(50) ~ Canadian Thanksgiving 2019

What a good day this turned out to be...

I had some moments of sadness (Cleo's absence esp) but 

felt so glad that I FINALLY baked the turtle bars

(though I clearly made an error in making the 3rd little one, as I needed more

topping but will make it work...)

I also need to rewrite the recipe for these bars, perhaps tomorrow! 

***

We enjoyed hot turtle bar right before dinner...

I got out my little Canadian flag tray that I got at IKEA in Ottawa

before I moved, with the purpose of having Canadian Thanksgiving

in my new life with Mr Husband... 

***

Oh, to answer Granny Marigold's question about if I knew,

when I met my then boyfriend now Mr Husband for the first time

in Ottawa for Canadian Thanksgiving weekend...

if I knew he was going to become my Husband....

We had been emailing since later July of that year and, as we

were both older (I was then 34 and he was past 45), 

we were not dating to just 'have fun' dating.

Both of us do not see life that way - as in we would never had just 

dated without the hope of marriage. 

We talked about it tonight and we both agreed even on the same wording,

we would not have wanted to invest in a long distance relationship if there

was not a very distinct chance at marriage.

Actually Mr Husband is the only man I dated and I got my wish,

to date only one person and marry him! 

So by the time we met, I was already thinking marriage,

though we were still in the making-sure-this-was-indeed-a-good-thing

stage of things.... I knew more when I visited him in November in NJ

and even more when my Oma died and my now Husband then boyfriend

went to the funeral with me; he met so many relatives, as my Mom

is the youngest of 8 children and all my Aunts and Uncles are

grandparents by now and had all at least 2-3 children each themselves...

then I knew... and by December we were talking wedding plans... not sure

exactly how/when that happened but so it was... !

***

I really feel that my marriage to Mr Husband is really one of the 

miracles of God in my life, in our life.

And it is one that we ask God to protect every night;

we always pray for our marriage, as life is not easy

and marriage is a joy but also work and needs to be 

continually bathed in prayer.

Anyone who has been married more than a few years will tell you,

there are highs and lows in marriage, just like they are in life itself.

Prayer, communication, a willingness to see oneself and the other in truth

(i.e. you see not only one's failings but the other's point of view etc.)

and a good sense of humour are all 

"bare necessities" for a long lasting marriage...!

And I really feel that asking God for protection for one's marriage 

is so important; it is too easy to think one has it made already,

that one's marriage is a sure thing without work and prayer ... I believe that

living like this can lead to heartbreak...

***

Well, on to other things.... I practiced the makeup for the wedding,

got it down to 30 minutes, I am sure soon it will be 20 minutes with 

a bit more practice.  I am pleased with my progress!

***

I did so much laundry today! 

I had found some more great thick towels at the VNA rummage sale

and boy do I love the luxury of such

soft thick towels that I got for only a few dollars!

***

I listened to more of Tolkien's Silmarillion while I was

sort and folding laundry...

***

I also talked with my Grandma and later my Mom,

when I was washing dishes, before I made the 

turtle bars.

***

one of the things I listened to while baking was

this Hobbit music...

I can't really watch the Tolkien movies;

too much for me; 

I'd rather read them or listen to them any day,

but I enjoy some of the sound track...

***

Tomorrow I hope to go to NYC to my library and that really cheers me up.

I have somewhere to go now, 

a place to do work, even if slowly, on my writing,

a routine, familiar faces, a trip by PATH and subway that I have done

various times and that I enjoy.

This is really one of the turns for me for the better in my life.

Really helps me not only with the loss of Cleo but 

with when the weeks are long and I don't have anyone in particular to see.

So I find that this library makes all the difference for me,

at least in this part of my life,

this chapter of it, that is.

***

Well, it is beyond time for me to seek to sleep.

May God bless and protect us all!

And help us when things are difficult, exhausting,

worrying and a huge struggle... 

(49) a beautiful day

Church this morning,

talking afterwards with friends,

a restful afternoon,

a nice walk and then I put the chicken in to roast!

(I had prepared it yesterday and left it in the fridge, covered with foil).

I roasted potatoes (this recipe but with fresh parsley, a whole bunch,

cut and put on top after oil and garlic, salt and pepper).  

