We are very blessed to have friends and parishioners who own property in rural Texas near Anderson not terribly far from us. They have always welcomed us out there. Last Tuesday we were out there for a 40 day memorial service and house blessing so we had the opportunity to stand in the middle of … Continue reading Texas Wildflower Fields
Author: matushkaanna
Muscle memory and prayer
It's very common to hear inquirers or those new to Orthodoxy question the repetition in the prayers and services. I think someone has counted how many times we pray, "Lord have mercy" during Divine Liturgy but I don't know how many that is. A lot. People wonder why we say it SO MANY TIMES. "I … Continue reading Muscle memory and prayer
Metropolitan Tikhon Doll
After Fr. Sergius saw the doll the bookstore had commissioned of him he decided he wanted one of Metropolitan Tikhon. I was terribly afraid they would request a mantia for him but they didn't. Whew. However, they decided to ask if I could make a Jack Russell Terrier like the one Met. Tikhon has. I … Continue reading Metropolitan Tikhon Doll
Abbot Sergius Doll
Last summer the staff at St. Tikhon's Monastery Bookstore requested that I make a custom doll to resemble their abbot, Fr. Sergius. I have made several other custom dolls so this sounded like fun. They also wanted him to have a full set of white vestments...and a black baseball hat. It took me a while … Continue reading Abbot Sergius Doll
Mini-Update (mostly grand baby)
Well, it's been nearly a year since I've updated. I guess I'll just launch in without preamble! Last March we welcomed a granddaughter! She started out so tiny and now she's an absolute chunk! LOL We absolutely adore her and wish they lived closer. She is more entertaining by the month. Because it's rather late … Continue reading Mini-Update (mostly grand baby)
February updates
Happy Valentine's Day! I finally wrapped up a number of different projects and feel like I can take a breather and reassess my schedule. I'll share a few of those projects today. The shop is still going strong. I changed my business model as far as censers go. I'm still evaluating whether this will work … Continue reading February updates
Cookbook Cleanout
I had the sudden and energetic urge to redo the entire house this morning after my second cup of coffee. After about ten minutes I regained my sanity and settled my sights on something slightly more achievable. I moved everything off the front porch/entryway, swept, and rearranged it (mostly the plants). I put a bunch … Continue reading Cookbook Cleanout
2021 Project Roundup
I'm pretty sure I can't actually sum up all of my projects in a single blog post. Maybe I'll just pick out some notable ones and share some photos. I only made one quilt (I think) which was for my parents' 50th anniversary. I made a handprint quilt using prints from every child, spouse, and … Continue reading 2021 Project Roundup
The next step: moving photos
I've had fun this year with my camera, a Canon EOS 2000D. When we went on vacation in October (southern TN and the AL coast) I took tons of photos. I'm now just starting to move photos from my camera onto the laptop. I need a photo editing software so I can manipulate the raw … Continue reading The next step: moving photos
A new start!
I am typing this on my first ever laptop. For the first time I don't have to wait my turn to sit in a noisy room with the screen height uncomfortable for my bifocaled self. Also, I don't have to type out an entire blog post on my little phone keyboard. I can type, and … Continue reading A new start!
Praying With My Feet 