All duplicate stitching is complete. All thumbs are knit. There are still ends to weave in and two mitts to block. However, there are two finished projects I can count, and maybe even get the patterns out for this year. I'd like to make the second size of Keese, to show a larger version, and that might just be my mindless knitting for the next few weeks, as we are going to be deep in difficult times.

I have ripped back to the cuff on Winnie's sweater, but otherwise haven't knit much on it. That will likely come this weekend and remain weekend knitting, when I am not having to focus on other things.

Last week, Rich and I had some time in Montana for a business conference of his, and we really enjoyed the break, the ability to walk in nature, the quiet, and the friends in his colleagues that we've known for between 10 and more than 20 years. It didn't make all our sorrows disappear, but it helped to carry them better. I was able to finish both of these projects, but barely read anything.

Life has been so challenging lately, and the screws are tightening, so my reading has been a lot of little snippets here and there, and nothing super consistent or serious. We are really being put through the wringer right now, and just found out something else that will prolong it.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any time you click on a book link, it gives me the opportunity to earn a few cents for our family.

Labels: Books, Design, FOs, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world -- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. -- Revelation 12:7-9

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who roam through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in praelio. Contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur. Tuque princeps militiae caelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen.

We will not be able to make our Michaelmas dragon this year, but I am encouraged that this feast falls on what was to be the first day of something for which we are praying sincerely. Saint Michael, pray for us, and defeat the efforts of the devil by the power of God. Likewise, we will not be able to do anything particularly special for the feast of Saint Jerome. We will ask his wisdom and prayers for all as well.

Rich and I had almost a week in Montana last week for a work conference of his. We were right on the river in Missoula, and it was beautiful and sunny during the day. It was a much needed time away, and after nearly 25 years in this industry, the dear friends we have made with his colleagues are such a comfort. We did all the rah rah, fun group things, but then left each night with the people we have known and who have known us for for 10 - 20+ years and got to really talk about our lives, work, families, children, joys and struggles. I was never a person to be close friends with co-workers, and neither is Rich really, but these people have both the distance in space and closeness in time necessary for us to nurture the kind of openness that was possible this week. That was a gift from God. It was also a reminder that we are not the only people being put through the wringer. As I went down the hall of the hotel the day before we left, I saw a woman from their staff in a hijab who looked Arab, so I took the chance and spoke to her in Arabic. That was a gift, as well. She was overjoyed to have someone who spoke Arabic and saw her and we had a lovely conversation, then after the day of work and festivities, she came and joined us for a walk on the river. That, too, was a blessing. We are still looking for the blessings, joy, and laughter in our unenviable position.

Because of our absence, even the lighter meals I planned for the kids to make and eat made quite a few leftovers, so we have two leftover days this week and some repeats on breakfasts that they ended up not eating, because they had so much other breakfast food left to eat. Our gleaning club is still keeping us in good stead, and our garden is in its swan song. We are definitely not in summer any more, though. Because of that, we are just eating whatever fruit and vegetables we have in our meals to use the good things we have. Not much preserving is being done just because of our miserable schedule, but we did dry some sweet peppers and roasted and canned some anaheim peppers for later. The mornings and evenings are so cold, though. Somehow dealing with everything and also being cold makes it worse, more insulting.

Our parish family is holding us up this week, next, and through October, and we definitely can tell that there are people all over praying for our whole family. Thank you. Please continue to pray, next week was supposed to be the beginning of the grueling hard work, but there has been another delay, which is a type of suffering, as well. I can't believe it will be almost a year when this is finally progressing.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Waffles with Maple Syrup, Cottage Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pizzas, Salad, Fruit/Desserts brought by Parish
• Monday
  Breakfast: Sausage and Hashbrowns, Peaches, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Leftovers, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels
  Breakfast: Leftover Waffles and Syrup, Fruit, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Pork Chile Verde, Chipotle Tomato Rice, Sour Cream, Avocados, Corn Tortillas, Plums
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Jerome
  Breakfast: Ful with Chopped Tomatoes and White Onions, Sah'awiq, Kalamata Olives, Toast, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey, Mint and Rosewater
  Dinner: Thai Style Vegetable Stir Fry, Chinese Scallion Pancakes, Ginger Garlic Soy Dipping Sauce, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Yemeni Fassoliya with Eggs, Sah'awiq, Fruit, Tea with Rosewater, Mint and Honey
  Dinner: Leftovers and Fruit
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Spanish Seafood Paella, Arugula Salad, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Mana'eesh bi Za'atar ou Joubneh, Fried Eggs, Vegetables and Olives, Fruit Plate, Sahlab, Tea with Mint and Rosewater
  Dinner: Beef Tacos, Salsa Verde, Prize Winning Roasted Tomato Salsa, Cabbage Salad, Flourless Truffle Cake

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: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Michaelmas, Name Day, Prayer Requests, Shelftember, Tales from the Kitchen

We are coming into the grinding time now. Our friends and family are taking such good care of us and supporting us in so many ways. This week is not the calm before the storm, but the busy before the busier. Please pray for us.

