too short!

When I became an Orthodox Christian twenty-one years ago, Lent seemed interminable.  A few years later, with young children in tow and the aches and pains of pregnancies, the services and fasting seemed to stretch even farther into the horizon.  Lent felt even more intense.  

I never thought I'd say that Lent was too short, but here I am saying just that: Lent is too short.  Six weeks doesn't even scratch the surface.  I've barely begun to do the soul-work that Lent demands!  Now that the kids are older and we're committed to so many things, the forty days are a blur, and before we can even tire of lentils or peanut butter, we're cracking eggs after the midnight Pascha service and biting into hot, juicy lamb.  

It has been a good fast, though, a time to unplug from devices and reconnect to people.  I've been keeping up with my psalter group's daily readings, but maybe not "keeping a guard over my mouth" as I ought, or staying patient amidst the daily frustrations that many parents know well.  

Last week Little M and I took a trip to St. Louis to visit my parents and my sister's new daughter.  Little M got to hold sweet baby S, marveling over her tiny feet, but my joy was spending time with S's three older brothers.  They're like little bear cubs, tumbling over one another in their enthusiasm and energy.  We planned our visit to overlap with my brother, his wife, and their daughter, who came for the eclipse totality a little south of my parents' house.  They arrived in a whirlwind of camera equipment, laughter, and well-thought-out preparations.  Little M and her cousin made a checklist for their short time together that included climbing a tree (M got stuck 20 feet above the ground and her almost 45-year-old mother had to climb up to help her down!), playing with dolls, and seeing the totality.  And see the totality we did!  I'll never forget the experience.

There's been a lot of living in the spaces between blog posts:  Parent-teacher conferences.  Church services and functions.   A fly-by visit from Z and her friends, a trip with her up to Boston for a track meet, and then a drop off by Narragansett for her spring break. Forsythia blooms and daffodils. The birth day of a baby niece and the ninth birthday of a little girl.  More church.  A Greek school graduation project and presentation. A visit from Fr. G's parents. An earthquake. (I was in St Louis and missed it!)  Lunch with the sophisticated and charming widow of a sea captain. Lunch with a Philadelphia friend in St. Louis.  Lunch at the zoo with nephews. Lunch with the evzones and a parade down Fifth Avenue.  Whew! It's hard to believe so much has been packed into the minutes of my days.

All of the living and driving means there's little time or energy for knitting of an evening.  I've been chipping away at all of my sock yarn blankets; the small garter squares and rows of granny stitch take little thought.  With the leftover yarn from the Paul Klee sweater, I'm hacking a fair isle vest, although the version above needs to be frogged.  That dark brown band is too dark for my preference--maybe a light yellow?  We shall see.  I'm also contemplating another granny square blanket.  I'm itching to use up all of my Shetland stash and start fresh.

We've been fasting from television shows during Lent, so there's been quite a bit more reading.  I've rounded up everything I've been working on for the above photos, with the exception of The Screwtape Letters, which I finished yesterday and returned to the church library.  So much goodness in these stacks!