So Much Is New

Well, in December 2024 I resigned my job as a teacher. I thought I could make more money as a home improvement salesman for a really good company. I got my license went to work for them, and for a few months I did pretty well. Until April. That is when the layoffs started. It was brutal here in Silicon Valley. Apple, Intel, AMD and many others started letting people go. About 24,000 people lost their jobs, and that scared everyone else. No one was spending money on home improvements, at least not the ones I was selling (e.g. HVAC, windows, roofs, doors, and solar systems.) To survive I went back to working part-time at Bass Pro Shops. I liked it and was good at it but they do not pay commissions. So now motter how much I sold, and I sold a lot of very expensive guns, my income from that job was meager. About the only good thing other than my hourly wage, was that they paid for me to become a California-licensed firearms safety instructor. That got me to thinking: Maybe there is a gun-related career I could make money at for the last 10 years of my working life. I started looking for something else. I looked at a lot of things: bounty hunter, private investigator, repo agent, etc. But I settled on armed security guard.

I took the required state training, did the psych exam, qualified on a bunch of diferent guns, and got a job doing armed patrols for the Valley Transportation Authority. So far, I like it. Mainly, I drive around (Almost no standing and walking, which my knees and feet can not take.)and help distressed and mentaly ill people stay out of trouble.

Not often do I have do deal with the truely criminal, but almost every day I have to deescalate situations that could result in the county's sheriff's deputies hauling someone off to jail or the psych hospital. So far, I've been able to talk several mentally disturbed or intoxicated paeople into following my instructions (I always start by saying, "Hey, I'm going to be in a lot of trouble if you don't leave this train (or platform, or bus)and I know you don't want me to get into trouble...") and avoiding serious repercussions. Tonight, I did have to take out my handcuffs (A poor crazy woman had caused all kinds of problems on a train platform. As I was approaching the subject she lifted her denim skirt, squated, and urinated on the train platrform.) but just as I was about to cuff the subject (I need to remember to buy some latex gloves.) the sheriff's deputies arrived and took her. I've never had to touch my gun. I hope I never have to.

Well, that is what I do for a living now. I am 57 so I suppose this will be the last job I have before I retire, if I can retire.

I barely ever talk with my son Anselm. He knows I diapprove of his decision to raise his son Oliver as a Roman Catholic but I still love them both, and Tiffany my son's wife. I started something I call Granfather's Book of the Month Club. Each month I send Oliver a book. I expect that Anselm or Tiffany will read the book to him. Back a couple of months ago I sent Oliver all the Christmas books I read to Anselm when he was little, but there are very many more books besides the Christmas books. Just before she divorced me Athanasia gave away all our kid's books to the Lucille Packard Childrens Hospital Thrift Store but I am buying all those books new to send to Oliver. (Thankfully, she did not give away Anselm's first prayer book so in a couple of years, when Oliver is reading on his own, I will be able to send him his Dad's prayer book.)

Basil (AKA son # 4) is still doing well at the California Maritime Academy. He secured an internship at Panda Game Manufacturing, and travels around northern California promoting their services to game inventors. A couple of days ago he told me that after he gets his B.A. in December of 2026 he wants to do something to grow in the Orthodox Faith. I recommended that he go to a monastery for a year or to St. Tikhon Seminary. But tonight I remembered St. Herman Seminary in Kodiak, Alaska. They have a one year reader program. Also, they might be able to use my son's accounting skills. I'll talk to Basil about it when I see him on Holy Saturday. (I have to work most of that day so I can't go to church, but Basil is coming by to pick up his Pascha basket to ttake to church.)

Speaking of Holy Saturday.... This hear I was able to go to the first two nights of Bridegroom Matins. OH MY GOSH!!! It was so beautiful!!!! Because of the work I do the next service I will be able to go to is Agape Vespers, but, wow, I am so happy I was able to go to the first two nights of Bridegroom Matins. It is so funny to me that some people think that all Orthodox services are the same; Even the the Sunday Divine Liturgy, the most unchanging service in our Church, has parts that change every week. I am always floored and amazed by the words I hear at every service.


I saw my sister and her husband a couple of days ago. It made me so happy. I do not know why I do not see them more often. I do not know how long you have been reading this blog but if you were reading 10 or 13 years ago you know they gave me a place to live when my wife, Athanasia divorced me and had me evicted from our our house. (I hate California's laws. I do mean HATE.) My sister and her husband have a moderately-sized house but have always made their guest-bedroom available to the needy. In the last 30 years, I don't think,that guest bedroom has been vacant more than 3 weeks. I pray God blesses my sister and her husband.

