God's mercy in time healing all wounds

Sometimes I go back and click on the month

in past years on my blog;

just to see what was going on at that time last year,

etc.

I had totally forgotten about June 6

when two years ago

I kinda had my foot run over by a car.

Yeah, just kinda,

like realizing that the dark marks on my toes

were from tire rubber;

oh yes.

God, the Holy Angels,

the Mother of God and

St. George

were all protecting me...

Anyway.

I totally forgot when it was June 6 this year!

I think this is a really good sign...

It means I am getting over it;

sudden injuries to us take a long time

to heal,

on the inward emotional / spiritual level.

*

I have finished a resume and cover letter!

First edit done,

rest to be done later.

I am not certain about what to look for right now

as in part time or full time work,

what French class to take next

how to go about the rest of this summer

but

writing cover letters and resumes somehow

surprisingly

can be a source of encouragement to me.

It is part of actively doing something

that is encouraging I think.

**

A monastic who visits from time to time

is in town this weekend.

I can't tell you how glad I am

when I see a monastic

it is like being reminded of God's presence here with us

and I feel a little less afraid of living

in such an uncertain world.

***

God is merciful to us small ones and encourages us to

become aware of living in His presence

at all times

and to learn to live in the reality of this presence,

in the reality of hope that the Church

is always offering us.

Towards the Weekend

Cleo showing us her balancing skills;

she has figured out how to stand on top of this chair;

the top is less than 2 inches wide, so I'd say she is

pretty balanced and nimble!

Yesterday morning was incredibly beautiful;

I have been having insomnia so I

was taking a walk a bit after 6 AM;

the summery morning of dreams!

The canal water glistened in the sun;

it was still in the cool of the day

and the flowers,

sigh, oh the flowers!

Late Spring and Summer has such precious fleeting beauty!

There is a path I walk that is a bit hidden,

the picture above is from this.

I feel like I have entered a little taste of a place of

magical beauty, like my own secret garden

in the middle of the city.

*

I have been struggling to have time to do a review

of my old (first two classes) French text book;

since I am in two classes that always have new homework and exams

it has been a challenge.

**

However,

I need to take a 90 minute online test to rank where

I am in my French knowledge

for the French BA.

If I rank really low, I would have to take classes

that I do not have time or money to take to

get me to the level needed for the BA.

***

I realized last night,

after struggling to fall and stay asleep,

that this was really stressing me out -

especially as if I do not do this BA I don't know what I will do

(i.e. to stay here and get a job when library jobs and many others

are bilingual).

So. I am going to the library soon.

I am also going to study tomorrow.

I hope to do this test on Saturday during the day.

*

Would appreciate prayers for this;

sometimes I feel like I am making progress in French

but other times I get overwhelmed by how much

I have to learn...

*

BTW, I can retest at the end of the summer,

and do the 90 minute test again.

Early Summer

Wow.

I don't think I realized how much I love summer sunshine!

I love winter sunshine but summer is special too.

It cooled down a bit though, to my delight.

(I find the high humidity tiring).

Today I ran into an old neighbour from my last apartment building;

she has cancer and I did not know.

Am so glad I know now - please say a prayer for her.

I am working on staying in the present

and it sure is nice to do this.

Lot less stressful;

my old neighbour talked to me all about this -

how she is not going to worry about tomorrow but just do

what has to be done today.

She got really sick with the chemo;

she was surprised how many people are in the hospital with cancer.

May the Lord have mercy on us all;

in the beautiful days of summer many still suffer.

*

It is a good reminder as I go through

these days of waiting

on applications.

*

Enjoy today.

Pray.

Repent.

Follow the guidelines of the church

(one of my friends jokingly said the Church says we HAVE to have meat tomorrow

on Friday because it is a fast free week!).

**

I am putting together a nice tea for a few of my friends

right before our next fast.

***

May we seek God in all times and in all places.

Remembering Summers Past

I realized that I had no clear memories of my last few summers. So I thought about them - summers since I left B.C.

Here is what I remember:

2004 - summer I was preparing for chrismation. Two part time jobs. Exhausted. New Orthodox friends. Sunday nights late at Krispy Creame past closing with these friends. Garage sales to furnish my 1 room studio that I found late that summer. Chrismated. Moved to London Ontario and began Masters in Library Science. Commonly referred to as Library School.

2005 - finishing a year of intense study for my MLIS. Dreams of a job and what this would be like. That I was wrong in what I thought, I have worked through. Walks with special library friend. Beautiful houses, ice cream, friends. By the end of this summer I was exhausted and struggling. I left my lovely little 1 bedroom tall ceiling apartment forever and moved to Ottawa for Co-op. A few months later I began this blog.

2006 - back in London. So beautiful - green, trees, old well kept houses, walks. Travels to Ottawa twice that summer. Desperate to move back to Ottawa and my new church home in Ottawa. Cleo my Cat and I began our lives together that May (I inherited Cleo from a dear friend who married her allergic-to-cats husband). Wonderful to be in my London church and with my spiritual sister. Extremely exhausted after finishing the semester. Said goodbye to my London church, where I put flowers by so many icons. Pictures of friends near my favourite saints - St. Herman, St. Nicholas, St. Xenia...

2007 - first summer in Ottawa. Began second Library Job in Ottawa. Felt like I was really getting to know Ottawa as a city for the first time. Good friend visited, high tea. Church Picnic by Lake. Memories of walking to services in the warm twilight. How happy I can feel when walking to one of my churches!

2008 - summer where I thought I would start my current Third Library Job. Broke foot in early June. June-July recovering. Church family taking good care of me. Started my job in August. Walking to get Gelato for the first time after the accident. Took time to regain strength. Took more time to get over the sense of panic. Church picnic - sunshine, water, spiritual Father.

I am hoping that this summer will be stable - that I will continue in my job, continue in my church life, and have my first summer in my new apartment with balcony.

May the Lord have mercy.