I'm grateful to report that my lead blood levels (and arsenic and something else horrid I forget) are actually lower than normal, in spite of the news that we've been getting our water through an ancient municipal lead pipe for 25 years. The pipe itself will have to be replaced, but there's no prospect of that happening in the next few years, as my city was relying on a Biden administration loan to replace all the historic lead piping--and you just know You-Know-Who will put the kibosh on that program Day One. (It was intended to make the whole country basically lead-free as far as public pipes went within ten years. The letter we got from our city was the first I'd heard of it--a pity they didn't trumpet it up and down the country during the election campaigns!)
I'm grateful to report that my lead blood levels (and arsenic and something else horrid I forget) are actually lower than normal, in spite of the news that we've been getting our water through an ancient municipal lead pipe for 25 years. The pipe itself will have to be replaced, but there's no prospect of that happening in the next few years, as my city was relying on a Biden administration loan to replace all the historic lead piping--and you just know You-Know-Who will put the kibosh on that program Day One. (It was intended to make the whole country basically lead-free as far as public pipes went within ten years. The letter we got from our city was the first I'd heard of it--a pity they didn't trumpet it up and down the country during the election campaigns!)
I had no idea it was that prevalent. I thought some of the ones I'd heard in the news (Flint, Michigan, I think) were rare anomalies all this time!
I've been blessed with good priests, and the one at my new parish is no exception. I had a lengthy conversation with him after Matins last night, he was compassionate, and also direct (I'm a wayward one so that is appreciated), he encouraged me to confess* and I was able to have Communion, the first in 10 years or so, today. Thanks be to God.
* I was away from the church for 9+ years... Coming up to my 19-year anniversary of reception, so this is a meaningful time
I've been blessed with good priests, and the one at my new parish is no exception. I had a lengthy conversation with him after Matins last night, he was compassionate, and also direct (I'm a wayward one so that is appreciated), he encouraged me to confess* and I was able to have Communion, the first in 10 years or so, today. Thanks be to God.
* I was away from the church for 9+ years... Coming up to my 19-year anniversary of reception, so this is a meaningful time
Continuing blessings @Climacus! Here's an anecdote from around the time of your reception, a memory which I've treasured. A few Brisbane Shippies of that 2005 ish vintage decided to attend a very spiky Anglican Church evening service (incl Benediction I seem to remember?) Climacus came with us. At the Creed, we thought as one to ourselves, we love Climacus, and to honour his new faith tradition, we'll skip the Filioque when we reach that bit. While Climacus must have been thinking to himself, I love this lot, and for their sake I'll say it 😇
I've only ever been to one Orthodox service. It was the Chrismation of a university friend at a Serbian Orthodox church and a carload of us went along to support him.None of us really understood the service, but we wanted to offer our support.
I have to brag on my amazing daughter! I'm so proud of her!
She completed the Dopey Run at Disney!
Thursday was a 5K, Friday a 10K, Saturday a half marathon, and today a full marathon!!! Four days of running and she killed it!!! 48.6 miles all together!
I guess you can tell I'm very excited! I hope she and her friends who also ran are able to rest very well tonight.
I have to brag on my amazing daughter! I'm so proud of her!
She completed the Dopey Run at Disney!
Thursday was a 5K, Friday a 10K, Saturday a half marathon, and today a full marathon!!! Four days of running and she killed it!!! 48.6 miles all together!
I guess you can tell I'm very excited! I hope she and her friends who also ran are able to rest very well tonight.
I am not sure if this is the place for this, but I want to post it somewhere. An elderly friend is getting close to the end of his days - perhaps a week or so - and he has been moved to a hospice called Innisfree House. The name of the place seems just right: he is comfortable there and at peace. His mind is clear and he is getting the funeral details worked out with his family. He was a powerful bass in the church choir, and he's making sure that he is sent of with the best of music.
