First Published: 2022 July 23
How has it been almost two weeks since my last post? Intellectually it makes sense, but wow the passage of time is hard.
Anyways, I did finish the blanket which is exciting, and I’m again coming to the realization that when I stop exercising I also stop being productive. I haven’t been running or stretching really, which really puts a damper on my monthly goals. But, inspired by a friend making a book review blog, I think I might start reviewing books here.
Why, you1 might ask, would I do that? At worst, I have a record of books I read and how I felt at the time. At best, I have a way to fill up days that I have nothing to write about. It should also help hold me accountable for not reading books that I don’t want to review.2 Then again, I may not actually review everything I read.
Anyways, that’s all.
First Published: 2022 July 11
I was at a craft circle when I started a bag that I made last week. Apparently my1 ability to crochet got people’s attention, because one of the other members asked if I could help crochet one of their projects shut.
Another, later, messaged me to ask if I would be willing to finish a blanket that a dead friend of theirs started. I still don’t know how to respond to messages like that, but I went with “Yeah! I’d be happy to.” which may be too chipper in retrospect.
But, as it turns out, all the crocheting is done on the blanket. The person who asked knew that the pieces were all done and just needed to be assembled, but thought that also required crochet. Not so. It requires stitching, whip stitches to be exact.
Finishing a join that the friend2 had started was terrifying at the end, because the strip I joined was longer than the one I joined it too. When I finished my second join and found that it was even longer I will admit to a slight panic. But, I realized it’s not totally my fault.
Of the five remaining panels to join3, each is a different length, with up to 6 inches difference. Anyways, I’m having fun practicing my whip stitch and getting better at it!
First Published: 2022 July 10
Deuteronomy 30:10 “If only you would heed the voice of the LORD, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law, when you return to the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul,”
Being totally honest, the homily I listened to was absolutely stunning and I’m just going to steal from it. In the Gospel today, Jesus is confronted by a scholar who asks what the greatest commandment is and how he can follow it.
The priest pointed out that the scribe wants to have neighbor be as restrictive a category as possible. After all, if we have to love everyone like ourselves, where can we keep room in our hearts for hatred? But, Love is not satisfied with restrictions. Love is overwhelming and seeks to exceed.
In such a way, our neighbor is the whole of humanity. We are called to love the Lord with all of ourselves, heart, mind, body, strength and being. It may be incorrect, but I always saw the two parts of this commandment as a what and how. How do we love the Lord? We love the Lord in part by receiving sacraments and praying, obviously. But, we also love the Lord by loving our neighbor.
Anyways, that’s something I’ll have to think about and focus on for the next week. How do I avoid prioritizing my own self-interest above others?
First Published: 2022 July 9
I just reread my1 last reflection on DnD and it’s funny. Apparently the last I wrote about Dnd was also a one shot hosted by one of my friends.2 This was a much smaller group, only the three of us.
As before, we claimed we would end at 9, but really ended at 9:30ish. It was one of the group’s first time playing which is always really interesting. The way that people who aren’t super familair with the mechanics of the game approach it is far different from the way I3 do, often in really positive ways.
We three people met in the City of Arches, where we were hired by a Celf4 to find a chest of his and destroy it. Due to various shenanigans,5 we only got to a reasonable clue for where the chest was likely to be before we ran out of time.
I played a half-elf sorcerer with the gold-dragon sorcerous bloodline. It was funny because the other two PC’s were a high elf and a gold dragonborn, so in a way we were a fun little spectrum. I really enjoyed the session, and I think it’s more likely we continue this into a multi-shot, if only because there are fewer of us.
First Published: 2022 July 9
Pre reading note: I meant to write this last night but was too tired. Whoops.
I had the opportunity to go to Venite Adoremus, a holy hour of adoration for young adults in my diocese. It was a really great opportunity, and it reminded me that I really should go to adoration more often.
After the hour, there was a social event, which was also really nice. It’s great to meet people around my age.
First Published: 2022 July 6
Yesterday the newest book in a series I1 really enjoy was released. It’s book eleven in the series, and so I prepared in the way I tend to for new additions to a series: I reread the prior books. I found that I again completely misestimated the amount of time it would take me.
It feels like every time I reread a series to prepare for a release I panic at first. “Oh no,” I think, “I’ve started too late. I’m not going to make it to the new book in time.” Then, inevitably, I get to the last book and have to stretch it to the release of the new one.
