…and by the way, I’m doing OK following my procedure  last week.  Many thanks to Mimi for the lovely handmade card.  I just love a hand made card!  My daughter wants to steal the ribbon which adorns the front and turn it into a necklace but that’s not happening.  Our proto-psalti also sent me a card with a lovely Victorian-esque picture on the cover.  I wasn’t expecting anything from anyone so the cards were a nice surprise pick-me-up.  I think my biggest mistake was believing the doc when she said I could be “back to normal in 24 to 48 hours.”  On Saturday I pretty much went “back to normal.”  I really shouldn’t have as I am still experiencing some light to moderate cramping with drainage (sorry).  But I’m hoping it will resolve soon.  Other than that…I’m OK.

We seem to have fallen into our summer thunderstorm pattern here.  It’s wicked hot and sultry during the day, and then a thunderstorm rolls through and attempts to cool things off, although the steam following the thunderstorm serves only to multiply the humidity in the air, thereby making the leftover heat seem more oppressive.  At least that’s the way it seems to me.  All of my plants are doing well…except for the lettuce.  I didn’t realize it was a “cold weather” crop.  Luckily, I have some seeds leftover and so I can plant those come mid-September and hopefully we’ll see a decent crop.  Harry II  (my Boston Fern) is doing very well now thank you very much.  He no longer looks like he has a crew cut, but rather like a little boy who needs a hair cut…kind of like my David right now…I can’t bear to cut those curls off just yet!

I am reading a book called, From the Holy Mountain, by William Dalrymple.  This book is essentially a published version of his journal as he travels the same path as John Moschos (and Sophronius).  Moschos was interested in collecting the wisdom of the Desert fathers and the stylites.  At the time of his travels  the Byzantine world was was in decline following Emperor Justinian’s defeat, thus making their travels dangerous.  Moschos wrote his experiences down in a book called The Spiritual Meadow.  I would love to have a copy of that book! 

I love to travel, and since money is an object right now, reading a book is the next best thing.  Dalrymple seems to know his history, although it is important when reading the book to remember that he is Roman Catholic (one of the monks on Athos mentioned in the book openly called him a heretic!  LOL…it just struck me funny) and though he writes for the most part, with some degree of respect there is a bit of a “the guy writing this ain’t Orthodox” flavor in there somewhere.  I am enjoying the book though and will write more when I have it completed.

I also must admit, and forgive my “bopper” moment here…I can’t wait to read the next Harry Potter installment which comes out this weekend (I think).  I really must pay off my overdue fine at the library!

The kids and I are reading, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe together in the evenings.  Ana pays closer attention than David.  Still, I hope some of it is creeping in.  Ana seems to enjoy it and asks me to read the book (a good sign, I think).  We are all looking forward to the movie in December…I’m hoping that it is not too scary for the kids.

(In between these two paragraphs, Ana had her reading lesson.  Afterwards, while I was fixing David’s breakfast, she took the flash cards and drilled herself on the sounds she has learned thus far.  I think she’s doing well for a child who just turned four…although she is having a little trouble blending sounds together into a word and thus decoding an entire word…not just individual sounds.  We’ll get there.)

I have found something new to enjoy in the evenings when I want to unwind but am too tired to read, and don’t  want to watch a movie.  I have discovered audio tape library at our parish.  There are talks by Father Thomas Hopko, Bishop Kallistos and plenty of people with names I don’t recognize.  It’s very nice to sit and listen to tape for a while as I work on whatever crochet project (or three) I have going at the moment.  Jim even listened to one with me for a few minutes last night…before he completely crashed on the couch!

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods, wherever that may be.

God be with you…