I often read essays this time of year about how it is a time of new beginnings and that it feels like the beginning of the year. I think part of this reasoning is because of school starting, but perhaps some of it goes back to the memory of the fact that September 1st is the Beginning of the Church Year for the Orthodox.


The first day of the Church New Year is also called the beginning of the
Indiction. The term Indiction comes from a Latin word meaning, "to impose."
It was originally applied to the imposition of taxes in Egypt. The first
worldwide Indiction was in 312 when the Emperor Constantine (May 21) saw a
miraculous vision of the Cross in the sky. Before the introduction of the
Julian calendar, Rome began the New Year on September 1.

According to Holy Tradition, Christ entered the synagogue on September 1 to
announce His mission to mankind (Lk 4:16-22). Quoting Isaiah 61:1-2), the
Savior proclaimed, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me; because He has
anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to proclaim
release to captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty
those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." This
scene is depicted in a Vatican manuscript (Vatican, Biblioteca. Cod. Gr.
1613, p.1).

Tradition says that the Hebrews entered the Promised Land in September.


As we approach the new year, the readings of the church are often focused on death and destruction – the dying of the previous year and the beginning of the new, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, and the Last Judgment.

These readings have been echoing in my head during these past few days, there have been hard times for a lot of people I know. A TwoPeas member lost her son to brain cancer on Sunday, Seraphim was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer , another Pea member’s son is having a hard time after surgery, a friend may have lost family in the Hurricane, Matthew and Athanasia are both struggling with health issues. And, of course, the minute by minute horrors coming out of New Orleans. A city of dancing and joy, a city of Mardi Gras, a city of vice and love, a city of history and culture and poverty and destruction. In truth, a city a lot like the cities near me. And, a city that is convulsing in flames, in floods, in violence and in looting.

I know all I can do is put one foot in front of the other, continue my journey through life, and cling to the prayers of peace and comfort that the church gives us in these difficult times. And, pray hard for those who I have mentioned, and love and give.

I know that many places are soliciting funds for the Hurricane victims, but may I offer two suggestions if you haven’t donated yet, and are able. The IOCC fund And, if you’d like to stream some good tunes tomorrow, you can request your favorite with a $50.00 donation on the radio station I listen to, KMTT.


Troparion of the New Year Tone 2
Lord of the universe who by Thy power hast established the times and
seasons,/ bless this year with Thy goodness,/ preserve our rulers and keep
Thy flock in peace,/ through the prayers of the Mother of God, and save us.

Kontakion of the New Year Tone 4
Creator and Lord of the ages,/ God of all, transcendent in essence: Bless
this year./ Save all who worship and cry:/ Grant us a fruitful year,/ O
Compassionate Redeemer.

Five Random Things About Me
One of the blogs I read regularly is Arika's awesome blog The Art Bar - she amazes me with her incredible talent - I believe she has more artistic ability in her little finger than I have in my Bigger than a Breadbox body. She is a wonderful mom, a supportive and loving wife, and a true inspiration.

Imagine my surprise when she tagged me with the "Five Random Things About Me" challenge that is floating out there in Blogland.

So, upon Arika's suggestion, here you go:

1 - I've been a vegetarian since 1992. One of the things that I work very hard on doing is eating what is in season, fresh, local and organic. It also helps me to keep in touch with the traditional Feasts and Fasts of the church.

2 - I can't stand touching my eye. Or when other people touch theirs (my kids will often say "Mom, look at this" and then touch their eye. Shudder). This also means that I don't wear mascara, and the thought of contacts makes me woozy.

3 - I have Hobbit feet. They are short, squat, fat, and hairy. Sensible shoes are my lot, because I can't squeeze my feet into most stylish footwear. This does, however, keep me from having foot issues from badly designed shoes. There's always a silver lining, I guess.

4 - I'm a manual transmission kind of gal. I can't stand driving automatics. Stick shifts make me feel in control and I love to drive them.

5 - My brother is closer in age to my oldest son than to me. There are 11.5 years between him and me, and only 7 between him and Cedric. (Is the grammar right in that sentence?)

And, a sixth one, because I can

6 - today is my birthday! Have a piece of blueberry pie with me!

Thanks Arika! And, to pass the torch, I'll tag Dawn - because I get to see her soon and I'm excited; and Janelle because I enjoy reading her comments and blog and would like to get to know her better.

I knew it was good for me!

Most of antioxidants in average diet from coffee

BY RANDOLPH E. SCHMID

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON -- Coffee not only helps clear the mind and perk up the energy, it also provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in Americans' diet, according to a study released Sunday.

Of course, too much coffee can make people jittery and even raise cholesterol levels, so food experts stress moderation.

The findings by Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, give a healthy boost to the warming beverage.

Antioxidants, which are thought to help battle cancer and provide other health benefits, are abundant in grains, tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables.

Vinson's team analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items. They then used Agriculture Department data on typical food consumption patterns to calculate how much antioxidant each food contributes to a person's diet.

They concluded that the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. The typical adult American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily, according to the data used.

That does not mean coffee is a substitute for fruit and vegetables.

"Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber," Vinson said.

Libraries Prosper in Internet Age to further my discussion on reading, my mom passed along this article from the Sacramento Bee.

The rather obscure National Library Card Sign-up Month is fast approaching - and yes, people do still have library cards.
Despite the Internet explosion, people are still using libraries, and they are doing it more often than you might think. Visits to public libraries have doubled over the past decade, according to a 2002 study by the American Library Association.

Libraries, which still outnumber McDonald's restaurants, total more than 1 billion visits annually, according to the association. On average, Americans check out six books a year.

Libraries are quietly shedding their stuffy images and starting to morph into Borders, with one advantage - their books are free.

"At some points, there were predictions that the Internet was going to be the end of libraries, but we've seen the opposite," said Larra Clark, media relations manager for the American Library Association.

Coffee bars, comfortable chairs and extensive reading areas are some of the features found in large bookstores that are making their way to libraries nationwide.

"I think Borders has stolen some really good ideas from libraries, and now we're just returning the favor," said Alison Landers, deputy director of public services for the Sacramento Public Library.

The biggest draw to public libraries, Clark and Landers agree, is technology - specifically, computers with Internet access.

According to the American Library Association, 95 percent of public libraries provide public access to the Internet, and public libraries are the No. 1 place of online access for people who don't have other means of connecting to the Internet.

Landers relates the increase in library visits to the growing gap between rich and poor.

"You know the digital divide you hear about?" Landers said. "Libraries can help close that."

Several libraries across the country are getting creative with technology. The South Huntington Library in New York started circulating iPod Shuffles this year, and King County Public Library in Washington state offers downloadable audio books for MP3 players.

Local libraries have seen a surge in technology use, too. An Internet-obsessed culture has forced libraries to train staffers to field complicated questions.

"We're not seeing a decline in visits," Landers said. "The decline is in the number of questions asked from individuals, and the questions that people are asking are harder." ...

It ends with this thought



The future of public libraries, Clark said, will reside in being part community center and part technology center.

"I think trends in libraries are reflecting trends in society," Landers said. "They're using us in different ways."