A story about "The Cossack (Short Story)"

The Cossack (Short Story)

by Anton Chekhov

Maxim Torchakov meets a sick Cossack on the road from church Easter Morning. He and his wife have between them a cake blessed and consecrated at that eveinings vigil. Maxim is completly wrapped in the Easter spirit, the Spirit of the risen Lord. He would give a bit of that consecrated cake to a sick soldier trying to make it home. But is wife would not. She would not break the holy cake “uselessly”.

I think it is telling that Tochakov’s life enters a spiral after wronging that man. Surely the risen Christ was there before him asking for a piece of the Kulich, and Torchakov had to choose was he to obey the voice of Christ speaking through his heart and the lips of the poor cossack? or was he to obey the unkind religion of his wife? What a story!

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A story about "The Black Monk"

The Black Monk

by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

Ah, Madness. The black monk is an agreeable fellow to me. There is something in quixotic madness that is pure and holy. Perhaps in all of us there is a longing to be quite mad, and thereby creative, joyful and at peace. May the black monk sweep into my life and leave me with mystical thoughts and a smile frozen to my chillng lips.

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A story about "Anna Karenina (Modern Library Classics)"

Anna Karenina (Modern Library Classics)

by Leo Tolstoy

Levin grabbed me at his first appearance. To me his character is as important as Anna and creates a wonderful contrast to her. Go Kostya!

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Comments

For some reason I really want validation for my writing. Even when I was getting paid for it, what I really craved were comments. I've sometimes questioned whether I should keep up my lectionary blog...the last few months the only comments I've garnered have pretty much been, "I'd rather die than look at this," and "MICHIGAN SUCKS."

Ulitmatly I figure even if its just for me-to organize my thoughts in a single place, its worth it. Even so, if you are struck by something please comment:}



note: my comment system utilizes a pop-up

Left-Right politics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I always picture left and right opposite where they should be. I always pictured the spectrum coinciding with the time line. That the right wing (in my mind right was on the left side) was closer to the past, ie. Reactionary; the left, closer to the future. When I discovered my mistake, I wondered where the terms came from. Well here it is:

Left-Right politics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Historical origin of the terms
The terms Left and Right to refer to political affiliation originated early in the French Revolutionary era, and referred originally to the seating arrangements in the various legislative bodies of France, specifically in the French Legislative Assembly of 1791, when the moderate royalist Feuillants sat on the right side of the chamber, while the radical Montagnards sat on the left.
Originally, the defining point on the ideological spectrum was attitudes towards the ancien r�gime ('old order'). 'The Right' thus implied support for aristocratic, royal, or clerical interests, while 'The Left' implied opposition to the same. At that time, support for laissez-faire capitalism and free markets were regarded as being on the left whereas today in most Western countries these views would be characterized as being on the Right. But even during the French Revolution an extreme left wing called for government intervention in the economy on behalf of the poor."

Quijote Ella alla tinfoil

Happy penultimate day!

Happy antepenultimate day!

Annie and Ella are showing off their "What a Hooton" shirts. What a bunch of Hootons we are, getting to gether has been a blast.

Travel update

I wonder if Mary and Joseph had a night like this… Christmas day for us has been ups and downs. We had a nice intimate service with thirteen people this morning. We took off right after service to make the trek to my parent’s house. We picked up a new van we were given in Grand Rapids and continued on our way. We were making good time too. That is until about 11:00 tonight. Foster threw up. And my word the fight that ensued between his exhausted parents while the poor little man recovered. I cleaned up the mess and got back on the road in time for him to throw up again. We pulled off in Wisconsin Dells and cleaned up again. Coming out of the gas station with some Pedialyte, I discovered we picked up a nail and we had a flat tire. After struggling for a long while trying to get the spare down, we gave in and got a hotel room where I sit now typing. Blessings, disappointments, more blessing. We have room in the inn. And a good night a head. Praise God.