August Greetings!

Dear Anyone Who Reads This Blog,

August Greetings! I hope this finds you healthy, peaceful and all around well. Has it really been a week since I last posted? Well what do you know? I’ve been so busy living my summer, I haven’t had time to chronicle our various warm weather escapades.  Let’s see… there was the big gorgeous wedding at our little tiny parish this past weekend in which our priest’s daughter married a wonderful young man, and we celebrated that holy union with such joy and frivolity! Then there was the cherished all day visit with my godmother and three of her five children. We’ve been organizing for school, creating intimidatingly long lists of things still needed for school, and making the necessary doctors appointments and hair appointments (Did you  know JC Penneys is offering free haircuts for kids in K-6th grade the entire  month of August?).

And we’ve been high on Olympic fever! I mean did you watch the USA girls gymnasts work their hearts out for that Gold? It was incredible! I even teared up when we won the Gold for skeet shooting. My brother and sister-in-law recently hosted a neighborhood Olympics featuring events such as racing, Hot Potato, soccer and gymnastics. Their yard was full of kids competing for Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates. When we were supposed to a declare a winner in the floor routine category, however, and all the Olympic hopefuls still sweaty from cartwheeling, somersaulting and backbending were looking at us so desperately, my genius sister-in-law, Paige, came up with a new plan pronto. The winner for best choreography, she declared in her most official judge voice, is Priscilla! Then she went on to handout individual awards for, “Straightest Legs” “Most Unique Trick” “Longest Handstand”, etc. This morning my oldest daughter asked me to time her as she sprinted around the block – I want to get a little bit faster each day, mom, she told me. The Olympics makes us marvel at what can be accomplished with tenacity and hard work.

The other exciting news around here is that I finally paid off our worst library fine ever! I have no excuse to offer for such blatant irresponsibility, only a half-hearted declaration that we are helping fund our library’s many special programs with our generous “donations.” Did you buy that? Shucks. Anyway, we’ve been inhaling stories like addicts, and spending hours among the shelves of interesting books picking out historical fiction, cookbooks, drawing books, how to survive raising a teenager books and organizing your kitchen books, to take  home and read at our leisure. If the internet ever somehow negates the need for libraries, I will be very, very cross. Have you ever seen me cross? It’s not that scary, actually. 

Only two and some weeks till our Fall schedule begins! I’m ready…I think. I feel hopeful. And speaking of hopefulness, my dear friend Beth sent me THIS profoundly moving video yesterday. She and her husband have been involved with this charity for awhile now. I love the Johnsons. And I need them – to remind me of what is not worth fretting over, and what I should spend a whole lot more time and energy absolutely fretting over. If you have five extra minutes and a desire to feast your soul on something purely beautiful, click on the link above. You won’t be sorry.

Happy Birthday, Papa! And a Blessed Dormition Fast to my Orthodox friends! 

I appreciate you all so very much!

With love in the Risen and most merciful Christ,

Molly