"..hope
and desire like crushed herbs in his heart..
dense and maddening fumes
passes away above"
    ~James Joyce

A priest friend of ours saves his church candle stubs for us. They're generally taller than votives, but too short for him to use. We're always grateful, they burn brightly, and they're blessed. We scatter them around - in front of Icons and on shelves; we tuck them into pieces of broken pottery sot he wax won't spill and at night the house is lit up with little blessings.

The candle scent is fantastic, it fills the house. We notice it more now that the woodstove is off and there isn't the continual scent of woodsmoke and simmering soup in the air. Our nights smell of beeswax and the green outside now, incense and coffee. It's lovely and it's summer.