Fourth day of Moura and things got weird.

Dear Reader,

I'm attempting to get back into my usual schedule after last week's tumult with the kids being on vacation from school. And strange things seem to abound today. Things like a paycheck that was supposed to be in the bank has gone MIA and the tarot deck that went poof and vanished has reappeared. Let us not forget I have been having pre-migraine symptoms despite the fact that there isn't a major shift in the weather due for a few days yet. Also my shoulder has been in pain since I woke up. I'm sure it's because I slept on it funny, but who knows. It's been an odd morning.

Beloved helped me out a lot over the weekend with getting the kitchen sorted out. I can't figure out how to put together the brand new vacuum cleaner. I'll be asking him to handle that. In the meantime, I have the non-electric sweeper that I have to take apart and get all of the hair out of it. You'd think we had hairy pets with the amount of hair in that thing, but all we have is a fish and two snails. (Not that we don't want to have a cat at some point in time.)

I have managed to run out of white novena candles. I use them on the altar for Déa's candle. Now I have a deep red one there. It has no design on it or anything. I suspect it might be a leftover from the Advent candles that were being sold that I grabbed by mistake at the Dollar Tree a few weeks ago. Every time I look at it, I find myself thinking about Our Lady's courage to make her descent into the Netherworld for our sake. Incarnation is a difficult and arduous thing more often than not. As she passes through the worlds and goes down in to the Netherworld, she endures the suffering of incarnation with us.

The road to the place where the dead lie is one of mostly suffering. Perhaps it is appropriate that I have a red candle for Her courage and unwavering will on my altar right now. Interestingly, my miniature rosebush put out a blossom on the first day of Moura. It is on the altar right now. The bush was supposed to be pink but the blossoms have gradually turned a deep red. And the plant seems to be promising future blossoms. It is a blessing to have a fresh flower to lay on the altar in offering to Déa. May it please Her and be an ornament to give Our Lady some joy in her journey along the road of suffering.