{Celebrating my Husband} ~ Delfts Blauw (Delft Blue)

 I've been planning for my husband's birthday since

this past December.

You see, it's one of the 'big ones' as it were

for him and I want him to be properly celebrated.

And who better to ensure this than his wife?

So over Western Christmas we went to 

the Dutch Store in Holland and I also went to one

in Grand Rapids on my birthday proper.

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Now, admittedly, the first items are proper 

Dutch blue and whites for our table.

This really is for me, but I still wanted to show you.

I wish I would have these in time for my beloved's

birthday dinner but they will still be in safely

waiting for us in Michigan for my parents 

hoped for visit in late May.

*

So here they are:  

The Butter Dish...

made, may I add, for American butter sticks...

I don't know that Holland itself has butter in this shape;

I will have to ask...

I know in Canada their butter tends to be in squares not 

the half cup sticks that the US is so used to...

A lovely gravy boat.

*

So: a proper butter dish and gravy boat. 

Very excited to have these gracing my table in the future!

Now on to what treasures we found for our home

that Mr. Husband picked out, 

with a few from me also...

(we do do things as a team after all!)

We got different tiles of Industries that we done 

centuries ago in Holland.

This will be a series for our living / dining area.

We got tiles with Scripture verses,

these most likely will be in our library/chapel...

Some of the tiles have to do with book binding and printing,

and glasses making.

These will probably go in our library...

It will look lovely when it's all done...

The Nightwatch by Rembrandt.

This is one that Mr. Husband esp. wanted...

Sweden.

It was on sale and I lived there for nearly the first 

half of my twentieth year... 

Peacock, a symbol of the Resurrection,

we hope this will go in our chapel/library...

My parents have a framed canvas print of this

in their living room...

I love the simplicity but many details in this one...

my husband's family had been sailors...

So these are waiting for us and 

I am writing this post in advance to be put up

in the second half of Lent

to bring reminders of 'life-after-Lent' which we

hope will include a Bright Week Birthday dinner

and later my parents coming with the many lovely

Delft pieces for our home, that

we got for my dear one's special birthday this year.

Sometimes just remembering the Month of May 

can get us through the months of winter and Lent...

Beautiful Blue! A Homemade Life, Willa Cather and Finished Remains

I am happy show show that another square of my 

blued checkered blanket is done! 

I am just beginning the third square of section three! 

Rookie mistake: 

I began the section thinking the beginning was the top

of the next section, 

thus I would have the dark square on the top 

where it was on the bottom of the first section,

all to realize that by knitting that one first,

it would be on the bottom...

but no problem, I will simply bind off and switch it 

so it is that. :) 

I read a bit of Molly's Homemade Life

and started on the introduction to Cather's 

Song of the Lark

And I finished 

Remains of the Day

in the end it was not as suspenseful as the one 

section was showing it to be, 

and in the end I saw it as a man

narrating his 30 year career serving as a top crust English Butler 

who was seeking to be as good as his father, 

an English Butler before him,

and how he had to come to terms with the life - and death - of his

employer, Lord Darlington, who was well meaning

but used by the Nazis and in the end you see

Stevens not only come to terms with things which for him

was being able to name what had happened...

and he began to let himself be a human being instead of

a constant total always in character

of a perfect English Butler,

who served, was utterly unflappable and always at the height of 

what it means to have dignity. 

*

So I have read two books that my beloved Mr. Husband read

in graduate school and he asked me which one I like more,

Remains of the Day or Saint Maybe

and well, they were so different, so I could not say

one or another though to me it is clear that the 

characters in Saint Maybe had a deeper turn 

and growth in their lives

because they saw that they were incomplete on their own 

and went looking for something greater to help them.

I think that this is the crux of many lives, if not all lives,

though not all, like Stevens the Butler, admit that they have

need of anything greater to personally help them.

*

Well, as a Christian I have gained so much help

and I still see that my life can be a mess of confusion at times 

and a constant struggle;

Fr. Thomas Hopko's 55 Maxims shows that one 

must except struggle and temptation to one's last breath,

and I can say through experience, through observation, 

through reading, that I can't imagine 

not having that which is greater to help me;

and by this I mean the Holy Trinity whose 

Second Person Christ is willing and waiting to provide that 

greater help.

*

Well, a more philosophical/theological yarn along post

but with me and my blog I find I never

know what will be next!

