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Sunday Gratitude – 5.IV.2026

To those celebrating today – Christ is Risen! – Happy Easter!
And then there are the “weird” ones here who are still waiting another week, among which I count myself. There have been a lot of services already – yesterday, I think I was in church for nearly four hours. I’ve really struggled this Lent; from the beginning, I felt less ready for it than most years and this year… wow. For the greater part of Lent, I believed that the Orthodox were also going to be celebrating Pascha today, and it was only looking at the calendar more carefully a couple of weeks ago when I realized that no, there’s a one-week difference. I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting to spend so much time in church this weekend, but I was at vigil last night, and I certainly had the feeling of moving from the darkness into the light, and by the time the service was over, there was an air of hopefulness and joy there. For that I am grateful. (My brain did fight against this on the way home, though. *sigh*)
I am grateful for the more spring-like weather, and the opportunity to be outside. I’m also grateful for my neighbor who invites me to come walking with her.
I am grateful for friends who take the time to talk even in the rain.
I am grateful for making it home in a storm the other day; I wasn’t expecting it, then all of a sudden, I was driving down this country highway with lightning flashes all around. I don’t think that they were very close, as there was only a tiny bit of thunder, but what a show! The next day, driving down those same roads, I could actually see how high the water is, and I’m grateful that there were no issues with low-lying stretches of road or the bridges.

Time to take the Christmas wreath down! I am thankful to have had a little bit of time to be outside with my kids, and I’m thankful that they have places around that they can enjoy riding their bikes through, and that they’ve been fine with this “exploring”.
I am thankful for the joy of singing.
I am thankful for the things that are showing signs of life (and even blooming) even after a very cold winter and long periods of neglect.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have been in contact with a number of people on this day, in the joy of Easter.
I am grateful for yet another sign that I’m not alone through the hard stuff.
Thank you so much for being here! Christ is Risen!

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Sunday Gratitude – 29.III.2026

I really hate it when it seems like I blink and yet another week has passed. Somehow so much of this time ends up feeling like a blur, and it seems like all that is left is a growing list of things that should have been done long ago, but haven’t been done yet.
In the meantime, though, I’ve been trying not to lose a sense of gratitude, and to also try to make the most of the days at hand. We’ve had a couple of days that have hit 70F, which has been amazing, and especially as the days are getting longer, it would be terrible if we didn’t do something to take advantage of the warmer weather. My younger son had a day off of school a couple of weeks back, and the two of us went out on our bikes and rode ten miles together, and it was amazing. He also started taking pictures with my camera that afternoon, so I’ll be sharing a few of those in this post.

A couple of weeks after the real birthday, my youngest, in kindergarten, had her first real birthday party. It was a bowling alley affair, and, per the terms of the contract, was less than two hours long, but for a group of 5 and 6 year olds, it was fine. I was completely stressed out over this for at least a week for a number of reasons, but it turned out really, really good. Even the weather held out, kind of… It started raining about the time that the party started, and it was still raining as people left. Had we started a couple of hours later, everybody would have been going home in sleet, because we had a blizzard come through the next day. The kids were thrilled to get the day off of school, and despite the crazy wind, we never lost power. The next day, our dear neighbor made a path for our car using a snowblower.
I’m grateful that even though I managed to break a spoke on the one bike (a different one than before), this happened in a place where I could ride to a place where I could leave the bike for a couple of days, and which was very close to the bike shop. On the night that this happened, I was also able to get a ride back home with one of the ladies from church. I’d never talked to her before, and she’s incredibly sweet, and lives just a couple of streets over from where I live.
I’m grateful for the amazing time I had at St. Haralambos in Niles a couple of weeks back. Not only were some very dear “real life” friends there, I finally got to meet Fr. Andrew Damick in person. We have been online acquaintances (friends) for over 20 years, and it seemed like high time to meet him in person. He actually recognized me by sight as well, which is crazy because it’s been a looong time since I posted any photos of myself that he might come across. 🙂 That was a lot of fun, though.

Breezy days and kites! I am grateful, as well, for the opportunity to visit an old friend and just enjoy sitting on the front step, having a conversation in the sunshine.
In many ways, I feel pulled very, very, very thin. There have been a lot of good things, to be sure, but there have been a number of very, very frustrating things as well. I don’t know; at this point, I’m not sure that I’ll ever have things “figured out”, but there’s a path to go forward on, and that’s the way through this all. Forgive me again for the blog silence – I truly am grateful for you.

