Naked Ladies

Once when I was 11 years old, my mother was driving us home from school one august afternoon and said,

Oh my, look at all those naked ladies in that yard!

Zoop. My sister and I turned our heads quickly to the right. Only a yard. With flowers.

Mamma explained that they are called naked ladies because they have no leaves clothing their stems.


These days, I hear people call them spider lilies.

Our first lady opened today.

Gifts from God: Looking Back at the Summer

Thank you, Most generous God, for these gifts and many more:



cars packed with survival supplies for trips with grandparents to new places


shoes left as evidence of many cousins enjoying a family reunion


husband's graduating class receiving the proof of many years of hard work


and now, summer break is over.....




... better put my nose back to the grindstone



Here's wishing you a blessed new school & church year.

Gifts from God: Lovely Dormition Surprises

The Dormition is such a tender and encouraging Feast.

Friday night after Vespers, I was sweetly surprised to hear the Lamentation melody from Holy Week. Those tones touch some place deep inside of us, don't they? Eleni mentions more about this. We didn't have a special procession or tapestry, but the tones alone were touching.

How is it that I've been Orthodox for 5 years, but this is the first year this Fast/Feast has touched me - or the first time I recall even paying attention to it?

Perhaps because of Katherine's lesson plans.

Maybe because of those incredible Paraklesis prayers, which Sylvia was so kind to post.

Maybe because of our priest's clear explanation of how Mary is the first example and a foretaste of the blessings of all Christians. Last night he encouraged us that the image of Mary's soul in Christ's arms is a picture of our soul when we die in the Lord.



This morning he made the connection of the Gospel reading to the Dormition: great blessings await one who listens to God and then says "yes" to do what He asks. These two Marys are our model to follow.



In giving birth, O Theotokos, thou didst preserve thy virginity;

And in falling asleep, thou didst not forsake the world.

Thou who didst give birth to Life, wast translated to life;

And by thy prayers, deliver our souls from death.


-Troparion, Dormition of the Most-Holy Theotokos