Floating away with Mexican hot chocolate... and other adventures

The Dome-Singer of Falenda by Katherine Bolger Hyde

I am very sorry to say that this book is out of print

and I can't find it anywhere online.

If you know where I can get a copy, do let me know.

I gave mine away, not knowing that by the time I went to re-order it,

it would be out of print! 

It's lovely.

I ordered her 2 mysteries meanwhile... 

I am so glad I was able to get these goblets,

they work perfectly in the dishwasher.

Loved this description of food in Miss Read's Christmas at Thrush Green 

Made cards for dear ones who lost Mother, Grandmother, recently... 

 Cleo, of course, is loving her box.

Mr Husband suggested that we close it up and mail it.

He is kidding of course. :)

I had tea and two chocolates as a treat. 

Lovely.  

My sweet Husband is on the mend, I am so so VERY happy to say.

To celebrate I had a quarter of a tablet of Mexican hot chocolate and a ginger-spiced 

Christmas cookie, quite lovely together! 

I feel like I am floating away on it, as I treated myself to a very big cup of it! 

I can't handle hot chocolate at the level that companies say to have it at,

much to rich for me.  I found this 2+ cups of milk with 1/4th of one tablet to be perfect.

The heat from it (some sort of cinnamon/pepper flavour) is still on my tongue...

it really is filling and warming.  

I really liked it. And it was perfect for my over-sized mug that I got at our 

MI family Christmas! 

Since the hot chocolate has 6 tablets and 1/4th was perfect for a huge amount of it,

I have at least 24 servings out of this lovely warming Mexican hot chocolate! 

***

Well, my beloved is on his way home now and we are going to enjoy dinner and a Walton's episode,

talk about our day and do family prayers DV tonight.

He's home tomorrow so that will be really nice too! 

It's been a good day, I ordered books and 

actually read Miss Read again, so nice...

BTW, this book is WONDERFUL, way underrated and I would call it

'a journal of profound comfort and encouragement' and it is on closeout 

for $3.00 a book.  I am not joking when I confess to buying 15 copies.

YES. That many.  I bought that many 5 years ago when it was at the same price

and I only had ONE of the 15 left to give away.  I wish I had 100 copies and

I would give them all away within in time to those who I see who 

could use it for either the stress they are in, or exhaustion or just in need

of some extra-loving....

Everyone I give it to finds it a real comfort and encouragement. 

So if you are in need of such, buy a copy!

If I was a much richer woman, I would want this republished something like

a journal of profound comfort and encouragement.

Seriously.

And I know books.... 

***

May God bless us all in whatever we are facing!

Standing!

 \

Yesterday I journaled about how tired I felt

and realized that it is the tired that you feel when you 

are almost done with a part of a great difficulty...

which was encouraging and also realistic to realize....

***

So today my physical therapist came, probably for the last time,

as I will need to do out patient later for the actual ankle, 

and I now know how to go down the stairs using 1 crutch

and was actually OUTSIDE, briefly, today!!!!

So DV this weekend I can go to my local church for services!!! 

***

So you can imagine that I am pretty excited about that.

I can tell I have lost stamina and it will take some time

to recover, but with rest built into the day

and realistic goals, it will be wonderful, 

to get out again...

***

Tomorrow I plan on doing some real resting, as today

was busy and I need those intervals of rest...

***

We still have a real unbloggable concern

though and welcome all and any prayers

(thank God it is not something health related FYI).

***

I was looking through the cookbook I pictured above today

and it's fun with lots of ideas but also

I noticed a bit expensive for the ingredients.

Fun to get new ideas though and her writing is pretty clear.

I got the book at a library book sale, which is a fun

and affordable way to get books! :)

***

I've been looking through a few of my tea cookbooks,

thinking of new ideas to bake once I am back,

literally, on my feet!

***

My Husband was so excited at the idea of me 

being back in the kitchen cooking again!

Me too....

Progress and Hope to be done... in a few months :)

This dimly lit picture is the office; still in boxes

and in clutter but we will get there.

I have lots of plans and hopes...

My one goal for today is to move a bunch of the library

to the living room bookshelves...

things that are not as valuable as there is more

possibility of sun exposure in the living room... 

Exciting to me right now is just to have a few places

of order and peace as we continue to unpack

and find places for things.

I am loving this little spot on the dresser.

The mug has our prosphera bread that 

we are given at our church...

we have it first thing in the morning

with a little holy water, 

before we eat or drink other things;

it's a real blessing... like being given

a blessing and strength for the day!

We don't have most of our icons unpacked and up yet...

so this lovely corner is our current prayer corner.

It works and is a lovely start.

*

We hope to get some sort of icon shelf/rail 

in our chapel for various icons... 

this hopefully will happen in July when 

Mr. Husband's parents come;

they had to change dates with us

due to strawberry season and harvesting,

but this is fine for us too,

we are excited to have them come!

I got this icon diptych at an antique mall

in Grand Rapids years ago with my Grandma;

it was made in Rome.

The candle was a gift from a dear friend and is made

at the monastery in Brownsberg Quebec.  

The candles in the glass jar are also from Orthodox monasteries. 

I am determined to have much less clutter in our home.

This coat rack used to be just layered with things.

Now it has the essentials and our master bedroom closet,

which is about twice the size of our old one

has the excess. 

I am so pleased about this.

*

My Dad used what was already around to anchor this 

bathroom shelf unit to the wall.

It is so sturdy now!

The double sink is just lovely.

The sink on the left has some cracks in it

but is structurally still sound,

as in no chance of leakage.

I still have to put our wedding crowns back up 

above the bed.

We have boxes to unpack yet in the closet

before boxes that are in the bedroom can be properly stored.

*

I am finding that working on one chosen area

helps a lot in the unpacking progress.

*

Oh, and thank God: I found my camera charger!!

I opened up the shades and sat Cleo down so she

can enjoy the window view.  

She is still learning about places in this new home.

I am still loving the paint colours.

And it is wonderful to have the two big windows 

and have shades for them.

It cuts down the heat from the sun and the light 

exposure on things.

*

Little by little we will get things unpacked!

I am realizing, esp. with Mr. Husband parent's later 

arrival to help with some things,

that it will be sometime before everything is 

situated. But it is going well and 

I have my kitchen clutter free

which is a huge relief.

*

Years ago when I just could not seem to keep things clean,

my spiritual father in Ottawa told me that just having 

one area clean and organized can help one's 

equilibrium and keep one from being totally discouraged 

and overwhelmed by it. 

I am finding this to be true...

and that one must choose a small area to work on 

and go from there.

*

Little by little,

we will make our new condo a home! 

A Day in the City

I made it to NYC today!
Mr. Husband is away for work
and I met my new naturopath.
Here's to hoping that the mono will finally recede
with her help!
I am very much a fan of natural healing as much
as is possible... 

Afterward, I took myself out for Thai. 

It was good.
I love chicken curry.
I love also that I got to eat with chopsticks.
Of course I was emailing Mr. Husband as I ate...

Enjoying the beautiful and a bit less hot
weather today!

Thankful that I do not eat alone
too often now.

It was nice
but I still find NYC to be pretty intense.
*
So neat to use my Android phone and have it
show me via the maps and navigation feature
where to take transit back!
Yay for technology helping me not get lost!
*
It was nice to come home.

To the comfort of beauty
and icons and lit lampadas. 

To be reminded of our Hope in Christ's Pascha.

 

And that our Guardian Angel is with us.
*
Truly,
we are never alone.