Lent Day 31 ~ Cleo News, Cookie Baking and Presanctified Liturgy

OK, first, The Cleo:

Husband and I talked to the Vet. Blood work so far clear. Urine was quite diluted, which means it could be one of 2 things:

Possibilities of the problem: thyroid (this is what we hope it is) or a kidney problem. Vet is guessing it is thyroid, but said it could be kidneys. Please pray that it is a thyroid problem and not something more serious!

It is NOT cancer, diabetes or a liver problem! So that's GREAT news.

So, Cleo has to get 1 vial of blood drawn on Sat morning. Not fun, but will tell us if it is thyroid or a kidney problem. I will know the results by Monday, God willing. 

Prayers welcomed to continue!!!

If it is the worst and is kidney problem/failure, 

I am likely to be a basket case for a bit.

This is all bringing home to me how much Cleo has meant to me.

My whole working life in Ottawa, from my first real job/contract,

Cleo has been with me.

I lived alone, a single professional librarian in Ottawa for 6 years 

and she moved with me to New Jersey as the only living being

who was with me before I was married and now after I am married and

living in NJ.  When I had my worst days, she was right there.

When I broke my foot and was laid up in bed,

she would sit on my small twin sized bed with me.

There was a time in London Ontario (she lived there with me

the summer semester after my 2 semester co-op in Ottawa) that I was so overwhelmed

that I would be lying almost prostrate under the shelf that had my icons

and Cleo would come and play with my hair, so comforting.

That summer in London was hard, I had left Ottawa

and wanted so much to go back (and I did!) and doing so much moving

in that time of my life and other things made the end of that summer

really hard, I was extremely exhausted.

Anyway.  God got me through and Cleo was with me, moving

each time I moved.  

Once I lost my glasses (I am quite blind without them) and I could not see where they fell

(I had knocked them off my desk, this is years ago in Ottawa)

and I said 'Cleo, do you see my glasses?' and she went and stood by them.

So many stories, memories. 

I am greatly hoping she will be OK and live another 10+ years.

****

So Mr Husband worked from home today, 

we had a nice lunch and afterwards

I baked cookies for Pascha!! 

Finally!

They are done, bagged and in our freezer staying fresh! 

I hope to bake even more but at least if I don't get to it,

will have some! A good amount of some, as I did 4 batches... :)

****

The lights on the inside walls of the church were on tonight 

and I so enjoyed looking at the paintings/icons of the Mother of God's life....

It was really good to be at the presanctified locally.

Our priest gave a very simple sermon after, 

saying that he saw a bumper sticker like phrase once that said

Serve liturgy as 1st, only and last.

Excited and devoted as the first

As serious as it being your only and 

as heartfelt and important as it being your last.

And how it is the same for us, 

we must consider Holy Communion to be our

first, only and last and treat it

with importance 

instead of getting used to it and thinking

I can have a more serious liturgy and communion later. 

He also mentioned how many martyrs who were priests or Bishops 

actually did serve their last liturgy knowing it was their last.

Simple and a lot to strive towards in that small sermon.

*

Well, after that we went to our local diner,

our at least once/week place, 

and had great fast-friendly food with left overs for later.

*

We are gaining strenght but I am still grateful for prepared food

to tide my over while I try to catch up on all the things

that got so snowballed while we had the flu and were basically

out of commission for much of 2 weeks....

Laundry is slowly getting done,

much else still to go.

*

Thanking God for it all.

And that's Lent Day 31