Many good and beautiful things and a malingering illness

Valentine's Day
I found myself with
very swollen throat and
so a doctor did tests:
no mono, no strep.
I was assured that I was not contagious.
*
Good.
So sick but told I should get better in 48 hours.
*
I had planned on making Mr. Husband
a beautiful more fancy meal
and a cheesecake.
This did not happen;
I was too busy trying to figure out what
doctor I could go to and rushing around
as we had a weekend away planned
starting the next day.
*
So I made pizza
(crust and sauce pre-made).
*
I gave Mr. Husband this DVD
and Mr. Husband gave me this
book on bread
and a CD for us to enjoy.


It was good;
organic ham, some mozzarella and
sauce.

Lit our candles and had
some sparkling juice
that we had been given as a gift
for Christmas.

We went to liturgy for the feast
of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.
Candles were blessed at the end of liturgy.

It was a beautiful feast.

 

So then Mr. Husband and I went to our hotel
(of course a picture of our makeshift icon corner
with newly blessed candles!)
and then off to Princeton for the
third annual Florovsky Symposium.
*
It was wonderful.
*
Fr. Patrick Reardon spoke on the Bible and
preached Christ in the same
room where Einstein gave
lectures on the theory of Relativity;
to preach on the Creator of all
in such a room was deeply wonderful and
beautiful.
*
Archbishop Demetrios spoke
the next day on how St. John Chrysostom
love the Bible and that
we can be transformed by reading the
Bible with love
reading it as friend and advocate.
This was by far the highlight for me
in terms of lectures.
*
Really enjoyed two other lectures as well,
a real blessing.
*
And I got to go the book room where
8th Day books
and
Holy Trinity Bookstore
had stands and
Mr. Husband and I both got some books
there, agreeing that we will save them
as gifts for later...
*
So that was wonderful,
though I was still not fully well...
and now, on Monday
it is clear that whatever I am fighting
is lingering on, to the point of getting worse
instead of better...so
it is off to NYC to see the doctor...
and one other thing that I hope to tell
you all about soon!
*
If you could pray for me;
it would be nice to get back to full steam again.
*
I continue to be aware of so many needs and ills
in the world and in the circles of friends and
family.
*
Just today my Mother told me of a young man
in his early 40's unexpected passing from death to life;
the stories of sickness, struggles and uncertainty abound...
*
How much we are in need of the Lord's help,
succor, protection and healing.
Lord Christ come quickly, help and heal us!
Comfort us in our days here
that are so quickly past!

The hard, good and um, funny...

The funny first. I was having a good day at work - when I realized that I was wearing one brown shoe and one black. Sigh. Good thing I find this funny...

The good Fr. Lawrence's podcasts have begun! It is wonderful to hear his voice and listen to him explain the Scriptures. He was there at the beginning of my journey into the Orthodox Church and I thank God for him.

Also I found a copy of Madeleine L' Engle's book A Wind in the Door today at public library book sale! I am not sure if I have read this one or not - I probably have but it has been a long time. I also found a copy of Dragons in the Waters which I am giving to a friend.

I am reading a lot of books right now - Kathleen Norris's book, an Amanda Cross mystery (No word from Winifred), Ulysses by Joyce (wanted to be more in the know as one of my friends is reading it for class; I know it is long and at times said to be unreadable), and I recently obtained, from 8th day books, St. Ephriam's Spiritual Psalter. Ancient Faith Radio reads some of these prayers throughout the day; I am grateful to have a copy. I am reading this book very slowly.

New and old books - L' Engle I have been reading more or less avidly for the last 12 years - Amanda Cross is great for thinking about the academic world, esp. English departments. One gets a real sense of the time period through reading popular mysteries and she deals with a lot of questions, including about the self, feminism, youth, and the current states in culture.

I picked up her book on Winifred when I was in Halifax, at the most overwhelming, real, wood floor and shelves with books that seem to almost cascade down tottering piles bookstore. I would go back, I think, almost solely to see this store again! It was lovely. Their mystery section had classics, they had a small wall of orange Penguins and a small corner with lots of editions of the Bible. I am hunting for a good edition of The Jerusalem Bible as I find that translation of the Psalms very tender. (Through another wonderful translation, which I do own, from 8th day books, is the Psalter of the Seventy).

Okay, the hard. As in hard to know how to process - I am going to have a panihida soon (if all goes as I hope) for my spiritual mother who died ten years ago last week. This is hard to know how to process as grief and as a prayer and not as any form of self-pity, which will hinder real growth, grief and prayer.

A lot is going on for me - preparing for a move, learning my new job - and figuring out how to live and not let go of the reader/bookish/writer side. God is good and I am thankful; He has given me so much.

ps: still working on downloading the Halifax pictures. Soon, I hope!