(47) Clean and Quiet

I was finally able to do some phone errands today!

And the house did get a cleaning...

I had to rest too, however, not sure what the cause was,

but I did not feel that good in the afternoon...

I did have my flu shot yesterday and my arm was still

hurting today from it!

I am feeling a lot better tonight, thank God!

Mr Husband brought home this beautiful bouquet of yellow flowers!

I am praying that tomorrow is a good day for me and that I can 

prepare the food as planned for the small Sunday dinner.

***

I was missing Cleo today, I miss her presence,

her being nearby.

***

I pray that each of you, no matter what exhaustion, illness or worry

you may have, that yet you are given the grace to keep on,

and that you are reminded that you are alone and 

that we have much to grant us hope...

(41): VNA rummage sale treasures and the weekend as it was

As we always do, we found some lovely things

for our home at the VNA.

While it will take time,

we have a lot of Delft (including 3 we just found!) plates to hang up!

I know exactly where I want plates 

(above kitchen cupboards and in hallway up high)

and was so pleased to find these 3:

Plus the above bowl on top right above!

As you can see, we found some lovely pottery to add to our collection!

Also found this cute whimsical teapot!

I have a similar one for Wind in the Willows and was 

excited to find this one as well!

(as usual, Mr Husband actually spotted it and showed me!)

We have a corner cupboard in our kitchen that

was under-utilized so early Saturday morning, before

quilt guild at 10 AM, I cleaned everything out of it,

put most of it back in the bottom shelf only and 

was able to fit the new teapot, bowl, soup tureen and cake stand

in this cupboard! Which means the new buffet we still have for

later.  I plan in advance ;) And while we have a lot of space, with our 

kitchen and buffets, things do fill up... 

***

DV I have having a small dinner party next week Sunday night 

Menu:

Roast Chicken

Roasted fingerling potatoes with parsley

Roasted Brussels Sprouts 

Salad

Biscuits 

I am not sure on the dessert yet, I have various options in the freezer :)

I do know that I want to use my gold rimmed white plates,

the new demitasse cups and saucers 

(I have 4 cups and 3 saucers but have white and gold rimmed saucers

which will do for the 4th one), the matching 4 dessert (or bread) plates,

the new wide blue bowl... 

***

I got one other VNA rummage sale pottery find:

this lovely 3 tiered tea tray! 

It's Royal Albert, Old Country Roses pattern! 

I have the hardware for the gold coloured stand as well,

I just did not want to take the time to assemble it before I put it away!

It was fully assembled when we found it, we merely wisely had

it disassembled before we took it home as there would be much

less chance of it breaking and I store them disassembled anyway.

I can have tea parties now, on the fancy side, as this is the 4th

three tiered tea tray I have found, all from the VNA

(with two being drilled for the holes for the hardware by my Dad a 

year ago! they are so beautiful!)

I found some beautiful jewelry at the VNA for really reasonable prices!

These are both for the wedding I am going to later on. 

I will be wearing DV my silver ball gown and new red hat,

so this necklace, with the silver and red + the bracelet will be perfect for that!

I kinda went a bit "crazy" in the stationary tent.

Most of the stationary is being quarantined for 3 months in

bags and garbage cans in the garage...

(same old same old, making sure no bugs are there or at least not living) 

but the above items were still new/unopened so I got to have them now :) 

Vespers last night for St Innocent of Alaska...(locally)

and for the Conception of St John the Baptist (faraway church this morning)...

church is always a blessing.... 

This cute ice cream *pink* bowl (!) was 1$ at the VNA rummage sale

this past Friday and I was so excited to find it!

It was just the perfect size for a bowl of my favourite

Trader Joes French Vanilla Ice Cream :)

I LOVE this card and it is going off to my godson for his birthday soon!

Belated names day flowers!

(St Elizabeth Mother of St John the Baptist, her day is Sept 18th, 

well, one of her days anyway!)

Dinner of leftovers!

 I appreciated seeing this meme.

Of course Christ did not condemn but also said

"go and sin no more"...

***

I am still preparing for the wedding I keep mentioning 

(DV I can share more after the wedding which is the

first week in November)

and am going back to the makeup store on Tuesday,

not only to return/replace some things but to ask more questions

as I will be doing my own make up for the event and want to do

my dear friend (who is a lovely fun, fashionable smart and deeply pious 

Orthodox monastery-loving woman!)

proud and be pretty for her special day.

***

I realized that I get really stressed at times,

OK actually I have known this for years but it cropped up again,

when I am spending money for "me" and can get way

too anxious about it.

Even though I have plenty of friends who are Orthodox Christians,

not to mention Christians in other Christian churches,

who wear makeup or spend money on their hair or such things. 

