In Ottawa at my dear friend's house: reflections

Just a note that I made it here safely

and am at my friend's home!

They are my home away from home here in Ottawa

and are such lovely hosts.

*

I am reading some great books

and doing the restore workshop again this year, and more

in depth as last year at this time we were in the middle of new home hunting...

*

This week is going to be a great one for thinking about 

how things are going for me and

figuring out what can be done to make things better...

I read (one the plane) Elizabeth Foss' essay on burnout that she published for her workshop.

It's really good and giving me a lot to ponder.

*

I am also reading a book we recently got for our personal library:

Saint Arsenios the Cappadocian by Elder Saint Paisos.

One thing I noticed in the book is how St. Arsenios took

Wednesday and Friday as 'retreat days' where he stayed in his cell

and prayed and did not, in general, see people.

*

I am doing a lot of focused thinking and, as I can, praying,

on what it means to love God and others first but also

be responsible for the level one is at;

I talked to a monastic once who, when she heard of 

a situation, suggested a certain way to help another that someone I knew

could do.  But I realized, knowing the person, that

it was not possible and the monastic said:

part of humility is knowing one's limits.

*

So I am in a real place of reflection on this.

*

An unexpected part of the first week of Lent.

Tomorrow the errands DV get done (and haircut!) and

I will be at my Ottawa parish for the third part of

the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete.

*

Before I left this morning I put sticky notes 

all over our home for Mr. Husband to read.

*

When we are apart we text/chat/email/call and he knows

my schedule while I am here and has stayed in Ottawa

with me at our friends house where I am so

it's easier to feel not as separated.

*

I am so very thankful for my husband

and that it is Great Lent and that after Lent comes

Christ's Holy Pascha!

May God carry us there!

*

{Note, this post was written a week prior but while I want to share 

at times personal reflections, I also know that I need some time

at times to digest things and thus schedule my posts 

to give me what is needed, etc}