Yarn Along ~ books, blankets and beauty

Yesterday I took the train to Princeton!

 I worked on my many squared blanket, sewing on squares with

blue yarn... it is coming along!

 This is a beautiful book, touching, poignant and
inspiring in how one can live in very difficult times.

Fr. Dimitri and Mother Maria of Paris, with others,
were all killed during the 

Nazi period in France....
they are all considered Saints, martyrs for Christ.

The book is written by Fr. Dimitri's daughter,
who was 4 the last time she saw her father. 

Her memories of her father,
from the eyes of an adoring 4 year old daughter,

are really beautiful and Fr. Dimitri was a very kind man,
incredible in his love.  

I had a really good talk with my quilting friend about this author

 and feel more settled in accepting the struggles Hall had after Jane Kenyon died.

I am looking forward to reading this book, hopefully soon. 

I am hoping to finish this blanket in the next month, if possible.

I have so much to do, that we will see...

I went to a lovely kitchen store in Princeton, 

my kind of 'window shopping' and I love this picnic basket! 

***

Leaving you with 2 pictures of Princeton... 

it's a very beautiful place. 

And that is my yarn along for today!

I hope this post finds whoever reads it

having a peaceful day!

Feel free to join us!

Blanket Progress and Impressive Video

My blanket is progressing! 

I need to knit more green squares before I can continue,

but I have sewn on another row of squares on!

*

Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand

I have read about the persecutions that went on in

Romania under Communism but to see footage of

Richard Wurmbrand speaking of it

after and how deeply Christ was present in the midst 

of such horrors was very moving.

*

I also recently finished

Elizabeth Goudge's Island Magic - a beautiful first novel for

Elizabeth Goudge, you can see a lot of the themes of her later ones in this one.

and Scott Cairns's Short Trip to the Edge - I think my favourite line from this is when

he narrates that a Monk was asked by (probably protestant?) if he had a 

personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the Monk said:

"Nope. I like to share Him."... 

I enjoyed reading about Scott's travels to Greece and Mt Athos.

*

What are you reading/watching and creating?

Yarn Along with us!

Beauty, Sunshine and a Short Trip to the Edge

Three new wash clothes, 1 green square for my 

many coloured blanket,

and a sunny morning here!
*
I hope to sew more squares together soon on my blanket!

*

I have started Scott Cairn's Short Trip to the Edge.

It's about his realization that his inner life

is not at all what he wishes and he goes off

to Mt Athos in hope of help....

it is an interesting as it come after he is

finally more where he wants to be in his career 

(he has one of the enviable positions as an English Professor)

and realizes, now that the dust has settled, that

inwardly he is in utter shambles and not at all 

where he thought he would be, spiritually, by the time he was

40 years old; I believe it is when he is 50 that he begins his actual pilgrimage

to Mt. Athos, where he has been now over 20 times.

*

I will be turning 40 in December and can relate to his struggle 

for inward growth.

*

Will relate back what I think of the book when I have read more.

*

I am still reading Ware's The Orthodox Way and have decided it is a book

that needs to be on my 

books-I-need-to-remember-that-are-sources-of-solace list. 

*

What are you creating and reading?

Yarn Along with us! 

The Way and Many Beautiful Squares Tied Together

I am finally finding time to start sewing my second

many coloured blanket together.

I must say, there is something wonderful in sewing,

in seeing the colours together in 1 lovely blanket.

*

Our Lent is quite late this year,

and begins next week Monday.

We will have a late but I hope warm Pascha. 

*

I am reading, for the first time in many years, 

Met. Kallistos' Ware's 

Orthodox Way and am really enjoying it.
*
What are you reading and creating?
Yarn Along with us!

Beautiful Blue, with love, hope and a prayer!

4 more blue squares for my 

second many coloured blanket are done!

*

I just finished reading a book, 

Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer,

that was a surprising delight of part 

travelogue, part monastics giving jewels of wisdom,

part spiritual journey and all parts loving. 

I hope to do a review soon, but here is one that 

Frederica Mathewes-Green did a few years ago that 

I read after I finished the book that is quite accurate. 

*

I am still reading Amy's book on travel, grief and loss

as well as another on prayer called

Prayer: Encounters with the Living God

(Lent is coming soon for us!) that I am finding

encouraging, on a 'normal person's' level and with 

doable suggestions. I hope one day to stock this one 

at my church's bookstore, perhaps by summertime!
*

I am loving this book,
I often get discouraged by how weak and small I am
in the spiritual life, so when I find a book
that is helpful and encouraging,
it's a huge WIN in my book!
*
What are you reading and creating?
Yarn Along with us! 

Beautiful Colours for a Cozy Blanket

I have a new bundle of squares to add to the 

second many coloured blanket I am doing!

I think this blanket, in terms of the volume of squares,

is at least 2/3rds done!

*

I just finished the fifth Mitford book,

a lovely re-read and am looking forward to reading some new books,

including some published by Paraclete Press, 

including Inner Step Toward God by

Fr. Alexander Man.

