This day began and ended on a bright note. After a stormy night, we were prepared for a pleasant event in the morning, the baptism of seven month old Diomid who was cheerful throughout the service, except for being startled by the triple immersion in the baptismal water. His sister Elena was baptized here two years ago and she has, since then, grown into a sweet little girl. Some men came to work on finishing the windows that had been installed in the church while women were busy preparing food for supper. Instead of having a light meal or just tea after Vespers on Saturday, we often have a full meal after which the kitchen is made tidy and the carpets vacuumed if that had not been done earlier. Kyrill had brought Mimi, his daughter’s tiny chihuahua, that captured everyone’s heart. Naturally, we had to take turns in holding and petting her so that she was always the centre of attention.