Another Year, Another Christmas List.

1. You know the hours he has spent looking at Swiss watches on Chrono24 but you also know he is way too practical for those. He just admires the workmanship, engineering, and artistry of automatic watches. Also, he is a hunter. When he's running from a wild pig because he's missed every shot and only annoyed the pig, or when he's running through brush chasing a pheasant that refuses to fly, well, he just doesn't want to worry about damaging his watch in situations like that. He needs something that can "take a licking and keep on ticking". He needs a Timex field watch.

2. Ever since he was a little boy watching KBHK TV-44 out of San Francisco on a Saturday afternoon and saw the three stooges he has wanted one of these. He bought one on eBay for his two youngest boys the first Christmas after the divorce but it was from eBay and didn't work. And a few years ago he bought one for his friend. But here he is 50 years after he first saw Moe, Larry, and Curly playing with them in old movies, and he still doesn't have one. He would, don't you think, love finding a seltzer bottle under the Christmas tree.

3. You and he have been shooting pheasants for a few years but have nothing to show for it. Yes, they were good eating and, yes, it is fun to make pate from their livers and share it at church, but the one time he tried to have a pheasant taxidermied, well, it was a very expensive horror. Wouldn't it be nice to just have a bronze statue of a pheasant to commemorate all the pheasants you and he have downed?

4. It was September of 2020 when he was last at the Indian Colony Tobacco Store. Well, guess what. That's right his can of Captain Black (the original blend with the white label) is empty. You know you love the smell so this would, really, be a present for both of you.

5. You know how he loves to make fancy food and take it to church to share at the meal after Agape Vespers on Pascha? Well, you might not know this, but he has always thought he could do better. The only problem is that he has never had all the right equpment. Yes, you gave him a KitchenAid mixer and All-Clad pans but just think of all the yummy salmon mouse the people of your parish could be eating at Pascha if only he had a fish-shaped tin(or nickel)-lined mouse mold. If you get it for him for Christmas he will, probably, use it to make you yummy good food on Twelfth Night. Oh! And when it's not being used to make food it can hang on the wall and be beautiful.

6. About 40 years ago his mother had an old black and white photo of his grandfather hand tinted and framed. She gave it to her husband on his birthday. He kept it on his desk in his office until he retired and no longer had a desk. His mother and father are dead now. But it might be the case that his oldest brother's widow or one of her children, or his sister, or his yet living brother has the photo. Maybe, if one of them does have it, they will loan it to you long enough to have a copy made.

7. The years his kids were Scouts were the happiest years of his life. He would be very happy to wear the Eagle Scout and Arrow of Light lapel pins if he had them. They commemorate the highst awards his sons earned.

8. He likes Italian tuna . He eats several cans a month. He appreciates gifts of food. You can't go wrong getting him this.

9. Since 1996 when he was living in San Francisco flop houses he has been eating Molinari Salami. He would love get one for Christmas so he can slice it up and put it on this year's Astro Weenie Christmas Tree.

10. When he goes hunting for big game he doesn't want to tote around a whole box of cartridges with him. Nor does he want to carry loose ammo in his pockets. What to do? What to do? It seems a Tourbon leather ammo wallet is ideal for situations such as this.

11. He doesn't understand it. Where do they go? Regardless of the answer, the need is real. Black socks from Gold Toe.

12. He has bought them for his kids. He had one when he was a soldier (They sold them in the uniform store and its inside was the only thing in the barraks that wasn't inspected every morning.) but he hasn't had one in many many years. And the last few voyages he was on; to the deserts of Nevada and Arizona, to Alaska and Cape Cod he really wished he'd had a leather dopp bag.

13. He wears Aramis. Not the Aramis 900 Herbal his dad switched to in 1981 but the original Aramis, the first designer fragrance for men. Maybe, delight him with a whole gift set!

14. He's had that leather club chair for a while now, and he knows you think it looks worn out. An easy way to get him to part with it would be to give him one of these for Christmas.


15. He would love to make more holodets (the old ladies at church love them) but he doesn't have enough little ramekins to ensure everyone can get some. Just imagine the glory as he walks into the hall at church bearing a platter of little holodets! (Shredded chicken breast with spicy mustard is his favorite but he knows some people who like minced ham with carrots and black pepper.)

