Lent, Day 1 ~ unexpected local tragedy, Liebster Award and Focus

Well, the first, there was a murder in the vicinity of where I live. 

Horrible.  We are fine and were at home when it happened else where.

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 I was able to talk to my godmother,

who graciously takes my phone calls.  

She reminded me of what I hoped she would,

of focusing on what is at hand,

Lent and to prepare for the services this week.

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I am thinking of this beautiful song that we are going towards:

(sung at the very beginning of the Paschal vigil)

"0 Come receive the light from the unending Light/ 

That is never overtaken by night ... "

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Jenny nominated me for a Liebster Award.

Thanks!

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About me...well, I got to two churches as my main home church

is 1+ hr/drive/1way.

We got to both churches a fair bit.

I live near NYC.

Married 3.5+ years to my best friend.

No children. 2 godchildren, 1 Munchkin, 15 nieces and nephews 

and many other kids in my life.

I love homemaking, knitting, sewing, baking.

I struggle to get things done that I intend to do.

Like roasting vegetables today, or Lenten reading

(that first item of today rather disturbed me).

I lived 5+ years in lower mainland BC, 1 + year in London Ontario,

7 years in Ottawa Ontario, before I married Mr. Husband.

I grew up in Western Michigan.

I teach Sunday School and do the church bookstore.

I am an avid collector of books, China/tea items, chocolate,

tea and have a good collection of icons...in other words,

I am no minimalist on any level.

I am of Dutch extraction and am a Canadian and American citizen ...

....and love all the convenience of today

...but in a lot of ways wish I lived in a magical land where

there is no problems, more classical beautiful culture, books

and beauty...and all my friends lived near by and we had

tea parties and book readings monthly 

in beautiful old houses full of books - and icons. 

What, you too? :)

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Here are Jenny's questions:

1. Why do you blog?

I began my blog so I could keep in touch with people from BC who I had left,

along with my first Orthodox church, about a year before this blog began,

over 11 years ago.

While this blog communicates things at times about the 

Orthodox Church that I joined over 11 years ago, and this impacts every

level of my life, I would say that I blog now for friendship, to create beauty,

to remind me of the reasons I love living, to write, to find others

who write, create, love and love beauty. 

And many of whom are dear friends of mine ... so I could say in ways the reasons

are the same but the people are different.

Yet, when I read a bit of Kathleen Norris,

like I did today, I would say I write as part of 

an intent to dwell on what is life-saving and to show others

what I have seen/found/read about.

2. What draws you to read others’ blogs?

Beauty. Real people seeking to live as Christians.  People who are creative in 

cooking, writing, photography or textile arts.  Honesty.

Sharing in each other's lives and struggles - community.

Some of the blogs I have read for many years now

and while I have not met most of them in person, 

I really consider them to be friends.

3. What is the last book you read? What did you think of it?

Just finished last night 

Met. Hilarion's Alfeyev's book Prayer: Encounter with the Living God

I loved it.

Very accessible, encouraging and giving suggestions that actually feel

like I can do instead of feeling like a mammoth effort that I quail before

in discouragement.

Highly Recommend. 

4. What are your family’s Pascha (Easter) traditions?

Still building them, but I have baked a basket full of

chocolate chip cookies with BUTTER for Pascha for years

and let me tell you, the kids love it, no matter what church I am in :)

I have about 3 Pascha baskets, 1 for cookies,

two for more traditional things.

We also get things like a bottle of something and sometimes honey blessed

at that time to give as gifts later on.

The Cheese Pascha and Kulich is something we love very much.

I use my Grandma's dishes, a white table cloth, have Pascha wooden eggs,

Paschal looking Rusnyk cloths for baskets and tables.

We take Bright Monday off to rest and have a special day together.

We usually visit our munchkin.

Last year we had just lost my husband's godson, the munchkin's Dad, so

this year will be a time of rebuilding and continuing in, I hope, more happy

Pascha memories and times.

The Munchkin and I of course pray together for his Dad at every liturgy.

I love how excited my Sunday School kids get for Pascha.

I love having meals from our Pascha basket for

Bright Week and we have lots of icons of the Resurrection.

Here's an example from last year: from Bright Tuesday and Bright Wednesday,

from which these pictures come:

I am hoping to buy a butter mold this year and a mold for making

a lamb cake.  

I love celebrating Pascha!

5. If you were offered an all expenses paid trip to somewhere, where would you go and why?

That is a hard call.

Romania - friends and monasteries.

England - Essex monastery, Inklings, London

Holland - homeland of my family and I've never been 

Holy Land - St Elizabeth's Monastery for one 

Russia, Ukraine - monasteries

Greece, Italy - culture, beauty, monasteries.

All or any of these, I would want Mr. Husband to go with me, btw. :)

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Well, 

that's that.  

I don't feel I have the energy 

(this day was super hard because of hearing (the gun shots of) what I mentioned

at the top of this post) to nominate others.

So...if you are still reading this, I know you and read your blog

or you are on my blog roll at bottom of my blog, 

or comment on my blog, then go for it.

I loved the 5 questions I was given and would do the same for you.

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I started a short trip to the edge, the revised edition today.

I am enjoying it but at times feel tripped up by the constant use of 

'the perfect word' and just want to get on with the story.

But at the same time I am and am pretty sure I will continue

to enjoy it.

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Tonight DV I will take a cab to church

(I had to explain to my godmother that our local church

has no parking as we are so urban here, with a city

planned before cars existed) for the first service of 

St. Andrew of Crete.

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And that will be the beginning of Lent, 2016,

Day 1.