Thanksgiving Week Daybook

Simple Daybook FOR TODAY... Monday

Outside my window... The sun warming up the cool morning. Chairs surrounding our chiminea on the deck, and toys littering the backyard from yesterday. After church we spent the remainder of the day in it's entirety outside, which is my favorite way to spend a Sunday. So, it's a mess out there and that is OK.

I am wearing... Um. Let me get up real quick and then I'll tell you...OK I'm back. I am wearing khaki capris, a gray v-neck t-shirt, a black sweater, and my favorite, most comfortable mary jane/running shoes I found a couple of weeks ago at Marshalls for an unbeatable price that I now wear every day, just about.

I am remembering... That Thursday is Thanksgiving and there is so much cleaning and preparing needed to be done. I'm a procrastinator. Always have been. So here I am daybooking. But I work well under pressure and panic, much to my loved-one's chagrin. Oh and there is so much to be thankful for.

I am going...To clean this house top to bottom. I will even clean and organize my kid's room. I WILL, I WILL, I WILL.

I am reading... Well, I am sort of in between books. On Saturday I finished Scott Cairn's Short Trip to the Edge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was beautiful writing about a fascinating and holy place. His style was a breath of fresh air. It reminded me of Anne Lamott stuff, but Orthodox, and much less vulgar. I needed it. I'm contemplating what to read next. Since we are in the Nativity Fast right now, I am thinking of reading a life of a saint. I really haven't read many at all - any suggestions?

For the kids, I am reading Farmer Boy aloud. We tried it last year but Hannah seemed so uninterested, but a couple different friends mentioned it and I thought I'd give it a go again. I am glad we did because she is loving it -but keeps asking me when we get to the part Almanzo and Laura get married.

Also this is our favorite Thanksgiving book. So cute!

I am hoping... to get all our Christmas gifting and plans figured out. Last year Jason and I made cutting boards with wood burned embellishments that we were happy with. I think we have a good plan for this year too, it's just those details. Jason and I laughed about the fact that I always come up with the ideas, but he ends up doing most of the work. Sure glad he doesn't mind and has a good sense of humor! He's so long-suffering.

On my mind... Keeping us all healthy. Vitamins! Hand washing! Fresh air! Sunshine! Exercise! Less sugar! Keeping our distance from sick people! I even have chicken broth in my freezer I made before the fast for just in case. Canned broth is so gross and just not the same.

From the learning rooms... Reading, reading, reading. And my kids have gone dinosaur crazy.

Noticing that...Not eating meat for the week has made me much more even-tempered. I'm finding I have an abundance (for me anyway) of patience since the Nativity fast began.

Pondering these words... "As I must have suggested by now, over the years since I left home for college, salvation itself has come to mean something larger to me, fuller, more substantial, and more immediate than, say, the commonplace version of a personal, late-hour reprieve from execution, or my dodging a stint in Gehenna. For the Orthodox, salvation, or "being saved," indicates a process rather than a moment. It is a process of being redeemed from separation from God, both now and later. It has very little to do with the popular notion of "going to heaven." The Orthodox have insisted, from their earliest canons on the matter, that salvation belongs to all humankind, not just to members of the Orthodox Church. Of course, they also insist that the most trustworthy road to participation in the saving life of God is revealed in the traditional teaching of that church." From Short Trip to the Edge.

From the kitchen... Today it will be bean & rice burritos for dinner.

Around the house... Pumpkins, clothes piles, dust bunnies, little blond kids.

One of my favorite things~ A clean kitchen sink. I'm glad I cleaned the kitchen last night.

From my picture journal...

Mr. Phil is so much fun. Can you tell by his dirty mouth that he tries to eat everything?Yes, I've forgiven Jason for this one: The only picture I have of the girls of the church after being blessed for the Feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos. Our little Hannah and sweet goddaughter Madeleine. Happy Feast!

This day also happened to have been very special because my grandparents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Many Years, indeed!

Music to My Ears

James at Jason's godparent's back-house on All Hallows Eve

I love hearing kids playing, to hear the funny/quirky/ridiculous things they say.

Like when Hannah says these words: Ridiclious. Loojally.

And when she uses them in a sentence: "I don't loojally look so ridiclious!"

James still calls his baby brother Phillip "Phoot."

"Oh dood mowning, Phoot. Nice to meetchya!"

I love how they belt out random pieces of the Divine Liturgy at any given moment.

Hannah has entirely memorized the Trisagion Prayers.

James starts us off with "In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit."

Truthfully it sounds more like, "Fodder, Son, Hody Spit."

I say Amen. Hannah does the rest up to the Troparia of the Holy Trinity.

Phillip makes endearing baby squawks.

Music to my ears - no better way to start or end the day.

Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.

O heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, who art in all places and fillest all things; Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O gracious Lord.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal: have mercy on us. x3

Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy God, visit and heal our infirmities for thy Name's sake.

Lord have mercy. x3

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: now and ever unto the ages of ages. Amen.