Late Saturday Night ... Sunday is coming!

When I was a teen I watched a video
I think it was an African American Pastor speaking...
about Sunday is a-coming,
the day of the Resurrection.

Life-Giving Spring and Guardian Angel.
*
Mr. Husband and I were talking about icons
and how I think it is so important for icons to be in
one's home and for kids to have some too,
for their room.
*
The first icon Mr. Husband and I bought together,
before we were married,
for my godson was the icon of the
Guardian Angel.

The Icon of Pascha,
Christ's Resurrection.
I love looking at this icon;
it has very rich colours
and speaks to us of the
hope beyond all hope,
the defeat of death,
the defeat of despair,
the defeat of hell itself. 

St. Nektarios.
This book
St. Nektarios - the Saint of our Century
is a wonderful read.
I knew one prayerful woman who once told me that
she re-reads this book all the time...
*
I just started the first chapter of 

St. Nectarios of Pentapolis and the Island of Aegina: 

The Monastic Ideal: 

Vol. 1 - The Later Life of the Saint 

and the Establishment of the Holy Trinity Convent, 

by Cleopas Strongylis - Translated by Christopher Tripoulas.

Found here.

*

I got Volume 1 and also Volume 2 at my church in Ottawa in January.

Volume 2 is

St. Nectarios of Pentapolis and the Island of Aegina: 

The Monastic Ideal: Volume 2 - The Catechetical Letters, 

Cleopas Strongylis - Translated by Christopher Tripoulas

 Found here.
*
It is wonderful that we have Saints like St. Nektarios to
intercede for us, for the ill especially.
*
I was recently counselled to not despair when things
seem discouraging or that we are mired down
in the things that are heavy and hard.
*
God is with us,
we must not give up hope;
God loves us,
sinners though we be.

Life is Good ~ Linus AKA Baby Blanket # 1 is Done!

The little baby blanket began with
 this small gauge swatch.

And then I began knitting it,
back at the end of March!
I took it everywhere with me,
as in if I went to church it came with me
in the car.
Knit, knit, knit....

Some of the rows are really good...

Some,
especially in the first quarter of it,
are with mistakes...
but I had just been knitting for 1 month or so
and was still in the throes of Lent and the Mono.
Now if only I knew how to purposely make those
mistakes ... sometimes a pattern calls for holes like these!

I finished and bound it off a while ago,
but still have to weave in all the loose threads.

 

So I did that this afternoon and then showed it to
Mr. Husband...
and then said I was off to blog it,
to which he replied,
life is good.
*
Whew.
Good to have my cute as a button nephew's
baby blanket done!
It was made with love and some prayer
and that is best of all.
*
PS: Ravelry here.

Fia Sauce in NJ

One of my favourite dishes to make in
Ottawa was Fia Sauce.
I made it at least twice with an additional meat sauce
added into it for
Pascha dinners on Bright Friday.

I managed to make it last night.

Added the spices needed,
including fresh Basil.
Slow cookers can be great for meal prep.!

I used to use the
No-Name Italian Plum tomatoes.
I could not find that here
so used the above tomatoes.
Well,
It was OK
but I was really looking for
Italian Plum tomatoes in Tomato juice,
not pureed tomato sauce with tomatoes.
So it was a different sauce this time.

Well we had a small three person lunch today.

The sauce,
plus fried mushrooms and a spaghetti pasta
I put in my soup tureen to make it simple.
It was pretty good but I've made better.
*
I hope to make lasagna with the rest of the sauce,
or most of it.
*
The sauce also freezes well.

I had some bread out with
vegan margarine.

 

And a simple green salad.
*
We were not sure exactly when the guest could make it
so it was nice to have everything ready and covered
while we waited.
*
It is a challenge to know what to make for a quick
over lunch visit that is on a Fasting Friday.
*
What are your quick fasting lunches that you make?
I would love some suggestions!
*
Well,
I am going to try to finish up the first baby blanket
I made a while ago...
*
I have to keep counseling myself to be patient with my
building a new life here in NJ.
The dinners I had in Ottawa took time to organize
and I know with the way it is for Mr. Husband and I
with where we live and me having mono
have meant that I can't be out
trying to meet people all the time.
*
A good friend told me once that it takes at least 3 years
to build a new community where one moves to.
It's been 8 months now
(here I thought it was only 7 months!)
but things got a bit derailed with me getting mono in
month 5.
*
And so it goes.
I am grateful for Mr. Husband and that I have
the opportunity to build a life with him.
*
What are you thankful for today?

