Saturday: Feast Day, Brunch, Rest and Vespers

It was really great to be at church this morning.

I went early to the upscale grocery store just past church

to buy some gourmet chocolate bars for a birthday gift

and then to church...

My friend Photini and I had lunch afterwards,

that was really nice; brunch in the sunshine...

I dropped off my boots to be fixed...

I hope they are fixed (i.e. without nails) correctly...

I want the heels fixed and a need a new zipper slide... 

the home, rested, read, did a bit of online Christmas shopping,

had hot chocolate and one of my Mom's

Chocolate Revel Bars and then vespers

and then dinner at home.

My mind is full of Thanksgiving and Christmas decorating...

and lists, like on Monday Clean Bathrooms and and make my Mom's chili

(I am craving it!) and so forth...

by Wednesday, set up table and all serving dishes.

And make some food I hope. 

I am thinking of making an apple crisp in this lovely

new to me straight from IKEA white Made in France 

for the oven oval casserole dish...

And I want to make the Cranberry and Yam dish

AND mashed potatoes... 

***

About the apple crisp... I found this recipe...

and have this question:

 Do you think I can make this vegan (and still have it taste great) 

with coconut cream for the 1/4 cup thick cream + vegan margarine? 

I know I have used coconut oil and been amazed at how 'buttery' the final product tastes... 

I am thinking of having this for Thanksgiving (with full dairy French Vanilla Ice Cream) 

but then (as the next day is Friday + the beginning of the Nativity Fast) 

having it warmed up to finish on Friday... 

Any thoughts on that?

***

I've been listening to this song on repeat today,

it's really beautiful 

My Husband already did a lot of office rearranging so that

he can have the new Billy Bookshelf with Doors (!) in his office...

He did a lot of work!

***

I hope you all had a good day; or at least, a moment of peace,

or a ray of sunlight or a reminder that God's mercy is deep

and His mercy and His love never fails. 

Friday: Rest and Beauty

Today I got a lot of rest.

I am going to liturgy DV tomorrow and then brunch.

So I need to get going, 

I am late, as it were, for getting to bed! :)

I was able to change out both my card tables to Christmas

table tops, the runners and 2 red placemats + candles

are from IKEA that I got this week! 

Ironing, laundry, dishes and vespers tonight...

it was a busy day but I did get more rest, which was great.

I hope you are all doing well

and that you sense God's mercy in your life!

May God have mercy on us and help us!

Thursday: A Bit Exhausting with Beauty Thrown In

Today was a tiring kind of mixed-up day.

The good part in it was that my niece turned 4 and I got to 

watch her blow our her candles and see her cute cake

and see her open my present to her 

(a small sticker book with stickers!)

***

The last picture is half of our bedroom on panorama view.

The picture before this is our chapel.

All the bookcases you see are Billy Bookcases from IKEA.

My Husband is looking forward to assembling another one for his office!

(which is not pictured)... :)

But first he is going to have to rearrange some things in his office so that the

bookshelf will fit as planned.... 

***

I was really missing family today.

***

Did I mention that my friend Photini plans on leaving?

So many people leaving.

I am finding that hard.

***

But I have a lot of hope for better.

And I am trusting with God's help and mercy,

that tomorrow can be better.

***

Lord have mercy on us!

Wednesday: an Unexpected IKEA Run!

What I thought this day would have was very different 

from what it actually became! 

My Husband collects toy soldiers (they are really cool but

for various reasons are not going to be pictured here)

and needed another bookshelf for them...

after measuring, talking with me, brainstorming

and some online IKEA research, 

we decided to go after lunch!

So we did! And I got some really cute things!!! 

(Mr Husband got his bookshelf with doors +

glass boxes for the toy soldiers)

and I got pillows, pillow cases, a new duvet (we went with just white),

some cute table runners and cloth placemats, some candles,

two trays (1 small 1 large, both made in Bulgaria!),

and I stocked up on tea lights (I use them when we burn incense)... 

***

We had soup again for dinner and then I needed some

serious rest! My friend sent me the link to watch Ree's launch of her new book

and I really enjoyed the second part esp when it was about Ree and her life.

I love that she loves, in general, a quiet life.

(though her life is quite more involved than mine; my goodness!)

However, I can say: Me too ... I love being home and living quietly! :)

***

I am excited about the IKEA things because most of it can be used for Christmas decorating,

which I sure hope to start the day after Thanksgiving!

I have seen lots of people getting a jump start on Christmas, putting up Christmas trees

and such already.  I am fine with that.  :) 

***

I am already thinking of a Christmas (first Christmas) day menu

(it will be a fish day for us) and what to serve...

***

Well, not much else to say.

Tomorrow will be busy with everything I did not get done today

because of going to IKEA but it was worth it! 

My Husband has a nice project (bookshelf + office rearranging)

and I got some festive home decor things! 

***

Oh, and Instagram STILL crashing.  It's been a least a week now... 

***

May God bless you all.

I know it's a hard season for most if not all.

May God help us and give us His peace in the midst of it.

