(120) Busy Days

Whew. 

I got ALL of the Christmas baking out and in bags.

Bags for local church kept out and ready for this week.

The rest of the bags (the majority of them) are bagged up in 

gallon freezer bags and back in the freezer before the cookies were fully 

thawed out!  That was a lot of work... 

And then other gifts were delivered and I bagged up gifts for both a few

local church friends and then our main far-away church friends... 

So I was super busy with that today.

Tomorrow begins liturgies at our local church. 

We will be there this year for them, though when they have their

Christmas liturgy we will keep fasting, as we began the fast

with the Julian "old" calendar and will celebrate Christmas DV in full

on January 7th! This will be really nice...I am looking forward to that!

But before this second Christmas we have family visits coming up

and I won't be blogging much 

so don't worry if I don't write here every day!  :) 

I wish everyone a blessed Christmas.

I know the Christmas holidays can be difficult for many. 

May Christ, the one who came on Christmas day to save us, 

comfort each of us regardless of our current life circumstances.

God bless you, each and everyone! 

Friday, after 2 days in NYC, with a blur of activities

Whew, as I knew it would, this week

came hurtling in like a ton of bricks.

I had 2 days in NYC,

including my eye appointment, which I am happy say

went well and my right eye, as myopic as my eyes are, is OK.

***

I picked up a few more presents in NYC and my list of things to do

is still high...I finished our Christmas card in a 2 hour rush yesterday,

I read over lunch a lovely article about why using good China is 

not only that which brings quiet and honour to a guest,

but is deeply linked to how a tradition-based Christian lives out their

sacramental life. 

Fr Andrew Damick's book, 

Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy is proving to be a very enjoyable,

clear and thought-provoking read. 

I find it to be both gentle and forthright. 

***

Well, I have a lots of cleaning and paperwork to do today,

I hope to get our Christmas tree up sometime soon,

hopefully next week and I have 2 weeks to get my 

St. Nicholas and Christmas baking done...

and a new Church book sale prep and everything else...

***

This is always my most busy time of year.

***

Lord have mercy and help me keep the spirit of the

Nativity Fast amidst it all! 

Today...

Christmas candle holder and Nativity Icons

are gracing our home again this year.

*

I hope to work on making tea today.

*

It's amazing how things like laundry pile up.

I am slowly getting used books in the mail that Mr. Husband 

is giving me...I have dreams of continuing to build 

community where I am and having kids read 

the books I am slowly but steadily collecting.

I had a friend with a two year old over the other week

and it was such a joy just to see him play

and look at books.

*

Today I hope to go grocery shopping.

Once again, I am low on sugar...

*

I am getting close to being done on 

the textured blanket;

then I will have to do the boarder.

*

I am so grateful for my life

and for God's mercy.

{Preparing for Christmas} ~ our Christmas Tree came early...

While originally planning on finding a 

Christmas tree a bit later this week, 

Mr. Husband had found one in mid-November

and after I did some research 

and emails with my beloved husband,

I ordered one. 

It's fairly lovely I think, apartment sized too

is my guess and I hope to put it up 

when I planned in early December!

*

While some seem overwhelmed by my 2014 Nativity Planning list,

it's really a list to keep me on track

and to help me not try to do too much on one day!

*

I am glad that today, November 29's task, 

is already done:

"November 29: order a Christmas ornament for our Christmas tree.  Find lights to put up in our kitchen and living room."

*

I've been on a saga to find my coffee grinder for spices.

In this saga it has led me to overhaul and finish unpacking our closets.

Which means I know where all our Christmas things 

(including lights!) are now. 

I finally found the coffee grinder, of course it was in the very back of a kitchen cupboard...

Now I can make Christmas Tea!! 

*

Meanwhile, I am excited to put up our tree DV in December!