Again, our meal plan has a lot of meals that use leftovers, or things from our freezer so we can keep whittling away at our stores. From here on out, we will be doing as many slow cooker and quick meals as we can while we are busy with so much going on around us.

Our parish family is providing such a great meal for after church tonight. See how God blesses us! Not just with others taking on tasks for us, but with them providing so much that is good and delicious. We are blessed. We are looking for the blessings right now.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Smoked Beef Brisket, Baked Potatoes with Butter, Sour Cream and Shredded Cheese, Salad, Dessert
• Monday - Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Peaches, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chipotle Beef, Enchilada Rice, Sautéed Peppers, Onions and Summer Squash, Enchilada Rice, with Corn Tortillas and Diced Avocados, Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Fried Egg and Cheese Sandwiches, Sliced Apples, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Egg Noodles in Turkey Broth, Peaches
• Wednesday - Feast of the Conception of Saint John the Forerunner
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Hash, Plums, Tea with Mint, Rosewater and Honey
  Dinner: Pasta with Tomato Sauce, Cucumber Salad, Sliced Apples
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Ful with Chopped Tomatoes and White Onions, Sah'awiq, Kalamata Olives, Toast, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey, Mint and Rosewater
  Dinner: Leftovers, Peaches
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Sheet Pan Vegetable Chow Mein, Plums
• Saturday - Feast of the Falling Asleep of Saint John the Evangelist and Theologian
  Breakfast: Pancakes/Waffles with Buttermilk Syrup, Cottage Bacon, Sahlab and Coffee
  Dinner: Hot Ham and Turkey Swiss Sandwiches on Rye, Half Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles, Chips, Fruit Plate

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: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Shelftember, Tales from the Kitchen

We have a bag! This is the smaller size of Keese, my design for project bags, and I am finally happy with it. I just realized I forgot to do the duplicate stitching, though, which means I need to get that done before I can really count this as finished.

You can also see the beginning of a little Winnie sweater. That is the cuff on the sleeve, which I am using as my swatch. It's further along, or perhaps not as far along, now. I realized there was a mistake I made, which I could live with, but didn't like that the border cables were not mirrored, so after almost an entire repeat of the pattern, I am going to rip back to fix both.

I'm also just about finished with the fingerless mitt version of Nisseet. I have one thumb completed and another to do, and then weaving in ends and blocking, so that is two projects I am just about able to call finished, finished, finished.

Unfortunately, I have neither finished The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge, nor We Mend With Gold, though that is because the library took it back. There are a lot of great nuggets of truth in her book, but also a lot of modernist nonsense. I'm determined to finish it, though. Her premise that the American Church creates Jesus in its own, white, Western, colonialist, American, image and that it isn't a true representation of Him is true. However, she does not de-Westernize Him, she simply makes Him a brown, Western, progressive/colonialist, American. I also grabbed that book in the photo above, and hope to tackle it soon.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any time you click on a book link, it gives me the opportunity to earn a few cents for our family.

Labels: Books, Design, Homemaking, Knitting, WIP, Yarn Along

So, last week was something else. I went down to Eugene to try to help my aging mother who is having more health problems. That didn't go over well, and she needs your prayers. We do, too. We are truly the sandwich generation, taking care of kids, parents, and also grandparents. While it is a good duty, it was another thing added when I am already fielding a lot, and being responsible for two and a half households.

Without saying too much, things are quite difficult in that quarter, but God knows the need. On the plus side, I was also able to visit with our dear friends who are godparents to half our kids and guardians to our kids should we pass away, and see Dominic and Shawn and Winnie every full day I was there. Arthur and Michelle really spoiled me while I was there, because they know how much I am carrying right now. I am so grateful for that time with all of them.

While I was gone, Rich and the kids were making all the meals, but I forgot to have them cut one of the recipes in half, so between that and me not being here to eat any of the things they made, we have a LOT of leftovers this week. We have two leftover meals this week, but one is specifically the remainder of that extra large dinner from last week. Even still, we are using up things from our freezers, and making ready for mutton and a steer.

This week is the first semi-week of school for our girls. We are easing into it this year, with all the turmoil around us. The next four to eight weeks are incredibly busy, then we basically have to try to start in with normal life again. The girls are doing chemistry and earth science this year, so we are starting that this week, then in a couple weeks, our co-op begins, and we will be gradually adding everything else in as we go.

Our parish family is coming through for us in so many ways, and I cannot thank God enough for them. We had turkeys in the freezer to use, both to feed the church and to free up room in our freezer, so while I was gone, Rich seasoned the turkeys for the meal at church, and I cooked them today and made the gravy, while the our parish brought all the other things. Because of our hectic life for the next two months, they are basically handling all the Sunday dinners through the end of October. They have done so much for us, and I am so grateful for them.