***

I felt the same struggle when I was newly in the workplace

and needed new business clothes. 

I struggle with it on and off and have for years;

it does not stop me from buying things 

(obviously as this post RE: VNA rummage sale finds)

but it can really being me down.

***

I can struggle also with a sense of despair that is not of God...

the Psalms (such as Psalm 18) really help me with that...

or remembering what Fr Stephen Freeman said about asking God

very simply and repeatedly: "comfort me"

and also what my favourite Abbess told me about

remembering God is the one one can always turn to,

is always there for us, is fully dependable

and is the Greatest of Friends.

***

I just feel often this deplorable (or perhaps it should read

heavy, grief-laden) lack within myself.

I am fighting this again and remembering Mat Constantina's 

narration of the nun who had been mistreated and could not do 

any self-criticism, esp deeply (the kind that is suppose to bring humility,

not despair) and instead was told, was instructed to practice

daily thankfulness. 

***

Speaking of thankfulness, THANK YOU everyone who commented this week

about my beloved Cleo and my continued grief and love for her.

Each one of your comments really encouraged and blessed me!

I had a good phone call with a dear friend today who understood

that feeling the sadness for Cleo's death is uncomfortable 

and not "Fun" but that the only

way to get past it is to go through it.

And I know she is right.

I miss Cleo. I am sad that she is not with us.  And for many reasons particular to my

life with Mr Husband in our current home in NJ, we can't get another cat

anytime soon, maybe not ever in this home. 

So this is a real journey for me.

***

I am pretty sure the grief about Cleo is mixed in with the feelings of 

despair and anxiety I have been feeling. 

And I know by writing about it and sharing in this way,

I will already feel a lot better.

***

Well.  I have a full week ahead!

I plan on enjoying lots of pots of tea,

allowing myself to watch some perry mason 

(it's somehow linked to losing Cleo)

and I hope bake and do lots of things and seeing some friends as well.

I decided I still need to keep count of the days since Cleo died,

I am not ready to stop counting in other words,

so I am just having the number (41) for today, for example, at the beginning

of my blog post title.  It stands for 41st day without Cleo.

***

No matter what is happening in our lives, 

may the hope and love 

and comfort that Christ can give be with us

and may Christ save us! 

(Day 36) without Cleo ~ Church, wonderful meals and some fun

I was so glad to begin the day by going to liturgy

for the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God...

After the liturgy was done, one of my friends, L., who came

to our home for Thanksgiving last year,

asked how I was doing about Cleo's death and I don't

remember exactly what I said, other than that I still missed her...

she understood... she lived alone for a long time now and

cats become almost like "children" to us as she said.

It's hard to explain to one (if explain one needs) that if

one lived alone, esp. for some years, one's pet really becomes family

in a special way... no one else is there to greet when one comes home

and when Cleo was well, she would be waiting for me by the door....

I appreciated that my dear friend L understands... 

I had a very nice breakfast at a local place

and then took light rail and went to the mall, something long time

readers will know I do not do that regularly 

(I usually go in December for some things, which I hope to do again this year).

 Well, then I went and bought make up for the first time since preparing for my wedding

over 7 years ago!  A woman did my make up at the store (minimum purchase required,

it was an hour long session) and was so nice as she wrote long-hand each step

for how to do the make up as I won't be having her do it the day of

(apparently people do that, go to the store for a make-over the day of an event,

news to me, I am not much in that sort of world!)

One woman was there because it was her 40th birthday that day....

***

I did not buy everything that the lady used on me, 

somethings I bypassed all together because I had something 

comparable and other things we switched to either a different brand

or size to keep the cost down. 

After that adventure, I went home, changed, put everything in my new

make up bag (from a pharmacy where such things are more affordable,

including make-up brushes!) and then went out again

to dinner with one of my church friends and then we went to 

church class...it was really nice to catch up with her and hear how things are going!

***

I must admit I think I am going to have fun "playing make up" as it were...

the lady who did my make up said I better practice putting it on 

(most of it I am used to but it more the technique I am learning) before the wedding...

which I think is good advice and will give me a chance to "play" ...

it's nice to have something that is more on the 'fun' side of things...

I am not going to do anything on this, though, until I get the makeup brush cleaner

I ordered as I want to have clean brushes (the ones that are not new) before

I begin this "practice playing" run :)

***

Years ago I remember my beautiful Pascha skirt was great for

"swishing" and this past summer I found a skirt that was also

a great one for that and my niece N. and I had fun "swishing" the skirt

we were wearing... this reminds me of the fun of one of the eye things 

I got as it is very sparkly and I like sparkles. 

Sometimes it's the "little" or even "frivolous" "girl" things that are fun for a time.

***

Well, we are still praying for various ones in deep struggles.

May God have mercy on us and save us!