Wednesday: what can I say? You were not the easiest of days

Mr Husband was in the living room when I got up,

had my first-thing-in-the-morning blessed bread and holy water,

and walked towards him and asked about his Uncle.

Uncle Hank died last night, a bit before 11 PM.

We knew it was coming, even though it was all so sudden.

We are not able to go to the funeral but that does not stop our love,

 our grief; prayers tonight that I said out loud for us,

the ones we were saying extemporaneously (instead of written prayers which we also pray)

stopped and started a lot, as I kept thinking about loss, about my Husband's Uncle,

about other losses; about that we are in the second half of our lives now

and we have, as far as we know, a lot of loss in front of us,

to go through, in the next years.

[The things they don't tell you in University when you are in your early 20s.]

***

So we watched the Walton's episode about Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.

We found it well done.  I thought it was perfect watching since we are in grief

already and Uncle Hank served the US in Korea. 

***

Cleo, the naughty cat, did not take her medicine well tonight.  :(

Do you remember her beautiful blue eyes?

They are yellow now, from jaundice. :( 

***

I am really glad that my Husband is OK with simple meals.

We had toast and salad for lunch

and toast, salad and fruit salad for dinner.

***

I had wanted to make curry, but my Husband wanted it with potatoes,

which I did not have on hand, due to the fact that they often sprout so fast

in my pantry, that I am only getting them on a 'as-needed-basis'...

So I am getting some tomorrow and if all goes well, will make a curry on Friday.

***

Tomorrow is a go to NYC day.  At least to the dentist in the afternoon.

I am terribly behind on emails, so if I owe you one,

I will get to it, as I can, as I have time.

***

I can't wait to have that meal I made yesterday again tomorrow. 

The plum torte is like summer to me and my Husband;

and now, the easy beef stroganoff and the best cream biscuits,

I will remember, always, liked to our dear gentle sweet +Uncle Hank.

May God remember him in His Kingdom!

Memory Eternal!

Memory Eternal!

Memory Eternal! 

Monday ~ Feast Day Blessings and thanksgiving

Thanksgiving list! 

1. We were able to go to liturgy today! My Oma passed away 6 years ago and it is so meaningful to be in church on this day 

2. My Husband is my valiant Best Friend. 

3. So I have had reports that the cardamon cake I baked (The one with more sugar) was quite good. I am hoping next week to try a yellow coffee cake with cinnamon and cardamon.

4. Seeing kids at church being happy at church and playing church (today again a little young boy was play priest, holding up his book, etc, it was so so dear). 

5. Husband and I stocked up on a few things we needed at the grocery store and that's always a blessing. 

6. Laughter and good humour.

 7. St. Nicholas day (new calendar) is soon!!! (I do it twice here, one can never have enough of St Nicholas day in my book!).

8. A dear friend sent me a card with a beautiful magazine with an article by

beloved Mat. Rebekah!

Tuesday blessings and reflections

My Husband and I went to NYC;

he went first and I joined him a bit later!

We made a quick trip to a comic book toy store, then on to the Strand bookstore, had tacos on Tuesday :), later we split a salad and had hot apple cider. 

I went home after this, Husband had another meeting.

I was so tired by the time I got home!

My foot is doing better this week, 

we will see how things go long term for that.

I took more pictures of the new things in our home

and we had lamb and rice again for dinner,

with candles glowing...

We got out the rest of the seed cake to eat

as this week we are calling "Hobbit Week" as we are re-reading

The Lord of the Rings. 

The unbloggable things are progressing in good ways from 

what we can tell but is still in work in progress.

We are hopeful for some good to come out of this HARD

and I trust that God will help to this end.

***

I am thinking a lot of Alana,

eleven years of blogging and no one can ever dream that one day

one will wake up and find out that one's Husband has

terminal cancer.

It's one of my biggest fears, I think a fear of many of us

who are blessed to be in good marriages.

But our times are in God's hands and I have a lot of hope

for Alana to get through this, though it rend one's heart in half. 

