Saturday....

Today was a bit of everything;

I cleaned/put things away.

The HARD that we are going through

(sorry I can't say more, thank God it is not a 

relational problem or anyone dying but I can't say more

than that)

was stressing me out a bit for part of the day; 

but there were many good parts; 

I talked to my sister-friend for about 2 minutes but just hearing her voice

quickly was a blessing.

I am reading the just-out Jan Karon book and am savouring it;

I am still re-reading L'Engle's swiftly tilting planet which I feel is often

a yearly re-read... 

I had tea and cookies; Mr Husband and I polished off the steak dinner

I got on Thursday; it lasted 4 meals! 

I went to our local grocery store after vespers, got some 

homemade chicken soup, watermelon, some really nice bread and

a small bit of a Smokey Gouda cheese for when my parents are here....

Our trip to Holland was a year ago and, once I got over the rough beginning,

I have so many good memories of; someday I would love to share more of 

what I saw there; life has just not allowed for this yet...

I had a super hot bath with bubbles and lovely citrus bath soap; 

and it was wonderful to go to Confession tonight, can't tell you

enough of how much of a gift bringing all those burdens, struggles and sins

to the Lord in Confession and being FORGIVEN!... ; 

it is new calendar the Feast of Holy Protection tomorrow 

and I LOVE this feast...

I realized when I was in the cab home 

from the store that I forgot the one thing

I was meaning to get: more distilled water for our diffuser, etc...

So I ordered that and a few other things for the week from our 

grocery service and that will come Monday... along with an 

amazon order ....tomorrow I hope to prepare the

 pork-roast that is on the roaster to make on Monday ,

and I really want to roast vegetables on Monday as well...

thankfully I am getting help Monday for a final house-cleaning before my 

parents come (more that house needs it than that my parents demand it,

trust me, my Mom already told me she would help me fold the mountain

of laundry I have right now!)....

so it will be busy but good....my foot is still on the mend and 

tends to protest after what it thinks of as "too much walking"

even if it is just laundry/kitchen cleaning/living and dining room cleaning.

So I have been thinking of the delicious European chocolate yeast bread I had 

this past summer and found this recipe and YEP, would LOVE to make it!

This week though I was given a sweet bread with lots in it and so nice

to have something special to share with my parents that is freshly made!

May the Lord bless and help all of us who are

struggling with various burdens in our lives...

Finally Friday

Today over all was a good day.

Had a few harder hours in late afternoon.

I read the Christmas Box Miracle that I found at a 

library book sale a while back last night

and it reminded me so much of how God works in our lives

and that dark times can usher in great light.

I am not sure about the author's faith; I am guessing he is 

Mormon so we don't share the same faith; I am grateful for the book!

 it was  a gift to me, gave me

a sense of peace in the middle of life's current Hard.

A friend came to visit me before lunch!

That was really nice.

And then I was doing laundry and such (a sheet

did not rinse out properly and I had to squeeze it out)

while I was talking on the phone with my Mom and then

realized that it was nearly 1 PM and I was going to be late for PT

and had not had lunch yet!

So I called, they rescheduled me for mid-afternoon and I had 

my lunch and was able to do a bit more laundry.

That was a blessing!

I am including the seed cake recipe that I used

so that I remember what it was.

I am so glad it is the weekend and that my parents come soon!

Our dear friend, the Mother of our TX godchild, is in town

and we get to see her Sunday DV!

So glad for these blessings.

And almost through the week...

I had another meeting in NYC today.

This was such a busy week.

Whew.

I got a nice meal.  Will enjoy more of it on Saturday...

with Mr Husband DV... 

***

I will say something for the learning pile...

I find that when I have gone through a certain type of hard 

and then it comes again, though in different circumstances, 

which is good, it's still hard.  

it still triggers my anxiety.

I have a lot more tools to deal with it but 

hard is hard.

***

So many I know are suffering through things.

Like super HARD things.

***

Well, I better go make tea. 

I have been procrastinating on dinner (eating it that is).

Tomorrow is PT and I hope to get our house cleaned up.

I polished the new to us silver-plate spoons (many of the tiny ones

are being saved for future presents) and am doing a bit of laundry...

***

Speaking of tea, had a cup of chai tea and then Earl Grey 

this morning, with milk, and it was so enjoyable.

***

Soon I have basically 2 weeks at-home vacation:

first parents come for a week (we hope to go to the 

twice-annual VNA sale too!)

and then Mr Husband and I *finally* will have our

staycation, loooonggg over due... 

***

Any prayers for wisdom and help regarding 

the unbloggable HARD welcome.

And if I can say a prayer for you and light a candle,

please say so in the comments :) 

***

Oh, almost forgot:

My newest found today listening selection....

The Feast of the Cross, Lunch, Antiques and St Menas

Sometimes it's just great to look at the pictures of one's day.

The unbloggable stuff is hard.  No one dying, so I count that as a blessing.

But HARD. Yet, life is that.  And I have so many (x1000s) blessings and things.

So Church. Man the traffic was a bit nuts (as in lots of it, congestion) and we 

barely made it on time to liturgy! 

I was oddly super hungry (fasting of course but still, HUNGRY) yet, as 

is normal, the blessing of Holy Communion and Prosphora afterwards (blessed bread) 

was that true 'enough'. 

And then we had a lovely fast-friendly meal at a local Middle Eastern Resturant

and I LOVE those thyme pies. Oh man oh man.

So that was good.

Then a beautiful ride in countryside, while I was falling asleep

 (lots of carbs in that meal and my sleep was interuppted),

and then I got a phone call from one of my family members and that was just

perfect timing; Husband had stuff to do,

I got to talk things out and walk to an antique store super near by.