16. Many times he has thought to himself, "Gosh, that's an amputation waiting to happen." And he is, genuinely, worried about it. That blade needs to be covered. So get him this razor head cover and ease his mind.

17. Sometimes, he has the feeling that too much of his shirt is exposed, and that his tie is having to do too much work. He really needs a vest.

18. Have you ever seen his tie fly away? He needs a tie tack. Or a tie bar. Maybe one in a duck or pheasant theme would be nice.

19. Because of that listeria problem that killed 9 people last year it has been hard to find liverwurst in stores. Thankfully, braunschweiger is still available. Imagine the joy when he makes everyone braunschweiger and red onion sandwiches with dark mustard on dense rye bread! Yummm!

20. When he was a little boy his mother and grandmother made pickles; sweet never dill. He loved those homemade sweet pickles but never really liked other pickles; not dill nor sweet. They always tasted chemically to him. But then, one day he tasted Bubbies, and WOW! That's all. Just WOW! They are the best pickles he has ever tasted and he would be thrilled to find a jar under the tree this year.

Pascha and feeling better

I have been sick. I missed three weeks of work and four weeks of church. Yesterday, Holy Saturday was my first Communion since I got sick. I finally tested negative 5 days ago and I'll go back to work tomorrow morning. I'm not sure how that is going to work since my voice has not healed, but I need to make money.

Because I was so sick I did not make paskha and kulich this year. This is the first Pascha in decades that I have not had paskha and kulich for breakfast on Pascha morning.

I did make something to take to the feast after Agape Vespers later today: I boiled a corned beef brisket this morning, and together with, rye bread, saurkraut, and mustard shall turn it into urn it into sanwiches for the feast. I hope my fellow parishoners enjoy them.

Christ is risen! Indeed he is risen!

Meatfare

I made something new for Meatfare a couple of days ago. The week after Christmas, when all the hams were on sale for a reduced price, I bought a big spiral cut ham, and stuck it in the freezer. A couple of days before Meatfare I took it out of the freezer to thaw. The day before meatfare, Kathleen gathered some rosemary and lemons from outside our front door, and brought them too me in the kitchen. I sliced the lemons while she used a Braun cofee mill to mince the rosemary. Then, between the spiral slices of the ham I stuffed feta chese, lemon slices, rosemary, oregeno, and thyme. Then I put it in the refrigerator until morning. When I woke up early on Sunday morning I put the ham in the oven and cooked it until it was done. Then we loaded it into the car and went to church. When we got to church we put it in the oven in the church kithen to keep it warm. It turned out pretty good. I think I'll do this again next year.

An Inheritance, Dinner with Family, and a Recipe.

As I mentioned a few months ago in this blog, my oldest brother died. Yesterday, I got a text message saying to go to his widow's house. When I got there my nephew opened a book and said, "My dad wanted you to have these guns." Then he opened a safe and handed me Remington 700 BDL chambered for .300 WinMag, a Stevens double barrel 12 ga shotgun, and an ancient Montgomery Ward bolt-action 20 guage shotgun with an adjustable choke. I now have more guns than can fit in my safe. I'll send my Axis .30-'06 to my son Anselm Samuel in Maine. Maybe he'll get a moose.

I picked up my son Basil and we played games at Starbucks for a few hours then we met my surviving sibliblings, their spouses, my brother's widow, one nephew, and my wife at a pretty good Mexican restaurant in Sunnyvale. It was a good time. I don't see them often enough.

Today I had work to do so I ent into school but the internet was out so I went shopping for the ingredients for the Christmas sausage, and Mama Samberg's Cranberry Relish. Then tonight Basil came over and we played some more games. I think my favorite was Bread and Beer. He won, but he's been beating me at games for about 5 years now.

Update Saturday Dec 21.
Basil came over and we made the Christmas Sausage today. Oh, what goes in our christmas sausage? pork shoulder, lamb, pork belly, garlic, orange zest, salt, black pepper, oregeno, fennel seeds, and white wine. Use about 3 lbs of pork, 1.5 pounds lamb, one pound of pork belly, 3 tablespoons of salt, 1 cup of wine, everything else to taste. grind it up. stuff it in casings, then trhow it in the freezer until Christmas eve. Take it out of the freezer on the way to church in the morning, then eat it after Divine Liturgy.

