under the weather + gifts + making + thankful!

Thursday found me more tired than normal

and by the later afternoon I was in bed

working on the many coloured blanket,

having popcorn...

I got a beautiful gift from a dear blog friend of

deft, very special handspun yarn, tea and a homemade bag!

Friday I woke up and knew I was not well.

The Sinus, as "Mouse" in Anne George's mystery books

would say.  Chills (but no fever), aches, throat scratchy, 

voice sounding "sick"... 

and I got another unexpected gift, this time from

my quilting-friend now in CA of more washcloth yarn and a letter!

I also got the book I ordered about TWU, where I finished my 

Undergraduate years.

I am enjoying it.

Mr Husband was home. I managed to make lunch but not dinner.

Saturday, today that is,

I was still unwell.  Mr Husband was home as it is the weekend now. 

I was able to make my beloved lamb and rice dish, which I doubled

so that DV when we have our staycation we have leftovers to eat....

I am so thankful that God let me make that dish,

as my throat is still quite raw feeling, very sore, and the lamb dish

is warm and soft, easy to swallow. 

And today I got a book (Kristin Lavransdatter)

I had been wanting to get for some time!

Jane had offered this book to whoever wanted it 

and I happened to be the first one who responded so she

sent it my way!  Again, I am really grateful!

 I was telling a friend that while I have been recovering this summer,

I have gotten so many unexpected care packages, books and such...

I feel like God is using each person that has sent me something to 

remind me that He cares about the details of my life and

loves me, unworthy as I am.

I told my friend that I don't know why God is being so kind in this way

but that I really appreciate it! 

***

So, we still have some unbloggable concerns. :( 

But we have to trust God in the midst of everything.

***

I am finally reading a book, a novel called Jordan's Bend,

that a dear brother in Christ gave me years ago in Ottawa

and the other day when I was trying to figure out what to read

(Kristin Lavransdatter had not yet arrived!), and 

suddenly remembered it and went and searched our library

until I found it.... finally, the time is right to read it... 

***

I hope to go to church tomorrow morning; I did make it to

vespers; sat for much of it (Orthodox churches have lots of standing)

because of being tired + foot in boot standing does not work for 

long periods of time...

I get my boot off DV this Thursday!

***

I am doing my best to NOT pass on my illness to Mr Husband.

Please pray for this if you can...

I hope to be better soon... I will keep resting a lot,

am having tons of cold teas, meds, vitimins, etc etc...

and I got out my warm comfy down-filled comforter and it's

raining outside, the dishwasher is running and my Husband is

in the livingroom as I type... 

***

God bless you all and I hope you all have a peaceful Sunday!

A Sunday with Many Blessings

We made it to our local church for liturgy this morning.

The kind elderly gentleman was back in church,

he is still looking for a new home and we need to keep praying...

***

Had a nice lunch at home...

And lovely black tea with milk!

And Mr Husband listened to the first CD and some of the
second CD of the Tolkien Ensemble that

Gretchen Joanna blogged about last year

and OH! it's so very lovely!!!

Some of the first songs sing of such joy

that must be at the true centre of things,

of all the good, all that is of God,

the joy, the hope, the wonder that children have

and that adults often forget that they can

have, at least in part, if only a scent that makes

the heart rise and the hope within fly to the

surface, seeing everything with a sudden

dew grassed wonder of drops that look like crystal

of green lands with fresh breezes of life,

of fragrances that breath life into everything...

Mr Husband and I talked about it,

how this joy, this sense of delight,

it cannot be bought or even sought for itself

but only awakened or remembered, as if 

waking up from a bad dream or an adult life

of dreary day grey days to find that

there is this patch of sunshine that is making 

everything light up with this joy

that is suffusing everything,

that which children glimpse or even see

but that we forget is really there...

***

I told Mr Husband about a woman I knew years ago 

who years before that had this incredible experience in 

Church, I think it was an experience of God's love,

and afterwards, she saw later, she was trying to 

recreate the experience and in so searching for the

experience itself (and not God who gives it),

she ended up in a very bad way,

with deep troubles

because of how she was trying to fill her life up

with what she once experienced...

***

So these times, we must remember them

and rejoice in such music that can suddenly awaken the

memory of the joy that is still part of God's reality,

we must not seek the experience but the one who

the experience is from and is in...

