Tearing down to build up

Christmas tree is down, lights and ornaments packed away carefully.

Lenten icons are up, Christmas icons packed.

I am going home to Western MI in a week's time, 

a week tomorrow.

God willing I will be in church everyday this week, for the beginning 

of Lent, which is called Clean Week.

With yesterday being a feast day and my Husband took the day off for it, 

and then the news of my Aunt K, shocking...;

I was so confused this morning, I thought yesterday was a 2 day weekend 

and that today was Monday.

Why was my friend posting on IG about it being Friday?

Why is it that one minute one is fine and happy and joyful

and the next minute everything changes, dynamically, suddenly

and the sword is thrust in and goes out silently, quickly,

without visible change and yet everything is changed?

I finally did the second book order for my church book sale,

that we thought would be 2 times this Lent, 

this Sunday and then later.

But now there is snow on the way; we don't know if we can travel there

or not and such. 

I've had this icon of Christ the Good Shepard lit for my Aunt;

it is Christ who will take her safely through the valley of death....

I am getting this book on the mystery of death and from the chapter headings, I think

it will be a good read for me right now.

I woke to this song inside me, welling up, expressing everything...

Bright Wednesday Yarn Along

Holy Week as too busy to begin with to

work on my beautiful blanket.

It's still at section two of it being almost finished.

I did make about 4 or more washcloths,

not all pictured here.

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As many of you know,

my beloved Mr. Husband and I are still

dealing with the sudden loss of Mr. Husband's 

adult godson, 

so everything is a bit of a blur.

I had gotten this lovely small icon of

Christ's Resurrection

at the Monastery I was at 

just a few weekends ago with my dear friend

and her sister.

I was going to use it in my Pascha basket

but with the extreme lack of sleep

and inward disorganization that hovers in grief,

I forgot. So next year, God willing.

But at least it is out now in our home 

and it is offering much beauty and consolation.

The hope in Christ and in His 

Resurrection is huge, esp in this unexpected time.

Thank God I had the house clean and set up for Bright Week

before I left.

And my friend gave me some beautiful Pascha eggs

that I have put around the house;

I hope to do a blog post about our Bright Paschal decorations

in our home.

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I have not read books lately other than Holy Week Services.

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I am going to be getting these two books though:

I read the one above years ago and 

it will be good to read it again.

I read the first edition of this years ago

when I was grieving the loss of a woman

who was like my first spiritual mother

who died when I was 21.

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I am 38 now and I feel, with the 

grief I have worked through in the past and

with the prayers for the departed that we do as 

Orthodox Christians,

that I am better prepared to grieve in ways

that are more life-giving than

debilitating. 

That said, it's still a long road and I know that.

But the prayers alone have great healing power.

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So about the yarn along button -

I can't seem to get it to work.

I have seen others use it but it just shows up as a

little jpeg box icon that you see when a picture is not

working. 

Any suggestions?

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Do tell me what you are making and reading!

Yarn Along with us!