A Christmas Miracle on the 4th day of Christmas

Between breakfast, recipe research and a delicious cookie,

a bit before 11 AM, my Husband chatted me the

very good news that we have been praying for,

wishing for, hoping for, desperate for...

these last many months.  

It's a resolution that will still take sometime to unfold

and improve everything that has been so difficult for us for

over 2 years (with other things in the middle of that difficulty,

including losing +Patrick, terrible sickness, my broken ankle, 

losing my +Aunt Karen...) that we can say have been

some of the hardest days and years of our lives

and our married lives of now 6+ years.

It's a Christmas Miracle.

It's the beginning of, we pray, a time of restoration,

of living our lives as we had before this struggle began...

(really it began 3 years ago when we got the flu the first time... 

and then greatly intensified 2 years ago)... 

We are not fully out of the woods as the last years took a real

toll on us in so many ways and it will take time 

to rebuild things after such difficulties

but nonetheless, it is really a 

Christmas Miracle.

I am so very grateful. 

I am praying that this year will be a time of rebuilding 

for us and that we can begin to dream of doing more than

just doing our best to survive the difficulties.

Of course, like everyone's life, we have other things

that are still hard but the lifting of this one heavy difficulty

will help us deal with the rest of life with two feet on the ground

instead of two feet in poor shoes constantly in danger of falling on slippery terrain. 

The night of the 3rd day of Christmas I got a craving for my Mom's Chili. 

I hunted down the small recipe only to search my pantry and saw,

always astounding to me with my ridiculously full pantry, that I did not 

have either the tomato sauce or canned tomatoes! 

So that recipe will be, DV, for next week!

I ordered one can each and they are coming with my Friday morning

grocery delivery! My Mom's Chili recipe is below:

Meanwhile, I got out the lovely Amish cookbook that I was given by a dear friend

and found a simple meatball Stroganoff! 

Well, other than using butter for meatball frying + I used a whole can of water, 

I followed this recipe. ... 

the meat and onions browned up a lot to significant caramelization 

but not burning (but almost!)

 ... I did not drain the meat of any of the butter/oil....

and had a bit before Mr Husband got home and it's SO GOOD.

I was really pleased with it AND 

it was ready for dinner pretty much immediately when 

Mr Husband came home from work and that made me

extra happy! 

This is my new beautiful (and it smells fragrant, lovely!) tea cloth!

I washed a lot of little jars that a friend gave back to me

from various gifts of tea I had given her + a few more.

I am glad to have them, I hope to make more tea in the future!

I finally took apart our lovely Chocolate tower that I was

given for St Nicholas day!

The treasures are now tucked away in our pantry,

with many other treats that amaze me in the abundance of them.

I clearly need to have more people over for tea and chocolate! 

Since we have lots of glorious chocolate, I used some for the Christmas Cracker gifts!

Of course, that means that Mr Husband and I get some of it back, 

but every Christmas Cracker must have a gift!

Speaking of Christmas Crackers, I get mine here from England!

I get the kits which is why the gift part is my choice.

They are made in England I love them!

I bought more recently as I hope to have another Christmas dinner,

I got these in the standard size, I thought red would be perfect!

The Christmas Crackers in the picture above are the over-sized ones, FYI.

I set the table late in the night tonight

and am very happy with it!

I am glad that we have a life that is done in time,

and that we don't know our future; by which I mean that

there are really hard things in life or things we have to figure out

and we could never do it all at once or bear it all at once.

I think of Madeline L'Engle's Other Side of the Sun and how

the happy young times are hard to bear if reading them in the future

when one has dreams but not yet the heartache.

Both are real and life is hard but Christ is born at Christmas

to be with us, to bear the hard with us and in the end,

with our desire, carrying us HOME to be with Him forever....

May we take heart, no matter what we are facing, grieving or hoping for.

NYC and the Sisterhood of St Elizabeth

I made it! to the Columbus Circle Holiday Market to see the 

white sisters of St Elizabeth! I was so happy!!!

Whenever I see either monastics or white sisters (who are 

dedicated to serving the monastery without being monastics),

I am excited; esp. now when I don't get to go that often or see them,

when I do, I feel like I am flying for joy... 

immediate remembrance of who I am, asking how things were this past year,

(I saw this sister a year ago this Dec 19th on St Nicholas day) and 

so much joy in the meeting...

