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Sunday Gratitude – 23.XI.2025
I’ve run around all week with a bit of a low-level cold, where the main symptoms are tiredness and a sore throat. These kind of days often seem to blend together.
The decent weather has held out, for the most part, although Tuesday was rainy most of the day. I’m grateful for that, and somewhat sad that it’s supposed to finally be getting colder in the next couple of days. I’m grateful that I got to get a little bit of biking in, and managed to get the little kids out at least for a little bit.
HDR debug info : SBAR:0.4 WHAR:0.2 BAR:0.6 WBR:54.1 WDR:0.0 CB:0 CR:0.1 U(0)UW(0)US(0)LIF(0.0) AIScene(20) WDR(0,0)SV(0)SGL(0)HGL(0)SGLPU(0)SGLAY(0)AY(133) I’m thankful that things haven’t been quite as difficult with my oldest this past week. It’s a small thing, to be sure, but I’ll take what I can get.
I’m thankful that it was a quiet week. Yes, a little bit of extra driving, but nothing crazy. I’m grateful, too, for the friends who listen.
Sorry if this seems kind of short; I’m just tired. I am, as always, thankful for all of you. 🙂
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Sunday Gratitude – 14.XII.2025
How is it that I blink and December is half over? It’s crazy that this also means that there are only a couple more weeks left until 2025 is in the history books. Sometimes I just wonder where the last 10 or so years went. I’ve gone from having really little kids to having a child who is close to being a legal adult in what seems like the blink of an eye.
Squishmallow! I’m grateful that things seemed to have gone of relatively we ll with the December birthdays. There was even a fun outing with my oldest, who happened to have the day off of school. (Yes, I’m as surprised as anyone!) I’m grateful – very, very grateful – that the stomach bug that went through left again quickly.
I’m grateful to be getting some of this medical stuff figured out, not just for myself, but for my kids as well. I am thankful that whatever the shortcomings may be in the US health care system, getting appointments – even with specialists – generally happens pretty quickly. Oh, yes, and the woman who cleans my teeth is fantastic and a very sweet soul, and I’m always glad for the chance to see her and chat a little.
Even though I hate feeling like I’m getting nothing done, I’m thankful to have been able to relax and sleep this weekend – I even got a couple of good sleep scores on my Garmin tracker! 😉
I found out that an acquaintance – one of those people I met a couple of times and liked, but knew more through others was killed by accident a few days ago. He was only two years older than I, and it really drives home the point that life is precious and this life here can be over with no warning. Even with all the hardships and suffering, I am thankful for this life here and don’t want it to end too soon. If you do pray, though, prayers for the soul of Matthew would certainly be appreciated.
(I am missing spending time riding on the bicycle – it’s been incredibly cold and it’s got to get up closer to freezing before I’ll consider going out again, even if that makes me a wuss. I guess I’ll just have to check back to Bluebird of Bitterness more often to keep smiling! )
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Sunday Gratitude – 30.XI.2025
It’s crazy how incredibly fast a week can pass, how incredibly full it can be, and how much it seems to be difficult to remember much of what happened.
I missed church today. It snowed for close to 24 hours here, and by the time it was all over, there was about six inches of the white stuff in my driveway. About 2/3 through shovelling the stuff to the side, I broke the handle to the shovel. I did something somewhat stupid, and I tried to see if I could simply drive through the rest of it, and while it probably would have been fine if the driveway was flat, there’s a little bit of a dip where the driveway connects to the road, and I managed to get the car completely stuck there. Thankfully, there was another snow shovel in the garage, one that is probably at least sixty years old, solid wood and steel and almost completely indestructible – but ridiculously heavy, unwieldy, and un-ergonomic. It got the job done, though, and managed to free the car. I’m understanding that there are certain items where if they break, a person is kind of up a creek, so I suppose this far north, if a person doesn’t have two of them on hand, it’s kind of tempting fate. But because I got the car out, I was able to go to Meijer and get a new snow shovel.
Most of my weekend plans went down the tubes with the snowstorm. However, I’m thankful to be able to have a warm and dry and safe place. The power was out last night for 3-4 hours, and not only did I not freeze to death, our local power company had people working in the middle of the night to get the power back on as quickly as possible. Also, I was feeling decently sick on Friday morning; I’m glad to be over that, but the weather was a moment just to stay put and relax a bit, and as much as I wanted to do the things I wanted to do, I’m also grateful that I could relax a bit.
