Sunday to Stay

Every other Sunday we invite whoever wants to, to stay at our house for lunch until the afternoon service. The main "takers" of our invitation are the kids and teenagers. They love it! When we have visitors, we often let them get acquainted with the kids this way, too.

This week was the Sunday for everyone to stay. BUT as of Saturday morning my kitchen cabinets were all out of place. Some were sitting under the window. Some were sitting on our table. The stuff that sits on top of them was likewise scattered around. We were headed to the funeral of an acquaintance.

We went to the funeral held by an orthodox priest. The seemingly non-ending chants when on and on. Some were in latin. Some were in Russian. What we understood were songs, prayers asking for mercy, the words repeated over and over, and the Lord's prayer. At the graveside, the priest claimed the ground for God and again prayed for mercy for the departed. He exhorted the crowd (around 40 people) to observe the nine-day, the forty-day and the year remembrance of this man's death. He told them to enjoy the funeral feast but not to get drunk because God was already punishing their people. And then, of all things, he asked for an offering!! for building another church in another area.

I guess it wasn't quite as out of place as it sounds when good deeds as in, giving money to church, help you earn your way into heaven in the orthodox beliefs!!

On the way there, I asked Dave about the kitchen.

"No, it's going to be this way tomorrow.There's no way around it, I'm sorry."

I began to try to figure where I could move the cabinets and stuff so that we could free up the space for company. We would have one family of guests even if we didn't allow the rest to stay.

We got home and he worked hard putting up tiles. AND he read the instructions on the grout bucket as well. At 7:45 pm, he began putting the grout in the tiles. At about 10:00 pm the cabinets went back up in their places. At about 11:30 when I couldn't see straight any more, I gave up on cleaning and putting the last items in their place.

For Sunday services, we were both extremely tired. But everyone who wanted, stayed.

And this is how my kitchen looks now.

PS. It's Monday and everyone else is asleep.