And I took the subways... recently they just 'clicked' how to use them...

when I was first here, I would get so disoriented and confused...

now it makes more sense... and I am so excited...

I did get turned around when going back to the PATH train to NJ

because a person gave me the wrong instructions 

(it's very normal to ask in NYC where to go,

I did not understand the map instructions 

on my phone enough to know what to do)

but in the end a lady at a payless shoes told me to take the subway downstairs

and then go the right and I would be right where I needed to be.

And so it was! 

God gave me so much strenght today and my foot was OK too.

It still needs some PT and stretches, but is doing OK. 

***

Some beautiful words spoken by Sister Nataliia to me, 

including that Met. Anthony Bloom said once that

we trust God and he asked who does God trust

and the answer was 'us'... as in God loves, values us.

*

Also that the journey to God is the goal, is the way... and not 

giving up...to keep on with Christ... 

*

And reminding me that what I can do (like baking cookies)

gives joy to others and is good. 

***

It was so lovely to see them both (the 2 white sisters) and 

to also get to shop in their store! 

I can't tell or show you what I got, of course, ...

Christmas and St Nicholas gifts you know! :) 

***

If you want to know more about these white sisters

and the nuns of St Elizabeth in Belarus, the city of Minsk,

go here. 

And if you happen to be in NYC in the next week, go see them!

Such kindness and such gifts are both a rare treasure! 

***

The picture of the maroons btw was because it makes me think of 

this dear blog friend... :)

****

An unexpected side note:

the step-father of my oldest friend died unexpectedly yesterday night.

Please pray for his new widow (my friend's Mom) and my friend and her sister.

I've known this family (the Mom and sisters) my whole life....

my Mom called me with the news...

my parents were good friends of theirs and went camping in the summer

and the now newly departed husband/step-father was going to put in for the 

June camping reservations soon for them.

So it's a real loss and I ask your prayers.

I have not lived in MI for more than a few months at a time in about 20 years

but when you go 'way back' this loss is still felt and understood for what it is.

***

I am so glad I have such blessing to see the white sisters today 

and for the prayers that will be done for us through this monastery.

God is so good to us.

Back from the baptism of our new godson!

Picture I took of the table with all that is needed for the
baptism this past Sunday!

We were in the Midwest this past weekend,

baptising our new godson!

***

The icons are from Holy Dormition Monastery and are

of St. Luke the Surgeon and St. Gregory Palamas. 

The candles are from St. Tikhon's. 

The Cross is from St. John's Skete, 

attached to Hermitage of the Holy Cross. 

The Cross is the identical to Mr. Husband's baptismal Cross!

***

It was a very blessed time!

***

I am catching up on lots of things now and hope to write more soon!

Thanking God for the honour of being a godmother to a dear

new young infant baby boy! 

About today...

I am having a lot of fun with my new writing work.

I created a FB page for my work as a writer, feel free to have a look.

***

I wanted to note that my post on Conciliar Post was their 695th post

since 2014.  They have been doing a lot of great work in

dialoguing for 2 years and I am quite happy to be 

involved now.

***

This weekend is going to be full.

We have work being done on our condo;

Feast of Dormition on Sunday.

***

Read and appreciated this post by Fr. Lawrence. 

***

Thinking about topics of love and boundaries; 

a friend reminded me of this podcast:

The Trench.

Here's the one about boundaries.

I found it to be a great summarization on the topic.

 ***

I feel like I am straggling towards a finish line - 

summer is almost at an end, and then new things begin.

We are trying some new things with our Sunday School

because of changes both in our team and in the numbers of kids 

coming (we've doubled in size).

If you would, please say a prayer for us!

***

I am still loving the Donald Sheehan book;

am also quite intrigued by this book:

Present Over Perfect.

***

My Aunt's surgery went well, 

Thank God.

She will be recovering for a while.

Thank you for your prayers.

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

I've been thinking for a long while about my 

dream of writing short essays, meaningful

nonfiction that can connect, comfort and give people the 

pause we all need, for thought and reflection.

***

Suddenly, an opportunity came to me, that

was unexpected but welcomed!

