Church; Meal; Have You Seen the MOON?

March 27, 2013.

My family stopped by a little after 5:30 p.m. to pick me up for church this evening. I've been wanting to go and thought about it, for a few days. During Lent there are many evening services, and Wednesdays are most attended. After the beautiful Liturgy is done, there is usually a meal on Wednesday evenings. 

Tonight there was a wonderful meal prepared by a Syrian parishioner and his family. There were at least six large pans/bowls of different items. He explained what each contained. There was only one that I couldn't have because of gluten. Oh, of course, I couldn't have the pita bread, either. Everyone raved about all the delicious pans of food ~ they looked good, the aroma was so welcoming, and all of it was tasty.

One pan had fried (or sauteed until browned) sliced almonds stirred into the mound of a few carbohydrates, and also sprinkled on top. The almonds were crispy and so luscious! I also liked the much-browned onions mixed in with the rice-and-lentil dish. Another dish looked good and was so tasty ~ it was made with peas and tomatoes. There was also a dish of red beans, yummy. Chick peas with a white liquid on them and some seasoning, another yummy! Now I'd like to know the names of each of the pans of food, as I want to attempt making them in my kitchen!

It was a lovely time at the dinner tables, with conversations abounding. The children, too, always enjoy these dinners, because they get to play with each other so excitedly. It's such a pleasure for me to see all those little ones happily playing together. 

By the way, have you seen the lovely, oh, so lovely, moon tonight? It seems very large, as it sometimes appears larger than usual, rising from the horizon. There are some clouds hovering around it this evening, and sometimes they hide the moon. I like to see some clouds stretching out in front of the moon ~ it produces a very beautiful effect.

What a lovely evening this turned out to be!  

I am ready for bed now, and plan to have a good night's sleep. 

I'll see you at the Corner Post ...

Blubbering; Brrrrrrrr ... ; Robins and Doves.

March 11, 2013.

Good morning, dears, uh ... I should have said 'Good COLD morning, dears'! 

I have been ready to blubber because of waistline blubber, so I decided that I MUST take a walk once in a while, and eat less. It is quite frustrating to have attracted so much of this blubber that set up housekeeping around my waist. 'Carbs', I am sure, is the main culprit. 

So I went out this morning, this COLD morning; wind chill factor makes it 31˚, when it is actually 39˚. I was glad I put my gloves on, but was wishing to have a face mask. The biting wind made my cheeks blush. I didn't go all the way to Rasco Road, but almost that far, and the walk was a twelve-minute one. Those brisk breezes brushing my face were quite disappointing. I did have my thin babushka on my head, but should have chosen a heavier one.

I loved seeing several robins hopping here and there on sidewalks in a few places ~ they chirp so gaily and look so cheery with their upright posture and orange breasts. On very cold days in this cool spring, I have seen a few of them huddling down on their perch on the back fence, and I felt so sad for them. 

Sometimes a bird will sit on the highest part of a house or tree thinking he is the King of the Hill. I like to see that. Today the dove sitting on the top-most point of a roof was so beautiful and cooing so delightfully. As I stopped to look at it, the cooing stopped. So I went onward: 'excuse me', I thought. Was it bashful to rehearse in public? Or was it afraid that I would try to climb up there to get a closer look? 

Once on a rainy day, there were two doves in front of my place, and they sat on one of the lines of that heavenly music staff (as I like to think of the wires lining the street), not cooing but just sitting there while the steady moderate rain was pouring down. It was not just several minutes that they sat there, but thirty or more! I would check on them from time to time, and they were in the same place and in the same fluffy position. They seemed to hunker down on the line, sitting quite close together, in the rain. 

Even though it was so breezy for my morning walk, I did enjoy it immensely. Cold overcast sky, hardly anyone around except the meter reader who was briskly walking along to the side of each home to read its meter. He didn't have his vehicle parked anywhere that I could see, so he was apparently on a very long walk. Good for him, he gets his exercise.  

Happy Walking, wherever you are! 

I'll see you at the Corner Post ...