two from Corrie ten Boom

🙏🩷🕯️

baking four little cakes

Instead of vegan orange cranberry muffins, I made four little cakes.  Three of them I'm going to freeze. They are imperfect (it didn't come out perfectly from the intricate small pan) but they will taste very good. 

We watched a waltons movie tonight. 

I'm grateful that God has got us this far. Happy New Year!

today I walked in the cold wind and then rested

 

I am getting used to life again.

This picture is taken earlier, perhaps last week. 

when the snow was newly fallen and beautiful. 

***

I had some real wins today ... 

I think one of them is just seeing that I am gaining ground and that

slow and steady does it. 

***

I worked on my writing this morning. 

I took a walk after lunch, 

read for a while, took a short nap,

later I realized the cold and the length of my walk

(2 miles) would necessitate the rest.

But then I got back to editing. 

I got some real work done today. 

***

It does not matter what the work will mean later,

the point is that I read though a good few pages of my project,

double checking things, changing, tightening and at times, adding.

***

I took down a heavy book of poems tonight, 

we had dinner early,

my Husband came home early, 

I was still working and he was glad for that. 

***

Lovely how the internet connects you quickly to

a picture of the translator and another scholarly woman's meeting 

with her and how they saw the museum the translator was dreaming of...

***

the courage and faith of this translator to learn another language 

and, within a decade, publish the poems of the poet she was so moved by,

is beautiful. 

the picture reminds me of a freind's mother, interestingly, that Mother

was from the poet's country, not the translators. 

How things merge...

***

Tomorrow, a different type of day, a at home holiday.

My Husband suggested a movie.

we will have popcorn, with salt.

***

I was encouraged, when I was looking over my writing,

that I have gained more understanding of some things.

How understanding of other authors takes a long time.

Layers, upon layers.

***

I am learning that today, I can say,

was a good day. 

A Reading of a Psalm

 My Husband's Father read Psalm 61 while we were all together

before December 25 Christmas. 

I wanted to honour that and remember it so am posting the Psalm here. 

****

Psalm 61

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

1 Hear my cry, O God;

    listen to my prayer.

2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,

    I call as my heart grows faint;

    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3 For you have been my refuge,

    a strong tower against the foe.

4 I long to dwell in your tent forever

    and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

5 For you, God, have heard my vows;

    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

6 Increase the days of the king’s life,

    his years for many generations.

7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;

    appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

8 Then I will ever sing in praise of your name

    and fulfill my vows day after day.

(NIV)

with thanks ... a beautiful star 🌟

I opened this up today, a Christmas card and darling ornament from my friend Pat. I saved her card to open today. 🥰 

49

some special moments from today 🩷 

the making of a new to me recipe and reflections on today

Step one: halve large garlic clove.  

Reality: perhaps my garlic clove was too small? Regardless the first one. I used the wrong knife and it didn't halve and some of it was already dried out and useless. The second clove worked better. I put the good part of the first and then the second clove half in the tablespoons of olive oil. By this point I was already thinking that the olive oil I have with garlic would have been sufficient and that I didn't have to go to this much work. However, it is baking now in my toaster oven. Covered in foil 375 F for 35 minutes. 

Step 2 boil pasta, save a cup of pasta water.

Reality 2. I was reading a book and I got distracted, was busy thinking, and forgot to cook the noodles. So the garlic is done and the noodles are not at all ready. I am so out of practice in terms of cooking and timing. 

My Husband had to help me with the can of sardines. (I am adding to the recipe, it's a fish day). 

The garlic was admittedly fun to fish out from the baked garlic clove husk. 

I used frozen spinach that I thawed with water in a colander. I used an immersion blender to blend the garlic and spinach. I had to add about half a cup of pasta water for it to work. 

So it didn't look anything like the picture of this meal that I was basing this on. 

Well I didn't manage to keep my bowl of pasta hot. It needed salt and pepper. But when I focused on the taste it was actually all right. It had a tang to it. 

The noodles I used were not the smallest that were advised. I actually like small noodles. I had made half a jar of tomato sauce with a handful of thin noodles and sardines over our before Christmas family reunion. It was actually pretty good. 

I'm very out of practice for cooking. It's something I want to work on again.  

It snowed overnight and I helped my husband shovel. I did the steps and railing while my husband did the actual driveway. It's a very small driveway. We live in the city. No winding driveways for us. Just enough for a car to sit on. Anyway, now I need to get ready to go on a walk. It's one of my goals to start walking again. 

My physical illness between October and December meant that a lot of things I was trying to do didn't happen. 

