back in business

We're back from our 1000-mile trek--started with a visit to my aunt last Thursday and Friday, my wife's best friend on Saturday, my grandpa's 80th birthday party on Sunday, a small-town Labor Day parade and fireworks on Monday (my wife's hometown), and finally a little bit of a break on Tuesday before the eight-hour drive back home on Wednesday. At least it was a short work week, but honestly work seemed like something of a break after all that driving! Ian had a blast with the Labor Day festivities. It was probably the biggest parade I've ever seen, and since we were sitting close to the beginning, we walked away with probably three pounds of candy flung at us from the various floats. The fireworks display may not have been as well choreographed as some, but we were sitting within home-run distance of the launch site and got as good a view as you could ever want. I think Ian would have been excited anyway about getting up in the dark to go sit in lawn chairs and watch a fire truck or two drive by; he couldn't resist commenting on just about every blast. Circle! Colors! Worms! Fireworks!

I was hoping and praying for an opportunity to bring up Orthodoxy with the parents, but it didn't happen. I really don't want to do this by phone or e-mail, but I'm not sure I'll ever find the right moment in person. I brought along a couple of books to read--one on the Jesus Prayer that was kind of disappointing for being too academic, and a collection of letters by Barsanuphius and John. That one's shaping up to be quite a bit better. I'm also pretty excited that waiting for me when I returned was the Psalter According to the Seventy. After reading St. Theophan's advice about prayer, I wanted to start spending more time in the psalms. I've had an electronic version for a while, but I need something to keep more handy. On top of all that, today I got Why the Rest Hates the West from the library. I've just started it, but it looks really good so far.