Thank you Thursday for the NYC bagel, donuts + books

First a big thank you for Elizabeth who sent me this wonderful book 

that I am already paging through and thinking,

I want to try making that...or ... who would have thought! or, hmmm, what

would that look like today? or what is patna rice? 

I owe you a letter and hope to write it soon!

It is amazing how God brings just the person,

just the thing, to bring cheer in a week that was harder than some.

I guess you can all tell how much food and reading about food means to me.

I just finished My Berlin Kitchen and found it a really interesting read,

and I must admit to putting paper tabs for recipes to look into... 

***

So, I was really dragging earlier today; had not slept super well and it 

was oddly hot in our place even though it's not as hot outside.

I did make it on time to the dentist,

grabbing a kombucha at Trader Joes, a NYC bagel with PB before the dentist 

(they have mouthwash which I used), a doughnut plant doughnut

(I am hoping my friend J. is reading this post as she is planning on going there

this weekend and I wanted to point out that there is scaffolding above the place

so it's a bit harder to see but fully still there and cute... there was so many choices!) 

and I ended up going to a small NYPL library... it was super small... 

but I found 2 YA books that look of interest (so many new books don't appeal to me 

sadly... or perhaps not sadly as I would not want them too, but you know what I mean)... 

but it was nice to have a seat, find a book that drew me in 

and that Mr Husband left work early (5 PM leaving is early for him) and we met up

in NYC and walked to the PATH train together and went home and 

saved cab fare (it's a good 30+ minute walk home from the PATH or a 10 minute cab ride) 

by having us go home at the same time... :) 

***

So I had the delicious beef stroganoff for lunch with a biscuit,

that was when my day started getting better, 

as before I felt like I was tired, as if struggling through molasses...

and the dentist was happy with my teeth (yay for that!)...

***

We talked over plum torte and ice cream, and on the way home as well,

so we had caught up on each other's days and then watched a Waltons

and then even had time for reading, since Mr Husband got home earlier, 

so so nice and he read through some comic books that he is vetting for our

now 8 year old nephew... and having a lot of fun... 

Cleo was finally with us again

(she has been hanging out in our hall bathroom with tile floor,

we think it was much cooler for her in the heat that even

with central AC was still impacting us) 

My Husband had already gone to bed and right after I took this picture,

she tried to go on his chair.  Oh No You Don't Cleo!

She is a goof.  I told this to a friend on social media who asked if Cleo

took her medicine today...: 

"I tried something new today… 

I ground up Cleo's pill, it grinds up very easy into a powder 

and I use a small funnel and took and put it into the plastic syringe 

that the vet gave me to use for her liquid medicine. 

 then added milk to the same syringe with the powdered ground medicine in it 

and then basically grabbed her and put it in the side of her mouth 

which made her open her mouth and 

 I was able to put the liquid medicine with powder down her throat in a way 

that wasn't too uncomfortable for her… 

I did the same to night with her liquid medicine and 

I added milk to that as well adding the the milk 1st and the medicine last

 so that the 1st thing into her mouth was the medicine

 and the lasting and her mouth was the milk 

in hopes that it will make it less unpleasant for her! 

So I successfully was able to get the medicine into her today

and I was very pleased about that! We will see if it works again tomorrow!"

I also gave her a little bit of vanilla ice cream, let her lick my plate when I was done

and gave her wet cat food... so while I am giving her medicine, I am also 

doing my best to spoil her and keep her weight up as well... 

I am really hoping I can keep giving her the medicine...

a few years ago she would just foam the liquid medicine out of her mouth

and all pills she would not eat... it was terrible... so I am really hoping 

that this time around she will keep tolerating it... it's too early to know yet if she will...

***

I am home tomorrow but having lunch with a friend... 

I hope to make a curry and cookies....and fold the pile of laundry that is

so high that it is teetering on the verge of spilling over.... 

***

So many I know are struggling... 

I am worried about a friend who I can't name here but is really struggling.

Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy!

on all of us! 

Almost New Year Eve

So... while I had my birthday,

we were also in Ohio with my Husband's family

for our Christmas gathering!  We rented some cabins + gym of 

a camp in Ohio and had a really nice time!  

We were there from Dec 26th to today!

And my beloved Husband was finally able to take me to the

Ohio Bookstore, where he used to go when he lived in Cincinnati and 

bought comic books at when he was a kid and young teen!

It was a wonderful time and I hope to do a blog post on this bookstore

later on this coming week, DV.

We are back home now and got in record time... the plane left early and got in early!

We were home by 2:30! 

So pictures above... last one is the books I found at the Ohio Bookstore 

(I found 3 at the Cincinnati library bookstore also in this stack) :) 

A friend gave us some NYC bakery Christmas cookies!

(I immediately froze them for later!)

The relics of St Tikhon are visiting our local church tonight 

and tomorrow, so that is a real blessing!