For Fun

(close up of Romanian Pascha egg)
*
These Rabbits are back for sale.
So cute.
*
A new to me blog is
Moxie Wife.
It's fun ~
nice to read about other Christian woman
who are thankful for marriage and
committed to them.
*
Anything fun or new for you?

Fighting for Thanksgiving and Eternal Memory

It's been three months since I got mono.
I keep relapsing.
I was hoping my sister-friend and her munchkins
could visit me in June
but now I don't have the stamina.
Mr. Husband and I both wish I could just do
things like going to a knitting store,
taking a knitting class
baking, taking walks,
continuing to build my life here.
It is hard to be patient!

But I am not giving up.
I am doing what I can and know to do.
Trying to eat more greens
(am loving cranberries and goat cheese on my salads).
Trying to rest when needed.

I got the sad news via FB
that Fr. Micheal R. died on Wednesday.
Of a very sad and sudden accident.
Due to being in two places while doing
wedding preparation
and neither of our local-priests (understandably
due to our situation)
being able to do pre-marital counseling,
my spiritual father asked Fr. Micheal to meet with us.
And so Fr. Micheal had two thoughtful, prayerful
pre-marital counseling sessions
with Mr. Husband and I.
We do not live that near to his church
and were not able to see him again.
I am so sorry to hear of his sudden passing.
Memory Eternal!
May God remember Fr. Micheal in His Kingdom!
He was such a kind, gentle and thoughtful priest.
I am so honoured to have known him,
however briefly.
I too am quite saddened by his loss.

I am glad that Mr. Husband's first response to my
email telling him of Fr. Micheal's passing
was to ask me to put him on our newly departed prayer list.
I am so grateful that Mr. Husband and I can pray together.
Last night was one of those mixed up nights
where things break, take much longer than expected and we were exhausted.
So we prayed the rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov before bed.
It is a very simple and very lovely one.
St. Seraphim is a wonderful Saint to love and who loves us!
*
I am also trying to take active steps
towards my recovery from mono;
I know I am really burnt out from everything ~
all of the travel in Mr. Husband and I's courtship,
working while planning a move and wedding,
leaving my beloved Ottawa
for my beloved Mr. Husband,
Hurricane Sandy,
Sickness and
then mono.
*
So here's what I am doing to fight back:
~meeting a naturopath in early June
~trying to eat better
~being thankful, esp. for Mr. Husband
~trying to do what I can to keep the house in order.
Our little home has been under the weather
when I am and I am trying,
as I am able,
to make things more tidy.
*
We are hoping to do some monastery visits at some point
and I have reached out to some beloved
friends to talk.
I've been a bit discouraged lately but somehow
I know that if I do my little, God can do his overwhelmingly LOT.
*
I don't know when I will be better with mono ~
but somehow when I am faced with the sadness of a
a prayerful person who made a difference in my life,
then I want to fight and honour that person
by seeking to make the best of it all
and seek healing ~ not just physically of course ~ but spiritually.
*
One little step at a time...

Yarn Quilt Squares for today's Yarn Along

I am making a
yarn-quilt or
in other words
a patch-work like style blanket that I am creating.

I am knitting rectangular pieces that I wish to
stitch or sew somehow into a blanket.
The above one is a cream square (as it were).

And this is a Marina blue one.
I am not sure how it will turn out
since I am creating it myself and
doing it for the first time
but I hope it will be something
that the 4 year old boy will love!
Ravelry here.

Mr. Husband and I are still enjoying
Everyday Saints.

 

My Cleo Cat :)
*
Mr. Husband and I are still loving the song of this
Bright Season:
Christ is Risen!
*
Yarn Along with us!

Tuesday in May

We ordered groceries online again.
I am hoping to make a pasta sauce.
I am thinking of the fact that in ways
I did not even know,
I have to start over in my new life.
*
I can understand this blogger's questions about what does
it mean to be in one's thirties;
it seems that some things are clear and others not.
In someways it seems that clarity can be very late
in coming and that every decade of one's life
there are questions and things to be faced.
*
Everyone is given a different path and way in life.
Each marriage is different;
each person is different;
each family has it's own nuances, struggles and joys.
*
I am hoping to continue finding my way.
*
Some of it seems to be about figuring out
what is not working,
accepting it and moving past it,
looking for solutions and open doors.
*
I am thankful that it is sunny today,
that the groceries are put away,
that we know what is for supper
{grilled cheese and turkey bacon plus a salad)
and that I hope to make a pasta sauce
soon that I've been wanting to make for sometime.
*
What is your day finding you pondering and
working towards?

