Happy New Year! I often read articles about how it feels like a time of new beginnings in September. Often these article link it to the new school year. I link it to the fact that for the Orthodox (and also for our Jewish brothers and sisters) the new year begins in September.

From the OCA site:
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 (Luke 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.

Thank you for the birthday wishes yesterday, I did have a nice dinner at a local Greek restaurant. I can’t wait to play with my new Technique Tuesday items, and am planning on spending my Starbucks’ cards on one of their vintage original logo cups.

And, in a reminder of the cycle of life, one of the agents in my office passed away this afternoon after a heroic battle with Pancreatic Cancer. May her Memory be Eternal.

It’s the last square of August – and as my nephew said last year, “That’s Aunt Mimi’s birthday”. So, in honor of the day, I found this online (idea shamelessly copped from Dawn)

Born this Day:
12 Caligula (Gaius Caesar), 3rd Roman emperor (37-41 AD)
1870 Maria Montessori Italy, educator (spontaneous response)
1880 Queen Mother Wilhelmina Netherlands (1890-1948)
1889 A Provost Idell father of modern volleyball
1897 Frederic March Wisc, actor (Dr Jeckyll-Acad Awards 1932/1946)
1903 Arthur Godfrey radio, TV host (Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scout)
1903 Sir Bernard Lovell England, radio astronomer, founded Jodrell Bank
1924 Buddy (Leonard) Hackett Bkln, comedian (God's Little Acre, Music Man)
1931 Dan Rather news anchor (CBS-TV)
1935 Frank Robinson baseball player/manager (MVP 1961-NL 1966-AL)
1937 Warren Berlinger Bkln, actor (Larry-Joey Bishop Shop, Take Two)
1945 Itzhak Perlman Tel Aviv Israel, violinist/polio victim
1945 Leonid I Popov cosmonaut (Soyuz 35, 40, T-7)
1945 Van Morrison Belfast, singer (Here Comes the Night)
1949 Richard Gere Phila Pa, actor (Breathless, Cotton Club)
1957 Glenn Tilbrook guitarist/vocalist (Squeeze-Tempted)
1958 Edwin C Moses track star (hurdler, Olympic-gold-1984)
1970 Debbie Gibson Brooklyn NY, singer (Only in My Dreams)
1972 Mimi

Caligula? Ok, I can handle Buddy Hackett, I love Van Morrison, I can relate to the queen, and even deal with a pop princess, but Caligula? Yuck.

On this day...1535 Pope Paul II deposed & excommunicated King Henry VIII
1842 US Naval Observatory authorized by an act of Congress
1850 Calif pioneers organized at Montgomery & Clay Streets
1886 1st major earthquake recorded in eastern US, at Charleston, SC
1887 Thomas A Edison patents Kinetoscope, (produces moving pictures)
1900 Dodgers' Brickyard Kennedy walks 6 straight Phillies
1902 Split skirt 1st worn by Mrs Adolph Landeburg (horse rider)
1907 England, Russia & France form the Triple Entente
1935 Chicago White Sox Vern Kennedy no-hits Cleveland Indians, 5-0
1935 FDR signs an act prohibiting export of US arms to belligerents
1950 Dodger Gil Hodges hits 4 HRs & a single in a game vs Braves
1954 Census Bureau established
1955 1st sun-powered automobile demonstrated, Chicago, Ill
1960 Agricultural Hall of Fame established
1962 Trinidad & Tobago gain independence from Britain (National Day)
1965 House of Reps joins Senate establish Dept of Housing & Urban Develop
1968 Private Eye magazine reports a John Lennon & Yoko Ono album will have a picture of them nude on the cover
1971 Dave Scott becomes 1st person to drive a car on the Moon
1972 Olga Korbut, USSR, wins Olympic gold medal in gymnastics
1973 1st heavyweight championship fight in Japan (Foreman beats Roman)
1979 Comet Howard-Koomur-Michels collides with the Sun
1980 Poland's Solidarity labor union founded
1983 Edwin Moses of USA sets the 400m hurdle record (47.02) in Koblenz
1997 Britian’s Princess Diana dies in Paris

Eddie bought me a treadmill – it hasn’t arrived, but I’m very excited about it. When he asked one of his coworkers for advice on the treadmill we were looking at, his coworker asked why I don’t walk outside. Eddie’s answer “because she likes to read and it’s embarrassing when she runs into trees” I LOVE that man! And, it is true, I can’t wait to catch up on my reading while treadmilling.

Baptisms and Scrapbooking, Oh my! It was a busy weekend, I had the pleasure of having Dawn come down and visit on Friday night. Eddie made a great sweet and sour tofu, and then we made cards – Dawn for Vasilia’s Baptism, and me on a couple of Get Well and Thank You cards.

Saturday morning, we got up really early, enjoyed some Holy Chocolate and got on the road to Portland for the double Baptism – it was so beautiful, and lovely to see everyone. Vasilia is adorable, Katie and Job look great, and we had the pleasure of sitting with Susan and Petros, and Christina and Paul. Lovely conversation. We also enjoyed the bookstore (although I think I kept getting distracted by all the books while talking – ooh, shiny! and probably was a pain to talk to – forgive me).

We drove home; Dawn headed off the back way to home and arrived safely. I bundled up my stuff and went to my monthly scrapbooking meeting. I’m working on my Hawaii album.

Sunday morning, we had a Baptism at our parish of a little girl whose father is serving in Afghanistan (keep Justin in your prayers, please) and was home for a two week R&R. She’s beautiful and it was lovely to see the Baptism. Our parish does the Churching right at the end of the Liturgy, and when Father sings Simeon’s Canticle; and then puts the baby on the altar steps, I cry like a baby. Every time. I did it when Xavier was Baptized, and I think at every one I’ve seen since. And, I did yesterday as well.

Got home, watched the Mariners win, watched two episodes of Lost
(Dawn loaned me Season I and I’m hooked) and nearly finished my book.

It was a lovely weekend. People keep saying that this is the last warm week of the year – we’ll see if they are right.