I was crazy enough to go out on the bike on Friday afternoon. I needed the break (and the exercise). I don’t know; even after being in the area for a decade, I love the beauty of the place, and I’m grateful to get to experience it. (Oh, boy, was I cold by the end of it though! 15 miles, just for fun, starting temperature about 30F and it just got colder from there.)
The kids were with me for Thanksgiving, and I managed to put together a decent spread. I’m not sure I did a *great* job with the turkey, but it wasn’t too bad. I’m just grateful that as much as it was far from perfect, it’s not like we did *nothing*. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to catch up with close friends after not having seen them for a good long while.
Cornbread with cranberries I’m grateful that the doctor’s appointment on Wednesday took place without any crazy stuff. Hopefully, too, we’re nearing the end of this “saga”.
Oh, boy, it isn’t even 11, and I’m starting to nod off sitting in the armchair. .Please know, too, that I am grateful for you as well and in particular, your prayers.
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Songs of the Season 2025 – St. Clement’s Carol – Saint Clement’s Choir, Philadelphia
In honor of St. Clement’s Day
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Songs of the Season 2025 – Make Room – Casting Crowns
I’m still working on getting my mind around the fact that Christmas is just over a month away… and in between, Thanksgiving, two birthdays, school stuff, and who knows. And so, I was looking for something to help kind of start making that transition.
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Songs of the Season 2025 – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – The Fab Four
Yes, it’s a Beatles’ tribute band. Would you expect anything less from me? 😉
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Sunday Gratitude – 16.XI.2025
Oh, boy, man was this a week that just flew by!
I’m grateful, certainly, that the snow that we got at the beginning of the week was more of an annoyance than anything else – and that it hasn’t lasted long.
The temperatures are definitely chilly, but for November in Wisconsin, there’s not much to complain about. If I remember correctly, even after the day with snow, maybe Saturday, the temperature hit 60F, which is amazing.
Speaking of enjoying the weather, I rode down to Kenosha and back last Friday. It was a beautiful ride, and though my hands got very cold, between rising temperatures and the thermos full of hot tea I had packed, they warmed up nicely. I’m grateful that I didn’t run into any technical difficulties with the bicycle – I thoroughly enjoy riding the recumbent, but if something were to happen with it mechanically, it has the potential to be a much bigger issue due to the fact it is much harder to transport. I also got a little off-track on the way back because of a detour, but thankfully, that didn’t cause me issues… just an extra mile or so.
I am grateful that I got a little bit of good sleep over the weekend. Besides all the crazy stuff that happened last week, I’ve now got a bit of a lingering sore throat, and even though it’s not completely comfortable to sleep with that, it’s better than not having the chance to sleep. Argh. I certainly have to do better on the sleep stuff.
I’m grateful, too, that with all the stuff I had to get done last week, there weren’t any major crazy things or huge setbacks.
I’m going to sign off here for the night – please know that I’m always grateful for you!
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Songs of the Season 2025 – O Come, O Come Emmanuel – Skillet
It’s hard to believe that we’re in Advent already (on the Orthodox Christian calendar, at least). Last year I didn’t do it, but I had a lot of fun in 2022 and 2023 posting a song a day for the “Christmas season”. So here goes for this year – we’ll see how it goes. In any case, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” seems to be the song I traditionally start with, so here is a – um – unique rendition. Enjoy!
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Sunday Gratitude – 9.XI.2025
I know, I know, I’ve neglected writing for too long. It seems like I can never catch a break as far as being able to truly relax, and I feel like that is catching up to me.
I’m really grateful that we’ve had such a beautiful autumn. It’s been warm to the point where I was out in short sleeves up until Friday, and while a bit chilly sometimes, it’s kind of insane because this is Wisconsin after all. The trees are still resplendent, and the waning light shines golden across everything.
I made it to church on my bicycle last week; it was amazing. All in all, I rode thirty miles, and it was a beautiful ride. Apart from straying a little from the route I wanted to take, everything else went well – no accidents or incidents or anything.
Wind Point Lighthouse, from biking one afternoon. I am thankful for medical care, and that even while it is expensive here, it’s available.
I am thankful for friends and connections in so many ways. Even when things got their most crazy this past Wednesday, somehow, there just “happened” to be a good friend who could come out and meet me to chat for 20 minutes simply because I was in the area. And then to receive something incredibly unexpected in the mail from someone else!
I’m grateful to have had two days of decently good sleep. It’s rare, and I think it’s part of where many of my issues begin.
I’m sorry I’m phasing out here; I took cold medicine because my throat is beginning to hurt, You all are amazing!