I'm thinking a lot about the need for Thanksgiving. The battle of one's thoughts never ends. But I'm reading a small book on prayer and it is encouraging.  However, there is a lot of life that is just a matter of discipline in a way. Something I'm not very good at. But I'm working on that too. Slowly. 

Life really is a lot of one step at a time. 

Just as I was getting ready to post this, my Grandma called! She hadn't realized that I tried to call yesterday until last night and so she called me this afternoon! Something worth telling you about from our conversation was how she loves that Christmas has to do with Jesus our Lord coming and changing our lives.  And that if you really understand the real meaning the rest of Christmas as in gifts etc is not as important.  She also commented however about how kids should have something to open. C.S. Lewis thought the same thing.  It's a blessing to give gifts to a child. 

And now I better take that walk!

Christmas Time in December

From Christmas Eve, yesterday December 24th, 2025.

I got this book on St Catherine's Monastery cheap at the Ohio bookstore. On the Eve of St Nicholas Day (December 19 so on December 18th). 

I have been reading Fr Justin's blog, some older entries.  So consoling.  I have long loved this Monastery, though I don't know that I will ever be able to visit.  

We had a lovely fillet of salmon the way I have always made it, since about 2003 (?). My librarian friend Mary gave me the recipe. I love it because the salmon, being baked in foil with olive oil, lemon and onion, is very moist and tender.  I made it first when my parents came to my graduation in BC Canada.

While we will celebrate Christmas on January 7th, we went to Christmas liturgy locally today.  Christmas is such a powerful time. But also a time when loss is felt deeply.  I am no exception.  I have had some deep losses that are irretrievable, as it were.  I can't talk about them beyond this because other people's stories are involved.  So not mine to tell.  But the loss is real.  And both in more recent times.

So I am trying to look closely at what I have not lost, what blessings I clearly do have and just keep going.  

I think that is the hardest part, just trying to pick up the pieces and rebuild my life.  

May God help us and have mercy.

home

Home ❤️

We have been gone almost a week! 

We celebrated St Nicholas Day at a dear friends parish and then saw family for a before Christmas reunion. 

🎄🫖🎁 

It was good. 

I am so glad to be home.

Isn't the ornament pretty? A Saint Nicholas gift!

It was a special St Nicholas Day, especially St Nicholas Day vigil (I love church at night with candles).

I am so relieved to be back home, however...  I don't know how Corrie ten Boom did it, not having ones own home or bed for decades! 

May God have mercy on us all 🙏

St Nicholas Day (2025) part 2

St Nicholas Day part 2 ❤️

At a friend's parish.

I am thankful that God has given us the gift of time. 

I still have so much that I see in my life that I hope can continue to be restored.  

I saw THIS recipe that caught my eye, especially as I could use olive oil instead of butter.... 

I thank God for my life, my marriage and for every good and beautiful thing. 🩷🙏

A comforting reminder from Corrie ten Boom

From her devotional book, Each New Day, written towards the end of her active life, before she had numerous strokes over time and was mute.  Corrie's whole life teaches us so much about the comfort, the struggles and the hope a Christian has. 🩷 

A Phone Call with my Grandma

Grandma reminded me of Isaiah 26:3. 

"You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You."

And that the important thing is to have God's peace in our heart. And even when we hear of heart-wrenching things and pray for others, we can still have God's peace.  

She often remembers this verse and reminds herself of it. 

She spoke of thankfulness and the joy of Christmas and the wonder of it.

She assured me of her prayers and that we would talk again next week. How wonderful it is to have a Grandma who wants to hear from you and how things are going. Whose example of prayer for others and concern for others is a constant testimony of God's goodness. 

Snow Beauty and Frailty

It snowed Saturday night and Sunday morning.  I had the most amazing pot of tea, shared with my Husband.

I was *very* spoiled by my tea loving friend 🎄🫖🩷🎁

I got out today.  The flu really knocked me out for a while. Physically I am a better but sleep is still intermittent.  

I am better than I was but yet am aware of my personal weaknesses and frailty.  

I don't know what I would do without Confession and Holy Communion.  

God have mercy on us. 🙏🕯️

thankfulness admist sickness

I had a bad night last night. Ear / sinus pressure / pain.  I'm so I didn't get enough sleep and had not a restful sleep. I feel like I'm more sick again. I stayed home today from liturgy. However, I sincerely and deeply thank God that I was able to go to both St. Nicholas, vespers and liturgy. That meant a lot to me.  I am really grateful.  

St Nicholas Day 2025 (part 1)

Happy St Nicholas Day!!!

2 versions of my favorite song to St Nicholas 🥰

 

A happy day!

Ps: I am getting better compared to earlier but my ears are not happy yet, still filled with fluid buildup and I am congested still. But it was still St Nicholas Day ❤️