Busy day and books

I woke up at 5 this morning and tried to go back to sleep but sleep did not return, so I prayed. Then Kathleen woke up, went down stairs, and discovered that the Christmas tree had fallen over less than 24 hours after we put it up. (Basil and I had brought it down from the Christmas tree farm in the Santa Cruz mountains on Thursday.) Many broken ornaments. She had a migraine (She's been getting them pretty often for the last couple of years.) and stayed home from the Divine Liturgy. After church I came home and worked on the fruitcakes. Basil came over to help me (He goes to church at St. Lawrence in Felton.) and take five of them to give to his friends. Then Kathleen stir fried some soba noodles and shrimp. Then I helped her grade her econ essays from last semester. Then I went to the jewler to have Kathleens cross chain repaired. Then I went to my work Christmas party. I only stayed for an hour. Then I went grocery shopping to buy ingredients for Christmas dinner. And now I am home.

A few days ago I mailed all the childrens Christmas books to my grandson. I kept all the books I read to his dad when he was a little boy. Many were destroyed in the flood of a few years ago but my sister had some of the same books and gave them to me when I told her what happened. Altogether they weighed but 51 pounds . I love the U.S. Postal Service's book rate. It is an amazing deal.

Books I've Read this Year

Dominion by Tom Holland

An Irish Country Christmas (I first read it about 10 or 11 years ago.) by Patrick Taylor

The War on the West by Douglas Murray

The Communist Manifesto (I first read this more than 30 years ago) by Marx and Engels.

The Devil and Karl Marx by Paul Kengor

And then We Hit a Rock by Greg Buenzli

My Gun is Quick by Mickey Spillane

St. Paul the Pharisee by Fr. Stephen de Young

The Strange Death of Europe by Douglas Murray

Typhoon by Joseph Conrad (I first read this 6 years ago)

The Sea and Civilization by Lincoln Paine

The Sun Also Rises by Earnest Hemmingway

Pacific Crucible: War at Sea, 1941-1942 by Ian W. Toll

Getting ready for Christmas.

Kathleen and I have been reading aloud one chapter of the Gospel of Luke each day since first December. During this fast I have been making lots of soups. (Vegetable stock is very versatile.) All the presents have been bought if not yet wrapped. I'll get them wrapped and into the mail on Monday. I baked 12 more fruitcakes this morning. Athanasia and Basil will be here for Christmas dinner. I'm planning to make a crown pork roast.

Too Much Stuff

Since August I've been selling guns for Bass Pro Shops. It is okay for money. And I do think I am helping people make good decisions about guns. My son Anselm (I used to call him "the little boy") has a son. His name is Oliver Augustine. A couple of days ago Oliver was "baptised" in the roman catholic church. My son and I have not spoken for weeks. I wish God would kill me.