Around the house...homemaking...

Mat. Emily recently touched on something

I have been thinking about...

that is, how do we keep our homes running smoothly?

There can be so many stresses...what can we do to 

make things go more easily?

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I struggle with this a lot...

how do I best use my time?

Esp. when my time is so open ended?

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I've been thinking about the schedule I had made for 

the Nativity Fast.

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I felt so much more excited and focused with 

this schedule in place...

Things seemed to fall apart after Christmas...

partly I got really tired...after doing so much...

and traveling to Ottawa and my time there was 

peaceful but tiring... and so it went...

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I am hoping that I am on the upswing of this now;

I've had a lot of up and down days...

Today was a good day though.

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I had a check list of the few things I wanted to get done.

I wrote it so that it was reasonable for me to get done,

without being overwhelming.

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I fixed a few kids books from our church kids basket 

that were in need of repair;

I did laundry; took a small walk; ate a good lunch with

salad... the main thing of my day is that I was 

actually doing things that I meant to do.

So I am going to be pondering how to make 

this happen more.

Meanwhile,

this is a belated picture of my friend's 

most wonderful cheese ball...

I still need the recipe!! :)

I have had this purse since my work in the 

corporate world as a librarian;

it seems so long ago;

it will be six years ago this summer since I got this bag;

Lord have mercy, what a lot has happened between then and now!

Anyway, I got this purse handmade in the byward market in Ottawa...

when all seemed hopeful and I just landed my permanent job...

not knowing that I would have that job for such a short time...I got it

with a friend... I had wanted a purse that could be life long...

I went to get it fixed (the one zipper was going)

and it was repolished, etc...

It looks new now; I am sure if I keep caring for it, it really will

last my life time...

of course I know I just got my red purse...

I am glad for this purse also; it is going to be my traveling 

knitting bag as well... it's wonderful also...

anyway; I now have all that I need in that department!

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I've been thinking about this again,

the want of getting things.

Sigh.

I have a long ways to go, but see some small progress,

at least in some areas...

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I have so much to be thankful and grateful for... 

Last week as St. Xenia's Day.

She is such a wonderful Saint.

Known for helping people find: 

spouses, work, housing;

she helps families! 

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Here's the Akathist to her in English.

I still have my Christmas things up.

It is tradition to keep them up till Candlemas,

as it is called in the West...

which for us is this Saturday.

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We are due for some bad weather on Thursday,

so they are saying; prayers for wisdom on travel 

for us for the Feast later that week are much

appreciated... 

Did I ever show you my new canisters??

There they are in all there glory...

The new ones are the ivory coloured ones;

a belated wedding gift we got at Christmas time this year!

I store various GF flours in there; 

they are working wonderfully.

Soon I will be moving this Christmas

candle stand back to it's place,

and changing the table cloth.

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Lenten icons will be put out, 

my red lampadas for fast periods,

I will be off FB for the most part;

it will be a time of extra church services,

Lenten cooking, prayers, 

focused spiritual reading...

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I am slowly gearing up for this and am 

looking forward to it, 

thank God....

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God is with us in all times and seasons.

May we have God's mercy with us all the days of our lives!