Back: a week in retrospective until the present

Ok. Here I am finally again.

Last week had so much insomnia that I could not keep up.

I went to NYC last week Sunday for the world

premire of Arvo Part's song to St Nicholas.

That song plus Sauve Regina were my top favourites. 

Silouan's Song (orchestra only) was also a top fave. 

I went to NYC last Tuesday

walked 7 MILES and could feel it the next day

but it was worth doing.  

I went tea shopping for Christmas gifts.

I saw a used bookstore.

I went to Tea and Sympathy and 

Harney and Sons.

It was my first time in Soho in a couple of years.

I saw more stores I would go to closed.

My diners closed.

That was hard.

I wrote about it HERE. 

I wrote:

I have lived just outside NYC for 9 years. Every time I visit now is a heady mixture of elation and loss. The first pictures here are of the store (right side) newly closing where I, and I am sure others, would buy the carts so needed for city shopping. @goodstuffdiner_nyc is still empty. Those empty tables in front? I used to sit right there with a friend or a solitary dinner while I waited for my Husband to come after his work. @purlsoho is still closed and I pray they reopen. I loved going there when I could. Everyone experiences NYC differently. The pandemic my mind wants to trick me, to tell me it's over, crashes in when another one of "my" stores close. 14th street & 6th Avenue is where the PATH train is. This is the first area of Manhattan that I ever knew. Not having #goodstuffdiner or #ridgewaydiner is like walking down the street and suddenly having no street to walk on. No place familiar to feed you. That's also why I visit @teaandsympathynyc when ever I can. I was there yesterday (photos forthcoming) and every visit is a gift. ❤🗽🍎🧵🧶🥢❤

***

I am pondering reading books and books that deal with 

rough things, including rough language.

Intersting discussion HERE on a recent book I read

(and the author was kind enough to comment!!)

I am still thinking about this and another book,

Francise Affair that I recently reread

(it is in many ways a revelation of how things are,

a revelation of truth of a situation but the situation

also reveals a sordid situation and so it is tricky

to know how to recommend but yet it seems

like a great one for conversation... 

***

Saturday we went to IKEA and I felt really blessed by

the following: we wanted 2 single billy bookcases,

the half size (ending up being about size of a high table)

and it said 3 were in stock, we got there and there was only 1.

While we were standing there, suddenly a woman came up,

asking if we needed the exact bookcase we did need

and that she took 2 by mistake and was returning them

and there were were, surprised by love, by God's giving us

exactly what we had asked.

We also found a loveseat at another store which was an 

answer to prayer as well.

***

Last night we went to Larrisa's home.

On her fridge was the magnet I gave her.

We saw beautiful old icons and church books that

are going to a Monastery.

I took her Spice Rack off her wall and now it's in my

pantry as no one wanted it.

That was a moment that I found hard.  

Dismanteling a person's home is hard.

I kept saying, 

O Larissa, again and again and again.

Seeing her home like that.

Here things, the layers of her life.

***

I got back from liturgy new calendar for St Michael

and that was good.

***

And now I have an afternoon of a lot of research

for various things to do.

So good to be back here.

***

May God have mercy on us, save us, struggle ones and 

bring kindness to us and protection!