*

What are you reading and creating?

Yarn Along with us!

Beautiful Blue and the World of Little House

I am loving this book, The World of Little House,

which Mr. Husband got me for Valentines day this year.

*

It took forever to get the blue skein of yarn into the two 

balls of blue yarn you see in the first picture.

I knitted with double thread to make this square extra-squishy and thick.

*

While I had a long drive home after liturgy on Monday,

it was near white-out snow conditions and I was 

busy making sure Mr Husband had the most ideal 

driving conditions

(water bottle, helping clean the windows, and just watching

and keeping him company as we were both tired) and so

this one lone square done on the drive up is 

what I have to share.

*

But we got home safely and I am so grateful for it all! 

Coloured Squares and Heaven Meets Earth

Progress on my many coloured blanket is continuing! 

I have been reading the great new children's book

Heaven Meets Earth on the 12 Feasts of the 

Orthodox Church.

Great Sunday School Material! 

*

What are you reading and creating?

Yarn Along with us!

Coloured Squares Sewn Together and visiting Mitford

My blanket is progressing! 

Over 1/3 done, nearing 1/2 in terms of size!

I read the first Mitford book again recently,

it was good to visit many of my favourite characters!
(and enjoying some tea and chocolate along the way!)
*
What are you reading and creating?
Yarn Along with us!

The Beauty of Sewing Brightly Coloured Squares

Yesterday was the leave-taking of Theophany... while the Christmas period will last

in ways until Candlemas in February, and my Christmas tree is still up,

bright and beautiful,

We are beginning the shift.

The business of Christmas decorations-present-wrapping-baking is over. 

I am almost done with our Christmas cards.

I even wrote Thank You cards. 

Still need to address them.
The Christmas dishes are put away,
the Theophany ones, about to be back in the buffet...

And I finally have time to think about knitting and sewing.

And I had time to sit and sew knitted squares together,

beginning the blanket that began months ago, in sunny June.

I can already see that I will have more squares to knit,

but that is wonderful, as I hope to finish this blanket up in the next month or so....

 Reading lots.

Loving the first story in Goudge's The Lost Angel, so beautiful, so much hope....

Reading Wish You Were Here - good but heavy, well written for the genre.  But you know,
grief, it's heavy ~ esp. when it is also a journey towards, and a journey to continue holding on
to, faith in light of great personal loss.
Recently finished an Orthodox book by a Greek Taxi man who goes from being
indifferent to the Church to loving it - and monasteries. 
I learned a lot, really appreciated the stories...
A good read, but not one that I would recommend to everyone.
But then, I am not sure what book I would recommend to everyone,
expect The Bible Itself....
I am also reading a book on Elder now Saint Porphyrios
Re-Reading the First in the Mitford Series....
*
What are you reading and creating?
Yarn Along with us! 

All things pile up

Stack of wash clothes knitted over the last months

Growing amount of squares for my many coloured blanket 

My treasure trunk is bursting with them...

I've been reading a lot:

Jan Karon books

Home to Holly Springs

Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good

Come Rain or Come Shine

*

I've also re-read and read

Homecoming

Dicey's Song

*

I've had a lot pile up on me, so much

that I did not even realize that it was a week since I blogged here.

I've not been able to keep up with my blog reading,

so sorry about that.

Just busy, I've been still feeling a bit under the weather, but

I've been taking walks almost daily,

am back to sewing and am trying to focus on this beautiful simple verse:

in everything give thanks.

*

What are you reading and creating?

Yarn Along with us!

Beauty in Squares and Papa's Wife

I am still stitching away at wash clothes 

and also making more squares for my second 

many coloured blanket. 

I savoured my first reading of 

Papa's Wife,

such a lovely book about a family

with a deep Christian family

and many adventures,

and a very spunky wife and a very strong loving Papa!

*

I also recently read 

another fun family book,

Cheaper by the Dozen.

*

What are you reading and creating?

Yarn Along with us!

Many squares, NYC and The Castle of Llyr

 I went to NYC yesterday!

The real reason was mundane (routine dentist visit)

but I had a lot of fun along the way!

I am getting a much better sense of a small area in Manhattan and 

brought my knitting with me!

I have a small 'treasure chest' at home that is storing my knit squares and

wash clothes.  As you can see, I am slowly amassing them!

The many coloured blanket is going to be really fun to put together!

I am so happy it's Autumn now!

I am looking forward to this season!

And am loving seeing my knitting sitting 'around the house' 

as it were... 

Am reading The Castle of Llylr from Mr. Husband's book collection...

he used to have the whole set but is guessing in one of his

library purges he gave these up 

(if he had kept all his books, we would have an impressive library by now,

but probably no room from anything else, like dishes or clothes! :) 

 Other than this reading, I did a cookbook purge this week.

I am getting ready for that set of cookbooks that I was given recently

and have been having fun reading through various books...

I really hope to make more use of the many cookbooks I have 

and make some special dishes this fall! 

*

What are you reading and creating?

Yarn Along with us!