Transfiguration

Transfiguration was yesterday. It's the day we take fruit to church to be blessed. I have a lemon tree and two grapevines, niether of which has ripe fruit on them. But I went to church anyway and and gained much from the service. I used to not see the big deal about the Transfiguration of Jesus when I was younger but about 20 years ago I watched these four lectures by Bishop Kallistos. They are worth your time.

Preparing the Food For Pascha

Yesterday we made the paskha. One to take to church. One for Kathleen's son. One for my son, Basil (#4), two for Basil's pagan friends he is bringing to church Saturday night.

Tonight we made four pounds of liver pate (I use a lot more congac and add butter to the pate in the blender) to take take to church for the feast.

Tomorrow we shall dye the eggs and make the kulich.

The Boys and a Shooting Club

Basil has been accepted by all of the universities to which he applied but he is really only interested in two: Cal Maritime (business/logistics) and San Jose State (accounting). Personally, I hope he chooses Cal Maritime. The student body and the teachers seem much less radicaly leftist than the student body and teachers at San Jose State. Maybe the accounting department won't be too yucky. But I think he is looking at the cost of housing at Cal Maritime as opposed to living with me or his mom here in San Jose.

Anselm is under the arctic ice right now. (I got a notice from the commander of the pacific submarine forces.) He's been at sea for a month and won't be back until April.

Today during the meatfare lunch after liturgy Fr. Basil said he wants to go shooting with kathleen and I because he inherited all his dad's guns and hasn't shot them in years and years. So I asked when. He said after Pascha. And a whole bunch of other people said they want to go, too. And someone suggested a parish shooting club, and Fr. Basil said "YES!". So it looks like we are going to have a parish shooting club.

Oh! That reminds me, Kathleen bought a new gun a couple of weeks ago. It's a Sig Sauer P365.

Baking for Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving but Anselm is at sea and Basil is out of town visiting some of his Mom's relatives. So my step-children, Maximo and Sophia are helping me make the cranberry walnut pies and fruited molassas balls. (Of course, I forgot to get molassas and powdered sugar so Kathleen is at the store right now buying those ingredirents.) Earlier today I baked chocolate chip cookies for Maximo and Sophia and a berry pie for Kathleen. Before I go to sleep tonight I'll start brining the turkey and make the cranberry relish. It has been years since I've watched Macy's Thanksgiving parade. I think I'll get up early tomorrow and watch it.

This and That and getting ready for Christmas.

Since August of 2022 I've been teaching U.S. history, world history, economics, and U.S. government at Cambrian Academy in San Jose, California. (I'm also the coach of the clay target team.) It is, I think, only because of God that I was given this job just a few weeks after I wrote this.

I have almost finished buying Christmas presents. I have only two more people to buy for.

Basil has had the flu for the past week but as soon as he has recovered he and I will begin making the fruitcakes and the Christmas sausage. Hopefully, this week.

This was the first year in many that I did not go to Farmer Bob's to get pumpkins.

Getting Ready

Kathleen and I made Paskha tonight. We have seven terra cotta pots in the fridge. Looking at the work and church schedule, I can't see where I am going to have time to make the kulich. I'm sure it will work out somehow. I found out that Basil Wenceslas is bringing a girl to the Paschal Divine Liturgy. I'm making a pascha basket for her, too.

The Sixth Day of Christmas

The festivities have been beautiful. We missed Royal hours on Friday but Vigil on Saturday and Divine Liturgy on Sunday were greatly joyful. A fun thing is that our friend Rowan from church joined us for Christmas dinner. It was just Kathleen, Basil, Rowan, and I for Christmas dinner. And the dinner itself was simple compared to past Christmas dinners: Turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, peanut butter pie, cranberry walnut pie, fruitcake, au gratin potatoes, and Brussels sprouts, a port wine cheese ball, and pheasant pâté made from pheasants we shot.

On the second day of Christmas Kathleen and I went to Lake Pillsbury in the Mendocino National Forest to shoot wood ducks. But we saw no wood ducks but we saw tule elk. One bull had a harem of more than sixty cows and a huge set of antlers. No, we didn't shoot any of the elk. They are protected and rare. We stayed at lake Pillsbury three nights. There was lots and lots of rain.

Now we are back in San Jose and are preparing for the next semester. It will by my first time teaching economics. I'm excited.