I was in a hurry so I did not cut the potatoes but they would have been

better cut, so for next time...and tomorrow's leftovers will be halved first,

after the boiling!

I also roasted Brussels sprouts using my friend's instructions:

 I just cleaned and halved them, set the oven to 430 or so and warmed butter and oil in the pan before tossing them in with lots of nutmeg and some salt/pepper.  Shifted them about a few times while cooking.  Probably 20 minutes or so!

I baked it all at 430F.

the chicken was in for 50 minutes and then covered.

Baked probably another 50 or 60 minutes (less would have been fine) while I got the 

2 roasted vegetables ready and roasted!

This weekend is 

Canadian Thanksgiving and is the weekend 8 years ago that my Husband and

I first met in person...he flew up to Ottawa and spent the long weekend with me,

staying at my dear Romanian friends A&A!

Our first night I had a dinner party...I did not announce my

relationship with Mr Husband 

(who believe it or not I called Ortho-man for Orthodox-Man before marrying him

on my blog that is) until we had a wedding date and a ring picked out...

but that dinner party I did record, without mentioning who was all there

or the possible future life-changing ramifications! 

***

We had a really nice Sunday dinner and it was with so many happy memories

of that first weekend we met and how happy we were

and how glad we are married now;

it was a very good day.

***

I am thankful for those glimpses back and there again, as it were,

those moments when you see what you are blessed with

and are given a lift past the current worries or struggles

to remember the bigger picture and how wonderful it is that 

we are married and have our life together... 

***

I pray that no matter what, you can have those moments too,

or recollection, of seeing God's love and merciful hand

in your life....

Feast of the Royal Martyrs

 

Today is the
Feast Day of the Royal Martyrs!
It is a special day for Mr. Husband and I
as he was first told of my existence on this day!
We are DV having a fish dinner today
to celebrate this feast!
*
See here for more information on the Royal Martyrs.

Books that change one's life

 

Today is yet another wonderful
memory of a year ago with
Mr. Husband.
We went to church for vespers a year ago,
it was a sunny beautiful day.
*
I am reading Kathleen Norris slowly
again.... her books plunged me into a new reality
and indeed opened the door for me
to be in the Orthodox church
ten years ago...
*
She opened the world of the early church fathers for me
and I suddenly was seeing everything
new and a lot of my old questions
fell right away ~
feminism for one.
*
It was such a gentle turning.
After years of studying literature,
stalking figures in books to see
how they portrayed men, women and
what it all meant,
suddenly I met many who lived long ago
like St. Jerome,
who Norris says 'feminists love to hate' and
his rich friendships with woman and her
deft exploration of these things
led me to see that feminism of today
is something that had not only narrowed things
but had lived only on the surface of things
and suddenly a brilliant complexity and
a much wider open world opened to me
and things were pulled away and
I saw a world where
freedom was and is
and saw that it surely was not
where I had thought it was;
the feminism I followed so long
through so many texts...
not realizing the worlds I was missing
by reading with such a narrow lens.

Dinner for my very loved Mr. Husband

My beloved celebrated
an anniversary of his baptism
of some wonderful number of years ago
last night.
*
I was so excited to have a small dinner
party for him in his honour.
In the end it was one
long-time friend of his
who came for the meal
and it was a great time of discussing
books, math, the working world,
kids, reading, music making, and I even
got to quote from Kathleen Norris'
Cloister Walk
that I am re-reading again,
much to my personal refreshment.

Colourful bright roses,
a bread chosen by Mr. Husband
(sun-dried tomato with olive oil),
A bowl of fruit with cream,
salad with goats cheese, golden raisins
and a balsamic vinaigrette,
Chicken Ala King
and a small cheesecake. 

The cream was made with
organic heavy whipping cream, powder sugar and
a bit of triple sec
(next time I will add more of this ~
adds to the loveliness of
the cream).
It whipped up in no time using
the whisk in my kitchen-aid mixer at full speed. :)

We started with salad,
moved into the chicken with rice
and ended with the fruit salad and
cheese cake.
Our dinner guest supplied a sweet
dessert wine
of which I had only a taste but it was lovely.

It was Holy Spirit Day.

We used my Grandmother's dishes.

The brightness of the roses
speaks towards the brightness of the Feast.

