Alaskan's Journal

[HomesteaderWife]

@Alaskan - How beautiful your photos are, especially from the service. Thank you for sharing. Wishing a very warm and Merry Christmas to you and your family!

 

[Alaskan]

@Alaskan - How beautiful your photos are, especially from the service. Thank you for sharing. Wishing a very warm and Merry Christmas to you and your family!

You liked them... so I had to load more.

At the front of the church, Christ all dressed up for Christmas.

And Mary with the Christ child, all dressed up for Christmas.

An artistic shot of the front of the church

The oil lamp by the church entrance

One of the window sills all dressed up. The ladies sure worked hard this year!

This last photo is from Sunday... not Christmas. The white stuff with a candle on a tray is the kohliva for my dad. Kohliva is made for the memorial of a departed. It is sweet for the joy of the eternal Kingdom, and a bit of bitter for the sadness of loss. (So the longer the person is dead, the less bitter and more sweet). Anyway.... this was my dad's 6 months memorial. I had eldest make it this time, he hadn't made one before. I think he did a good job. The kohliva is made at the death, then at 9 days, 40 days, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and then yearly. May my dad's soul dwell with the blessed.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@Alaskan - Thank you for sharing, especially explaining the significance of the kohliva. I give you my sympathy for the loss of your father. May you look back not with sorrow, but with fondest memories during the holidays.

 

[Alaskan]

One more shot of eldest reading

 

[HomesteaderWife]

That is one of the most beautiful churches I have seen (even in photos). The artwork is what really captures my attention. Good on your son for taking part in the Christmas readings!

 

[Alaskan]

@Alaskan - Thank you for sharing, especially explaining the significance of the kohliva. I give you my sympathy for the loss of your father. May you look back not with sorrow, but with fondest memories during the holidays.

Thanks.

And yeah... this first Christmas without him was a bit rough. So it was nice to do everything kind of low key.

 

[Bruce]

Church... still tickled about the cross and dome being done!

I bet. Besides all the work, it looks super nice back where it belongs all spruced up.

 

[Baymule]

Your church is beautiful, inside and out. I know you are bursting with pride at your son doing the reading. God and family.

 

[Alaskan]

Feeling a bit bummed.

I need to pair down my livestock even more.

Blasted boys keep growing up... which is good... but now the youngest is moving up to boy scouts which means I will have zero kids one weekend a month, and no kids at all for up to 4 weeks in the summer.



I already cut out the goats.... and I was thinking I could do poultry by myself in the summer (4 or more coops worth).

But I forgot the 1 weekend a month the rest of the year... multiple trips hauling gallons of water each time on ice and snow to 4 different coops is not how I get my jollies.



Blast all.

Kid 1 is gone... hopefully will stay gone, kid 2 has plane tickets to leave Feb. 1 for 3 months, then he works all summer, MIGHT be back next school year for his first year of college, kid 3 already works 2 days a week at a job...

Not sure how my kids are getting grown!

 

[Bruce]

You are just going to have to buckle down and pick up the slack there Al!
Maybe you need a BIG tank near the coops that you can keep some stock tank heaters in so you don't have to tote the water very far.