A quiet Saturday morning

As I sit on the couch in our living room, there is rain pinging on the skylight. Not only do I love rain, and find it a vast improvement on the 100 degree temperatures from last weekend, but these rains are reaching down to one of my favorite places, the Santa Cruz Mountains. There has been a wildfire raging there for the last two days, and it has been threatening the beautiful forests and the homes of people we know and care about. I am so grateful to know that these rain drops will bring much needed relief to so many families.

It may be raining, but that didn't stop the rugged males in our family from keeping their plans for backpacking. You see, this is an extra-special backpack trip. It is the first official outing for our new Webelos member (We Be Loyal Scouts.) That goofy guy on the right FINALLY gets to go off with the big fellas on a real-deal scout adventure. So, the backpack was packed (on Monday), repacked (last night) for rain, and excitement was at an all-time high. Our older, not-so-zippy scouts even found some renewed enthusiasm; the happiness was contagious.

So what are two girls to do when they are home together? No boys. No big girl. There's a lot of work to do (chore-ish work), but there's no yard work, thanks to the rain. We'll sneak out to the thrift store for a quick look-see, and we'll return home for a tea/coffee party. Hot drinks, cozy blankets and rain on the roof are not usually a part of Memorial Week-end, but we're thrilled.

On Sunday, we have the special privilege of attending the Russian Orthodox Church in our community. We've been doing a lot of reading about Eastern Orthodoxy, as two very dear families we know have converted. The liturgy, the beauty, the steadfastness of it all is intriguing. So, we have prepared ourselves with a purchase:

I have never worn a head-covering in church, but we decided it would be respectful and appropriate to wear babushkas. Even though this will be our second visit to a Russian Orthodox service, this is all new for me. I take comfort in the fact that it isn't new at all, though. St. John Chrysostom lived from 345-407 A.D., and the Divine Liturgy book that I have bears his name. In our ever-changing world, there is something special about an ancient liturgy being recited for centuries.

My babushka is ready, and so am I. I will work harder today in hopes that Sunday will come more quickly.