I am not sure if this is the place for this, but I want to post it somewhere. An elderly friend is getting close to the end of his days - perhaps a week or so - and he has been moved to a hospice called Innisfree House. The name of the place seems just right: he is comfortable there and at peace. His mind is clear and he is getting the funeral details worked out with his family. He was a powerful bass in the church choir, and he's making sure that he is sent of with the best of music.
Friends @Stercus Tauri thank heaven for small mercies - to be clear and present and to participate in the planning for our loved ones' life after our own life, and to not leave things in confusion or disarray, is a great great blessing. So sorry to hear of your impending loss but we wait in hope for reunion.
On another note, last week my Beloved dodged a major bullet. Truly he was held in the arms of many angels.
Every week he bicycles up the mountain, 150m climb, to get water for us from a spring that comes out of the side of the mountain. He fills 2 8L bottles and puts one on each side of the saddle bags that hang from his bike rack.
Last Friday he came through the garden gate with his load and told me that the steel frame that supported the bike rack on the back axle broke, just as he was coming to a halt at the top of our street, cracked and broke and got tangled in the rear brakes and spokes of his bike.
Let me paint the picture of the possibility of him flying down the mountain road, on a busy state road the N340, going over several speed bumps at 20-30KmH and the event happening only five minutes earlier, flinging him into oncoming traffic. Yes he wears a helmet, but this would have been lights out for him in no uncertain terms. He just turned 78.
So I feel like I need to thank all the stars, angels, Christ and God Himself for safeguarding him until the final moment, where he bumped onto the curb, and the fracture finally gave.
Bike is repaired now and we look for a safer alternative for his water haul.
Friends @Stercus Tauri thank heaven for small mercies - to be clear and present and to participate in the planning for our loved ones' life after our own life, and to not leave things in confusion or disarray, is a great great blessing. So sorry to hear of your impending loss but we wait in hope for reunion.
On another note, last week my Beloved dodged a major bullet. Truly he was held in the arms of many angels.
Every week he bicycles up the mountain, 150m climb, to get water for us from a spring that comes out of the side of the mountain. He fills 2 8L bottles and puts one on each side of the saddle bags that hang from his bike rack.
Last Friday he came through the garden gate with his load and told me that the steel frame that supported the bike rack on the back axle broke, just as he was coming to a halt at the top of our street, cracked and broke and got tangled in the rear brakes and spokes of his bike.
Let me paint the picture of the possibility of him flying down the mountain road, on a busy state road the N340, going over several speed bumps at 20-30KmH and the event happening only five minutes earlier, flinging him into oncoming traffic. Yes he wears a helmet, but this would have been lights out for him in no uncertain terms. He just turned 78.
So I feel like I need to thank all the stars, angels, Christ and God Himself for safeguarding him until the final moment, where he bumped onto the curb, and the fracture finally gave.
Bike is repaired now and we look for a safer alternative for his water haul.
Friends @Stercus Tauri thank heaven for small mercies - to be clear and present and to participate in the planning for our loved ones' life after our own life, and to not leave things in confusion or disarray, is a great great blessing. So sorry to hear of your impending loss but we wait in hope for reunion.
On another note, last week my Beloved dodged a major bullet. Truly he was held in the arms of many angels.
Every week he bicycles up the mountain, 150m climb, to get water for us from a spring that comes out of the side of the mountain. He fills 2 8L bottles and puts one on each side of the saddle bags that hang from his bike rack.
Last Friday he came through the garden gate with his load and told me that the steel frame that supported the bike rack on the back axle broke, just as he was coming to a halt at the top of our street, cracked and broke and got tangled in the rear brakes and spokes of his bike.
Let me paint the picture of the possibility of him flying down the mountain road, on a busy state road the N340, going over several speed bumps at 20-30KmH and the event happening only five minutes earlier, flinging him into oncoming traffic. Yes he wears a helmet, but this would have been lights out for him in no uncertain terms. He just turned 78.
So I feel like I need to thank all the stars, angels, Christ and God Himself for safeguarding him until the final moment, where he bumped onto the curb, and the fracture finally gave.