And you can see a lot of what I saw in these pictures.

Was fun! 

We got some tiny (demitasse) spoons

(decorative and useful silver-plate) for 2.00 a spoon!

Whoo hoo for a good deal. :)

 And the beautiful pure linen cloth for 3.00! 

and 3 worn but nice handle silver-plate serving spoons for 5.00 for the 3 spoons!

There was an older lady there, really cute, who was 

picking up some things (layaway) and browsed and found more things

(jewelry, a doll) and she put those on layaway (with some down)

and it as cute as she said "well, I did enough damage today" and 

then would find something else she "just had to have" and 

immediately, with much charity for the woman and myself,

my Husband, hearing about this, smiled and said:

you will be like that one day.

I said, well, I don't think I would buy that sort of jewelry or dolls

and he said, true, it would be different things... 

He's on to me, that Husband of mine. 

***

So one of the things I struggle with, when I am either sad/worried/stressed

is that I want to get something beautiful, some how some way for not a lot of money.

I fight this often and remind myself of how much beauty I have already.

But I admit to being excited about that linen cloth for 3.00 and how beautiful it is.

***

I've had to keep myself from using my most beautiful tea cups this week

(because they have to be handwashed and my foot is still mending

and I have to be a bit more practical meanwhile) as somehow

using beautiful things somehow helps me stand up in the midst of

the HARD, as if I had that perfect outfit that one feels great in,

when in the work world, etc. 

***

I just love making beautiful tables to enjoy meals with.

***

Meanwhile, my parents are coming soon DV!

My cousin gave me this recipe for pork roast and I have hopes to

prepare this for Monday night's dinner,

with my parents... 

***

So, St Menas. My Husband and I prayed this Akathist

to him and I felt so much better and more peaceful and happy...

St Menas is one of my really special Saints and he has really 

helped me out when times were rough years ago in Ottawa.

Clearly, I need more of this in my life...

***

So, a LOT to be thankful for!

And texts, emails, prayers...

and parents coming (can you tell I am excited?)

and beautiful things for the table....

and God's mercy...

NYC and today

 So, made it to and from NYC.

Was really blessed to have a seat coming and going.

We went during rush hour, it was a full train, but after 1 stop

a gentleman got off and I explained that I needed the seat because of 

my still-tender foot post-ankle break. 

Given my Husband's bad wrists, we did what we did a week ago,

when God blessed us with a seat, I sat on his lap. :)

And then the woman next to me, a lovely one with a nice

green shirt, got up and let me sit there, so we had 2 seats. 

So that was a blessing and when my Husband got off for work

(I had to keep going), I took his seat, warm and put my hand where his was,

warm from just being present there; I must say I can feel a bit adrift when 

he goes off and I stay, but I am used to it and the woman sat back down

and we went 2 stops further, to 33rd street where we got off

 and I walked slowly and took an

elevator so that I did less steps and was easier on my foot.

Then I had toast and eggs for breakfast, with good jam.

I had to wait for that jam as they did not give it with.

Then I caught a cab to where I was going this time,

then back to the 14th street PATH line, where

I went to lunch first and got the roast beef sandwich,

which was surprisingly delicious. 

Just a dab of mayo, roast beef and toasted multi-grain bread.

I also had a cup of tea, which was re-filled 3 times, with 1 sugar/time.

I actually did not order the tea, but found that I was very thankful for it

when it came and they did not charge a huge amount for it.

Tea, such a wonderful thing. 

There was a woman, a different one, who also had that same

colour green shirt and she ordered a hamburger and fries,

smelled so good.  She had tea and a cough.

When I got up to leave, she said to me, 'take care' and

I was touched by that. Well...

After this, I went home.

Later I had one lovey tea cup of hot chocolate.

****

We have some more unbloggable things going on

and well, that's part of life, right?

****

Tomorrow is the Church Feast and I have to be in NYC 

again on Thursday, but not as early.

****

I've been wearing my lace up boots in and outside

that seems to really be helping.One day at a time...

For any who prayed for my day today,

thank you. 

****

ps: I want to make these chocolate cookies

pps: listening to this today, again 

oh Monday, really did you have to be so "Monday"?

This was my trying-to-salvage a not-that-great Monday Morning

during lunch; computer woes; sleeping woes; foot woes; messy house woes.

I am holding on to this fact:

My Husband and I were prayed for during liturgy yesterday.

That meant so much.

My Husband knew I was about as limp as a newly wet dish rag, 

so he took me out to our favourite diner for dinner.

I had beef and mashed potatoes.

Back home he had to do more work, poor man.

Now it is time for bed.

Tomorrow is a NYC day.

I really hope it is a peaceful one.

A belated Hobbit Day

I made seed cake for the first time! 

It was lovely, still warm with butter melting into it and honey!

I also made a lemon poppy seed cake!

The seed cake is the round one; the lovely tins

I used to bake them in are from +Patrick's home and 

I treasure them very much. 

My Beloved Husband brought home the cute little 

cookies with chocolate centres for our belated Hobbit Day

(yesterday was Bilbo and Frodo's birthdays according to 

Shire reckoning)... 

we had a nice Hobbit "elevensies"....

***

Cleo got extra milk also!

***

Well, the rest of the day was mainly spent reading the end of the last

books in the Lord of the Rings. 

The end moved me deeply, even to tears.

I had last read it 17 years ago and I think I got perhaps more

out of it this read than last; December 2000 seems a few life times ago for me!

***

My foot is having a hard time still, paining me I guess you would say.

***

I am thinking very much of dear friends who are suffering.

So much of this in the world.

Yet there are also beautiful books like Tolkien's and

Hobbit day and seed cakes and most of all:

HOPE.