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Sunday Gratitude – 19.X.2025
I’m really frustrated with myself for a number of things right now, especially that I didn’t get half of what I wanted to get done this weekend accomplished. On the other hand, I always overestimate what I think I can get done, and that gap with the reality is hard to deal with sometimes. I am grateful to have gotten a little done, and to also have a little bit of time still to accomplish the one thing that I seem to be really avoiding. I’m funny like that.
I’m grateful to have heard from a friend I hadn’t heard from in years. It’s really terrible, because I actually do have her number in my phone, so I knew immediately that she was calling me. It was really, really good, and a good reminder that I ought to be better about making the random phone call out of the blue sometimes.
I did, however, call a couple of people this weekend, and I am grateful to have reached them and to have had good conversations. Sometimes the house just gets too quiet and having a real person to talk to makes getting mundane tasks go a lot more quickly.
I am grateful to the priest that I’ve been going to for confession that he does take time to listen to me and not be too harsh when I’m really struggling to muddle through.
I’ve been watching a lot of the YouTube channel – “Midwest Safety” which is a police cam channel, and is put together really, really well. It makes me grateful for the people, like the police, who put up with a lot of crazy stuff in service to our communities.
I am grateful for the nice weather, and to have had the opportunity to enjoy it. I didn’t make it to church on the bike, but I went out earlier in the week for 20+ miles and had a great time.
I don’t know that I have a whole lot to add, except, of course, that I am grateful for you. 🙂
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SOCA Choir Pieces
For those of you who saw my last Sunday Gratitude post, this is kind of a repeat, but I just wanted to repost the three recordings from our choir at the Serbian Orthodox Choral Association’s festival this past Saturday.
(start at 0:55 for the first one)
Otche Nash – Our Father (a couple seconds are missing at the beginning here) These audio files were pulled from video my 8-year-old and 11-year-old took. On one hand, it’s weird because being in the choir, I felt that the voices sounded warmer, and I don’t know that these recordings are great picking up some of the chord sliding because some of it is fairly subtle. On the other hand, I think these sound a lot like some professional recordings from the 1940s, which probably also just put a group of people in a room with one microphone to record. That a professional setup like that could sound similar to outdated technology recorded by children really blows my mind. If you all could see the video – which bounces around enough to make a person seasick – it’s even more impressive how good so much of modern technology is! (I think it was recorded on an iPhone 10.)
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Sunday Gratitude – 12.X.2025
Yesterday, the concert portion of the Serbian Orthodox Choir Association took place in Cudahy, Wisconsin. I was part of one of the choirs, and over the last couple of months, there has been a lot of work that has gone into the musical numbers – lots of extra choir practice, for example – as well as getting the event to happen at all. I’m thankful that despite some glitches, the event took place successfully. Here’s our numbers (apart from the combined choir pieces):
Otche Nash – (These are not the official recordings, but my 9-year-old with an old iPhone. For the first one, please start the slider at about :55 for the beginning of the song.)
– There are a couple of seconds missing from the beginning I will try to remember to link to the official recordings when they become available.
Is it bad to say that I’m also thankful that it’s over? 🙂 Juggling the practices and such with school and sports and what have you was tough. Speaking of, I’m also thankful that the beginning-of-the-year sports are over.
I am grateful again for some of the beautiful weather that we’ve been having, and the opportunity to go out and enjoy some of it, particularly on a bike.
Bikes by Lake Michigan I am grateful that despite a silly mistake, nothing bad came of it, even though it could have been bad.
I am grateful for people who reach out and listen, especially when that is really badly needed, as well as for people who offer help in the practical things.
I am grateful for my kids, especially when they do the unexpected sweet things.
I am grateful for friends who trust me.
I am grateful that I found my purse today. I was so tired by the end of the concert that this morning, when I couldn’t find my purse, I couldn’t remember if I had had it after the concert or not. I couldn’t find it this morning, so I figured I must have left it. But I couldn’t find it there, either, even with other people looking. I finally found it at home – it had fallen behind the kitchen recycle bin and ended up with a small box on top of it, so it wasn’t visible until things started getting moved.
Clown Violets in October And sometimes, I’m simply grateful to get through the day. There have been a couple of days like that in the past couple of weeks.
Before I forget, too, I just want to mention that on the anniversary of the day of his death, I’m grateful for the life of Willi Graf.
Thank you all for your attention and prayers. I am eternally grateful for it.
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Breath of Hallelujah 