This came up because Mr Husband was telling me about

Tolkien's book the Silmarillion and how the jewels that are so 

beautiful in it are sought and by so doing destroy the seekers... 

***

Anyway, after this our far-away church priest came and it was 

wonderful, we have the short unction service with anointing for healing

and then the blessing of our home! 

With Holy Water splashed everywhere (my sewing machine,

with cover on, was blessed too!) and my Christmas tree and lights shining,

and then we walked over to our dear friends house 

and their house was blessed

and then we had such a lovely meal,

so delicious!

My pie was good, but it got quite watery,

I need to figure out why.

I am not sure but thankfully it still tasted quite good! 

And Trader Joe's French Vanilla Ice Cream added

that last bit of deliciousness! 

***

And so it was all so lovely

and hard to have end, as we love 

seeing friends so much...

***

Our home, when we return to it newly blessed,

always seems not only so clean but new, 

like we just had Christmas and our home is happy

and clean in a way that only can come by 

prayer and blessing... 

***

Our friends young daughter did her prayers

and thanked God for the Father-priest and his blessings, and for 

the Matushka (priest-wife) and then for Mr and Mrs Husband and

Mrs Husband's (my) hair (which newly washed was curly and long).

Isn't that the cutest thing?!

***

Our home, when we return to it newly blessed,

always seems not only so clean but new, 

like we just had Christmas and our home is happy

and clean in a way that only can come by 

prayer and blessing... 

***

Tomorrow I hope to go with Mr Husband to NYC,

he back to doctor, I doing errands.

We are hoping that Mr Husband is on a 

healing trajectory.

Thank you everyone for your comments about

asthma, etc, they have been truly most helpful and kind,

thank you!

And thank you everyone for your kind comments and prayers!!! 

Winter Wonderland and my first week back from Ottawa...

It has been snowing most of yesterday,

thick white soft snow in large flakes...

Slated is a 7 story building in that empty lot;

our view will be much different than the ones in these 

pictures... 

Today is sunny and cold, I need to out for a walk... 

it's my favourite winter weather,

sunny and cold...

Still remembering the many persecuted Christians...

Lord have mercy on us all.

This week has been a bit topys-turvy for me;

it always is when I come back from anywhere I've been for more than 1 day...

clutter can just overwhelm me and it has this week;

I am still pushing through it, slowly;

I went from a week of non-stop people to days that

I am alone all day and to be honest

I am really struggling with that.

*

I did get to the Wednesday night presanctified, 

and I see Mr. Husband nightly,

but he's been super busy with work and so he is at work today

instead of at home working.

*

I am glad for Cleo.

*

I am working on a top-secret project for Mr. Husband's birthday;

things are coming in the mail; I will have a small dinner party for him

in the Bright season and already am planning a nice time with him

during his birthday itself, which is during Lent as usual.

*

Next week will be different;

a trip to NYC and a friend coming over DV next Thursday to help me

with the above mentioned top secret project.

And hopefully Mr. Husband will be working at home on his usual

Wed/Friday routine so next week will be much more social.

*

And I think I needed some time to just rest and be quiet this week.

It's just a huge change; life is always full of them...

I am so thankful for so much;

just feeling a bit buried this week, so much to catch up on.

*

I think everyone is getting ready for Spring and Summer...

I know Mr. Husband is by his despairing comment to me the other day,

maybe it will still be winter in early May this year!

and I just said to assure him, I am sure it will be Spring by then.

*

God help us meanwhile have a Lent that brings us closer to Christ,

His one and only Son.

9th day of Christmas...

We had more of the mini cheesecakes.

And chocolately chai tea.

Origination and hot cocoa 

Green Tea and Original 

We opened two presents each...

Friday we plan on doing the last presents! 

I hope to make a special casserole also!

Gifts included...

The early years of CS Lewis

A really great index too!

A book on Lewis focusing on his imagination...

And one of the early biographies...

This Christmas was a very "Lewis" Christmas!

*

Thanks for all your prayers;

the family friend in hospital with pneumonia is still ill and 

with some sort of added infection.

There are so many temptations and trials in life.

Everyday I hear of new sufferings in the lives of 

my friends and family.

We need to seek God and ask Him for help

in these precious times of our lives....