***

When I read and responded to this article,

of the thoughtful essayist who is searching

for his way and path of conversion,

one of the founders of the web-platform,
that this man wrote on,

asked if I would write for them.

So I said I would be honoured to,

and now, I am!

***

You can find me here, at Conciliar Post,

DV every 2 weeks. 

I also have created a new blog, dedicated to the essays

that I am writing for publication.  

You can see this blog, here!

***

A lot of my essays will be familiar to my dear

blog readers!  The first one I am writing, 

just published today,

is one that I first wrote on a year ago.

***
We write best when we write our own story; and so it is with this
understanding that I begin!
***

My first essay for Conciliar Post is on the topic of anxiety,

really a meditation on anxiety and what I learned about it over the years.

***

Perhaps I will write another essay on it someday,

it really all started in 1998, when one day I was in my dorm room,

and it is like I suddenly woke up, 

though I was standing at the time,

and I realized that my entire self was riddled through with worry.

***

It would be some years before I would even begin to untangle all the causes,

 reasons or even see that this anxiety could be fought and healed.

I am still in that process but I know now what it is a war to be waged,

it is something to be fought.
***
And so, my first writing is on this journey... 

***

My first essay begins...

"When I still lived in Ottawa, I went through a time when I was unemployed, spent my carefully tended savings to survive and then ran out of money completely.   For a few months I did not know how I was going to pay rent or buy food.  Scary.  Twice in my life I went through testing to see if I had cancer; each time, no cancer.  Everyday now it seems that apocalyptic fearful things happen; the news tells us only of some.  Anxiety has weighed me down deep in it’s ocean, submerging me under in its waves.  It was there I learned you need to fight and deal with fear and anxiety while you are in the midst of it.

When overwhelmed, I pray small quick prayers: when I am afraid, I trust in Thee; I repeat this prayer many times.  I can breathe again.  I do small prayers, cross myself, say the Jesus Prayer(Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me), these all help.  I am learning to tune out a lot of news and worry. That you can choose to have a peaceful day or an anxious day. It's all where and what you focus on and put your energy towards….With Christ one can develop a well of interior peace, an inward fortress.  I am not there yet.  But Mother Gavrilia shows that the way towards this peace is to accept everything in my life, to live in my ‘today’ with God and trust that God’s will is unfolding, even if my life and well being are in peril.

I started learning this in Ottawa when I was unemployed;...". read the rest here (or here)!

Wonderful Visit!

It was so wonderful to see our goddaughter again!

I hope to write more later this week,

lots to do right now, 

but wanted to quick pop in!

She's so cute and loved playing in the kids station/area! 

I loved seeing how she 'Crosses' her self too! 

So precious! 

Do you see how she is on her 'tippy toes' to play? 

One happy godmother here! :) 

Purl Soho Visit + learning + a stack of good books!

My friend Tahara and I went to NYC

and Purl Soho yesterday!

Will blog, DV, more about that later!

Reading: a whole wonderful stack of books. I am meaning to post

the almost done review of Dinner with Edward, it was very good but missed a few

things that are significant and that I am working on articulating still. 

Re-read L' Engle's Swiftly Tilting Planet. Very good, reminded me of how I must

let go of things and let God's path and ways be accomplished... 

Making & Learning: I asked at Purl Soho how to do the French Knot... I get it now!

They had some really neat linen cloth there for cross stitching, am keeping it in mind for later!

Making: more wash clothes have been completed. 

Making Hopes:  working on my godson's quilt this week + Sunday School curriculum! 

Accomplishments: a simple brunch for a lovely little 3 year old girl who we are welcoming 
into our lives! Last Saturday morning! 

Joining Ginny's Yarn Along!

{moments in time} ~ Celebrating 3.5 years of marriage, quietly, together

I made a nice Atlantic salmon dinner for us.

Mr Husband got me 3 red roses, beautiful...

It was a beautiful meal with

Atlantic Salmon,

Baked baguette hot out of the oven, quickly cut

in half so butter could melt in it,

a green salad

and the fruit salad of

strawberries, mandarins and bananas with a delicious topping of:

sour cream - honey - orange juice. 

*

Mr. Husband said that now we are half way to 7 years of marriage.

7: my favourite number.

May we have this and more years,

as God grants!