Author Archives: maryangelis

About maryangelis

Hello Readers! (= Здравствуйте, Читатели!) The writer lives in the Catholic and Orthodox faiths and the English and Russian languages, working in an archive by day and writing at night. Her walk in the world is normally one human being and one small detail after another. Then she goes home and types about it all until the soup is done.

01.21.2019 Winter Antidote

Posted on January 21, 2019

It was fortunate that a resourceful co-worker persuaded me to take a walk today. I resisted the whole idea, thinking of all the chores awaiting and the usual state of Sunday meaning-of-life blues. But she persisted in thinking that this … Continue reading →

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Nicholas the Wonder-Worker (Николай Чудотворец)

Posted on December 28, 2018

St. Nicholas? Why? That question rose, quiet and bright as the moon melting up into the sky over the black and tangled trees. It was Christmas Night. After my week of upholding and returning and conveying the sweetness and blessings … Continue reading →

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12/21/18: Velvet and Chains

Posted on December 22, 2018

At a conference a whole bunch of years ago, a social work colleague invited me to her agency, to sit in on a special support program. The program was for adults in their early twenties. The young adults all had … Continue reading →

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12/16/18 Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me

Posted on December 16, 2018

(As with all film reviews on this blog, full spoilers are provided throughout.) For Glen Campbell fans, and for people who don’t recognize his work at all, this is a wonderful worthwhile movie about family coming together in adversity, and … Continue reading →

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12/1/2018: Ukrainian Music: Yuriy Fedynsky (Юрій Фединський)

Posted on December 1, 2018

Yuriy Fedynsky  builds, plays, and teaches traditional musical instruments. With a  background in classical piano, living in North Carolina he heard his grandmother and mother speak Ukrainian, and felt inspired to learn the language and to travel to Ukraine to … Continue reading →

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11/30/18: Manger Scenes

Posted on December 1, 2018

There’s an exhibit in town of 500 or so Nativity scenes from 120 countries. Some are family heirlooms; many were brought back by missionaries the world over. I walked in out of a windswept rain for a look, and gosh … Continue reading →

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Back Through the Looking Glass

Posted on November 27, 2018

Thanksgiving Day was fine. Going to church, gathering fallen leaves and flowers to make little bouquets for the neighbors, writing holiday cards, learning a new Sacred Harp song (“Sweet Solitude,”  Hannah More, 1835), learning how to tune & play a scale … Continue reading →

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