Rest and Effort

I finished this older biography of Dorothy Day by Jim Forest. Very impressed with the writing. Fascinating look at history of the earlier 1900s through 1980. 

Dorothy commitment to prayer is deeply striking. 

Gives much to think about. 

I managed to finish laundry today. Made lunch. Savoured tea and muffins. Read.

Talked with my Grandmother. 

Thought of how prayer must include praise, thanksgiving....

May God have mercy on us 🕯🙏 ❤️🙏❤️🕯

Ps: Granny Marigold my cranberry orange muffins recipe is HERE. I no longer put any sugar on top.

Preparing and Processing

God willing we are having dinner guests next week Sunday (feast 🙏 of the Dormition of the Mother of God part 2) and my Husband and I will finish the short Dormition fast (began the 14th). 

I currently have another batch of cranberry orange muffins in the toaster oven. I know. I have them on repeat. It's partly because they are comforting to I am saying goodbye to my dear mentor 😢 💔 this week.  I have been baking them since I said goodbye to our foster nephew and flew back to NJ.....

.....Also thank God that I am going to have some cleaning help this week. And probably some takeout food on Monday. I have groceries coming Wednesday. And flowers 💐 for the feast day on Sunday 💕🥰🕯🙏

I was able to change my tablecloth and got stains out of the other one! Did you see the marble bookend? It keeps the table decoration firmly in place while I put the heavy plastic back on....

I dream of NYC this week but it's doubtful. 

We will see.

I hope to make a meat Pasta sauce and a vegan pasta sauce (will mix some of it together) for Sunday's dinner🍝🐂🍷🥰 ... I am also DV having (premade frozen ready to bake) garlic bread and will have a salad.... and a plum torte for dessert! 

My new batch of muffins...

Life is such a jumble of things, I really had to fight for Thanksgiving today....as in a thankful heart.

I feel like I have been wandering around a lot on sadness in between things and it has been hard to even find a book to read 📚 for consolation.

I did read the short story "the ikon on the wall" by Elizabeth Gougde and was consoled (and impressed).

I am so glad for God's mercy and for all the blessings He has showered upon us 🙏 ❤️🕯

May Christ save us and have mercy!

Feast of the Transfiguration (2022, Part 2)

When Thou wast transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God,

Thou didst show Thy glory to Thy disciples as far as they could bear it.

Let Thy everlasting light shine also upon us sinners

through the intercessions of the Theotokos.

Giver of Light, glory to Thee.

(Troparion of the Feast, tone 7)

******

A lovely feast day with visits with friends after church. 

We had vegan ice cream 🍦 and blessed strawberries 🍓 for dessert at home!

And we had Thai fish 🐟 curry 🍛 with 🍚 for dinner so delicious. 

May God have mercy on us 🙏 

one icon difference....

The centre icon I switched. 

Today was OK. I talked with a friend which was great. I texted with some others. 

I created a care package for a dear friend. 

I had tea.  I got outside and took a walk. I finished my re-read of the L'Engle book.

I prepared fruit to be blessed tomorrow 🍓🍇😊 for the Feast of Transfiguration (part 2!)

May God have mercy on us 🙏

muffins make everything better

Yesterday we went to an evening prayer service for a sick child (leukemia, complications) ....

It was good to pray together. 🙏 ❤️

Today I went swimming 🏊‍♀️

Months back a long term mentor of mine told me she is moving. My last visit is next week. She helped me through a lot. So I just seem to be grieving a lot of changes and loss this year. 💔 

I think a lot of people are. 

I knew I needed my go to comfort food: fresh vegan cranberry orange muffins. Only half cup sugar for 12 muffins and 1/4 cup vegetable oil 👍🥰🤩🙃

And I needed one of my favourites Madeleine L'Engle books The Young Unicorns.  And really strong decaf tea (Barry's tea 🫖☕️from Ireland). I feel better than I have in hours.  

We are doing some reorganizing and the living room is a bit of a wreck. Slowly and surely it will get better....

May God have mercy on us 🙏 

6,439 steps after the Feast

Dormition Feast (part 1)

I walked around after getting brunch and then my new prescription swimming 🏊‍♀️ googles 🥸 so I can see and go under water. 

It was not as hot as before but still quite warm.  In the 80s.

I ran into a woman who used to come to church. 

I am saddened that many people do not wish to go church as they used to.  I miss them and feel that they are missing out on a place that can love and support them.

Well, we just do our best, seek not to condemn (judge) anyone and pray for all.

May God bless us all 🙏

The Beautiful Cross

remembering Peter

So many times I thought of Peter since I learned of his sickness over a year ago. 

And how he plunged so quickly. From fully walking to struggling to wheelchair to full-time hospitalization and now to death, burial. Entering the next life. 

I was deeply touched and consoled to realize that the Gospel for tomorrow is of St Peter walking on water to Jesus then sinking because he looked at the waves and then how Jesus rescued him.

The exact picture of the icon that I always thought of my suffering friend with.

He was a gentle man, loved his family. 

I love how St Peter is looking to Christ and how Christ is looking at St Peter with great compassion. 

🙏❤️🕯☦️🕯❤️🙏

13,081 Steps

And one ice cream 🍦 

NYC was good today. 

I had a fabulous salad...

And got anew Agatha Christie book to read 📚 from the library 🥰

I am all tuckered out now 😴 so I best get to bed.

God have mercy on us and save us 🙏 

Memory Eternal

To the sweet kind man and dear friend Peter ❤️ 🙏🕯☦️🕯❤️

More Beauty & Comments may work now

We went to church tonight; it was beautiful; for St Herman.  

People locally and also others I know are all sick, many with The Virus sadly.  It seems to be on the rise here, though I don't see it in the news much.  Yet I know various ones in different States, countries, cities who all have had it.  Thank God none that I knew were so bad as to need hospitalisation. 

So I've been in tears a bit off and on lately.  My friend with the Saint's name Peter is in his last day or hours.  I wrote over a year ago how he has ALS.  His wife, son and daughter are going to really miss him, to say the least.  They go to my Ottawa (Canada) church, where I lived before I married my beloved Husband nearly 10 years ago... 

I thought I would share more pretty pictures from our dinner; that was such a blessing. 

I worked on my writing project some more.  It's such a big project. I love it and just keep chipping away at it. 

Do you ever just want to give the whole world a hug? That's what I feel like sometimes, just saying 'Oh Honey' to everyone and giving a hug.  With proper boundries of course, but the idea of comfort, is what I am getting at here.  Don't worry, I don't really hug strangers :) ... but the world is hurting and I just wish I could bring comfort, at least to those who want it! 

SO: I finally looked up comments (see last picture above) and it seems that it got switched to 'google only' comments and I have moved it back.  So if you had tried to comment and it was not working, can you try again?  Sorry I did not look into this sooner, it's just been rather hectic and I did not realize it could be such an easy fix.  Let's hope it was that!  don't know why it got changed! 

Well, I pray you all are well; or; I pray that you all are comforted; I pray that God saves us and has mercy on us; I pray that we are able to find Christ and the repentance that gives life, true freedom, hope and that gives astonish beauty to our lives, our world, restoring what was broken and giving hope, beautiful, sunshine-filled, hope. 

a beautiful dinner

 

A beautiful dinner with newer friends 💕

Lamb lentil and rice 

Salad

Plum torte and ice cream 

So very thankful 💕🕯🙏