The top picture is what you first see when you go into

the Ohio Bookstore :) 

We went to the diner after vespers for dinner, it was good!

It is cold here and snow is on the ground!

I don't remember it being so cold in NJ for this long since

I have lived here! I like the cold but am praying for the

homeless and those who don't have a lot of resources to deal with the cold....

We have vacation through January 8th this year! 

(Our Christmas is January 7th) and I am so very glad!

We are doing a stay-cation for the rest of our time and are DV going to stay 

home, rest up, be cozy, read books, watch the Waltons, I have a baking

day that is needed and I am just so happy to be home with my

sweet Husband and to have this time.

I am really hoping that next year will not have so much sickness and 

that a new year will have really dawned for us.

May God have mercy on us!

And I thank and praise God for the many many mercies show to us already 

in this past year, getting us through so many hard times!

God bless and keep you all dear readers!

And thank you so much for your comments this week - I am 

truly blessed and touched by them!!! 

A lot in just a few days

A week ago, we went to a dear soon to be fully adopted daughter's baptism.  I had not been to a baptism at a Catholic church before. It was beautiful.  The smell of the chrism was esp strong and so beautiful - a scent from the heavens.  This young little one is a real lovely girl and I really saw a change in her after the baptismal service - not in energy of a 3 year old for doing everything at once - but in beauty.  Every time I see her now, she looks more feminine, more beautiful, a real change but not one that could be easily explained to others I think.  But quite real nonetheless.

This past Saturday we had a small party for her, to welcome her to our lives.  It was a very simple relaxed affair and the little one did so well.  

Because of a very busy week, I was not able to prepare anything before the day of.  Thankfully the frozen crepes, store bought, were wonderful, the cream cheese with heavy cream and powdered sugar for the wrapped crepes went well (I forgot to have the cream cheese sit out first and it was a bit lumpy).  The egg bake was very simple - a friend suggested it on FB - all I did was shred some cheddar cheese, put in cut up pre-browned organic sausage, mix up 12 extra-large organic eggs, pour on top and then add more shredded cheese.  Used one small block of store bought organic cheese for this.  It was a hot day, so no one wanted hot tea and water and OJ were what we enjoyed.  A cold no-bake chocolate cheesecake bars, a fruit salad and brie with crackers also were enjoyed.  Oh and hot tater tots :)  and a small bowl of ketchup! I feel like I am slowly learning hostess ‘tricks’ like what meals are easy to make the day of and still have the results be worthy of the dinner or brunch one is hosting.  

The day before I had ‘kid-proofed’ the area, as the little one is 3 and a very busy little girl.  It went really well.  We also watched Matuska’s grandson run really hard race on her ipod. The little girl learned the word 'championship' and decided that to say it one must jump and raise both arms, saying 'Championship!' :) It was relaxed and an enjoyable time.

I think all of us have really busy lives and enjoyed just being together to talk and visit.  The little one loved her gifts, I gave her Jane’s When God Made You.  

After vespers, we went to the diner; I had half of a big Caesar salad (picture of me with salad by Mr Husband) and a milk shake. :) ... Husband earlier brought me home 3 red roses and we sent off our first of, we hope, many letters to the Munchkin for his second summer overseas.

We also had Pentecost and I really enjoyed listening to this sermon later, was I was putting together Mr. Husband and I’s dinner.  

I am still pondering the sermon; it is so true, we are all thirsty for God’s Spirit and try so many ways to fill the thirst.  I talked briefly with my nearby priest about how hard it is for us to open our hearts to let God in and let the Holy Spirit increase in us.  

I am working a lot on Sunday School these days - printing all the lessons of the last 2 years, seeing where the gaps are and thinking about things to teach next year on the Holy Liturgy and about personal prayer at times that the children are not aware of the need for.  One thing I talked to a few of them about yesterday was about praying before one has Holy Communion and doing simple prayers while waiting in line.  It’s a challenge for all of us who are Orthodox (or in a Christian church where the Eucharist is offered) to focus on meeting Christ in a very profound way through Holy Communion.  To live with a sense of holy anticipation and expectation, to grow in prayer.

I am reading a wonderful book on prayer by Fr. Alexander Men; and am re-reading for the 10th+ time L’ Engle’s Swiftly Tilting Planet and feel like I am just getting in a deeper way, or the next layer of it, of how one of the points of the book is to ponder letting our lives not be in our complete control and, in one way of saying it, to relax; to see that God is steady and still in control, no matter how things in our personal lives or on our world that we all share seem to be often careening off it’s axis. I love so much of what L’ Engle has to say and this is one of my favourite books of hers.

Well, today includes the change of table clothes (white and green for Pentecost), paperwork and I hope more Sunday School work.  I was thrilled to hear that my now 4 year old godson still loves Thomas the Tank Engine.  I am really hoping to finish his quilt soon.  I dream of being able to give it to him in person!

ps: a friend sent this lovely video with the main prayer for Pentecost in many languages, it's lovely!