One week

This time next week, I'll be being baptised. That's a wonderful, if somewhat terrifying, thought. I'm not ready, but Jeremy says he's still not and it's been three years since he was baptised, so I suppose I have to accept that I never will be!

Manda (doll) and I went to the city yesterday and took photos for a photostory, and I was supposed to have a meeting but I didn't as it was cancelled. So, instead, I wandered around Rundle Mall some more before meeting Jeremy.
I've been on the hunt for a new, warm, jacket/cardigan/sweater/something! for winter, as I only have one, and it's cream and shows the dirt really easily. The last bit's not an issue as long as I can wash it, but usually I need to wear it! So I got a new one, it's knitted and a rusty, mottled red. And very very warm. I took a photo, see:



I've got makeup on in that photo too as there was a place that sells professional makeup and they'll do you up for free, and give you a list of what they used. I like it, because I look healthy again (I've got really pale since I got sick), but it's a lot of work and my eyes felt sleepy earlier, maybe because they were sensitive? I'm not sure, still trying to work that out. It's kind of expensive too. I'm thinking about it :) It was nice to feel pretty, though.

Then I wandered down to my spot where I'd arranged to meet Jeremy before Church. I snapped a photo of that view, too, it's lovely at night.



After he picked me we went to greek-church to pick up candles because the priest from the other church had asked us to. So I got to see both priests in a night which was lovely, they're both so beautiful. While we were there, I saw my friend Jo as she'd been to the service there which was much earlier. So we grabbed her, too, and told her she had to come to church with us! So, five minutes later, we were all at not-greek-church. Jo's greek, so she's used to understanding the services...and this was all in arabic, with the odd bit of english or greek thrown in...hehehehehehe.... we got out at the end, and we'd been translating the odd bits and pieces for her, but mostly she didn't understand. She told me 'I'm never going to take you coming to church [and not understanding the language] for granted ever again!' I just laughed. We introduced her to the priest there, and then headed out for coffee. Before we left, though, I got photos of the iconostasis (the wall of icons between the altar and the main part of the temple/church) all decorated up for Palm Sunday which is this weekend.



Please click, and even go to the full size, it's worth it. The two people are Jeremy and a lady from church who chants, often. The big icons are (L->R) St Michael the Archangel, St Elias (patron of the Church), the Theotokos and Christ (Mary), Christ (though the glare obscures this icon), St John the Baptist (yes he's an angel in that photo, angelos means messenger too, so it's a pun), and then finally the St Gabriel the Archangel. The top row are mostly the 12 Apostles, and a couple feasts, too. On the side wall is St John the Baptist baptising Christ.

Well, we said coffee. It ended up being pasta for Jeremy and I, and Jo didn't eat anything. But we sat and talked for a couple hours, and it was nice. Lent can be hard, but it can also be beautiful, and this really was. Fellowship is such a wonderful thing, just to talk, to eat, and to laugh. And be teased a lot!