*

I really appreciated the author of Remains of the Day

and how he shows a time period and culture in England that

was quickly passing away after WWII and his sad

yet beautiful book.

*

It would be interesting to compare it to 

L'Engle's A Severed Wasp that is dealing with a culture

in the States that is also in many ways passing away

and what is found there in.

*

So with all that...

what are you reading and creating? 

Yarn Along with us! 

Books I got this time @ the Strand

A whole bunch of them!

First edition Scott O'Dell, The Hawk that Dare Not Hunt by Day

Molly's book, A Homemade Life

Posthumous L'Engle, The Joys of Love, in two dollar bin!

Stories on Knitting/by knitters, also 2.00...

The Poky Little Puppy is for my goddaugther

First edition L'Engle, Two-Part Invention with dust jacket.

The find of the hour: a little known Elizabeth Goudge: the Valley of Song

I am slowly collecting the coloured edition of the Little House on the Prairie Series.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic,  Surprise Stories and,

for a friend, A Mother's Rule of Life. 

* 

Also got a book by Luci Shaw that I am going to read

and pass on to a friend.

Monday, hurried Monday

A former roommate of years ago once said to me,

the only thing I need to accomplish this day is having time with God.

She later became Valedictorian so she clearly did a lot other than

her religious devotions.

 But I've never forgot her rule of thumb as it were.

*

So last weekend was busy, I made a great meal.

Hope to blog about it later;

a pasta dish with lots of garlic, veggies and for dinner, 

it was mixed with clams.

*

During Great Lent on the weekends Mr. Husband and I 

will have a lighter fast, meaning we have shell-fish for extra protein.

I love how weekends can be used to replenish and restore one,

though I find them also often quite full and busy amidst this.

But still, we had a great dish Saturday and Sunday night

we split a seafood dish are our favourite diner and 

it was really lovely.  

*

We had a date and planned our week.

How is that I am always super behind these plans?

Seriously. It all sounds so good and then well,

it never happens.

I am really not that good at self-discipline and esp. not on Monday mornings

after a very full weekend. 

I think I need to just schedule Monday mornings as that to NOT schedule. 

I made cake and cupcakes to share with my NJ far-away church family;

it was the Feast of the Cross (loved my prep for the Sunday School lesson on it).

I hope to write this week about the cake, so more on that I hope soon!

The reason I failed on my morning plans:

So NJ a few years ago had a huge bed bug problem;

actually when I was in NYC last week I saw one half of a bed frame

on the side of the road for trash and in white was written 'bed bugs' 

and a month or so back down my street I saw a truck that

advertised exterminator services, including bed bugs.

So needless to say, we freeze for 4 days any used books that come in our house

from this area of the world and I just took out my

Strand Books.

They are all put away now and I read a bit more in the book

by Molly and am processing her very different life;

I forget so quickly how different those who are basically secular live

and it takes me a while [to process]...

Anyway, I am writing up thoughts as I read her book and think on things.

I may not pick this book up again though till after Great Lent

as I only have a few weeks left and need to do some more 

focused Lenten reading.

*

I am thinking of the first prayer book I had and 

that it had the 

Prayer of St. John Chrysostom according to the hours at Day and Night.

They are really good prayers.

Very concise Christian Lenten Meditative Prayers.

Good to take note of on this busy Monday...

Nearly half way through Lent... things to ponder, suddenly

Finally little things are in order:

1. new camera memory card

2. my main computer had malware that Mr. Husband removed

and I can use it again

3. I ordered some key things for something I am making

for Mr. Husband's Birthday...

It's been a sunny week and I am so blessed by this.

Cleo's been liking it too!

Today I get to go to the store...

I am doing my big grocery run for everything

for now and for Pascha...
I hope to start baking (and freezing) for this 

next week!

I love my little kids section...

just wish that I knew kids that are local;

the ones I did know moved way...

but I have hope for this summer at any rate...

So I was talking to Mr. Husband about

a blog post that I am not quite done yet,

about how I love ordinary days best.

And he said, 

well, you like ordinary days as someone in 

the solid middle class.

and over breakfast I read the lead article in the 

Calvin Spark, Calvin being 

where I began my undergraduate education.

And I read about how there are tons of kids

in high school who are homeless.

And I watched the trailer for the film about it.

And what about the babies?

All over the world, abandoned.

