Tuesday: Thanksgiving Prep, Quiet and Vespers at Night

My 'ironing' of the plastic table cloth under the beautiful Ukrainian 

table cloth, a wedding gift from my Ottawa Ukrainian Mother :)

This table is for everything other than main meal for Thanksgiving.

 Lead Crystal Goblets soaked in 50.50 water/vinegar for

extra safety for any surface lead to be gone for my guests.

Tea. This was Paris, with milk added, by Harney and sons.

A real treat.

My Mother found this can opener for me for 3$ at the thrift shop! 

It's the kind that opens the can and leaves the sharp edges

turned in so you don't cut yourself.

I was so excited, as I had been wanting one for a few years.

I even had a dream that night that I got one.

I think back on this with some poignancy,

because I remember when, years ago, pre-Mr Husband,

when I was looking for a job and literally running out of money,

that my vegetable peeler broke; I only had one and I really did 

not have money to replace it (food, phone + internet bill, rent were my main priorities)

and so I called my Mom (it was November or December) and told her

and asked if she could get me one for Christmas. Which she did.

And later I got a second one at a bridal shower. So now I have 2.

Anyway, I think that is one of the reasons that this can opener 

means a lot to me.  I could of bought it new, 

but hoped my Mom would find one as she did...

I am in a much better situation now, than those years back...

God really took care of me in many unexpected ways

and I can see how that really tough time helped me in many ways

to get ready for many changes in my life and to understand 

what it means to struggle and struggle.  Poverty, even temporary, is often

not the fault of the person stricken with it. 

And I am so much more sensitive to this now.  

Vespers tonight.

***

Had a pretty good day.

I finished the newly published book

Lights on the Mountain today.

Very good.

Spare writing, clear, words well chosen, topics handled with care,

with the ability to write about heavy things in a way that was real, honest and clear...

 and I have a feeling that this book also had really good editing after writing.

It must have taken a lot of work, to make the story so clear, the words well chosen and 

all that was not needed, sloughed off, if not chopped off with a well-used sword...

Really enjoyed it.

Well, I'm tired. Liturgy tomorrow. House cleaning after and setting up

the tables for Thanksgiving, the day after.

I made the yam dish today, set up the tables, did all the laundry that needed doing, 

talked to my Mom (2x) and my Grandma... 

I am so glad for family.

***

May each of us have mercy from God for our many struggles in this life.