Not drowning

Hello sweet friends- 

I'm still here and almost ready to fully return. Life has been a whirlwind(of sorts) and I'm amazed... at how fast time has passed.  I have been very reflective and have so many thoughts and things I'd like to share...soon. I'm also thinking of ways to retool and bring this little space up to date! My Twitter and Instagram are active and waiting for you to follow me there, in the meantime. As is, Pinterest. Any suggestions on ways to improve the blog are appreciated.  I pray you are all well. 

Until then,
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Still here

Hello dear friends... I'm still hanging around. 

It's been ages, as you can tell that I touched my blog and connected with all of you. I miss it and you. It is one of my favorite creative outlets and ways to connect with others. I love it when you send email and comment, it is such a sweet joy, likely other bloggers will understand.

Time, time, time. 

I had overextended myself these past few months and tried to catch up after falling very behind, for many and various reasons. It's so funny, when I ended my last post, I said "bring it on" and boy did the world do just that! I will likely share in due time. 

But for now... 

I am saying No...more, I am taking care of myself...more, 

I am simplifying...more (lol, that doesn't fit together right?) 

Look, I'm just like Jimmy Fallon...

Look, I'm just like Jimmy Fallon...

Laughing hard...

If you're Greek...time to start thinking of festival season.

If you're Greek...or even if you're not...
it's time to start thinking of festival season.

Yes indeed it is.

If you are Greek or belong to a Greek Orthodox Church you know exactly what I mean. As soon as Easter/Pascha has been celebrated... the baking begins!

What are classic parts of the festival, other than the fantastic time with each other?

Well, there's the food.

And then there's the food.

Umm, did I mention the food?

There's the dancing and music.

Then, there's the Agora (the village store). 

From the Little Fields of Basil Bookshelf:My Yellow Balloon

My Yellow Balloon
Author: Tiffany Papageorge
Illustrator:  Erwin Madrid 

20 Orthodox Crafts for Lent and Other Times

With Holy Week approaching here are ways to help our littles.  Looking for a fun craft to add to your church school lesson or perhaps a Lenten retreat or just someway to reinforce the lessons of the season at home? You are not going to believe this post! I gathered my favorite Orthodox crafts, all one place, to make it easier to pick.

  Whoo hoo, let the fun begin!!

If you like what you see and wish to pin it, please be courteous and take from the source post, give credit to these incredible people who inspire us. Photo heavy post after the jump.

We Begin

To Forgive:

In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is a verb meaning to stop feeling anger and blaming. In Greek, the meaning is more to willingly show favor, grant pardon and exercise grace. Each year on Forgiveness Sunday, we look back and forgive and look forward once more,  one more opportunity to examine what is true and how we may grow from it.

Forgive Me.
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Olive Oil Love

How can you not love olive oil. Now think of it in a soap!

I recently received this fantastic package of olive oil based soaps, 

from Grecian Look and was asked to comment on them. 

Grecian Look is an internet based supplier of some items 

that can be hard to find outside of Greece for personal or festival use. 

My enthusiasim for these soaps is pretty high, as one of my memories from way back is actually watching my Yiayia make olive oil soap. As long as she was living we had a big hunk of it in the laundry room and bathroom. 

Adventures in Winter Window Cleaning

Alright, if you have been following my blog you know that I like my windows being clean, but I don't always have the best luck.

This adventure in window cleaning was no different.

I finally took off the Christmas clings.

You know how they leave a little film and stick on the windows.

I don't know about your home, ours get moved around a lot!

New words, little changes almost daily to see if someone else in the family will notice.

It's a fun game, but leaves a big mess on the window.

Time to clean it!

I cleaned the inside, but it didn't look clean.

Then I realized ...dun dun dunnnn.

Ahhh-it was on the outside!

Garden Bloom Day on 15th

Yes here it is the 17th and things have been so busy I actually missed posting on the actual Bloom Day. So here is a late post to join in the fun and a peek into my cottage garden.

Beebalm is gorgeous this year. Given to me by a dear friend from her garden and is doing beautiful and  its aroma is lovely, complementing the peppermint that grows nearby. I know its invasive but I love it , what can I do?

The Most Amazing Night

We had an exceptionally warm evening last night.  We also got to see quite a light show!

Source

The fireflies were out en masse, it was phenomenal. We didn't take pictures just enjoyed the show.

It was so much fun, sitting by our dining room window together in the dark.
We watched them, counted them and even named some of them.

Blink, blink, blinky blink.

Definitely worth being late for bedtime.

Fireflies in the Garden

BY ROBERT FROST

Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,

And here on earth come emulating flies,

That though they never equal stars in size,

(And they were never really stars at heart)

Achieve at times a very star-like start.

Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.

Source

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Look who's here

It's not who's at the feeder but this medium sized fellow in my azalea.  Hadn't seen him before?  Juncos are gone but these are here now.  Pretty greys with a black cap. Foraging below the bushes with some mates.  

