eggs, Toast, Rajas, Corn Tortillas, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Summer Squash, Corn and Egg Bake, Sautéed Garlicky Eggplant and Tomatoes, Broiled Italian Sausages, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Hash Burritos with Salsa, Sliced Peaches, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Banadora Maghlieh, Vegetarian Rouz Bukhari, Sliced Watermelon
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Aidan
  Breakfast: Overnight Slow Cooker French Toast (Scrambled Eggs with Cheese for Jerome), Sliced Cantaloupe, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Porchetta, Roasted Potatoes, Grilled Summer Squash, Limoncello Zabaglione

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 on Saturday.

Labels: Birthday, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Name Day, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen