Ready For Baking In Our New Toaster Oven

These came yesterday...I really like USA PAN... 

Now I can bake cookies or a pizza more easily in our 

toaster oven...

I am hoping this will help out also 

when doing more epic baking for Christmas, as I can use my oven

and my toaster oven... 

****

Things are so busy for us, 

I feel thrown off... for months we were talking walks every night

and I don't think we did all week...

I did do 4 days of swimming... 

It's a really busy time.

Again, if I don't blog much, don't worry,

just busy with family visits that are soon upon us

and making everything ready. 

A Friday Morning Thanksgiving List

Thanksgiving List:

1....8 laps swam in the pool today! Sunshine! Blue skies!

2. With God's help I got our kitchen / living area space clean.

3. Machines that clean laundry, dishes....

4. My pullman covered bread pan came!

5. We got a newer bigger toaster oven

 (I loved the one we had for 8 years, gave it to a dear friend) 

and cookie sheets + a pizza pan (USA pan brand)

that fit in our new toaster oven are coming today! 

(This toaster oven can fit a 9x13 casserole dish!).

6. I can really feel summer being near it's end, the air is a bit cooler, 

the sun has tilted, shadows are different...

7. DV this fall I hope to bake different yeast breads!

8. That I have lots of cookbooks to inspire me in the kitchen

9. That God's mercy is new every morning

So Much, So Fast, So Good

On Saturday we went to the Feast of Dormition of the Mother of God

... This Feast is very much how even when she died the Lord have continued to have

her as she is, the Mother of Christ, the God-bearer, 

the one who gives birth to the Incarnate Son of God on Christmas...

and we are not abandoned...

***

We went to dear friend's house, 

first time since the pandemic lockdown happened,

that we were at anyone else's house,

and very sweetly we were asked to be 

their sponsors for their wedding

in later September here in NJ.

I am researching champagne/gold coloured gowns 

and one of the other wonderful

unexpected things is that we suddenly are having

family visit and this will happen in later August

and I have a lot to do to get ready

and it's quite possible that blogging will NOT be happening

for a while, but please don't worry if that is the case,

it just means that I am really busy. 

Also, the family visiting us, don't worry we will all

be safe about the dread virus and all.

***

I admit I was rather overwhelmed by how messy the livingroom/kitchen was getting

and I was able to get a lot of it cleaned tonight

so I feel so much better.

I swear, that much clutter messes with my brain,

shuts me down, overwhelms me with mess instead of clarity.

***

Well, God bless us, help us, protect us.

Lord have mercy on us!

Buoyant

NYC.

I could not believe I was there again,

Last time I was there was on February 25th.

I went to Michael's and TJ Maxx.

(The latter esp did not have a lot of things outside of clothes.)

I walked to the dentist in the rain

(feeling a bit miserable with wet feet, a cart and 

heavy bag).

Life got better when I had more to drink and eat.

I had a pretty good eye report at my NYC eye doctor that afternoon.

So that was good.  Basically for the most part I am stable,

as in not getting worse.  That's all I can really ask for,

save a miracle but I don't always ask for those... but for help 

in the actual situation I am in... for the most part that is.

I knew I would have an hour plus before I was due to meet

my Husband and a friend for dinner.

Brainwave! I went to Tea and Sympathy

my favourite tea place.

It's rather like a British tea-pub. 

I was so happy to be there.

I had gotten new pens, a cute white bucket to keep them in and 

paper to write with them (they were pens used on dark paper,

thus the black paper I had on the table,

which I used to write my sister-friend a many-coloured ink letter. 

Dinner was good.

I felt bouyant, so happy that I did some normal life things

and had some NYC coffee-shop solitude.

It was so very nice.

***

Today was a lot of dishes, laundry, making food, having more dishes,

and listening to Holy Dormition Monastery's vigil tonight,

while sewing up MANY holes in my Husband's black sweater

that he took to Mt Athos over 20 years ago...

***

Well, time to head to bed.

***

May God bless you, each and every one! 

Tuesday Clean Up Day and A Most Beautiful Song

A lot to be thankful for about.

I was able to get Mount Laundry done.

Dishes are done!

Table is cleaned.

Coffee table organized. 

Still some things to do, but progress has been made.

I talked to my dear friend in Romania today.

That was really nice.

***

I've been listening to Classic FM (from UK) on my phone for some years.

Lately they have been playing this beautiful song

I have heard it preformed live in NYC by Chanticleer 

and it is very beautiful...

I so wish for a return to life as we knew it,

or as we want to know it again,

and part of that would be being in NYC again to hear

Chanticleer at Christmas time. 

***

So, I have a later (routine only) doctor's appointment

that I may be going to NYC by myself for in later August.

I am kind of excited I think.

At least for the fun parts, like eating outdoors

or doing shopping that I did not do this week

and, I hope, going to my library.

I am still having a hard time deciding WHAT exactly to take 

out from the library.

Should I take out what I know I love,

and re-read DE Stevenson books that they have?

Should I try something different? 

***

I am struggling a bit with the impatience that comes

with the pandemic; seeing so many do things I wish I could do

(travel or shop or a big one *see family*)...

***

And I can tell I feel sad about it.

I still don't do sad very well.

I am more aware of it.

But other than trying to dodge it, 

I am not quite good at doing things that help

that don't involve, well, buying things.

I always know I am sad when I want something.

I mean, maybe not always, but it's really pretty often for me. 

It's not that I ways give into the feeling;

but I also am pretty sure I am not alone in this particular struggle

of dealing with sadness this way.

The whole 'retail therapy' pretty much says it all.

Which is a pretty sad state of affairs but we, I am convinced,

are in a state, we hope, of progress;

dealing with our failings and struggles 

and learning better ways takes time.

And above all, I trust that God is full of mercy.

That we can be welcomed by God because

we realize we need Him; 

because we see that we are sinners

in need of healing.

Wonderful how that is.

***

I pray that God will show you the way forward in your own life,

and that God will have mercy on us and save us! 

Counting My Blessings

These pictures are of yesterday's blessings...

Swimming in the morning, yesterday and today.

Good food.

New to me recipe for cooking brown rice, which my Husband loves.

I had one of my Mom's delicious chocolate revel bars.

I am finding that I have to fight for thanksgiving

and to see all the good in my life; 

it is all to easy to get discouraged and see what I can't do

(like visit family) instead of what I CAN do.

I feel like I am swamped with housework; laundry; dishes; constant clutter 

of my own design often; can I get it under control?

Can I get back to working on my essays I was writing?

Or to a sewing project? Or knitting washcloths?

Today groceries are coming, I hope to make a vegan torte 

and conquer 'Mt Laundry' once again... and finish dishes...

I also have some more pantry reorganization as we want to do

a bit more stocking up of items we have not gotten extras of yet; 

oatmeal, Cheerios, for instance. 

Well, I better get on with it.

May God bless us and have mercy on us!

May He forgive us and help us!

May God save us!

I am thankful for this day

 

It was wonderful being at church today.

We went grocery shopping afterwards. 

Slowly, we are stocking up on various things.

I am thinking of how to better deal with lockdown if it happens again

or if the virus gets to a point where we decide to stay home in general 

(my Husband's job he is working from home for the foreseeable future,

at least until mid-next-summer 2021, Lord willing).

Well.  I thank God for all of our blessings.

I know with God's mercy,

He can not only save us but comfort us along the way.

Simple reflections on the Meaning of Life + dreaming of baking bread

I read these verses last night and they seemed to suddenly sum up

in a very simple but very real way,

the meaning of life...

Here's the verses:

Romans 14:6-9

6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; 

and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. 

He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; 

and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.

7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.

8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. 

Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

9  For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, 

that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

**** 

I loved how simple it is and about how our life is to be spent towards the Lord

and that if it is, then we are the Lord's and that

Christ came to be our Lord,

of both us who are still alive and those who have already died. 

***

In other news, I splurged today on a bread pan with lid,

a pullman loaf pan to be exact, that I have been wanting/thinking about

for months.   This is the one I got.  I admit it is costly 

(with tax it was nearly 40$)

but it was the only place I could find it at present. 

And now, just hours after I bought it, it's not available at all!

It should come in September, I knew it would be that long when I bought it.

So I hope that works out.  (As in is delivered when it says and comes safely.)

 I've been wishing for one for a while

and I love this brand (USA PAN).

***

I found this recipe that I think will be the first one I try

as it seems simple and straight forward.... 

and this recipe is one to keep in mind and I am sure that I have

a recipe also in my vintage green William Sonoma bread book... 

which I think is the first place I read about this bread and 

the pan it bakes in... 

***

I don't know about others, but I, and my Husband,

are both very aware of the possible spike in the virus as 

summer slips into fall...

NJ is still doing well.... but...

