Found time to blog

Went to Bridegroom Matins at St. Nicholas in Saratoga last night. The big boy was so good. He just wandered around kissing icons through most of the service. I hope he always enjoys church.

Skipped Math and English tonight. But was able to turn in an assignment for a computer class. Today at the complex I had landscapers, plumbers, handymen, roofers, and janitors. It was nuts. I also rented one of my vacant units. (Thank you, God!)

I was up late late late last night combating snails. I think I lost one of my grape vines. New motto: The only good snail is a dead snail. To that end, sodium bicarbonate (aka baking soda) is an excellent anti-snail weapon. When employed against helix aspersa the agent physically disables them and provides a long lasting deterrent. It also has outstanding anti-morale capability. Unfortuntely, it can render the soil incapable of supporting plant life. Tomorrow I will set out beer-baited traps and put copper-foil around the base of the vines. I'll also look into getting some toads. What I really wish is that I had a family of racoons on the property. That would solve the snail problem once and for all.

Palm Sunday was totally excellent. Also the Vigil the night before (Where I got to go to confession) was beautiful beyond description. Bishop of Berkeley was the celebrant. Newly ordained deacon (ordained Saturday morning) was doing a good job. I felt sorry for him. His first liturgy was a major feast day and a hierarchical liturgy. Poor guy!

Right after the liturgy, Fr. David blessed our new car. It was fun to stand on the corner of Van Ness and Green with a priest and a reader in wind-blown vestmets, praying ancient prayers that were first said for chariots. I enjoyed the looks on the faces of people driving by.

Being Palm Sunday salmon was served for the feast afterward. (Do all orthodox parishes have Salmon on Palm Sunday, or is it just a west coast thing?) Its kind of funny, Great Lent is over but still no meat, cheese, fish, wine or oil until Pascha. Do other churches do this or is it only us Orthodox who seem to make Lent last one more week?

Well, I have a lot of work I have to do before I can go to bed. Good night.