Eggs and Alleluias

Soon, very soon, I will grab the alb I purchased last year (so as to never, ever, ever again in my life have to enter into the malstrom that is the sacristy before a big liturgy) and prepare to assist at and participate in the Easter Vigil.

I love the Easter Vigil. Some people hate it because it is the longest liturgy of the year. It begins when the sun goes down...with the lighting of the sacred fire...and ends when it ends. Average? 3.5 hours. But it's gone longer...depends on how many people are being baptised.

But part of what I love about it is that it is so essentially Easter and Christian. Easter Sunday is swell but church always feels a little off. It's crowded and crazy and full of C&E Christians. And I don't begrudge them because I used to be one. But I can be far more prayerful at the Easter Vigil and, as an added bonus, then I have all Easter Sunday to prepare dinner and nap and what-have-you.

This Easter Sunday will be very special because Suzanne asked if we'd take god-daughter Kiki for the day. Suzanne is still recovering from multiple surgeries and other nonsense related to her cancer (which, btw, sucks) and, as she put it, "I want her to have a fun day but I'm just not up to making it happen". Well, that's what god-moms are for, say I. So there will be an Easter egg hunt and egg dying and lots of other general spoiling. The Child is very excited (because we weren't going to have an egg hunt this year and even though she was 16 she was disappointed so, yay, she still gets one). She is very sensible of her role as "big sister" in the Kikster's life. And I just realized that now that Kiki is in our life, Easter egg hunts will, in fact, continue in our home for the foreseeable future. So there you go.

Anybunny, here is wishing all my Blogtopian friends a very blessed Easter (if you swing that way) and a very nice Sunday to those who don't.

Got Ham?

Easter was lovely, thanks. Rained like a son-of-a-gun, prompting The Child to crack wise with the ark jokes, but still. We all went to the Easter Vigil, which meant that we could leave some room for the C&E Christians on Easter morning, which further meant that we had a long, lovely leisurely day before needed to prepare the Easter feast. It was a very good strategery and one that will be repeated in years to come. We planned on 12 for dinner and were 9 instead, meaning that there is a plethora of ham in the freezer.

And I, having refrained from sweety treats for 40 days and 40 nights very much enjoyed the triple coconut cream pie.

Yesterday was the beginning of Easter break for The Child and The Spouse had also arranged to have the day off. When I returned home from work they had restored the living/dining room to order, cleaned the kitchen, stowed the left-over ham AND The Spouse was busily preparing a big pot o' chicken cacciatore and risotto for dinner.

I told him I was gonna have to buy him somethin' pretty.

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In other news, I would like to make some remarks regarding pirates:

Hi, pirates. Rumor has it you are a little miffed that the US retrieved one of her captains by shooting to death 3 pirates. Now you're saying that you aren't going to play nice anymore when you take Americans hostage. Because apparently holding people for ransom is the civilized thing to do. Um, hello? You're pirates. Taking anyone hostage for any reason is an act of provocation. That's a big word so let me explain it this way: You started it. You don't want to be shot at? Stop taking people hostage. For that matter, stop being pirates.

Oh, and another thing, pirates. You've seen our ships. You've what kind of shots those Navy Seals are. I know you've got this pirate-y image to uphold and everything but if I were you and I saw a ship running with American colors, I'd pretend I didn't see it, gently hum a sea shanty while looking the other way and keep on sailing.

How Was Your Easter? Mine Was Great. Thanks.

The food was pretty awesome.
There weren't any leftover potatoes.
The centerpiece was pretty.The BAH was, as always, a masterpiece. The remains are now in the freezer, awaiting Pentecost.

The company was jovial, there was the annual singing of "I Don't Know How to Love Him". People played Guitar Hero.But there was some unpleasantness. It had to do with The Baby. His parents, Seattle Coffee Girl and The Prince are really lovely people, don't get me wrong. But no one really likes their baby.

Uncle Jerry doesn't like him.


I don't like him at all.Ree Ree doesn't like him and as you can see, The Neighbor isn't the least bit impressed with him.
Not to mention, he has some very unpleasant table manners. When he's not chewing on the good linens, he's drooling.You know what the real problem is? The kid is just so dour and lacking in personality.A shame really.

Happy Easter, from our house to yours.

Alleluia!

In the Catholic tradition, the "A word" is buried for 40 days. Not until the Easter Vigil do we again sing "Alleluia". And last night we sang it probably 100 times, at least, stuffing it into every possible acclaimation and chorus there was. It was awesome. Funny how you can take a word for granted. Because I'm telling you, it choked me up the first few times.

Mass was wonderful and now, well, now I'm getting ready to pull out the strata and fry up a mess o' sausages for the brunch guests.

It's pouring rain so the Easter Egg Hunt will be indoors. Which is good because it forced me to sweep hours before I might have otherwise bothered. Once the guests are sated and wend their way home, mommy is going to hit the rack for her traditional Easter Afternoon Nap, a sacred and wonderful tradition. (I did a lot of cooking yesterday and have very little to do for tonight's feast. I'm smug).

