Monday This and That

When our spirit tells us it is time to weep, we should weep.
It is part of the ritual, if you will, of putting sadness in perspective
and gaining control of the situation. . . . Grief has a purpose.
Grieving does not mean you are weak It is the first step toward
regaining balance and strength. Grieving is part of the tempering process.

Joseph M. Marshall III

Good morning, everyone on this Monday after All Hallows.  Hope you all had a good one.  Actually, on All Hallows Miss Minga wasn't doing very well, and I really thought it was time for her to leave me.  I even called the vet and talked about arrangements.  That's how bad she was, and I spent much of my day in tears.  Forgotten were all my plans for All Hallows Eve.  I didn't eat, and the only sleep I got was because I cried so much that I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.  

Then. lo and behold, on Saturday morning she was back to her old self.  I don't know what was wrong the day before, but my guess is she was constipated and suffering from gas.  All is fine now.  But it really woke me up.  I tend to live my life in denial.  Life will continue forever as it is, and I will not suffer any losses.  Hubby is very ill which I tend to forget because he keeps himself going like nothing is wrong, and Miss Minga is very old.  She has already lived well past her life span, and this extra time I have to spend with her is a blessing.

On Sunday I went to Church, my first All Soul's service. It was so windy and cold, and while waiting for the bus I was able to watch the marathon runners.  Don't know how they do it, especially on such a cold day with the wind blowing against them. My favorite Priest did the service.  I always love listening to his sermons because, I swear, he must lean more towards Celtic Christianity than orthodox religion.  Yesterday he spoke of the seasons and how the pre-Christian peoples honored the seasons more than we do in today's world.  He also spoke about 'thin places' and explained to the parish how in some places the 'veil' between the heavenly realm and the earthly realm is so thin that you can feel the spiritual surrounding you.

Later, after dark, I lit my candles and spent some time with my ancestors.  I asked them to give me strength for the trying times ahead.  I also found a wonderful website of Galina Krasskova's called for the ancestors.  Here you will find an Ancestor Shrine where you can light a virtual candle and pay homage to those who have gone before.  There are also lots of great articles written by this author and  to be found on this site. 

Can't believe how cold and windy it was yesterday.  Winter is definitely on its way.  I'm grateful to be renting from building owners who are not stingy with their heat.  I hear horror tales from my friends every day.  In fact, in my old apartment it got so cold during the day that I sometimes had to put the oven on just to get some warmth.  I guess they figured since we were working during the day we could do without, not accounting for sick or personal days we had off.  But, I'm through with that place and glad of it.  Hubby said he drove by the other day, and the house had been torn down and rebuilt.  The Hasidic do that.  They cannot live in home where gentiles once lived...at least that is the way it was in my old neighborhood.

Can you believe it?  Thanksgiving is right around the corner.  Time to look for some low sodium, diet worthy recipes.  Of course we will have our regular staples.  Can't deny the family, but they will definitely be cooked in a much healthier manner.  And there will be lots of tasty vegetables to choose from. There MUST be some way to make stuffing without all that unhealthy sodium. 

Well, that's about it.  I'm off to the old center this morning.   Time to shower and have a little breakfast so I can leave early.  Have to pick up my refills this morning.

Winter is the time for comfort, for
good food and warmth, for the touch
of a friendly hand and for a talk beside
the fire: it is the time for home.

Edith Sitwell