Two nights till Christmas

Wednesay was they last day of the semester. The only Christmasy things I did with my students were that in the last few days of the semester I read Tony's Bread to them one day and cut up pannetone for them. None of them had ever tasted it so that was fun. And I read The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomy (I don't like the second edition as much as the first. The first had bigger pages.)to them on another day. That had 1/2 the class crying. And then, on Finals Week (only three days, actually.) I gave them all a copy of In Hoc Anno Domini from the Wall Street Journal.

Basil came over a few different times during Advent and helped me bake fruit cakes. I gave one to each of the eleven other teachers at my school, and just this morning, mailed off a bunch of them to friends and family all over the country. And he came over and helped my grind and stuff the Christmas sausage. He is such a good boy.

I was going to go to Royal Hours at the cathedral in San Francisco tonight but I have too much to do. I have two pies in the oven, presents to wrap, and a pheasant pâté to make tonight.

About a week before my son Anselm's boat left for the deep blue sea, I sent three fruitcakes with instructions not to open until Christmas, to the skipper of the boat. One for the skipper, one for the COB, and one for Anselm Samuel. I hope they got to him before they left port. Oh, well. I have been told that if they didn't get to the boat before it left San Diego they will be waiting for them at their next port of call.

Fruitcakes and civilization

Kathleen and I made 10 more fruitcakes today. We were going to go pheasant hunting but it was raining this morning so we decided to stay home and bake. The house smells beautiful; like cinnamon, butter, and whiskey.

Last week it dawned on me that in my world history class (we have been reading the about the pagan world; the Indians, the Japanese, the Aztecs, the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Chinese, the Akkadians, the Incas, the Nubians, the Minoans etc.) that the whole pre-Christian world (except the Hebrews), all of them practiced human sacrifice and canibalism. Right now we are on ancient Greece and we have just finished reading Hesiod's Theogony, a gruesome tale of murder, incest, infanticide, cannibalism, rape, and war. I think we will be right up to Caesar Augustus in early December. And then I will assign my world history students the Gospel of Mark. I didn't plan it this way but isn't it amazing to be able to make the transition from the horrors of the demon-ruled pagan history to the Christ-filled history of the years of our Lord right at Christmas time.

So much news.

Well, dear reader, there is much that goes on in life. I'll start with work, which is going wonderfully. I teach two sections of U.S. history, and one section each of civics, world history, and A.P. goverrnment. It is so much fun I can hardly stand it. Here is an example: In my civics class I have had my students read Aristotle, Cicero, John Locke, parts of Isaiah, all of Judges, and the first two chapters of Forest McDonalnd's Novus Ordo Seclorum. I was going to have them read the third chapter, which deals with the economic ideas underpinning the American Revolution and our ConstItution but I realized that most of my students don't have the background to understand that chapter. So, what are we doing? We are reading childrens books together! Yes! I read A Year at Maple Leaf Farm to them and had them identify every instance of production, consupmption, capital preservation, life preservation, and conservation of natural resources. Then we did the samething with The Ox Cart Man but this time I told them to keep in mind John Locke's discusions of property, waste, savings, and surplus. Then, on Friday I assigned each of them one of Laura Ingalls Widler's Little House books and assigned them a 10 page essay (in Chicago Style) on the economic ideas contained in the books. And in addition to the classes I teach I am the faculty advisor to the gardening club and the internatinal relations club. It is just so much fun!

My son Basil Wenceslas (I think I mentioed in a previous post that the graduated from high school two years early) just registered for twoclasses (U.S. history and U.S. government) at EVCC. He says he is prepearing for transfer to the Maritime Academy but he just turned 17 and his plans might change. Also, he is my hunting buddy. We go pheasant hunting on Saturdays.

I have cooked two pheasants and pheasant sausauge, and have smoked pheasants in the fridge. The only thing is that I don't enjoy running the dogs. I think from now on I'll leave that to Kathleen. I can't manage the dogs and shoot at the same time, and she likes running the dogs and is better at it than I am. Basil just likes shooting and then rewarding the dogs when they bring him the pheasants.


Anselm has a girlfriend. I haven't met her but Athanasia has has met her and says the girl, (Woman actually, she is a 23 year old speech therapist.) is good to our son. But Anselm is about to go on a 7 month mission and we will see if the relationship will last; 7 months is a long time to a 23 year old.

