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(As soon as I can figure out how to shrink my photos I'll start posting pictures...)

The fields are black and I cannot see any of the sheep. There is a thin orange sliver on the horizon - hoorah! Dawn breaks!! (Thank God too because the darkness was beginning to get old...)

As the orange-tinted sun rises above the horizon I greet it from where I sit before my bright sun box. I was often crippled with fatigue during the dark winters of Alaska by the dreaded Seasonal Affect Disorder. And then I discovered the beautiful sun box which filled me with energy and woke me up.

Now I live in Orkney where the winters are long and dark. (I can't escape...) So once again I perch in front of a light box and watch the sun rise over the fields and draping the grass with a faint glow.

My attention span stinks. As I sit before the sun box I am chanting the Divine Office, my prayer book held in my caffine shaking hands. It is the second week of Advent and the prayers are lovely. Every few verses I glance at the sun box and then I gaze outside into the dark fields and try and make out the white wooly lumps of sheep. No luck yet.

Listen, heavens to what I say;
earth, hear the words of my mouth!
Let my teaching fall like the rain,
my speech descend like the dew,
like a shower on the grass,
like rain on the wheat.

Ah...what a fitting pslam to chant on a farm. As the verse ends I sneak a glance outside and behold!! I see the white lumps just now visible as morning breaks! Goodmorning sheep! How delightful it is to see you all again! God be praised for such a beautiful day! (Uh...but being Orkney how long will THAT last??)

Does my religion scare you? I sure hope it doesn't. I'm not here to pound my beliefs down anyone's throat. I am an American Catholic of the Latin Right - otherwise known by the unofficial title, "Roman Catholic."

Does this mean I'm here to espouse Christianity at you and thump my bible in your face? Nah. I'm here to share the adventures of a newlywed Alaskan living life on a farm in Orkney. My faith is a part of my every waking moment. I do not take off my Catholic beliefs and put them on a shelf during the week. My prayers are woven through every moment of my day. And about every three hours (if the farm is merciful...) I sit before my sun box or the roaring coal fire and I chant the ancient prayers from my leather prayer book.

Why? Well...why not? It makes me feel reallllllly good. It brings me peace. It helps me to relax. And because I believe in God I walk away feeling like I've just spent a few minutes with God and that makes me feel even better about everything. Do you have something that you do each day which brings you peace and joy? I hope so. We all need peace and joy.

Don't let my faith threaten you. I'm not here to preach or judge or chase after people's souls. Let us walk the path of life in peace and harmony regardless of our religions - or our lack thereof.

Besides, if you don't want to read any of the prayers or bible quotes that I post just skim over them. I'll share things the way I see them and experience them but it's up to you if YOU want to partake. Either way, I won't be offended.

Ah! The sun is out! There is hardly a breeze and no rain or hail. Wow...how long will this last?? And the sheep - they are awake and grazing happily. What a joy it is to have green grass in December. What a difference from the thigh-deep snow of Fairbanks Alaska!!!

You have put everything beneath his feet, cattle and sheep and the beasts of the field,
the birds in the air and the fish in the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the waters.

How wonderful is your name above all the earth, O Lord, our Lord!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Well, sun box time is over. Time to get those Christmas cards and packages sealed up and ready to post!!

Then hopefully I can figure out how to resize my photos so I can post them as well!