{Preparing for Nativity} ~ cleaning and changing out the lampadas

I woke early again today.

Lots going on these days; many friends on my mind,

joys, sadness, losses, sudden upsets: life. 

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I am so glad for the life I have and that I am 

building traditions for our home.

One of these is changing out the clear votive candle holders

for red ones, both kinds I use to burn oil in as lampadas

 by my icons in our dining area of our home. 

I was sure to keep some tall candles lit while I was in the 

process; I always want candles or lampadas lit in my home

for prayers that are for many people and needs...

I find esp. with the big fasts, 

the 40 day Nativity Fast and the Fast of Great Lent,

that once they are here I am so relieved. 

A chance to clean, to make better,

to look into one's soul a bit more,

to ask the Lord to make all the crooked strait in oneself,

to ask for mercy as we look towards the great Feasts of Christmas,

Theophany and Pascha...

All the lampadas are changed now,

the clear ones are clean and drying on the counter.

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Today is a day that my heart and mind are so full of so many things.

I hope to do more baking today; the Saint Nicholas cookie baking has begun.

I am working on bookstore orders for my church,

thinking of the many feasts we have coming.

Next Sunday is St. Katherine's day already! 

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I am so grateful for this season of the year!

God is merciful to us!

God Immanuel comes at Christmas time...

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Here's how I do my lampadas, FYI.

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What are your traditions in this Nativity Fast/Advent time?

Would love to hear!

Christmas Crafting and a lovely book of Christmas

 I am having a lot of fun making things for
Christmas and, for us, St. Nicholas Day
which (being on the same calendar as Russia) is next week
Thursday, Dec 19th.
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So I am making the cutest slippers
for a still 5 year old boy,
who likes to say he is nearly 6 and
who when he saw the slippers I was making for my
sister, said he would love some Christmas colour slippers too :)

The second slippers is ready
for the two ribbing to be knit.
I hope to do this later today!

The first slipper is done;
I lost the ribbing at the end but it still
turned out well.
I think what happens is that I get tired or
somehow distracted and purl incorrectly
which then alters the pattern.

It's cute though,
I am pleased.
I ordered some chocolate coins
(dairy free since we are in the fast)
that I hope to put in the slippers with a
small clementine!
So excited to give this to the little guy
on St. Nicholas Eve!

I discovered this book, Christmas Spirit,
on Lisa's lovely blog,
did the look inside on amazon and realized this was
the book on Christmas that I would want for this year.

 

It's even better than I would of thought,
with a lovely section on St. Boniface that I can't
wait to read to Mr. Husband who loves this Saint very much!
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If you want to know more of the traditions of Christmas
and ideas on how to build your own traditions,
this is a lovely book to read.
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I had realized after talking to my Mom over
the Thanksgiving holidays
that just as she learned a lot about celebrating the feast of Christmas
over the years, that
I have a lot to learn too,
esp. as I did not grow up in a tradition that is aware of the older
Christmas traditions and the Saints who are involved.
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What are you reading and creating?
Yarn Along with us!