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Sunday Gratitude – 18.X.2026
Hi everyone! Glad to be back here. I’m still struggling with a lot, and there’s a lot that’s really overwhelming. However, I’m going to give it a shot as far as gratitude here.
Most importantly, probably, is that my son had a surgery on his ear a couple of weeks back, and everything went really, really well. Yes, he had the same surgery back in February on the other ear, and it went really well, but there’s still a good bit of nervousness attached to all these things.
Secondly, I recently took part in the Serbian Orthodox Choral Association’s annual choir festival. Because it was only a week after the surgery, I wasn’t going to go, but then there were people who had signed up who either couldn’t go or couldn’t sing, and I was asked if there might be some way that I could go. I managed to get things arranged, and I went. It was an amazing trip, and I hope to write about it separately. Most of us who went ended up driving, including the people I rode with, but everything went off without a hitch, there were no accidents or incidents with the driving, and the event was a lot of fun. I am very grateful for that, and for getting to see the city and experience the city a little.
If any of you are interested, our choir’s performance can be found here (our group starts at 45:15):
The weather has gotten cooler, and I’m grateful for that (St. Louis at over 90F was quite a shock to the system). This just seems to be one of those patches that is especially rough, so I’d appreciate your prayers for me and my kids.
Thank you ever so much for following; you are amazing!
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Lilla Rose January 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.
January is here, and Lilla Rose has changed things up a bit. Instead of a monthly “DIY” design, this month, they are doing a “mane event” special, featuring a new design (“Natasha”) sold exclusively with a set which includes a pouch, a sample bottle of geranium hydrosol spray, and a surprise item. This bundle will be available at 20% off through tomorrow (January 3rd) at 11:59PST.
This month’s monthly promotion is a free wintry bobby with orders of $40 or more. I haven’t actually tried Lilla Rose’s bobby pins, but I bet they are really good – some of them are just gorgeous – and it’s an easy way to put a subtle accent to one’s hair.
There are a couple of new releases as well – the first one is “big news”, as it’s the introduction of EX sport flexis…
I got my regular sized sport this summer just to try it out, and I have been really, really impressed with it. I’m even wearing it in my hair right now because I took a bath earlier, and I wanted my wet hair out of my face. I cannot tell you how much easier it is to clip the sport flexi in for a ponytail than using elastics. I can also put them in when my hair is wet, and not get it completely tangled. When I want to take the ponytail out, I don’t end up with a lot of broken hair where the elastic was. I really want to try the bigger size, because I’d love to be able to put my hair up out of the way completely with one, though I suppose this means I’d actually have to learn how to do a French twist more consistently!
The other new item being featured right now is “Janice”
I love this design! It’s very classic but very modern at the same time. Man, I tell you, if I had unlimited amounts of money, I might be Lilla Rose’s best customer! 🙂
I appreciate all of you taking the time to read this.
https://www.lillarose.com/katja
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Songs of the Season – Semisonic – This Will Be My Year
Semisonic is known most of all for the song “Closing Time”. I got the album “Feeling Strangely Fine” when they were at the height of their popularity (I even saw them in concert!) and the entire album is pretty solid – much better than so many groups that have a hit or two and filled the rest of the album with filler (and people wonder why albums are dying), and this track, although it didn’t get a whole lot of radio play, is one of the ones that still stick out to me all these years later.
Happy New Year, and thanks for reading!
In addition to the “Carol of the Bells” playlist, I’ve started a general playlist of Christmas songs that will include pieces mentioned here, for anyone interested.
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Wordle #560 – Closing out 2022
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: Oh, boy! “Molar” did really well!
Line 2: Shuffling things around – nice!
Line 3: I’ almost played “madly” here, thinking that “manly” isn’t in the vocabulary of the New York Times, but I figured that “manly” is such a fun word to play, I’d go ahead with it. I was shocked that it was actually the solution! The word always reminds me now of Laura Ingalls Wilder, as it was the nickname of her husband Almanzo. (Pronunciation with two short “a”s) Shifting the “O” to second place worked out well. The “L” wasn’t quite as lucky but it’s quite easy to see now where everything goes!Shifting the “O” to second place worked out well. The “L” wasn’t quite as lucky but it’s quite easy to see now where everything goes!