Bike is repaired now and we look for a safer alternative for his water haul.
Friends @Stercus Tauri thank heaven for small mercies - to be clear and present and to participate in the planning for our loved ones' life after our own life, and to not leave things in confusion or disarray, is a great great blessing. So sorry to hear of your impending loss but we wait in hope for reunion.
On another note, last week my Beloved dodged a major bullet. Truly he was held in the arms of many angels.
Every week he bicycles up the mountain, 150m climb, to get water for us from a spring that comes out of the side of the mountain. He fills 2 8L bottles and puts one on each side of the saddle bags that hang from his bike rack.
Last Friday he came through the garden gate with his load and told me that the steel frame that supported the bike rack on the back axle broke, just as he was coming to a halt at the top of our street, cracked and broke and got tangled in the rear brakes and spokes of his bike.
Let me paint the picture of the possibility of him flying down the mountain road, on a busy state road the N340, going over several speed bumps at 20-30KmH and the event happening only five minutes earlier, flinging him into oncoming traffic. Yes he wears a helmet, but this would have been lights out for him in no uncertain terms. He just turned 78.
So I feel like I need to thank all the stars, angels, Christ and God Himself for safeguarding him until the final moment, where he bumped onto the curb, and the fracture finally gave.
Bike is repaired now and we look for a safer alternative for his water haul.
AFF
And that is how this thread got its name - a good story with much to be thankful for.
We visited our friend in the hospice today, talked funeral plans, and he sang the hymns in his strong bass voice. His body may be fading, but his mind and voice are both quite enviable! We'll enjoy his company for a bit longer, I think.
Comments
I had no idea it was that prevalent. I thought some of the ones I'd heard in the news (Flint, Michigan, I think) were rare anomalies all this time!
Alleluia!!
* I was away from the church for 9+ years... Coming up to my 19-year anniversary of reception, so this is a meaningful time
((@Climacus))
I've only ever been to one Orthodox service. It was the Chrismation of a university friend at a Serbian Orthodox church and a carload of us went along to support him.None of us really understood the service, but we wanted to offer our support.
She completed the Dopey Run at Disney!
Thursday was a 5K, Friday a 10K, Saturday a half marathon, and today a full marathon!!! Four days of running and she killed it!!! 48.6 miles all together!
I guess you can tell I'm very excited! I hope she and her friends who also ran are able to rest very well tonight.
Awesome!
Well done, Daughter Unit (have I got the name right?)
I nearly went back to have another lie down just at the thought of it.
Well done!
Awesome!!! ❤️
🕯❤️
Blessings and prayers for all.
On another note, last week my Beloved dodged a major bullet. Truly he was held in the arms of many angels.
Every week he bicycles up the mountain, 150m climb, to get water for us from a spring that comes out of the side of the mountain. He fills 2 8L bottles and puts one on each side of the saddle bags that hang from his bike rack.
Last Friday he came through the garden gate with his load and told me that the steel frame that supported the bike rack on the back axle broke, just as he was coming to a halt at the top of our street, cracked and broke and got tangled in the rear brakes and spokes of his bike.
Let me paint the picture of the possibility of him flying down the mountain road, on a busy state road the N340, going over several speed bumps at 20-30KmH and the event happening only five minutes earlier, flinging him into oncoming traffic. Yes he wears a helmet, but this would have been lights out for him in no uncertain terms. He just turned 78.
So I feel like I need to thank all the stars, angels, Christ and God Himself for safeguarding him until the final moment, where he bumped onto the curb, and the fracture finally gave.
Bike is repaired now and we look for a safer alternative for his water haul.
AFF
Lovely, lovely story! PTL!
❤️❤️❤️
And that is how this thread got its name - a good story with much to be thankful for.
We visited our friend in the hospice today, talked funeral plans, and he sang the hymns in his strong bass voice. His body may be fading, but his mind and voice are both quite enviable! We'll enjoy his company for a bit longer, I think.