I feel like I am preparing for possible months of not going to stores again

and depending mainly on my grocery delivery service. 

We are doing shopping lists for what we think we may need,

and I am thinking a lot about baking bread.

I think it, in part, helps me deal with an unknown future.

As in will we have lockdown again and if yes, when? 

OR will the dread virus get bad enough in NJ that we are going

to want to avoid stores OR will the dread virus come back to NJ

in a way that will lead everyone to panic buying AGAIN ????

***

Also, one of my happy places/stress diverters was planning

teas/lunches/dinners for others to come to and that has 

largely been destroyed because of the dread virus

so baking bread is a good substitute... 

***

This coming week is going to be busy; or rather;

Thursday is going to be extra busy;

this is the day we are going into NYC.

I am working on lists of what I hope to do...we will be going

back again later in August DV so I have time, I hope,

to do the shopping I hope to do... safely of course... 

***

Well, so much to think about but now, to bed, to bed!

We are DV going to our far-away church tomorrow so it is 

an earlier to rise day...

***

May God bless us, uphold us, save us and have mercy poured out on us! 

Friday, Peaceful and Quiet

Today was a good day, I am very thankful.

I did not have time before now to fix my error in 

the video about the day of the tropical storm.

I forgot that I have to add those with the 'video' link icon

not the photo option. 

Sorry I did not do it right the first time...

I do read every comment, even if I am unable to reply to them

(not like I am famous and have 100s of them but I can't seem

to keep up with my small quiet life and praise God that I am NOT 

famous with all those demands!)

Anyway, enough blather. :)

Here's two videos I took that day...

*****

Mr Husband and I went swimming this morning! 

I did 9.5 laps (half because Mr Husband was half way through his lap and I joined him

at the end of his) :) 

It was a bit cooler this morning and actually was raining gently,

on and off while we were swimming....

It was good though, and nice hot showers and good towels afterwards is lovely.

I finished this book recently, such a lovely re-read!

I am getting used to my new toaster oven.

I cleaned up my old one that I am giving to a friend;

it was a wedding gift from S & M from my church in Ottawa... 

I felt a bit sentimental about it, 

washing it up best I could... we used it constantly... probably most days

at least 2x a day... toast or heating up something.... 

It's going to a friend and I hope she gets many good years out of it too!
***

I video-talked with my 3.5 year old niece. 

She is SO cute and I love talking with her.

I have lots of stationary from the VNA rummage sale

(boy do I wish the one in October could work out but who knows

with this dread virus situation) and so I got out a box of cards

that all have the same colours and all say 'hello' in different fonts

and styles...

She chose the tiny polka dot one!

She even knew the words "polka dot"... she's really smart

in terms of language and remembering things...  

I got out these pens for her to choose from and also the bunch of pens

that I have on my writing table...

I admit that I am hoping to get to Michael's in NYC next week

and I hope to find some fun new "sparkly pens" to use

when talking to my niece on video on my phone...

I mail her the cards that she picks out and that I write on 

according to what she wants me to write

(usually "Happy Birthday" and then people's names,

her young cousin's and Uncle's today, including Uncle Mr Husband) :) 

She's so funny (3.5 years old it's pretty much a guarantee that they will be funny!)

and today asked to see "the boy" who was Uncle Mr Husband ... 

I told my sister "the fifty-something boy"... it was so funny! :) 

***

We are going to NYC for dentist appointments and I will also see

the ophthalmologist, which is good.

My right eye was noticeably tired today...

I've done a lot of reading this week... 

and I am struggling to stay hydrated, which I know impacts my eyes...

****

I am finding DE Stevenson to be such a balm.

I have not looked at the news much this week, which has been good.

It's OK, I know, to do things that will help one have 

inward peace and cheerfulness to be able to do one's job...

mine to run this house, with help from Mr Husband... 

and if I read lots of news, I would be a mess and not able to function...

and I know, from reading DE Stevenson and how Mrs Tim, in her series on 

Mrs Hester Christie, also known as Mrs Tim Christie, that

she survived WWII (with her husband being in the Army) because

she did not let herself dwell on the 'what-ifs' or the deep troubles of that time.

I know that some people need to know this stuff because they are called

to do something about it but I am not one of those;

I don't ignore world events; you can't be on social media and do that; but

I don't dwell on the news or troubles because it would not help me any. 

***

Well, I pray that each of you senses that God is still with you

and I pray that God will have mercy on us all!