(120) Busy Days

Whew. 

I got ALL of the Christmas baking out and in bags.

Bags for local church kept out and ready for this week.

The rest of the bags (the majority of them) are bagged up in 

gallon freezer bags and back in the freezer before the cookies were fully 

thawed out!  That was a lot of work... 

And then other gifts were delivered and I bagged up gifts for both a few

local church friends and then our main far-away church friends... 

So I was super busy with that today.

Tomorrow begins liturgies at our local church. 

We will be there this year for them, though when they have their

Christmas liturgy we will keep fasting, as we began the fast

with the Julian "old" calendar and will celebrate Christmas DV in full

on January 7th! This will be really nice...I am looking forward to that!

But before this second Christmas we have family visits coming up

and I won't be blogging much 

so don't worry if I don't write here every day!  :) 

I wish everyone a blessed Christmas.

I know the Christmas holidays can be difficult for many. 

May Christ, the one who came on Christmas day to save us, 

comfort each of us regardless of our current life circumstances.

God bless you, each and everyone! 

NYC and the Sisterhood of St Elizabeth

I made it! to the Columbus Circle Holiday Market to see the 

white sisters of St Elizabeth! I was so happy!!!

Whenever I see either monastics or white sisters (who are 

dedicated to serving the monastery without being monastics),

I am excited; esp. now when I don't get to go that often or see them,

when I do, I feel like I am flying for joy... 

immediate remembrance of who I am, asking how things were this past year,

(I saw this sister a year ago this Dec 19th on St Nicholas day) and 

so much joy in the meeting...

And I took the subways... recently they just 'clicked' how to use them...

when I was first here, I would get so disoriented and confused...

now it makes more sense... and I am so excited...

I did get turned around when going back to the PATH train to NJ

because a person gave me the wrong instructions 

(it's very normal to ask in NYC where to go,

I did not understand the map instructions 

on my phone enough to know what to do)

but in the end a lady at a payless shoes told me to take the subway downstairs

and then go the right and I would be right where I needed to be.

And so it was! 

God gave me so much strenght today and my foot was OK too.

It still needs some PT and stretches, but is doing OK. 

***

Some beautiful words spoken by Sister Nataliia to me, 

including that Met. Anthony Bloom said once that

we trust God and he asked who does God trust

and the answer was 'us'... as in God loves, values us.

*

Also that the journey to God is the goal, is the way... and not 

giving up...to keep on with Christ... 

*

And reminding me that what I can do (like baking cookies)

gives joy to others and is good. 

***

It was so lovely to see them both (the 2 white sisters) and 

to also get to shop in their store! 

I can't tell or show you what I got, of course, ...

Christmas and St Nicholas gifts you know! :) 

***

If you want to know more about these white sisters

and the nuns of St Elizabeth in Belarus, the city of Minsk,

go here. 

And if you happen to be in NYC in the next week, go see them!

Such kindness and such gifts are both a rare treasure! 

***

The picture of the maroons btw was because it makes me think of 

this dear blog friend... :)

****

An unexpected side note:

the step-father of my oldest friend died unexpectedly yesterday night.

Please pray for his new widow (my friend's Mom) and my friend and her sister.

I've known this family (the Mom and sisters) my whole life....

my Mom called me with the news...

my parents were good friends of theirs and went camping in the summer

and the now newly departed husband/step-father was going to put in for the 

June camping reservations soon for them.

So it's a real loss and I ask your prayers.

I have not lived in MI for more than a few months at a time in about 20 years

but when you go 'way back' this loss is still felt and understood for what it is.

***

I am so glad I have such blessing to see the white sisters today 

and for the prayers that will be done for us through this monastery.

God is so good to us.

Christmas Gifts ~ hand knit, hand made

This is the most special bag, as it is

the last of the lovely spa collection from our stay in

Quebec City on our Honeymoon 

three years ago!

It's wrapped up with a nice hand knit white cloth! 

I knit so many wash cloths so I would be ready to 

bag up some simple Christmas gifts this year:

we have been keeping the best of the hotel soaps

from various places to give this year,

I am hoping along side Christmas baked goods and homemade 

blends of tea. 

*

Reading various things

including 

Is there a Nutmeg in the House? by Elizabeth David.

What are you reading and creating?

Yarn Along with us!