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Three Little Birds

I’ve been caught up in doing a bunch of paperwork and such recently, not to mention not feeling well (normal stuff) and being a champion at losing things – there was one paper that I literally had in my hand that I put down without thinking and it took me hours to find again. As frustrating as that was, I did find a number of things that had disappeared over the last couple of months, which is a blessing. I think I have at least four “real” posts floating around in my head right now, I just haven’t had the time to sit down and write.
I did not, however, find either pair of my glasses. Being as it has been five years since I have had my eyes looked at (and with my poor vision, I really ought to be on a yearly schedule) the fact that both pairs have been lost more than found over the last six months may be God’s way of telling me I need to get my eyes checked, so I booked an appointment.
This morning was hard. Getting kids to school is hard in general, but when one child digs in and refuses to cooperate, it can make things get really bad really quickly, as it has a direct effect on everyone and their punctuality. Lots of crying and whining and some yelling ensues. It wasn’t as bad as sometimes, but I felt awful.
I had to check the kids in, and when I got back in the car, the radio station was already playing their “Totally Random Song of the Day“. It was Bob Marley and the Wailers with “Three Little Birds”. I embed it here for you:
Feel those early 1980 vibes! I know that a lot of people dislike it when people say that God is the reason when good things “coincidentally” happen. As much as I do feel it is important to give all glory to God, I do think that there’s a danger of “seeking signs” and superstitiousness when people do this. That being said, as soon as I heard this on, I had a strong sense of this being what God wanted me to hear at this particular moment.
“Every little thing is going to be all right…”
We know that these are insane days. We know that there are wars, rumors of wars, injustice, starvation, etc. At the same time, we believe that God is bigger than all of this.
Psalm 45/46 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
I daresay, the message here is pretty much the same – “Every little thing is going to be all right”. We just need to hold fast in faith to God. For this reason, I don’t think it is unreasonable to think that it was more than “coincidence” that this was playing this morning.

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Wordless Wednesday #18 – Lake Shore Drive



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Lilla Rose February 2023 Update

For the latest Lilla Rose posts, please check out the following:
The author of this blog is a “Flexi Rep/Affiliate” with Lilla Rose, and is not employed by Lilla Rose. Purchases made through this link <https://www.lillarose.com/katja> will earn the author a commission.
Welcome back to what’s going on with Lilla Rose this month!
First off, there’s a new “mane event” set. Like January, it is discounted 20% for the first three days. The clip is a beautiful Valentine’s Day themed piece (though appropriate for more than Valentine’s Day) and sets – especially discounted sets – are a great way to try more than one thing without spending as much for it.

This month’s special deal is “Pick your pink” with a $50 order.

Of course, there are some new things now available. It’s terrible, I always seem to see something pretty that I think would be nice.

And… one more thing to round things out – 10% off hair serum. I am first to admit, I don’t have much of a clue when it comes to things more than shampoo and conditioner for my hair. However, I have always noticed that my hair gets very, very straw-like in the winter, even with conditioner… If this would help with that, it might be worth trying.

I ordered a couple of things yesterday – the larger flexi sport, for one. I am amazed at how much I wear the regular-sized flexi sport. I’m also realizing more and more my appreciation for being able to simply pull a pin to get my hair down – it’s been close to a year now since I stopped wearing elastics to hold my hair up in ponytails or braids, and my hair thanks me for it.
I appreciate all of you taking the time to read this.
https://www.lillarose.com/katja

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Wordle #590


Never played Wordle? Check out my Wordle strategy page!
Wordle explanations are posted a day late to ensure that no one accidentally sees the solution before playing.
Line 1: Fishy gets me nothing here except eliminated letters
Line 2: Going with “beard” today, as I can’t use “S” since it’s already been eliminated. Not too shabby – an “A” in the right place even, and “E” and “R” incorrectly placed. Lookin’ good!
Line 3: Since “EA” didn’t work, I’m trying “A”-consonant-“E”. This worked, as did placing the “R” in spot #2. The only problem is, there still are a lot of possibilities for words out there and I’m not sure I’ll get this.
Line 4: Getting the “C” is a big win, but “crane” isn’t the word. Based on letters still available, I think I know what the solution has to be.
Line 5: “Crave”!
Did you get this Wordle? Tell me about it in the comments!
Happy Gaming!

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End of January Lilla Rose Sale

For the latest Lilla Rose posts, please check out the following:
The author of this blog is a “Flexi Rep/Affiliate” with Lilla Rose, and is not employed by Lilla Rose. Purchases made through this link <https://www.lillarose.com/katja> will earn the author a commission.
Just a quick post here with a really good – and really fast – Lilla Rose sale.

