Happy Orthodox Christmas!
Today, January 7 is Christmas for the Eastern Orthodox Slavs. This is because we still use the Julian Calendar for calculating the Church Calendar. The fact that it is 13 days later than the civil calendar is simply an added benefit—it lets us shop for Christ during the after-Christmas sales and save big bucks. We have been trained to try to find the good in every situation.
I have been remiss in adding to my blog—my real job has just kept me too busy.
We had a great turnout for our pre-Christmas Open House on December 20th—I think it was our second largest turnout after Thanksgiving. I have even seen a few pictures of yours truly in a Santa Claus hat—I tried to get Borko to wear a green hat, tights and pointy shoes and be my elf, but he refused. He muttered something about getting a gun, so I dropped the issue.
The puppies are monsters. They get their shots this week and starting Thursday night they will be moving to new homes. I decided to keep the big fat male—we named him Arkan. It is from the Archons of ancient Greece. The Serbophiles among us may also find an alternative attribution.
God Willing—The Aduana wiling—the shipping line willing: my van I supposed to arrive in Montevideo on Friday. With a lot of luck, a miracle from God, and deft handling of the Aduana (Customs), I hope to get it next week.
My plan is to travel around Uruguay in February and March on long weekends. That should generate a lot more blog pieces AND I am going to write the second edition of “The Southron’s Guide to Living in Uruguay”.
With all of the blessings of the last year and the promise of God’s goodness in the next, I will close today with the Christmas Tropar from our Divine Liturgy:
Thy birth, O Christ Our God, has shed upon the world the light of knowledge. For through it, those who worshipped the stars, have learned to worship Thee as the Sun of Justice; and to recognize Thee as the Orient* from on High: Glory be to Thee!
*Orient means the “new dawning” in this context.
Vaistinu se rod
With love and good wishes from ‘his Mother’s side’ of the family.
Left by clara on January 9th, 2008