Living and Learning: The Week Ahead...

Church in the Home
The feast of Dormition is next Monday and I am already thinking ahead to the pretty flowers that I will bring to Liturgy to get blessed.  One year I bought some succulents and they are not only alive and thriving in the garden, they spread from one pot to several others! 

On My Bedside Table
When I finally got my hands on Anne Tyler's Vinegar Girl yesterday, I nearly devoured half of it in one sitting.  It is the retelling of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and is so, so very funny!
 
Watching
I spotted this little video for the NYC Ballet's 2016/2017 season and really enjoyed watching it.  The Balanchine style of ballet costumes is just so lovely.   

Beauty and Inspiration

 Have you seen photographs Andrew Gould's house yet?  Gould is an in demand designer of Orthodox Churches (we visited one of his churches in Charleston, South Carolina at the end of July) and I didn't realize that he has also designed and decorated many homes as well.  The home that he shares with his family is styled after Anglo-Dutch colonial homes and the interior is simply amazing.  Click the photograph to see more interior shots.

In My Closet
I finally cracked and ordered a bathing suit that I hope will fit.  I have a serious case of farmer's tan and will try to make these last few weeks of summer count!  
 

Favorite Things: Aveda Dry Remedy...

I bought a bottle of Aveda Dry Remedy last week while we were away and was so impressed that I shot a little video one night in our hotel to tell you all about it!

Joyous Feast!

 

 

Thou wast transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God,
revealing Thy glory to Thy disciples as far as they could bear it.
Let Thine everlasting Light also shine upon us sinners,
through the prayers of the Theotokos.
O Giver of Light, glory to Thee!

:::::

The Learning Basket for Transfiguration can be found HERE.

 

After Vespers...

 

 

 

 

I took a long walk after Vespers tonight and while I listened to the Demelza audio book, I was struck by the beauty of the sky.  It changed nearly every minute and was really wonderful to behold.  The nighttime animals began to come out just as I was heading in:  bats, toads, insects.  It was a bit cooler (though still far too humid for my taste) and it made me realize that these evening walks are far superior to the ones I can barely get through at 3pm.  I think that I've stumbled upon a new evening routine!

Church Painting: Days 26 and 27...

 

 

 

 

  Mirona spent Wednesday and Thursday of this week painting the inside edge of two windows in the church.  She was also able to begin work on two more.  Metropolitan Tikhon will be visiting our little parish for a mortgage burning celebration in a few weeks, and we hope to have all nine windows completed by then.

Living and Learning: The Week Ahead...

 

 

 

Church in the Home

August 1st begins the Dormition Fast for those of us in the Orthodox Church.  I love this Dormition calendar that Laura created.  It is a wonderful tool to help our little ones keep track of the days during this two week fast.

Kitchen, Pantry, Table

My friend, Kathleen, made a lovely bowl of Marinated Beet Salad to share for coffee hour this week.  It was gobbled up pretty quickly and I decided to make some for our family this week.  The recipe was created by Alice Waters and Kathleen added a bit of mint to jazz it up.    

On My Bedside Table

I'm in the midst of reading A Country Child by Alison Uttley and enjoying it so much!  It reminds me a lot of my beloved Miss Read.

Watching

Have you seen the trailer for Florence Foster Jenkins yet?  I cannot wait for it to be released on August 12th!

 

Butterflies on the Butterfly Bush...

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Red-Banded Hairstreak

 

Red-Admiral

 

Silver-Spotted Skipper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We came home to our butterfly bushes fairly bursting with blooms and teeming with butterflies, moths, and other insects.  If we're lucky, we may be able to see hummingbirds in the coming days.

Home.

 

 

 

Wilmington, North Carolina | Day Two

 

 

 

 

Wilmington, North Carolina | Day One

 

 

 

 

Charleston, South Carolina | Day Two

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holy Ascension | Charleston, South Carolina

There is a hidden gem in Charleston, and that is the church of Holy Ascension.  The temple was designed by Andrew Gould and is simply breathtaking.   There are numerous details that show just how much artistry and care went into the design and construction of this church.  The gardens are so lovely and the little bit of iconography that they have completed is magnificent.  Visit if you can!

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens | Charleston, South Carolina

While Father John spent the day filming at Holy Ascension yesterday, the children and I visited Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.  We spent some time this past school year studying Harriet Turman and the Underground Railroad, so I was pleased to make this trip to tie everything we read about to a place that we could actually visit.  The nature available for us to observe was astounding.   There were herons, alligators, peacocks, guinea hens, turtles, and more.  It was also lovely to see the plantation home on this vast property.   If you get a chance to visit Charleston,  this is an excellent place to stop.

North and South Carolina

We are traveling to both North and South  Carolina for Father's work this week.  I'm most looking forward to our visit to Charleston!