 

So many gifts shown here.
Including that my husband
even on his anniversary
is loving towards me ~ he cut up the strawberries,
prepared the salad
while I choose the dishes, bread platter and
using our silverware that
we found together last October.
The beautiful flower vase was our first
gift as a couple.
*
The greatest gift is that of the giving
of the Holy Spirit.
*
Today is the third day of the Pentecost and
we await with longing the deepening
that only God's Merciful Holy Comforting Spirit
can provide.

9 months, 50 years

Two days off and on of
Mr. Husband not feeling well.
Lots of downtime,
water and gentle foods.
I am hoping he feels better soon
and that I stay as well as I have been.

We were invited to a beautiful
celebration of 50 years of marriage and service in the
church of one of the clergy-families that we know
near to us.
The liturgy and sermon on marriage was so
inspiring.

The reception was wonderful!
Words of steadfast love and
Son, it's not a life without a wife.

 

Mr. Husband and I were both inspired by
this beautiful time.
It was our 9 month anniversary of marriage,
merely newlyweds at a celebration of
50 years of marriage! 

Christ is Risen! Joyous Pascha!

Christ is Risen!
The world rejoices!
Christ is Risen!
Death is not our captor!
Christ is Risen!
Nothing, no NOTHING, can separate us from Christ's love!
Christ is Risen!
In Holy Pascha we are never alone but all together!
Christ is Risen!
We have the hope of Christ's mercy and a heavenly home!
Christ is Risen!
We have His words of promise of the land where no sorrow is!
Christ is Risen!
All evil is defeated!
Christ is Risen!
Our hearts rejoice!

We had a beautiful first Pascha as a married couple!

Mr. Husband's basket has the Doritos :)
Dutch cheese, the Pascha bread and cheese,
A red and white Rushnyk
from my Ukrainian family for our Pascha basket.  

Wonderfully died eggs!

Our hope of eternal life with Christ!
Oh, how wonderful heaven is!
Pascha is a day outside of days!
Heaven comes to join us on this most
Holy Day!

Our true and sure hope
is in Christ and
His Resurrection!

Blessed St. George's Day today!
Bright and Holy Monday!

We had a beautiful Pascha day!
Mr. Husband and I wore traditional
white embroidered shirts
for Pascha day at Agape vespers...
The shirts were a beautiful wedding gift to us
from one of my dear friends from my
parish in Ottawa.

Wooden Pascha Ukrainian Pansky eggs.
*
I put the Pascha Rushnyk on the
table with white table cloth for Pascha.

This egg is real and a gift from
the Matriarch of my Ottawa Parish a few
Paschas ago;
it is one of my beloved treasures,
esp. as it is from this family.
I made the Pascha icon a few Pascha's ago
and it was blessed by my Ottawa spiritual father.

Icons of Christ's Resurrection
and the icon of Bright Friday
and Paschal festal clear lampadas for the feast!

 

The tall candles in the candle holders were
a thoughtful Christmas gift
from a new and dear church friend here in NJ!
I knew right away I would save them for Pascha.
We were given the bread and cheese Pascha from
a caring parishioner here in NJ.

It was such a joy to make a simple
Pascha meal and table for
Mr. Husband and I last night!
*
We stayed in a hotel suite from Holy Wednesday-Pascha
so we did not have to make long car trips daily.
I made it to Pascha by God's mercy.
*
I am tired,
have either allergies or a cold
and am thankful that it is Bright Monday and
that Mr. Husband and I can rest in the joyous light of
Christ's Pascha!
*
Of course I missed my Ottawa Parish ~
but I was able to pray for many in the Parish on
Pascha and that was a real blessing.
And I am thankful for a joyous Pascha with Mr. Husband!
Our first as a married couple!
A year ago Pascha we were engaged to be married
and now we are here,
almost 7 months as newlyweds!
*
Christ is Risen!
Truly He is Risen!!!

5 Years Ago Today

I was chrismated!

I am so thankful to God that He

brought me to the Orthodox Church.

I cannot even begin to count the blessings of this journey.

++++++

The above Icon of Christ I was given this past Wednesday,

the same day I found out about my rent being raised.

God is so good to me.

The icon is on my fridge and is such a blessing.