Sunday, Sunny Sunday...

Mr. Husband and I had
out first outdoor's meal...
*
We have a courtyard that is now usable now that it
is warmer....
I've had this book of
Flannery O'Connor's letters
the habit of being
for a while,
over a year.
*
I think actually I got it the
first time ever that I went to NYC.
*
They have been lovely to read
and I quoted some to Mr. Husband over dinner.
She has a wonderful sense of humour.
*
I have started another knitting project.
I've seen this called startitis,
the beginning of things but not finishing.
But my first baby blanket is done
(except the knitting in the loose threads)
and I've finished some things.
And I am well on my way to being done with my
second baby blanket.
The new project I am doing is knitting free-style
squares that I want to stitch into a blanket.
Mr. Husband and I have dubbed this blanket my first
yarn-quilt.
*
So we stayed in town this weekend
and went to our near-by church.
I had my knitting at coffee hour... :)
*
Mr. Husband and I have been married 7 months now.
I am just beginning to see or be able to articulate to myself
what a huge change it was to get married and move
all at once.
Rather put me in shock,
which knowing me is not a surprise.
When I think about the stories I've read about
grief and even when someone loses a loved one who is very ill
and the death is a long time coming,
when it comes it is still a shock,
as if totally unexpected.
It kind of was like that for me.
We all knew it was happening;
I blogged about it and
had a blog for it
but yet when it happened
it was joyful but also very new
everything all at once
married,
new place, country, state, church, home
even a new kitchen;
my old dishes I had given away, my cups, silverware ~ all from IKEA
and bought in Ottawa.
I kept my pots and pans that I had from my parents and
my China
the blue and white China I have I got a garage sale for 5.00
and my other China was my Grandmother's old set....
*
I've been reflecting on this the last little while
as God-willing I and Mr. Husband will be going to our second
wedding as a married couple this July.
*
I can tell how big a change it is in part
as I don't quite feel myself yet in many circumstances.
I am a bit shy.
This is not really me.
But this IS me when I've just been through a huge shock or change.
I eventually feel myself out of it
and it will be fine.
I've been through this before,
when I was in 4 different places and 3 countries for 4 consecutive fall/winter
semesters in my early undergrad years.
*
Anyway,
this is showing me that I've really been in a huge
transition and that it is okay to take time and
that lots of patience is needed.
*
Sometimes the most patience
is needed for one's self.
*
I am half-way through reading
Everyday Saints
and it is such a wonderful and worthy read.
And a very kind read, kind to everyone.
Instructive, encouraging and consoling.
*
Wishing everyone who is a
Mother, Godmother, Matuska or otherwise a Mother
a wonderful day today.
*
May God encourage and comfort us.
Christ is Risen and is with us.

And towards a good weekend, God-willing...

I do have a beautiful other Pascha egg
from my sister in Romania.
*
I am still hoping to fix the other one.
*
Did some small things today ~
finally ordered a long sleeved white cardigan
for the summer.
I ordered some dresses earlier and am
hoping to get these soon.
I've a wedding and other things to go to this summer
and so am waiting for these clothes...
*
Took a needed nap.
And the best of all is that a chicken
is in the oven roasting.
Whew.
It will be a later dinner,
but I am glad to just have this done.
Am dreaming of mashed potatoes to go with it! Yum!
*
As always I really appreciate the support
I get via the Internets.
Thank you.

Bright Thursday

Still recovering from last night.
Whew.
*
When I switched my red lampadas for clear
for Pascha and the Bright Season
I put all the oil in the old lampadas
in this jar.
I used layers of cheesecloth to strain the
oil through as black burnt wick pieces
were in many of the lampadas.

Somehow it seems lovely to be able to reuse
oil in this way...

I am still really tired
and Mr. Husband is home again today
as to not spread his cold at work.
Thankfully he can work at home.

I am slowly using up all the old oil.

So wonderful to have these icons of Pascha with us.
I am still so tired that even
lampada lighting is taking some time.

 

My broken egg.
I still hope to fix it.
I am wondering if cotton balls inside would work.
Any thoughts?
*
Regardless of the normal ups and downs of life,
Christ is Risen
and His Mercy does not leave us...

