Monday, September 16, 2013

Monday in Mid September ~ Second Year of Marriage


We got a lot of anniversary cards
when we came back home
from being in Ottawa.

I love the two in front from two of our nieces.

Cleo is getting used to us being home again.
She always lets us know that
we were missed
(meow meow meow) and she got a
thorough brushing and then nice treat yesterday.
Mr. Husband says that cats, unlike dogs, do not
have masters but staff.
I remain in somewhat denial of this,
seeking to have some sort of order and rules
with Cleo but it must be admitted that
brushing = treat
and that I still find her chewing plastic and
at times naughtily on tables. 

You can see my new small icon of
St Euphrosynos the Cook.
When I was still in library school,
back in 2006,
I wrote my own narration of St. Euphrosynos' story
and read it to public library school kids as
part of my story telling class.
It's a beautiful story and one that I think
should indeed be made into a kids story...
I've always wanted his icon for my kitchen
and there it is!
A small one from the Greek monastery found on
our first wedding anniversary. 

I am enjoying our still more tidy
home since we made changes
when my family was visiting.
 
We made a few more changes since then that
I hope to blog about in the future.
*
Mr. Husband and I have started reading out loud the
book on Fr. Arseny that we both
read years before.
It is deeply moving and one that
we can both recommend highly.
It is such a blessing to be able to read
such books together.
*
My head cold still flourishes;
I slept most of this morning and
have filled waste baskets with my constant Kleenex use.
*
I am afraid I am not keeping up with all the blogs
and commenting.
Still seeing and reading...
*
I am still not using face book.
I realized that I need to discipline my computer use and
curtail it if I ever want to do something else with my life.
Like learning to knit more and perhaps
sewing, not to mention reading books, keeping house
and the like.
*
And so it is a quiet beginning of the (liturgical) new year for
us as we begin year two of our marriage.
I must say I am relieved by the quiet.
Planning a wedding, moving, the many adjustments ~
it's good, beautiful, needed but draining.
I would not say that my time of adjustment is over
or for Mr. Husband
but it is at least quieter
in the sense of a year under our belt,
a home that is slowly taking shape the way we wish
and some routines being established.
*
We never know what life will bring next so this quiet
I will savour while I have it.
*
Book club starts tomorrow.
Question: can you prepare a chicken for roasting the day before?
You know, stuff it with the onions and herbs, butter it
and have it ready to go and then cover it for the day
in saran wrap and bake it tomorrow?
Or is it best just to prepare it for a slow cooker and not roast it?
*
While so many things are troubling in the world
and so many hearts are aching, broken and so many
dream scattered like shards of grass,
I am glad that for today
while I continue to convalesce from this head cold,
that the main decision I need to make
(and welcome comments on)
is how to do tomorrow's chicken.

8 comments:

Peacocks and Sunflowers said...

Happy Anniversary! and many happy years :) and a happy (church) new year as well. I'm sorry you're under the weather - wishing you well again soon. I'd like an icon of St Euphrosynos for my kitchen too - I have printed it out with the troparion underneath and have that up for now, also other 'kitchen saints' Flora (Blath) of Kildare, Juliana of Lazarevo and Bathilde, an Anglo-Saxon slave girl who became queen of France (great story). Re chicken, preparing it the day before should be perfectly ok if it's kept in the fridge. Let us know how it turns out!

Mimi said...

Hope you feel better. Love that Cleo is happy you are home!
What did you read for Book Club?

Rosemary said...

I hope you are over your cold soon!

If you are roasting a whole chicken I always rub under the skin with melted butter before seasoning--I know it isn't the most healthy but it is very yummy. ;) I've done this occasionally with chicken breasts too.

elizabeth said...

Thanks Anna!!

Mimi ~ Thanks! we are doing GK Chesteron's _Orthodoxy_ :)

Elizabeth @ The Garden Window said...

One of the best books I have ever seen about St Euphrosynos is the delightfully illustrated:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Boy-Kitchen-And-Cave/dp/0881412414/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379363875&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Boy%2C+A+Kitchen%2C+And+His+Cave%3A+The+Tale+of+St.+Euphrosynos+the+Cook

elizabeth said...

Elizabeth ~ thanks! I forgot about this book! Must put it on my to get list... :) :)

Maria said...

Happy anniversary!

If you are organized enough to season your chicken the day before, that is just great. You can just turn on the oven and pop it in when you are ready - so easy. Very nice for Sundays or to do ahead for company.

Kassianni said...

smart to stay off of facebook. very smart. nothing of use on there anyway that can't be gotten elsewhere.