I finished, finally, the book

Remains of the Day

and towards the end of the book

a peripheral but yet important character, a doctor,

says that most people just want to live a quiet life and 

be left alone;

these things together, 

the desire of many to just live quietly, and yet,

the poor, the homeless, the children...

well, they give much to think about and wonder.

*

I don't have any conclusion other than

Lord have mercy....

{My time in Ottawa} ~ my home away from home

My dear friend's daughter painting.

Notice her lovely artist smock/apron and white painters pallet!

*

I and my husband have one friend who we both knew

before we knew each other.

And this lovely Orthodox woman is a wife to a good Orthodox man and mother of two 

very cute kids... 

including the one pictured above 

(with her permission of course!)

*

I guess because I stay with them and their place

is like my 'home away from home' in Ottawa, 

most of my pictures are of their kids

and not their actual home.

*

All my visits to my church and other friends would not be 

possible with out these dear friends who I stay with.

*

And the continued help I get from them by just living with them

is wonderful; and they belong to the Orthodox jurisdiction that I and 

Mr. Husband belong to so there is a lot of continuation with them

and it is most wonderful to stay with them when I am in Ottawa.

*

I always feel welcomed and at home there

and we share the same church and are very much

on the same page on many things, 

including our perspectives on food, medicine, homeopathy 

and having homes with lots of icons and Orthodox books.

*

I got to go to their church for part 4 of the Saint Andrew's Canon 

and it was so nice to be there.

*

I always feel that we are on the same journey

and it is wonderful to share life with them.

{My time in Ottawa} ~ Another dear friend's prayerful spaces

Icons in a dear Ukrainian friend's home;

I met her the very first vespers I was at 

in my Ottawa parish;

it was her first day in Ottawa.

She had long hair, was studying theology and living in the dorms.

Almost 10 years later, married, shorter hair, three boys,

a husband, house and job as a librarian.

It was so good to spend time with her again this trip

and see her family, her beautiful three sons.

I am blessed to have her in my life and that we 

can talk about things that deeply matter to our lives

and to our salvation.

{My time in Ottawa} ~ Dear Friend's Daughter's Work, done with love

The diverse and lovely creations of my dear fiend's daughter! 

All done with the rubber bands that are so popular with kids now;

save the one blue one on the top right;

that is done with yarn, she is learning to crochet! 

I got to take some lovely ones of these home with me

and one is already happy on my desk in my office space!

A Homemade Life, Second blanket Section & Remains of the Day

Progress on many fronts!

1. I am on the second section of my blue

checkered textured blanket

2. I went to NYC yesterday with my red cart

and it was much better than last time,

when I was just weary and in great need of my 

trusty red cart!

3. I found this book for 2 Dollars at the Strand!

In hardcover with dust jacket.

I've been enjoying it; I read some of it before

at one of my literature reading fantastic cooking friends places...

*

I found some other books too but will wait to share those later on, DV!

*

So here's the blanket progress:

First section is done 

and I am almost done with the first square of section two! 

*

(Sorry for less than brilliant sunny pictures;

took at night and with my phone as

my camera cards are full, the new one is in the mail,

I still have to copy all my still-on-the-now-full-memory-cards

 pictures to my computer /

eternal hard drive to back them up,

which means no camera!)

I am still reading 

Remains of the Day

and it is getting quite interesting;

kind of spy-intrigue like right now,

which now that I think of it, 

is not surprising but I did not expect it.

 I am excited to finish reading this and 

to get more work on my blanket done;

I did get some knitting done on the weekend,

which was great and hope to do more this coming weekend!

*

I was so happy to see Madeleine L'Engle's

Wrinkle in Time being displayed

at the Strand :)

I also discovered that

there is a British tea place

fairly near to Mr. Husband's work...

but I did not go in...

They had a bunch of rules and

one was that a 12.50 minimum order was expected.

Well, I wanted tea only so did not go in;

I had an excellent lunch with Mr. Husband

(including a vegan cauliflower soup with cumin and coconut milk

if I remember right; it was good!)

and did not need to spend money unnecessarily. 

But I may go back after Great Lent with a friend...

the one who crochets, sews and is willing to teach me

how to sew and quilt.  

If that alone does not warrant a lunch at a nice tea place,

well what does?! :)

*

Loving my reading, knitting &

living to tell the tale of a day in NYC.

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What are you reading and creating?

Any new tales to tell?

Yarn Along with us!