I am making 12 more fruitcakes today. This brings the total up to 30. It is much fun and is probably my favorite Christmas tradition. I think I have enough dried fruit to make another 16 but I'll Not make them today; maybe next week. It is hard to believe I've been doing this for 11 years. While I am baking thim I am listening to a recording of the Fireside Christmas Stories. It isn't even Advent yet but I am already enjoying Christmas.

Pheasants and Fruit Cakes

The last two Satudays I have been pheasant hunting. Kathleen and I went the first Saturday. We came home with four. Then the second Saturday, Basil went with me and we got three. I've roasted two, had three truned into sausage by the club butcher, and have two in the freezer.

LAst Saturday afternoon, after pheasant shooting, Basil and I made 8 fruit cakes. I just got off work and we are going to make 14 more.

Bright Week 2022

Well, Bright Week has been difficult this year. Monday we went to divine liturgy and had breakfas with Fr. Basil. He makes the best buscuits and gravy I've ever had and it is his annual tradition to make them for the parish. It was a lot of fun. And all day Monday was lots of fun. But at 3 on Tuesday morning I woke up in horrible pain. I thought about not going to work but I really need the money so I went in. By the time I got home that evening I had a fever and chills and my head felt like it was beig squeezed in a vice and my abdomen was swollen huge. I really thought I might die. I took a bunch pills and went to bed. I stayed there until Thursday (yesterday) at six p.m. when my fever finally broke. I was feeling well enough to eat something (first food since Monday) and this morning I felt fine. I am back at work and earning money.

One thing I've enjoyed this week, something I always enjoy, is praying the Paschal Hours instead of the usual morning and evening prayers. All the various changes to the services, both in our homes and at church throughout the year are, really, very fun. I doubt the Apostles and Fathers who wrote the services were thinking about fun when they were doing their work. Probably, they were thinking about theosis or something but they are fun. Especially to little kids.

This morning I encountered a 6th grade boy who cannot read. I talked with him for just a minute and discovered that he doesn't know phonics, all the sounds represented by letters and their various cobinations. So I wrote down the names of some phonics workbooks that I used to teach my kids to read, and where to buy them. I also wrote down my phone number so that the kids parents can call me if they have any questions. So, why is a boy in the sixth grade it he can't even read the word 'yellow"? Here is why: No school employees are penalized if he doesn't learn how to read. They are not rewarded if he does learn how to read. They are rewarded by his attendence. (The school gets money from the state based on average daily attendence.) So all they really care about is making sure he stays in school. Oh, Also, as long as he doesn't know how to read the school gets more money to hire more teachers, special English teachers called reading specialists. But they aren't rewarded if he learns how to read. Neither are they penalized if he doesn't learn how to read. But think about what happens if all the non-readers learn how to read: The reading specialists lose their jobs! Also, kids who are behind academically, especially non-readers are much more likely to become disciplinary problems. If those disciplinary problems disappear then school security officers, counselors, and administrators might lose their jobs! So you see, from the point of view of the people who work in California public schools there is no compelling reason to teach this boy to read.

Holy Week and Pascha

Well, I think this is my first Pascha without my sons Basil and Anselm. Basil is sick with Covid and Anselm is in the Navy. It feels kind of weird.

This morning Kathleen and I attended the Pascal Vesperal Liturgy. She was totally blown away by all the Old Testament readings. After the service she read up on the Assyrians and she and I had a two hour conversation about Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, What are demons, what exatly Hades is, etc. She said she never learned any of this stuff when she was a Roman Catholic.

I baked the Kulich today. I'm worried it didn't rise as much as I was expecting. I hope it is okay.

Kathleen put together the Pascha basket. It was her first time to do it.

She just left for church. This is my first time to not go to the Pashal Divine Liturgy, but I don't think I can stand tonight. My leg and foot are aching much from this morning's service. I have it elevated now and, hopefully, I'll be in good shape for Agape Vespers tomorrow. I'd better be because I am supposed to run the grill for the parish cook out.

Vigils, Holy Week, and Cooking

As regular readers of this blog know, I was making a real effort to attend all the vigils of the Great Feasts this year. Sadly, because of the Covid exposure, and not wanting to take a chance on exposing my fellow parishoners, I had to miss the vigil for Palm Sunday. So, I'll try again next year.

