On a Saturday...

We continue to enjoy the
wonderful fruits and vegetables of summer
from the farmer's market in our town.

I wore my pink dress and white sweater that
I got for this summer
to the wedding Mr. Husband and I were at
two weeks back...
I ended up wearing my green pashmina scarf as a
makeshift shrug last minute
as I found the church to be quite warm
and when we got back home,
I realized that the white sweater,
that I had saved to wear first to that wedding,
had a huge tear on the top seam,
parallel to the tag!
So we returned it and I ended up getting
this blue sweater instead
(and it was marked down so we returned an item
and got a refund!).
I had been wanting to have a blue sweater
for the Feasts of our Most Holy Theotokos
as her colour is blue.
So now I will have something,
God-willing,
to wear next week for the Feast of Dormition!
Pictured with it is the Ukrainian
shirt that I was given as a wedding present
and have wore to church feasts with
Mr. Husband wearing the one he was given.

Our garden is really just our kitchen window sill
but I love it none the less...

 

Monday will be the leave-taking of
Holy Transfiguration.
Soon Holy Dormition.
Sometimes I think I wish I could slow myself down
and take these in better than I am.
Lord have mercy.
*
Read this the other day and it reminded me of the book
our thoughts determine our lives:

How can we overcome the enmity of our enemies?
By renunciation, meekness and prayer.
Renunciation in everything,
except in faith and purity of life, meekness and prayer,
always and always.
 St. Ambrose writes: "This is the weapon of the righteous ones
that in retreating they conquer,
just as the skillful archers have the custom that by fleeing, they shoot those stronger than themselves."
A brother was offended by his friend but,
nevertheless, desiring peace with him,
went to him to be reconciled.
 However, his friend did not even want to open the door for him
and scolding him from within, chased him away from his house.
The brother then complained to a spiritual father who said to him:
 "Going to your friend to be reconciled, all along the way,
you condemned him in your thoughts
and justified yourself.
I counsel you, even though your friend sinned against you,
 establish the thought in yourself that
you have sinned against him and, in this manner, go to him
 and in your thoughts justify him and condemn yourself."
Thus, the brother proceeded. And what happened?
Just as the brother approached the house of his friend,
he opened wide the door, ran up to him and
embraced the offended brother and made peace with him.
~Prologue of Ohrid for August 10th