You can go to her husband's obituary via her blog.

***

Well, tomorrow Mr Husband and I hope to do a lot of resting

and Tolkien reading.

I am going to make DV Trader Joe's Veggie Marsala Burgers for lunch

and it will be quiet day, we hope, with quietness.

***

I think so often on how blessed it is to have ordinary days

and Jane Kenyon's poem Otherwise comes to mind:

Otherwise by Jane Kenyon: 

I got out of bed

on two strong legs.

It might have been

otherwise. I ate

cereal, sweet

milk, ripe, flawless

peach. It might

have been otherwise.

I took the dog uphill

to the birch wood.

All morning I did

the work I love.

At noon I lay down

with my mate. It might

have been otherwise.

We ate dinner together

at a table with silver

candlesticks. It might

have been otherwise.

I slept in a bed

in a room with paintings

on the walls, and

planned another day

just like this day.

But one day, I know,

it will be otherwise.

~Jane Kenyon

*******************************

and I think of this one of Jane for Alana and her loss...

Let Evening Come by Jane Kenyon: 

Let the light of late afternoon 

shine through chinks in the barn, moving   

up the bales as the sun moves down. 

Let the cricket take up chafing   

as a woman takes up her needles   

and her yarn. Let evening come. 

Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned   

in long grass. Let the stars appear 

and the moon disclose her silver horn. 

Let the fox go back to its sandy den.   

Let the wind die down. Let the shed   

go black inside. Let evening come. 

To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop   

in the oats, to air in the lung   

let evening come. 

Let it come, as it will, and don’t   

be afraid. God does not leave us   

comfortless, so let evening come. 

~ Jane Kenyon

Memory Eternal! to our beloved Warden!

I woke up around 12:47 AM and immediately thought of 

our Warden... (all my lampadas were still lit for him...)

***

And indeed, got the news via a beautiful email that he

peacefully passed away, with his priest and two of his oldest

Orthodox friends and a newer Orthodox friend

who, to quote our priest":

"immediately began the first Litya for the Departed,

followed by the Canon for the Newly Departed

and the Prayer of Absolution for the newly reposed."

***

My Husband has known this dear, eccentric and lovable

man since 1991. 

I met him myself 5 years ago this past November

and loved him immediately.

***

Please pray for us as we grieve, and for my Husband 

as he will be very involved in the final things for our Warden

and for our health.

***

My Husband had 2 doctors appointments yesterday, Monday, in NYC

and his first day back to work after being on sick leave 5 weeks.

Please pray that he does not relapse and that I too can

keep my health up.

***

Our Warden's Orthodox names are Patrick George.

Please remember him in your prayers!

***

Memory Eternal!

Memory Eternal!

 Memory Eternal! 

Monday, in all of it's beauty and all of it's sadness and joy

A woman at our local church lost her baby, 

I believe at the beginning of her second trimester with him.

I went to this little one's funeral today,

and brought flowers, card and my prayers... and candles 

promised to light at home.

It was very sad but also full of Christ's love and mercy... 

There was a little coffin there, 

I am not posting a picture as it is not my story to tell,

but I kissed the top of this closed casket and to me

it felt like I had just kissed the top of a baby's warm head...

as we said goodbye... 

Oh for the Heaven with Christ and these little babies lost

too early!

Memory Eternal!!! 

***

After the funeral I took myself out for a quick lunch,

by myself, in the sun and cool weather of Autumn;

of course I was still feeling sad about this loss, 

so tea and a good lunch (with enough

for leftovers for dinner)

was a blessing.

This tea reminded me of a flavour of something I could not put my 

finger on, but I kept drinking and enjoying it... 

This is rather my new favourite lunch, I will admit. 

This afternoon I worked on my next essay

and had this snack.. I need to remember this simple 

snack, one cookie, a bunch of nuts for protein and a bite of chocolate,

and tea - and kombucha too! 

I felt quite revived after this later afternoon snack...

***

And soon Mr. Husband, DV, will be home.

I am so glad.