Not much going on lately.. been sick with some lung junk that came complete with a fever and a fantastic wheeze/bark sounding cough. Since I've been spending so much time laying around in bed, or sitting on the couch I decided to take my sketch book out and start drawing.

Orthodox Easter falls on the same day as "American Easter" as I used to call it when I was a kid. I'm looking forward to going to church Saturday night for the long Easter liturgy. This evening is the reading of the 12 Gospels.. the service starts at 7:00 PM and I'm still sitting here in my pajamas. I need to get going or just stay home one more night.. I don't want this bronchitis to worsen.. but then again I'd be sad to miss this evening also. Another reason I'm dragging my feet about going is that I know I'll be standing outside for awhile till the crowds thin out.. and it has gotten cold and windy again... I just can't take a chance on getting sicker and missing more work.

This is an old photograph of the church I grew up in Los Angeles. The front part of the church was a set for the movie The Cossacks. After filming had ended the Russians in the community raised funds to buy the building and the land. Subsequently the building was consecrated and years later a larger addition was built.

This is a view towards the altar. This particular iconostasis is fairly new- having been installed about ten years ago. In this photograph the iconostasis is decorated for Easter. My mother and a handful of people work long hours getting the flower arrangements made for all the icons on the iconostasis as well as the main icons in other parts of the church.


Mom goes to the flower market around 4 or 5 AM... it is a surreal sight... all of downtown L.A. is asleep but the flower market is alive with action. As always my mom and her friend have their game plan mapped out and they split up and get all the supplies they need. Me, I just follow along bleary eyed, sleep deprived from a different time zone. I take photographs here and there. I come in handy when it comes time to load and unload the cars, and I drive my mom around. It's too bad I can't be out there with mom this year.