Did you get this Wordle? Tell me about it in the comments!
Happy Gaming!
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Wordle #559
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 am pleasantly surprised that I got something good out of “havoc”. “A” and “O”… lots of possibilities!
Line 2: So again, it’s not an “OA” word. Interesting. Having the “L” is nice though.
Line 3: Shifting the “O” to second place worked out well. The “L” wasn’t quite as lucky but it’s quite easy to see now where everything goes!
Line 4: Moral!
Did you get this Wordle? Tell me about it in the comments!
Happy Gaming!
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Songs of the Season – Annaliese Emerick – This Love Won’t Break Your Heart
This song was featured over at Bookworm Room a couple of years ago, and I can’t forget it.
Happy New Year, and thanks for reading!
In addition to the “Carol of the Bells” playlist, I’ve started a general playlist of Christmas songs that will include pieces mentioned here, for anyone interested.
If you enjoy my posts, please consider:
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Songs of the Season – George Winston – Night, part III: Minstrels
George Winston’s album “December” captures a bit of the feeling related to the time of year, the darkness and solitude. Most of the album consists of Christmas songs that the solo piano creates the “December” feel for, but there are a few that aren’t.
One of those that is not a Christmas song is entitled “Night, part 3: Minstrels”. However, it’s not an original composition. A dulcimer player by the name of Malcolm Dalglish had recorded it as a dulcimer piece under the name of “St. Basil’s Hymn“.
As it turns out, the song isn’t Dalglish’s either. It’s a Greek carol for New Year’s – which happens to be when St. Basil’s feast day is. The name of it is “Αρχιμηνιά κι Αρχιχρονιά” and I don’t have much of an idea of what the translation might be in English if it’s not what is written here: https://manitouwinds.com/2016/11/30/winter-songs-carols-st-basils-hymn/
In any case, I thought it was a weird little coincidence, and a neat song to post for today.
In addition to the “Carol of the Bells” playlist, I’ve started a general playlist of Christmas songs that will include pieces mentioned here, for anyone interested.
If you enjoy my posts, please consider:
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Wordle #558
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: “Impel” gets me nothing
Line 2: Let’s work on getting a couple more vowels – and “O” and “A” both make an appearance!
Line 3: Now to shift “O” and “A” over… Hmm… still in the wrong places. Maybe they aren’t together.
Line 4: Fun words are fun! I can’t think of any words ending in “OA” except for “cocoa”, but it can’t be that. However, if that’s the case, the “A” has to be in the 2nd spot, which means this word is going to be very unique.
Line 5: “Havoc” Yes, a unique word indeed, and a fun to puzzle out!
Did you get this Wordle? Tell me about it in the comments!
Happy Gaming!
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Wordle #557
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: Nothing from “condo”
Line 2: “Beast” – it’s been awhile since I’ve played any of the base words! And… the pesky “E” is back.
Line 3: “Plume” did really well… now to figure out how these letters can be rearranged to spell something else.
Line 4: “Impel” seemed to be about the only thing that made sense, but at first, I was questioning whether it was a word at all, but then I remembered its definition before it pulled up on a web search.
Did you get this Wordle? Tell me about it in the comments!
Happy Gaming!
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Songs of the Season – Clamavi De Profundis – The Coventry Carol
I think I learned less than a week ago that the Coventry Carol not a Christmas Carol, per so, but is about the slaughter of the Jewish boys after Herod realized that the Wise Men were not going to return to him. I know the tune from Mannheim Steamroller’s beautiful version, but I share today a version with the lyrics since today is the day that the Orthodox Church commemorates the “Holy Innocents“. (They were commemorated yesterday by the Catholic Church.)
In addition to the “Carol of the Bells” playlist, I’ve started a general playlist of Christmas songs that will include pieces mentioned here, for anyone interested.
If you enjoy my posts, please consider:
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Thank you very much!
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Wordless Wednesday #13 – US95 in ID, CDA to SPT, Christmas Day
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