A rainy wet grey day is glorious for being home

I made Mary's red lentil soup for a late lunch! It was a rainy windy grey day... PERFECT for soup!

Tomorrow I hope to return, 7 weeks later, to NYC.  I can walk fairly well, without limping or needing to favor one leg/foot. So I am going!

I still get sore in my foot after hours of being up but I am well enough to try now. It will do me good, I think!

I am enjoying a quiet week and thank God for this! 

May God have mercy on us 🙏 

A Nice Quiet Day

I read another Molly Clavering novel Dear Hugo.

I baked a double batch of cranberry orange muffins ☺️

And washed all the dishes.  Pulled out the warm comforter for the winter.  Did toe exercises. (Still hurts!)

Luxuriated in a quiet day (Mr Husband was in the City for work).  Talked with a friend via video.  Called my Mom to check in. 

I have been absolutely CRAVING time to just read.  So today was a real gift and not one I take lightly. 

I am waiting for Mr Husband to arrive home and this too is such a gift. 

May God bless us and save us 🙏 

Breathing Room

I enjoyed reading this novel Mrs. Lorimer's Quiet Summer by Molly Clavering.

It was just what I needed.

I am doing some toe exercises for part of my recovery. I can walk but can have some pain.  My toes are quite stiff and need exercises to get them to work properly as they have a hard time bending.

I am taking some days to enjoy the quiet.

I find I really need quiet quite badly.

May God have mercy on us 🙏 

Last day, first day

Last night we had our last (dairy-filled) treats and meat until Christmas 🎄 

I am so glad today is the first day of our Nativity Fast!

May God have mercy on us 🙏 

Turning Towards Christmas 🎄

I am so happy to be beginning Christmas 🎄 decorating. 

May God bless and protect us 🙏 

Thanksgiving 2022

We had Indian food for lunch (at a restaurant) with a new friend from church! It was a really nice day! ❤️

Much Better

The 🔥SPICY 🔥 soup + everything else helped tremendously my Husband is much better not even sneezing!

I am so HAPPY to report that I no longer have to tape my toes, I can flex them now (bones are set), can walk as much as possible and need to do little "toe crunches/curls" each day. 

So so relieved. And as I take on my normal tasks of food prep and dishes life is much busier!

God bless us each and every one 🙏 ❤️ 

Thankful

Chocolate covered Turkish Delight from Istanbul via my traveling tea friend. It was the best I have ever tasted. I felt it would have rivaled the addictive box Edmund, in Lewis Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, was given by the white witch.

Special blessed incense from my local church. My Husband has a bit of a cold so wanted extra special things.

I also culled my cookbook shelves to make room for new ones that I was given (all vintage except the one I got last week in the mystery package)!

Tons of chicken soup for my Husband ❤️

Excellent delicious Chinese food, spicy to clean our sinuses.  I felt GREAT eating this food!

I got to use pretty dishes and was able to wash them. 

I go to doctor tomorrow  .... hopefully will not need my toes taped any longer. 

Boy am I glad to be doing better as my Husband really needed extra support today. I made him at least a gallon of tea today 🤣🫖🫖🫖🫖 I am so proud of him for doing so much to recover quickly.

We are hoping to take out a lady with no nearby family out for lunch at a restaurant on Thanksgiving so VERY much hoping this can still happen. [BTW my Husband did test for ~the virus~ and it was negative].

Well thank God for all things and especially for such great food and tea! Tomorrow we will rest up!!

God bless protect and console 🙏 

Another Step Up

Happy update!☝️🥰

Just like I could tell when I didn't need crutches yesterday I felt more and more that I didn't need my cane.... 

So that is really great!

I have a lot of people on my heart who are suffering. Lord have mercy on us and help us 🙏 ❤️

I am going to need rest today but I am so happy to be doing better. 

Praying for God's help 🙏

Such Deep Beauty

The early afternoon vigil was deeply beautiful ☦️🕯❤️🙏❤️🕯☦️

It really encouraged my heart. 

My toes were swollen and sore today on and off. 

My Husband spoiled me with green fish curry from our favourite Thai restaurant 🥰

My tea traveling friend gave me some amazing teas to try! And some special treats!

I got to see some dear friends at church ny heart was so glad ❤️

I know that I am so blessed. 

May God have mercy on us and save us!

Saturday, Simply Saturday

Vespers tonight + Instagram fun 📚

My "office" on the couch.  I am nearing the end of the second book of L'Engle "Genesis Trilogy" which is a lot more than the stories of Genesis! It is a crash course in L'Engle's thoughts, concerns, struggles, reading and pondering. I am taking a lot of notes so I can track the different strands of her thought. Some of it takes some real careful thought to make sense of it as she has a lot of nuance + lots of strands of thought/themes.  L'Engle is trying to synthesize current science with theology in philosophical ways that don't always come together neatly.  But I love getting to think about it all. I love thinking about science and culture and how it all comes together.  But it is worth being careful about, understanding the turns in her thought, seeing how it works or does not work for the reader. 

My closest friends all know that I have a long standing love of this author. It is because I love and loved her first that I can disagree or question something she writes about. 

Soon I hope to switch gears and do some reading on St Silouan and Sophrony. The Nativity Fast begins for us soon. 

Meanwhile may God bless protect and save us 🙏 🕯❤️

Still Here

Time it's passing. I am so ready to be able to walk without discomfort, hindrance or cane. 

I have ordered some books lately that are basically for the new year. Given how busy December is. 

I am plugging away at Madeleine L'Engle books. Book 2 of 3 of her "Genesis Trilogy"  lots to think about. Some things I don't agree with her on but I always learn from her irregardless.  I am reading and taking copious notes so the reading takes a while.  She sure returns to her main themes a lot, a bit relentless in a way.  Some great lines and quotations and stories though.  

My taped toes are really bothering me 🥺 just a few more days I hope 🙏 I find nights are the hardest. Ice helps. Reading too.

Really hoping that I will not need anything on my toes after I see the doctor next Wednesday. 

Meanwhile I have lots to read...

May God help us, forgive us and save us 🙏