Looked him up, turns out it's a Gray Catbird. Now, I have seen the Cowbirds, and have heard our Catbirds but this is the first time I actually saw him. Apparently, they can be elusive.  Have to add him to my life-list.

Another suprise this spring has been, Mockingbirds.  They are unusual here in the Northeast? At least, I have not heard them in my neighborhood before.  They are soooo loud, ALL NIGHT LONG.  Oh my gosh...seriously, listen here for an idea of what it's been like. Still haven't seen them, but we hear them.  They must have a nest nearby, I think they're lost?

On another sweeter note, our hummingbirds are back, and loving the new feeders. It seems like it took them a long time, so happy they are back, they sure make me smile. 

Who's been around your backyard?

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The Light Shines from Within-True Bioluminescence

This is a Georgian Hieromonk, just watch. It's not important if you don't understand what he is saying this is powerful all the same.  Just watch, I know it's a little long, it really is even more prevalent when he begins to bless the people (around 3 1/2 minutes into the video). Lord have Mercy.

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Hibiscus

It's been a little time since I posted.  A busy and beautiful Holy Week and Bright week. On Holy Friday, we awakened to this sight. Our lovely Hibiscus given to me last summer by a neighbor who moved away, has been dormant until...

it bloomed.

It surprised me as I had seen little buds but had not expected these blooms!

They are huge, the pictures do not do them justice.

Will be having some more surprises coming to the Fields in May. So stop back to...

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From Little Fields of Basil Bookshelf: The Littlest Altar Boy

Still need something for your Pascha/ Easter Baskets?

Introducing... a new feature!

Here is our very first book review.  Drum roll please...

Palm Sunday

No palm is too little to wave for the Lord. Have a blessed Holy Week.

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Lenten Macrame Bracelet

40 Days-40 Days Lenten Recipes and Crafts!



Here is a fun and satisfying craft. Knotting and macrame is coming back to the scene, I remember my Mom completing many hanging planters.  Going to have to look and see if she still has any for the porch? I was introduced to this at a retreat last year and it can be addictive. Loving the adjustable close.



Here is one I am working on. I use a clipboard to stabilize it and make it portable. The instructions to make your own can be found in the following link,
found here.

Look at how pretty these are below. They are made with a thicker grade thread, than I am using left. Recently have been wearing the purple one and gave the others as gifts.

Share the Day Saturday- Chocolate Cake

Share the Day Saturday

Today's recipe is one shared by another Prez, you may remember her from this recipe, which she shared in the Lenten Series of Recipes last year. Anyway, what can I truly say about her, this odd compliment of the day probably says it best. You can enjoy more of these if you follow me on Pinterest.

Source

Here is the beautiful cake she made using this recipe. Doesn't it look awesome!

21 Favorite Ideas to Decorate Easter Eggs

40 Days-40 Lenten Recipes (and more)

So with Easter/Pascha approaching, a girl's thoughts turn to... the eggs of course.
It can't be recipes and food all the time.

I started thinking about all the gorgeous egg tutorials I've seen on Pinterest.

So I thought I'd share some of my favorites and some history I learned, along the way.

Enjoy and then let's get cracking!

Sorry couldn't resist.

Lent and being too busy?

I had the pleasure of hearing one of youth, a second grader answer a question this weekend during Church School that made every adult want to leap up and applaud. The question was, "what season are we in and what is it?"  The answer, "it's the 40 days of Lent and it's when Jesus was in the desert and was being tempted by the Devil. So we remember it by trying to stay away from stuff that tempts us." What a great kid!

Take time ( a minute or if you can even longer today) and a say a prayer, make the connection that counts.
It does make a difference!

Here's an easy prayer, not always to easy to say but powerful.

Jesus Christ, Have Mercy on Me, a Sinner.

I was introduced to this below over the weekend. It's very thought-provoking and I know not new but worth a revisit. Let me know what you think about it? Would love to hear from you.

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DEVIL'S CONVENTION

Satan called a worldwide convention.

In his opening address to his evil angels, he said,'We can't keep the Christians from going to church.'
'We cannot keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth.'
'We cannot even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with Jesus Christ.'

'This is what I want you to do angels ...

Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!'

'How shall we do this?' shouted his angels.

'Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,' he answered. 'Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow.'

'Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep thern from spending time with their children.'

'As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work!'

'Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. Keep the TV, VCR, CDs, and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.'

'Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.'

'Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines so the husbands will believe that external beauty is what is important, and they will become dissatisfied with their wives. Ha! That will fragment those families quickly!'

'Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week'.

'Do not let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts, and movies instead.'

'Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions.'

'Go ahead, let thern be involved in soul winning; but crowd their lives with so rnany good causes they have no tirne to seek power frorn Jesus.'

'Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.'

It will work! It will work!

It was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.
I guess the question is has the devil been successful at his scherne? You be the judge!
Does 'busy' rnean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

Author unknown

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