Beautiful Blue! A Homemade Life, Willa Cather and Finished Remains

I am happy show show that another square of my 

blued checkered blanket is done! 

I am just beginning the third square of section three! 

Rookie mistake: 

I began the section thinking the beginning was the top

of the next section, 

thus I would have the dark square on the top 

where it was on the bottom of the first section,

all to realize that by knitting that one first,

it would be on the bottom...

but no problem, I will simply bind off and switch it 

so it is that. :) 

I read a bit of Molly's Homemade Life

and started on the introduction to Cather's 

Song of the Lark

And I finished 

Remains of the Day

in the end it was not as suspenseful as the one 

section was showing it to be, 

and in the end I saw it as a man

narrating his 30 year career serving as a top crust English Butler 

who was seeking to be as good as his father, 

an English Butler before him,

and how he had to come to terms with the life - and death - of his

employer, Lord Darlington, who was well meaning

but used by the Nazis and in the end you see

Stevens not only come to terms with things which for him

was being able to name what had happened...

and he began to let himself be a human being instead of

a constant total always in character

of a perfect English Butler,

who served, was utterly unflappable and always at the height of 

what it means to have dignity. 

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So I have read two books that my beloved Mr. Husband read

in graduate school and he asked me which one I like more,

Remains of the Day or Saint Maybe

and well, they were so different, so I could not say

one or another though to me it is clear that the 

characters in Saint Maybe had a deeper turn 

and growth in their lives

because they saw that they were incomplete on their own 

and went looking for something greater to help them.

I think that this is the crux of many lives, if not all lives,

though not all, like Stevens the Butler, admit that they have

need of anything greater to personally help them.

*

Well, as a Christian I have gained so much help

and I still see that my life can be a mess of confusion at times 

and a constant struggle;

Fr. Thomas Hopko's 55 Maxims shows that one 

must except struggle and temptation to one's last breath,

and I can say through experience, through observation, 

through reading, that I can't imagine 

not having that which is greater to help me;

and by this I mean the Holy Trinity whose 

Second Person Christ is willing and waiting to provide that 

greater help.

*

Well, a more philosophical/theological yarn along post

but with me and my blog I find I never

know what will be next!

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I really appreciated the author of Remains of the Day

and how he shows a time period and culture in England that

was quickly passing away after WWII and his sad

yet beautiful book.

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It would be interesting to compare it to 

L'Engle's A Severed Wasp that is dealing with a culture

in the States that is also in many ways passing away

and what is found there in.

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So with all that...

what are you reading and creating? 

Yarn Along with us! 

A Homemade Life, Second blanket Section & Remains of the Day

Progress on many fronts!

1. I am on the second section of my blue

checkered textured blanket

2. I went to NYC yesterday with my red cart

and it was much better than last time,

when I was just weary and in great need of my 

trusty red cart!

3. I found this book for 2 Dollars at the Strand!

In hardcover with dust jacket.

I've been enjoying it; I read some of it before

at one of my literature reading fantastic cooking friends places...

*

I found some other books too but will wait to share those later on, DV!

*

So here's the blanket progress:

First section is done 

and I am almost done with the first square of section two! 

*

(Sorry for less than brilliant sunny pictures;

took at night and with my phone as

my camera cards are full, the new one is in the mail,

I still have to copy all my still-on-the-now-full-memory-cards

 pictures to my computer /

eternal hard drive to back them up,

which means no camera!)

I am still reading 

Remains of the Day

and it is getting quite interesting;

kind of spy-intrigue like right now,

which now that I think of it, 

is not surprising but I did not expect it.

 I am excited to finish reading this and 

to get more work on my blanket done;

I did get some knitting done on the weekend,

which was great and hope to do more this coming weekend!

*

I was so happy to see Madeleine L'Engle's

Wrinkle in Time being displayed

at the Strand :)

I also discovered that

there is a British tea place

fairly near to Mr. Husband's work...

but I did not go in...

They had a bunch of rules and

one was that a 12.50 minimum order was expected.

Well, I wanted tea only so did not go in;

I had an excellent lunch with Mr. Husband

(including a vegan cauliflower soup with cumin and coconut milk

if I remember right; it was good!)

and did not need to spend money unnecessarily. 

But I may go back after Great Lent with a friend...

the one who crochets, sews and is willing to teach me

how to sew and quilt.  

If that alone does not warrant a lunch at a nice tea place,

well what does?! :)

*

Loving my reading, knitting &

living to tell the tale of a day in NYC.

*

What are you reading and creating?

Any new tales to tell?

Yarn Along with us!

The Bird in the Tree, Remains of the Day & Blue Textured Blanket

I was in Ottawa for nearly a week!

I made two wash clothes or so, the one shown below is

the third one this week...

 I am also almost done

with the first colour repeat in the blue blanket!

Re-reading Elizabeth Goudge's The Bird in the Tree

and continuing to read Remains of the Day.

My main goal in this blanket is to get the length I want done

so I can start on the next section.

I am hoping for some good weekend knitting as 

Mr. Husband and I hope to go to our 

far away church this weekend!

*

What are you reading and creating?

Yarn Along with us!

Place Your Hope in the Lord, Remains of the Day, Blue Blanket

I have 4 full squares/'checkers' done now! 

Ravelry for this blanket is here.

I will start on another part of the blanket soon

and will leave this one to be sewn together at the end.

I think the ribbing will be the least repeated part

of the pattern, depending more on seed and garter stitches. 