This pattern was repeated, but it was really fun. I got to see plot threads that I’d missed on prior read-throughs that were picked up and woven in to the latest two books, and I just enjoy the series generally. I tore through the newest book, but I’m listening through it now because I really want to make sure I got all of the content.
most of my family, and some of my friends↩︎
First Published: 2022 July 5
I completely forgot about this yesterday,1 but the sky turned the violent yellow-green of a serious storm. It was extra shocking to me because I don’t remember any serious storm last night.
Today, on the other hand, was like walking through soup. It was miserably hot and humid all day, and there’s been a massive storm on the radar. As I was sitting, reflecting on my day, flashes of lightning and distant thunder have been slowly building.
I’m still not sure whether it’s going to hit here badly, but I hope it doesn’t.
Now that I’ve reflected on the direct storm experience, I’d like to talk more about how I feel about storms. In general, I really love the rain. Sure, it’s inconvenient to be caught out in it when I have a backpack or something I don’t want getting wet, but when I don’t, I absolutely love it. The feeling of rain pouring down on me never ceases to brighten what should be a gloomy day.
More than that, though, I love the thunder and lightning. The bright arcs across the sky which illuminate billowing clouds. Sounds so deep and booming that they connect you to the oldest parts of humanity. Plus, it’s super fun to do the whole “Light and sound move at different speeds so calculate how far away it is.”
The times when strike after strike comes in quick succession, so the thunderclaps overlap and you end up with a heavy roar in the air are beautiful.
Anyways, storms are pretty, and that’s all I’ve got today.
or maybe it hadn’t happened by posting time↩︎
First Published: 2022 July 4
Today I went to a crafting event with some friends. I knew that I needed a project, but wasn’t sure what to work on. Recently I’ve realized how limiting the way I know how to crochet is.
Don’t get me wrong, most of what I crochet is meant to be warm and thick, so the fabric being so is a plus. But, as these summer months go on, I’m beginning to understand the appeal of looser fabrics. So, I decided to look for an easy project that would force me to use a new stitch.
Enter the Solomon Knot.1 Though I cannot find a reason for the name, it’s functionally just a very loose set of single crochets with skips. It took me a bit to get into the flow of the stitch,2, but now that I have I really enjoy it.
I like how I can decide exactly how large the holes are, though that really adds another level to keeping consistency in my stitch. In the Solomon Stitch, you not only have to keep string tension the same, but also keep the loops you make the same size. I’m making a bag out of this stitch, which I likely won’t want or keep, but I’ve been surprised by myself before.
I’ve really forgotten how much I love crocheting, so it was great to spend time with friends and learn the knot.
First Published: 2022 July 3
Luke 10:20 “Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Today is the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time. Since I stopped these reflections in the Easter season, it’s kind of strange not having a season I can orient my reflections on.
The last line of the Gospel today is really striking to me. Christ commands his followers to go to the neighboring towns to share the good news.1 They return rejoicing, because they have power over demons now. Christ reorients their joy.
Rather than focusing on the temporal benefits of faith, He reminds us that everything is good only in how it leads us to Heaven. That’s something I need to remind myself more about. A rich prayer life is only worth celebrating in how it orients my will to the Lord’s. Struggles are only damaging in how they damage my trust in Him.
I’m sure there’s a deeper level to today’s readings, but this is all that I have right now.
Good News?↩︎
First Published: 2022 July 1
Yesterday I went through the past two months of my life, reflecting a little on what I did. One thing I did which I’m very happy about is that I made my yearly recipe of lemon wine.
Lemon wine is a recipe I have adapted1 from here. It’s functionally just lemonade that you add yeast to, but I really enjoy it, and it seems like my peers did as well.
Briefly, I cooked boiled 8 pounds of sugar in water with a heavy splash of lemon juice to hopefully break the dimerized sugar into monomers. From there, I combined it with two quarts of lemon juice with yeast nutrient and water to make 5ish gallons, and added EC-81 yeast. I then measured its density and aerated it 1-2 times a day for the next four days, until the density readings showed it was approximately halfway through fermentation. At that point I added another quart of lemon juice and sealed the container
I then left it alone for 10ish days, at which point it was finished fermenting. I then transferred it off the lees2 and let it sit for about a month. At that point I backsweetened it and bottled it up.
It’s always really fun to share with friends because homemade goods feel better to share than storebought, at least for me.