Tuesday: Pasta, Unexpected Resolution and Relaxing

Hard to believe that next week is already Thanksgiving!

I have my meal ordered from our grocery delivery service!

I hope to make 2 things but we shall see.

I am doing better today but am seeing

how the Dread Virus is impacting so much

and I feel a bit teary... but that is only a temporary feeling...

(Also, admittedly, we watched a Walton's episode that was on 

the sadder side of things, so that contributed to this feeling also!)

I already know I won't have Christmas at home with my parents this year,

as far as we know... 

***

Well... 

Instagram is still down for me.  Same old same old! 

It was finally really quite cold today!

I took a gloriously brisk walk with Mr Husband in the cold!

I never dress super warm because if I walk fast,

I will merely overheat.  I've been like that for at least 15 years,

it's just how it is! And it works since I LOVE cold weather...!

We may even get freezing temperatures tonight! 

***

I wrote this last night...: 

Today I was reading in the Gospel of Luke and realized 2 things.  One the genealogy of Christ, in this Gospel, is a few chapters into it.  Two, it struck me that Christ comes from Seth (the genealogy goes Jesus, (so it was thought) Son of Joseph, NAME, son of NAME until you get to Son of Seth/Son of Adam/Son of God.  Seth, you may know, is the son born to Eve after her son Able dies by the hand of her son Cain.  These are her first 2 sons.  Seth is born after Able dies.  So after horrible tragedy comes the birth of Seth, whose line, centuries later, comes the Birth of Christ, the Saviour of the world, the One who comes in love to die for us, to save us from eternal death, from evil, even from our selves in our own confusion and mistakes.  So soon after the evil begins in this world, God's plan to save us is already unfolding. We must remember this and have hope....❤

***

In related hopeful news, I am really excited to have Thanksgiving soon.

AND THEN to put up our Christmas tree! :) 

***

We really enjoyed the meat - fia sauce pasta I made today!

For dinner I made a quick 'cheaters' garlic bread:

buttered 2 sides of one English muffin, sprinkled garlic powder on top

and toasted.  IT was really good! 

***

I had something that was stressing me out quite a lot resolved in 

the most simplest and unexpected ways today.

A real relief. 

***

Well, I better get going.

I have hopes for more accomplished tomorrow!

I am working on my review for the book Sweep 

and hope to share that soon!

(my public IG account is working for the most part...

so hopefully I can share it there)

***

Almost forgot to add, Elizabethd: the Little White Horse by

Elizabeth Goudge is WONDERFUL! 

Have you read her book The Scent of Water? I recommend it! 

***

God bless each of you with His loving-kindness and His mercy! 

Monday, Mixed and Middling

I've had various struggles lately

and last night was one of the first nights in a bit that

I slept better.

***

Instagram is still crashing on me.

***

I did not feel 100% today.

So that was a bit discouraging.

***

I finished The Railway Children and it was a real delight!

My Mom had just read it and told me how much she liked it

and I realized we had a really lovely edition of it that I had not read!

So today I finished it!

***

I hope to make a simple pasta sauce meal tomorrow,

I got the ingredients out of the freezer.

***

Reading this article about an upcoming book helped me realize that

I can do some of my writing (i.e. book reviews)

by what I call "talk text" but Sarah, in this article, calls

voice text.  Basically you talk to your phone,

it dictates (often hilariously I have found) what you said,

you fix what it did not get write and text (or email) it to yourself.

Or others.  I use it a lot for texting, after seeing one of my

sister-in-law's using this feature on her phone 2 years ago. 

***

So, in view of privacy, I can't give names,

but someone in my extended family just found out 

that she has breast cancer. 

I think there is a good chance of surviving it, 

but not without surgery and treatment. 

So I ask your prayers.

***

We've been praying for 4 expectant mothers over the last months...

now we are only praying for one more!

Two girls, one boy have been born in the last month!

***

I watched this (after it was live) Instagram 'reel' (?) today

(my public account is sometimes working on my phone, really 

random and uncertain if I can get onto that account but 

miraculously I was able to for a bit today.)

And I have heard of the Green Ember books before,

and how kids just LOVE them, so I ordered the 

first book in this series

for kids in our far-away (main) church...

Of course I hope to read them too! :)

***

I am glad that each day has a new beginning

and that we get (usually anyway!) to sleep a good while

between days end and beginning.

And to that, I wish you all a peaceful night

and God's protection and help in whatever

you are facing right now.

Lord have mercy on us and save us! 

Sunday, Quiet and Good

I stayed local for church...

I am still having insomnia... 

so a bit extra tired... so rested, took it easy...

my Husband brought us Thai green curry with beef for dinner!

He picked up the take-out on the way home (he had to go to 

our far-away church...) 

Now it is raining hard and we are warm and safe inside...

I've been thinking of the poor and those without housing...

Lord have mercy on them! 

May God have mercy on us all! 

***

EDITED to ADD:

Elizabethd, I forgot to answer you question!

The table runner is handmade! Quilted on a sewing machine by

my quilting friend who now lives in England!

She made it for my 40th birthday! 

I love it and am so glad to have it back on our table!