A bit of ewwwww with a broken egg and ruined dinner ~ or the ups and downs of daily life

Before you hear about the details
does anyone know how to fix a broken Pascha egg?
I had to soak it in water and vinegar and
am hoping it will dry well and
I can glue it back together.
I am thinking of using glue used for China dishes
does this sound like a good plan?
\
So I had this egg on my table
by the Pascha icon.
As can be seen in this post.
So it kind of was never done properly and
there was still real raw egg inside,
a few years old.
Well not any longer!
(I know that is the ewwwwwwwwwwwwww part)
I accidently knocked the icon over,
which knocked the egg cup over,
which then the egg broke
and suddenly there was egg everywhere;
ironically I was just trying to move a cloth that was under it
as I was worried it would get spilled on.
Boy did it ever.
So Mr. Husband has a long abiding revulsion of eggs
and he tried to clean it up without thinking about it
and then I had an almost very sick husband who
I quickly shooed out of the kitchen.
I cleaned it all up and
put the broken egg shells in water and vinegar.

Soaked the egg cup
and put the cloth in water.
While I was cleaning up the table from all of this,
(we were about to eat some left overs that I had
microwaved)
I heard glass break
that I had microwaved food in.

And I am always so careful about glass!
And I was careful this time also!
I NEVER put it from freezer to microwave, etc.,
having heard the story about the time when my Mom was young
and a glass bread pan shattered by the oven.
So then I had to throw away the
Pyrex glass container and food;
cleaned up lots of glass shards on the table, the floor;
cut my thumb on a tiny glass shard
and we threw our whole dinner away,
not just that food but sadly a newly gotten out
frozen loaf of my Grandma's Christmas bread that we had
kept special in the freezer,
beef roast, potatoes,
got new dishes out etc as the glass shards were scattered and small
and we did not want to damage ourselves by swallowing glass.
Note, I had already punctured my thumb on an invisible
glass shard.
We replaced Cleo's food and water (near on the ground where the glass broke)
while Mr. Husband
talked about the Brother's Karamazov 
and the boy who almost killed a dog
by having the dog eat broken glass;
and got everything
in the dishwasher for a good clean.
*
We ate a short meal,
Mr. Husband still feeling unwell and I having lost my appetite
through the smell of Lysol...
*
Mr. Husband and I admitted to ourselves that it was
stressful to suddenly have a broken Pascha egg,
(done by a woman's sister who was ill in hospital and who
failed to drain the egg as one is to do)
and Mr. Husband being sick
and the glass shattering on the table.
*
Mr. Husband was sad for me as
the Pascha egg was given to me on Pascha by one of my
favourite people at my parish a few
years ago and is the only tangible thing I was given by
this person....
*
The redeemable thing of it was that
while Mr. Husband put all the dishes in the dishwasher,
I read more of Every Day Saints out loud.
And just to think,
I had wanted to make
a roasted chicken like we had on Thanksgiving
but was worried about it taking too long
since I am still trying to pace myself
so that I do not relapse with the mono...
*
Tomorrow I hope to make the chicken
and I hope the egg shell will dry and be able to be fixed;
I know it may not be fixable
but it was from a dear church member on Pascha
and I had really liked it....
*
Some days are just like that,
as the book
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
narrates.
*
I did try to console Mr. Husband by telling him
about my reading in this book of Madeleine L'Engle's Mother
witnessing as a child
the whole town burning down in one day
and everyone losing everything.
A lost egg, a lost meal and a lost dish
is nothing really
but the suddenness of the events did leave us slightly breathless.

Bright Wednesday

Another way I decorated for the
Bright Season
is using this lovely table runner that
Mr. Husband's Grandmother made.
So lovely and festive! 

I put out the icon of
St. Nicholas, Raphael and Irene
on display as well as
they are commemorated on Bright Tuesday.
See here for a wonderful story of how
a young teenage boy was saved by them
after being severely injured on a motorbike accident.
My small icon of them is from the
Greek monastery Mr. Husband and I love in
Quebec. 

So glad for this beautiful embroidery from
Mr. Husband's Grandmother;
having things passed down to us is such a special thing.

We got this lovely Pascha card!

Mr. Husband stayed home today ~
there was a flash flood warning for this part of NJ earlier this AM;
sadly Mr. Husband woke up with a sinus cold
and we are drinking lots of water, teas and I made
chicken soup for lunch.