It's going to be fun to create different patterns and

colour block arrangements for this blanket!

I am thinking it will be a lap blanket size...

I am still reading Remains of the Day and

am enjoying not only the Britishness of it

but how it captures a time period and history in England,

a time that is no longer with us...

*

I also read a delightful book, an 'easy read' as it were,

that was insightful, funny and full of love and encouragement. 

Place Your Trust in the Lord is the story

of Fr. Lazar who helped many in Serbia rediscover

their Lord Jesus Christ and Orthodox faith.

It is different from but reminds me of the book

Everyday Saints and is well worth the reading time!

The publisher blurb drew me in to buying this book at 

Holy Dormition Monastery two years ago

and I finally had the right moment to read this book.

*

"A man of few words but great compassion, Father Lazar of Serbia and Montenegro sought neither attention nor accolades, yet became a revered spiritual leader not only for his monastery but for those both within, and without, the walls of his monastery. The words and actions of this modern-day spiritual father, born of an unfailing hope in Christ, cut through the din and clatter of a turbulent world. Those willing to listen - to Father Lazar's own words and the words of those shepherded by him - have an opportunity to enter the empathy that he had for all people."

-Publisher of Place Your Hope in the Lord

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What are you reading and creating?

Yarn Along with us!

Tartine, Remains of the Day & Blue Checkered Blanket

 

I have all four colours in for the blanket I am working on!

I am loving doing textured patterns and 

am getting the seed stitch down well now!

I am doing this now on size ten corded needles

so I will start a larger section when I am happy with the length 

and keep this 'on the cord' next to it while I work

the new section to compare, etc.

I am reading  studying Tartine

to see how Chad Robinson makes bread.

When I first began baking bread

I was sent this video and never forgot it:

I am going to do more research via the web as well...

so far found these two links and will look further. 

Eventually I will decide where I want to go 

further in my bread baking adventures and

am loving reading about the Tartine method.

I've also begun Remains of the Day and 

it is a good read so far!

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What are you reading and creating?

yarn along with us!

Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Severed Wasp, Remains of the Day and knitting progress

The Checkered Blanket is continuing;

started scarf on size 3 needles.

I am now re-reading A Severed Wasp by Madeline L'Engle.

It's very absorbing.

It is not a tale for the faint of heart; 

it is bringing together and seeking to make sense of some

really difficult times not only in the character's lives

but in history, in this place the time and circumstances of World War II

and loss of faith, horror, relational complexities, 

a changing world and a changing moral set.

It's worth reading and gives much food for thought,

but if you are looking for a cozy, simple and light read,

this is not the book for it.

If you want to read about music, NYC, culture, questions of faith,

growing up, relationship complexities, with tragedy, horrors and hope,

than this may do the trick.

I did not really remember much of the book when I suddenly 

had this very sudden focused want of this book

that I read in my undergraduate years.

It brings together not only L'Engle's Small Rain but her

YA book The Young Unicorns and the Austin Family 

books that L'Engle has written.

*

I read so many of L'Engle's books when I was in undergrad;

they helped me process things, move towards further light

and influenced me in areas of music, books, culture but also

city life, need for quiet, baths and things like bath salts and power.

She really is an all encompassing author that way.

Remains of the Day: another my husband listened to 

in graduate school.

My next read after L'Engle's book.

I am trying to get through them before Great Lent.

I finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

I kept feeling at places that I'd read it before;

like when the teacher of music gets tea or coffee at the pupils house

or other details; I kept feeling like I'd read of them somewhere else...

This book to me is clearly autobiographical.

There was an irony of how Francie is growing up and questioning the

theatre and what happens if the heroine is not rescued; 

what about the continual predicament of the poor, the immigrants

and then at the end of the book there is this huge

comic reversal where the poor Mother of Francie and thus Francie and her brother

are rescued from their own poverty. 

*

What is being documented in this book is important not only

culturally but as a historical record of huge social and technological changes.

One of them is the loss of Francie's faith in God; 

her Grandmother Mary's character is crucial; she is not just

'the good woman/ the Saint' but a picture of the innate piety and 

love for God, the Saints and Others that 

is so deep that she can endure much suffering and

have such a meaningful death. 

I think she is painted in ways as rather weak / helpless

but to endure what she did, she had to be very strong.

The changes in the Catholic church that happened after the book was 

published in 1943 are very far reaching.

*

Catholics used to all fast from midnight on for Holy Communion as

Francie fails to do early in the book; the regular confession and 

monastic presence (the Aunt who is sent off to a Convent early on 

and not seen again) is significant. 

*

While Francie clearly still believes in the existence of Christ 

and maintains some piety, she seems to be well on her way to

being hardened to faith as something that can really be a source of help.

Of course we don't get to see Francie later on,

when she is done growing up or at least not in her teens.

*

This book has much to show about the power of woman for 

enduring and loving life; but it also shows a lot of

compassion for most, nearly all, the characters in the book;

and not just triumphs of woman but of Francie's Dad,

Johnny licking his alcohol addiction just days before he dies.

He dies a broken man, stripped of his union and of his strength 

but yet he won over the very thing that killed him

and the point of him doing it for the child to be born

is not lost.

*

It's a well written book and you can tell that the author had

been writing plays by this time; the book lends itself easily,

esp. with the dialogues, to theatre. 

*

And that's what I've read, am reading and hope to read...

and what I am creating.

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What are you reading and creating?

Yarn Along with us!