• Sunday - Feast of Saint Cyprian of Carthage
  Breakfast: Kousa bi Laban*, Bread, Sliced Watermelon, Coffee and Tea with Milk
  Dinner: Herb Roasted Turkey, Bourbon Gravy, Parish Bringing Mashed Potatoes, Salads, Apple Honey Cake
• Monday - Feasts of Saint John Chrysostom and the Elevation of the Holy Cross
  Breakfast: Hard Boiled Eggs, Cottage Cheese, Sliced Cucumbers and Brined Olives, Mint Tea with Honey and Rosewater
  Dinner: King Ranch Turkey, Roasted Tomato Salsa Rice, Sliced Watermelon
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Raisin Bread with Cream Cheese, Peaches, Milky Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Pork Chile Verde, Chipotle Tomato Rice, Sour Cream, Avocados, Corn Tortillas, Plums
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Hash Burritos with Salsa, Sliced Apples, Tea with Mint, Rosewater and Honeyy
  Dinner: Leftover Florida Style Black Beans and Rice, Plums
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Plums, Milky Tea
  Dinner: Leftovers or Turkey Vegetable Soup, Peaches
• Friday
  Breakfast: Lenten Apple Oatmeal Muffins* with Cashew Butter, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Black Bean and Potato Enchiladas, Salsa Rice, Plum Sorbet
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Theodore
  Breakfast: 'Aish Baladi ou Joubneh, Sliced Cucumbers, Brined Olives, Fruit, Milk, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Cheese Zombies, Tomato Soup, Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

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: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Shelftember, Tales from the Kitchen

Thy nativity, O Mother of God, heralded joy to the whole universe, for from you rose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God. Taking away the curse, He imparted blessings, and by abolishing death, He gave us everlasting life.

Through thy holy birth, O Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were delivered from the shame of childlessness, and Adam and Even from the corruption of death. Thy people, redeemed from the debt of their sins, cry out to you to honor your birth: "The barren one gives birth to the Mother of God the Substainer of our life!"

It is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Theotokos Tuesday and we rejoice in that. Without her, we could not have Him. Glory to God in His saints!

So much for a restful week to recover. We have a pretty busy week ahead of us again. Please pray, as we will be all over the place. Although our cold evenings and mornings are certainly back, and it was rather cool this past week, but it is supposed to warm up a little this week. Our last gasp before the real cold arrives.

There is a lot going on in the family and a lot coming up for all of us. Not much that I can discuss publicly, but please keep every memeber of our family and extended family in prayer. God knows the needs. It has been a tough time - tougher than normal. We have all kind of hit a wall, and it's just getting harder. However, God has sent us consolations and that is beautiful to see.

Because of the weird circumstances of our week, we are keeping a much more loose fasting rule. Don't be surprised by fish or dairy on some days that normally wouldn't have them. We are doing the best we can and asking for God to strengthen us as we get closer to resolution. There were also much more leftovers this past week than expected, so some meals have been moved to this week, and there are more leftover meals planned.

Thank God for both our gleaning club and our parish family. They are still providing for us and each other. Since our garden was much smaller this year, the gleans have meant we had local, fresh produce to put up for the winter, which is a gift. Also, we've been able to bless our parish with the gleanings, and the parish has been handling meals on Sundays, or at least the main dish. This next couple months, they are really taking the lead on those. Please pray for God to bless them.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Chorizo, Black Bean and Summer Squash Scramble Breakfast Tacos with Panela, Peaches and Plums, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pizzas, Parish brings Sides/Salads/Fruit/Dessert
• Monday
  Breakfast: Potato Dressing and Gravy, Sliced Apples, Milky Tea
  Dinner: Pork Chile Verde, Chipotle Tomato Rice, Sour Cream, Avocados, Corn Tortillas, Plums
• Tuesday - Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Fruit Plate, Milky Tea
  Dinner: Hamburgers, Potato Wedges, Half Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles, Peaches
• Wednesday - Feast of the Parents of the Theotokos, Joachim and Anna, Ancestors of Our Lord
  Breakfast: Potato Hash Breakfast Burritos, Fruit Plate, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Fried Fish Fillets, Tartar Sauce, Roasted Peppers, Beets, Summer Squash and Onions, Peaches
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Peaches, Milky Tea
  Dinner: Leftovers or Hot Dogs, Fried Potatoes, Peppers and Onions, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Cashew Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Florida Style Black Beans and Rice, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Sausage, Egg and Cheese Bagel Sandwiches, Suprèmed Oranges and Grapefruit, Coffee, Tea and Milk
  Dinner: Spaghetti with Pasta Sauce, Grilled/Broiled Country Herb Sausages, Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

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: Blessed Virgin, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Shelftember, Tales from the Kitchen, Theotokos