Update

It's been a couple of weeks since my last post. I haven't been terribly busy, but there also hasn't been much to write about. Both Gram and I have been under the weather a little bit, thankfully not at the same time and for different reasons. When I get sick, I do my best to isolate myself (and my germs) so Gram doesn't catch whatever it is I have. Her immunity is not as strong as it used to be. The weather tends to mess with my allergies when there's a major fluctuation in temperature day to day.

I didn't quite get through September completely unscathed, but nothing happened on the same scale as the last couple of years. The Lord is merciful on His completely unworthy child.

My summer garden is finished and I recently planted lettuce, radishes, and spinach. There are sprouts coming up but it will be a miracle if anything survives. I decided to plant the fall garden on a whim, even though it was a bit late in the season. The radishes are supposed to only take about 30 days to fully harvest. The picture to the right is of the Icon of the Mother of God, the "Multiplier of Wheat". Today is actually the feast day when Orthodox Christians commemorate this icon. Two miracles involving this icon were witnessed by the faithful. It is a powerful reminded that the Lord, His Mother, and His Saints are always involved in our daily lives.


Gram's 85th birthday is Saturday. I believe my uncle is taking her out for dinner. I'll be taking her to my restaurant for a piece of pie. Our pies are quite famous. We threw her a surprise party for her 80th birthday. The first part of her surprise involved my cousins from New Mexico showing up on her doorstep. And then we had her party the next afternoon. One of her gifts was a flameless candle and she was angry because she thought it had already been used. Someone had to turn it on for her before she understood. I still tease her about it.

I've been reading and watching several disheartening books and shows on television. I read three books in a row on death and murder, all of them written by the same author. And I've just finished the new J.K. Rowling book. (Yes, I was a gigantic Harry Potter fan.) My history class is full of lectures about wars and death, and other generally unhappy topics. There is a new show on PBS that I love: Call the Midwife. Last night's episode had two different plot lines, one of which was quite tragic to me. It hurts to see the elderly not getting the care they need, especially elderly war veterans. So it's definitely time to watch and read something more lighthearted!

My goal for this week is to make pear jam. I was supposed to make them today but my pears aren't fully ripe yet. I've been craving pear jam for over a year now. I'm sure I can wait a little bit longer.

Until next time,

~Staci~