 

It was the easiest soup I've made
as I had been given the chicken broth by a
caring friend from church,
had the rice made already
and the chicken I cut up from the nice
meal Mr. Husband and I had at restaurant on
Bright Monday.
*
I am still really tired and am trying to rest up.
A dear friend sent me an email about when she had mono
and that it took time to get better
and reminded me to keep pacing myself and rest.
*
Pascha was such a wonderful time.
I miss it already!
Yet it is still bright week and that is so wonderful!
This blog has had so many wonderful
posts for Bright Week.
*
I am loving that we get to sing
Christ is Risen
for our prayers this week!

Bright Week ~ Bright Baby Blanket and Everyday Saints

Christ is Risen!
Mr. Husband and I are loving Bright Week
after our Easter (Pascha) Day!
*
During Holy Week and Pascha 
I've been working on this
cute baby blanket ~ for a girl this time.

I am calling it my
Easter Baby Blanket
as it was started during Holy Week.
*
Mr. Husband got me this book for my Pascha present!
Everyday Saints and Other Stories 

 

It won a prodigious literary award in Russia.
Many of my friends have read it and LOVE it!
It is very readable, humorous and gives such light and
hope to one as one reads...
I can understand why so many of my friends said
they could not put it down
and were sad when they were finished reading it.
It's a wonderful Easter gift!
*
Mr. Husband and I are reading it out loud to each other,
bit by bit.
I am also reading it separately as I love it that much!
*
What are you creating and reading?
Yarn along with us!

 

Christ is Risen! Joyous Pascha!

Christ is Risen!
The world rejoices!
Christ is Risen!
Death is not our captor!
Christ is Risen!
Nothing, no NOTHING, can separate us from Christ's love!
Christ is Risen!
In Holy Pascha we are never alone but all together!
Christ is Risen!
We have the hope of Christ's mercy and a heavenly home!
Christ is Risen!
We have His words of promise of the land where no sorrow is!
Christ is Risen!
All evil is defeated!
Christ is Risen!
Our hearts rejoice!

We had a beautiful first Pascha as a married couple!

Mr. Husband's basket has the Doritos :)
Dutch cheese, the Pascha bread and cheese,
A red and white Rushnyk
from my Ukrainian family for our Pascha basket.  

Wonderfully died eggs!

Our hope of eternal life with Christ!
Oh, how wonderful heaven is!
Pascha is a day outside of days!
Heaven comes to join us on this most
Holy Day!

Our true and sure hope
is in Christ and
His Resurrection!

Blessed St. George's Day today!
Bright and Holy Monday!

We had a beautiful Pascha day!
Mr. Husband and I wore traditional
white embroidered shirts
for Pascha day at Agape vespers...
The shirts were a beautiful wedding gift to us
from one of my dear friends from my
parish in Ottawa.

Wooden Pascha Ukrainian Pansky eggs.
*
I put the Pascha Rushnyk on the
table with white table cloth for Pascha.

This egg is real and a gift from
the Matriarch of my Ottawa Parish a few
Paschas ago;
it is one of my beloved treasures,
esp. as it is from this family.
I made the Pascha icon a few Pascha's ago
and it was blessed by my Ottawa spiritual father.

Icons of Christ's Resurrection
and the icon of Bright Friday
and Paschal festal clear lampadas for the feast!

 

The tall candles in the candle holders were
a thoughtful Christmas gift
from a new and dear church friend here in NJ!
I knew right away I would save them for Pascha.
We were given the bread and cheese Pascha from
a caring parishioner here in NJ.

It was such a joy to make a simple
Pascha meal and table for
Mr. Husband and I last night!
*
We stayed in a hotel suite from Holy Wednesday-Pascha
so we did not have to make long car trips daily.
I made it to Pascha by God's mercy.
*
I am tired,
have either allergies or a cold
and am thankful that it is Bright Monday and
that Mr. Husband and I can rest in the joyous light of
Christ's Pascha!
*
Of course I missed my Ottawa Parish ~
but I was able to pray for many in the Parish on
Pascha and that was a real blessing.
And I am thankful for a joyous Pascha with Mr. Husband!
Our first as a married couple!
A year ago Pascha we were engaged to be married
and now we are here,
almost 7 months as newlyweds!
*
Christ is Risen!
Truly He is Risen!!!