January’s premiums are still in effect, so I’ll keep sharing that. 🙂

Tomorrow, I should have February’s stuff. 🙂
https://www.lillarose.com/katja

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Wordle #589


Never played Wordle? Check out my Wordle strategy page!
Wordle explanations are posted a day late to ensure that no one accidentally sees the solution before playing.
Line 1: I get an “F” right off the bad with “flirt”, and and “I” in the wrong place.
Line 2: “F” and “I” go together well, don’t they? And with that, why not play “fishy”… da da dum… And it’s the word! Well done!
Did you get this Wordle? Tell me about it in the comments!
Happy Gaming!

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Wordle #588


Never played Wordle? Check out my Wordle strategy page!
Wordle explanations are posted a day late to ensure that no one accidentally sees the solution before playing.
Line 1: So… “Worry” gives me one “R”, correctly placed.
Line 2: Thinking here, it seemed to make sense that there might be an “I” preceding the “R”, and I lucked out there. The “T” being present but in the wrong place is interesting… It means that it has to be in spot 2 or spot 5, and all things considered, I think it’s more possible that it is spot 5.
Line 3: There aren’t that many 5-letter words ending in “IRT”, and without the “H”, the first blend letter I think of is “L”, and “flirt” comes to mind, and there we go. 🙂
Did you get this Wordle? Tell me about it in the comments!
(Sorry for being late with this – some personal business needed taken care of this week, and it ate up loads of time.)
Happy Gaming!

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An Update to the Post about Holoviak’s Church Supply

In September, I wrote a post about Holoviak’s Church Supply, which can be found here: https://breathofhallelujah.com/2022/09/26/holoviaks-is-going-out-of-business/.
A couple of days ago, I received the following comment on that post
Glory to Jesus Christ,
-Paula Holoviak
I wanted you to know why Holoviak Church Supply is closing. It is not because of business issues. My husband Peter, President of Holoviak’s, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer 2 years ago. He passed away in September after a brave battle. His brother, Paul, is liquidating the remaining inventory as our boys are too young to take over the business. Keep Peter in your prayers. You may share this with your readersPlease keep the Holoviak family in your prayers.

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Wordle #587


Never played Wordle? Check out my Wordle strategy page!
Wordle explanations are posted a day late to ensure that no one accidentally sees the solution before playing.
Line 1: The “Y” at the end is quite interesting.
Line 2: Playing two more vowels here – the “O” in spot 2 is nice – now to see what goes between these two letters!
Line 3: I wanted an “S” word, and maybe because I was tired, the first thing that came to mind was “soggy”. I kind of didn’t want to play it because of the double “G”, but figured that there’s a decent chance that there’s a double letter between the “O” and “Y”. Not only did I strike out on the “G”, but also on the “S”.
Line 4: Getting an “R” here is nice, but I still don’t feel like I have any clue.
Line 5: I think “corny” was a solution before, but it would be interesting if they started throwing in repeats just to keep people on their toes!
Line 6: “Wormy”? I get happy when I see the “W” flip over green – and groan when the 4th spot flips grey – “worry” – I was right about the double consonants. Ha! I should have played “sorry” instead of “soggy”. Oh well, chalk it up to the “fail” category. At least I should be caught up with the posting.
Did you get this Wordle? Tell me about it in the comments!
(Sorry for being late with this – some personal business needed taken care of this week, and it ate up loads of time.)
Happy Gaming!

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Wordle #586


Never played Wordle? Check out my Wordle strategy page!
Wordle explanations are posted a day late to ensure that no one accidentally sees the solution before playing.
Line 1: “Maize” got me a misplaced “E”… and eliminated two other vowels at the same time.
Line 2: Yay! The “E” goes in the middle, and I suppose that makes it more likely that “E” will be the only vowel.
Line 3: Don’t mind me, I’m just eliminating consonants over here.
Line 4: This is kind of an “all or nothing” move. Words that start with “Q” not only “waste” the first spot, but kind of the second as well with the “U”, but if one doesn’t keep the “Q” possibility in mind, every once in awhile it sneaks up. Here, I see it’s not a “Q” word, and there is no “U” either, BUT the upside is that I know that there are two “E”s in the puzzle.
Line 5: If it’s a double “E”, I’ll put the “E”s in spots 2 and 3. This could also be a “Y” word… Let’s have some fun and play “beefy”. And… It worked! 🙂
Did you get this Wordle? Tell me about it in the comments!
(Sorry for being late with this – some personal business needed taken care of this week, and it ate up loads of time.)
Happy Gaming!

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