Church, flowers, blessings, encouragement, fasting adventures and the like

A really sweet thing to add to my thanksgiving list.

 Our local church is on the 'new calendar' 

(basically this means they have Christmas on Dec 25 and such things, we follow 13 days later).

 Anyway, we went to vespers for Dormition and when we were walking to our car

 (having picked up some flowers to be blessed tomorrow at the liturgy), 

a nice European guy who grows really tall sunflowers gave us 3!

 That was so nice and they really add to the beauty of the flower bouquet we have!

****

As I wrote as part of a comment here:

we've had flash flood warnings in the last week. Actually it was sunny this afternoon and my Husband was reading some great Irish fairy-tales and all of a sudden it got really dark. I peeked out our window, looked up, whoa, that was some serious low grey dark clouds and within 2 minutes thunder, within 4 minutes, RAIN falling pell mell straight down and less than 20 minutes later, no rain, skies getting lighter again... so funny. I'm told it is a 'ocean specialty' as we live near the bay (basically near NYC/Lady Liberty).

So we started our August fast today.

I was clueless.  As if I had not just finished a long fast in mid-July.

What do I eat? What do I make for us to eat?

We ended up cobbling together some soup, left over pasta, salad and nuts. 

We fasted for over half the summer but yet I am like

fast, what fast? I make food during fast periods?

I did find our fasting chocolate and cookies. :) ;) 

I put them in a basket on our island as moral support. :) 

We went to church tonight.

That was really nice, 

I was feeling a bit discouraged and it was 

so wonderful to be in Church! 

***

DV we are going to liturgy tomorrow morning,

with flowers!

I hope you all are doing well and that whatever you

may be struggling with,

that you feel the Lord rising up to meet you...

may He save us all!