I attended Matins of the 12 Gospels last night at my parish in Saratoga. It was beautiful. Fr. John Takahashi was visiting us. (He must be close to 90 years old now. I love him. When my son Basil was in the hospital he visited him and did a complete Divine Liturgy in his hospital room.) I have heard some people criticize him for his halting reading of the Divine texts but, come on, English is his 5th langage and he only learned it when he was in his 40s! Subdeacon Paul and Reader John sang all the hymns and responses as a bass and tenor duet. It was gorgeous. It was a three hour service that seemed like 10 minutes.

As far as cooking goes, I'm trying some new stuff. Of course, I am still making the epicurious Paskha cheese recipe. It's been setting in the fridge since Wednesday. Yesterday, I made three pork turines. They are also in the fridge but I am worried they might be too fatty. I could only find 1/2 of the ham hocks I needed so I substituted pork shoulder.

Right now, I am making a paté de campagne. Finding pink curing salt was a pain. No one has it for sale in San Jose. After a couple of hours looking for it in stores I called a sausage company and asked them if they would sell me some. They said they use pure sodium nitrate, whereas curing salt is less than 7% sodioum nitrate, and they can't sell it to anyone who doesn't have a license to handle it; it is poisonous. But he told me that I don't need curing salt if I keep the paté refrigerated and eat it all within a week. So, I'm on the chilling in the fridge before grinding stage so I thought I would take a break and write a blog post. I' need to start on the kulich soon.

Basil is still sick with covid so he is quaratineing at his mother's house. I am sad that he is missing all the services and the fun of cooking.

Only Nine Shopping Months Left!!!

Today is Annunciation. I took the day off from work and went to Divine Litrgy at St Nicholas Orthodox Church with my youngest son, Basil. It was beautiful. Kathleen went with me to the Festal Vigil last night. So far, I'm on track to attend all the festal vigils this year. To celebrate the Feast today, the only fish day in all of lent, I fried catfish. Kathleen had never had catfish before and was surprised by how light and flakey it is.

So, as this is Annunciation and there are only 9 shopping months left between now and Christmas, it seems a decent respect for everyones schedules requires that I post my Christmas list a little bit early this year. (Last year, after more than a decade of begging, my cousin actually bought the lamp for me! It is beside my bed.) Here is the list:

1. Since I have become active in Boy Scouts again (just to work the council's BB gun and rifle ranges) it would be nice to have one of the red BSA jackets.

2. I no longer have any hope of forming a family band but back when I did harbor that longing I learned to play the recorder and the ukulele. The instruments I learned on were definitly starter models. I think I would like to step up now to someting better: A concert size ukulele from Lanikai or Cordoba.

3. I used to have a fountain pen for writing letters but during the remodel of the house it disappeared. Now I have been reduced to using disposable ball points, and the look of them on paper is not beautiful. I don't want one of those ghastly expensive Mont Blancs. I'm sure I would be very happy with the the Dryden Designs medium nib models.

4. It seems to me that for short overnight excursions, when I don't want to take the trailer-tent and camp kitchen but just want to take a wool blanket and a rifle in hopes of getting a dawn boar, it would still be nice to boil water for a cup of coffee. From what I can tell a Ghillie Kettle looks like the best solution to the problem.

5. I like bow ties. I especially like bow ties from Beau Ties of Vermont Ltd. I like stripes, and patterns, and prints. I like special bow ties for various holidays. I like them in slimline/standard and butterfly/jumbo. They have to be for 19" to 23" necks.

6. A copy of the Antiochian Archdiocese's Pocket Prayer Book. The helps for preparing for Confession are useful.

7. During the last several years I have on various occasions made cakes. But I do not have a cake dish to put cakes on. I think I need one. Regular dinner plates and serving platters are raised around the edges and distort the shape of the cake. A cake plate is totally flat. I don't want anything fancy. Functional is better than fancy. A covered cake plate would be okay as long as it doesnt have a raised lip. Second hand is fine and this link is merely for the purpose of illstration. Ceramic or glass is perfect as long as it works.

8. If such a thing exists, I think it would be nice to have a framed Saturday Evening Post cover but only if it is one of the covers painted by Norman Rockwell. (Please, do not get one that he signed. I just want the picture not the signature.)

9. A simple wool prayer rope in black. I think anywhere from 33 to 150 knots is fine. No facy beads, if possible. No tassels, if possible. Monastery made is preferred but if they are out, as they sometimes are, I guess, any will do.

10. A Jonathan Adler pipe match strike. I bet there are some good deals available on eBay.

11. A license plate frame from the old alma mater.