The Moviegoer, Part 2

Please see this page for the new book club "meeting."

Thanks for joining me,
~Meggy

The Owl in the Yarn (cool novel title…)

"Did you forget your knitting last Thursday?"

Yes.  Yes, I did.

But in my defense, I was on the road on a 15-hour drive home for a long weekend.  I had prepared ahead of time for the book club and there, bright and early on Saturday, it was up on the blog and I was getting ready to drive up to Maine for the day.

It did eventually occur to me that I had forgotten knitting day, which saddened me because I want to keep up with this and also because I've done so well so far.

Can you see the owl?!?  This pattern is actually really easy.  Get yo'self some needles of your most convenient size and some cable needles (pointy at both end).  I think it's going to be cute, but I'm really confused about what the pattern is doing.  I'm not sure why I need to decrease stitches or bind anything together.  But I'm going to look into that and figure it out before I go on.

I hope you're knitting with me!  Again, this particular pattern can be downloaded for free, (and this is not a paid endorsement of anything) or you can show us your own craftiness!

TTFN
~Meggy

FIRST BOOK CLUB MEETING

I have chosen The Moviegoer by Walter Percy, but the other option is The Memories of Old Jack by Wendell Berry.  Please read part one of The Moviegoer, and approximately 44 pages of The Memories of Old Jack (I say 60 pages in the video, but ignore that).  This round of the book club will go from the 11th of July to the 8th of August.  Good luck!

2 AM Disturbances

The book club was supposed to start July the Fourth, but seeing as that is a significant holiday, I'm not surprised that no one posted anything.  I myself, in fact, let the day slip away from me.  I intended to take care of it first thing in the morning, but I didn't give myself a reminder (as I warned myself I should).  And so, my friends, it did not get done.

Good news is that I am now prepared for this Saturday.  The book club will begin this Saturday the 11th and this round will continue for four weeks.  I explain what to do at the first meeting, which is this Saturday, but for now, get your book and get excited!!!

Also, my new blog is close to being "launchable."  I'm not totally happy with it, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to move over there before it's totally done and allow it to be a work in progress.  Reluctantly, I asked my boyfriend for a photo shoot – because I don't like being photographed and he loves photography – and so we spent part of Sunday shooting a camera at me, and it was actually kind of fun.  He's being looking through the photos and found some good ones, so those will be going up on the website soon.  I am breaking the barrier between me and you!  You shall truly get to know what I look like.  (Even sound like…??????)

In other news?  Um….  If you're into knitting, check out this page and knit with me!  "Knitting Thursday" every, well, Thursday.

Story time:

So last night, I woke up to loud music and talking just before 1:30 AM.  It was clearly coming from the vicinity of my black neighbors – I say black neighbors because, well, they're black.  Which distinguishes them from my other neighbors.  They don't live in my apartment complex, but in the apartments on the next property over.  They tend to talk very loudly and shout often.  I've been afraid to approach them because they seem so unfriendly….  But last night, they were making a ton of noise.  Or visitors of theirs were.  I didn't want to get up to check.  I rolled over and hoped to get back to sleep.  But finally, car doors slammed and the noise quieted.  But then my neighbors – husband and wife I assume – continued to talk and yell at each other the only way they know how.  And it was 1:30 in the morning.  She seemed to deliberately provoke him – she must be a very unhappy person or just really grumpy at 1:30 in the morning – and I sympathize.

Finally – I didn't hear the car pull up but I heard the voices over the radio.  Almost 2 AM and, I checked, the police had pulled up.  It almost instantly got quieter, although you could hear them still yelling at each other from inside their apartment.

Whew!  What a night.  Took me forever to get back to sleep.  The police stuck around outside for awhile, and some other people seemed to be hanging out, but it was hard to see because it was 2 in the morning.  I'm not sure what was going on.  But eventually I realized that I hadn't heard a sound for a little while and I assumed everyone had gone or went into their respective doors.  And after a bit longer, I fell asleep.

Tonight, it's pouring rain and I love it.  I like falling asleep to the sound of rain on the roof.

That's all I have for now.  Thanks for sticking around!

~Meggy

The Kingdom

"Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, " My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong."

Read this as you wait in line for Confession. Some of the best readings happen to be on Saturday when I'm in the queue for Reconciliation. This one was from June 20th.

Paul is not my favorite writer, but he wrote passages that are truly inspiring. This section really gave me hope, but it reaffirmed what I should have known - imperfection, while still imperfection, does not mean we are hated by God. Although we fall, God says it's okay that we haven't conquered our failings yet. Another saint, I don't remember who, wrote that our sin is an opportunity for humility. It gives us a chance to remember our dependence on God and to rely all the more on his mercy.

"And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation."

When I go to Mass, especially a Latin Mass - and the higher, the more so - I can't help but picture the throne room in Rohan. Perhaps Gondor, with its steward. Or some palace in days of antiquity.

I think that's what so many people miss - the traditions and practices and ceremonies aren't cult rituals. It's a kingdom we're in and it's a king we're worshipping. God doesn't need it, but neither does the queen of England. But that doesn't mean it doesn't serve a function. It facilitates a relationship between Lord and servant. God is more than just Lord and Savior - and yet he is our Lord and Savior and Creator. . . and Liturgical rites serve to remind us that this is so. They give us a chance to re-pledge our allegiance to our King.

The Mass and other sacraments are important for other reasons, but this has been my reflection.

I know not everyone believes in God and that makes me kind of sad - for many reasons. Non-believers are missing out on something beautiful. They think they see something they don't like, but they haven't truly experienced it. It's a beautiful, solid relationship that's hard to live up to. It's like when two people decide to split up rather than confess to their mistakes and reconcile. Or when someone thinks moral goodness is what's tormenting them and it's actually the bad that drags them down. And this division hinders understanding between persons.

I apologize if this comes across the wrong way to you, but I'm not trying to convince anyone to convert. I am nowhere near perfect and I am struggling to forgive myself - and so this is a reflection on the love of God and, sort of, my participation in his kingdom. If it doesn't really make sense to you, sorry for wasting your time. It's how I feel nonetheless.

Nonetheless is a great word.