For those of you who observe it - Alleluia, He is risen indeed.

For those of you who don't - what the hey hey; Alleluia anyluia!

Scenes from Easter Break: The Snuffling Dog

The Dog's sister is visiting. And she is being very odd. She keeps snuffling and scratching under the bookcase that stands to the left of my desk. I began to think there might be a mouse hiding under there or something, she was so persistent.

I took a Swiffer thingy and discovered that there were bits of somethings under there, somethings more substantive than just the eternal dust bunnies that exist in a house with animals. I used the handle of the Swiffer thingy to see if I could pull out any of the bits. There was a marble, a dry erase pen (yay!) and a little box of retro aluminum coasters with poodles on them which I vaguely remember being given by The Neighbor. There was also some very ancient kibble, which Sister Dog immediately began to eat. Eewww.

And I thought that would be the end of it, but she's still scratching and snuffling and I can't figure out what in the world could be so compelling.

I admire her persistence. But I don't know that it will be rewarded. Moving the cupboard to see what else might be there would require unloading 412 pounds of serving pieces and tins full of bread and flour and sugar. And I'm just not in the mood right now.

Easter Monday

Right about now my regular blog buddies are thinking, "Hey, shouldn't we be seeing glorious pictures of the BAH as she regales us with tales of the feast? Ought not our mouths to be watering by now?"

Yes.

But see, first I slept in for a really long time and then had coffee with The Neighbor, who slept in even longer. Then I stared mindlessly at my computer for a while, answered a few emails, read some stuff, like that.

And now I have to mitigate the damage from last night's party before going over to help The Neighbor start reclaiming some of her house. (The remodel is puttering toward an end and she's so ready for it to all be over. I told her this morning that I was fooling around on the computer because that way my back was to the kitchen mess and she said, "I want to turn my back on my whole house". Hence my desire to help her find some order amid the chaos).

So anyway, maybe you'll get festal pictures and wrap up later today. Or tomorrow. I also haven't told you what I thought of Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette" or about the newly instituted Easter tradition of the BBB or about yesterday's brunch or the fact that the authorities suspect arson in that house fire the other night.

I had jelly beans and coffee for breakfast. And the ears of my solid chocolate bunny with Butterfinger® bits in it.

Easter Morning

Hail thee festival day

Blessed day that art hallowed forever

Day whereon Christ arose

breaking the kingdom of death!

That's the big anthem we always sing on Easter, right before the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Woke up with it on my mind, so there you go.

The Child and I went to the Easter Vigil last night; it is my absolute favorite liturgy. This year 25 people were baptized. I had the privilege of standing as proxy for a woman named Liz. She lives in Oregon but came up to be baptized along with her sister, who is a parishioner at the cathedral. Liz's sponsor couldn't make the trip, I was available, there you go. Liz is a lovely, funny young woman and we hit it right off. I got to spend some time with her during the afternoon preparatory retreat and it was, not to put too fine a point on it, a blessing.

Anyhoo, the service was gorgeous, the spirit infectious, the music grand. The service began in clear, balmy air as we gathered on the Cathedral steps for the lighting of the Easter fire. And when Mass was over, we left in a torrential downpour. It was like God was saying, "All that water imagery? All the baptismal stuff? Yeah, I mean it". And then, just as quickly it stopped.

We got home around 12:30. The Child went off to bed and I ran over for a post-prandial with The Neighbor, who is in 2 choirs at church and consequently has pretty much been singing non-stop since Good Friday. Then home to assemble Easter baskets.

I was still a little jacked up from the service so I read a bit, finally turning off my light a little after 1:30. Then sirens started. And came very close. And we looked out the windows and smoke was pouring down our street. A house just a block up had caught fire. It was quite the most sensational thing I think I've ever witnessed...flames shooting up into the dark sky, the sound of breaking glass and chain saws, the myriad lights of so many response units that I just kept hoping no one else needed anything in the night. The smoke was frighteningly thick at times, swirling around the knots of neighbors who gathered along the sidewalk, talking in hushed tones.

There was so much hooha I wouldn't be able to sleep, even though my group finally all ceded to the cold (including The Spouse). I wandered up to the corner to see if there was any word and found Tanya, the Rabbi's youngest (beautiful young woman, a hat maker). Then the Rabbi and his wife came along. We were alternately chatting almost blithely about our Passover/Easter celebrations and then saying, "Oh, I hope everyone got out"...stricken little prayers of hope.

And the family did get out: parents, grandparents and 2 teenage boys. Although, we also learned, the firefighters had delayed putting out the blaze because the youngest boy was unaccounted for and they had kept searching the house for him. Turns out, the little bastid had snuck out and was at a friend's...they called his cell. I looked at Tanya and said, "Oh, when the relief subsides, he is sooooo grounded".

Anyway, once we had the word that all was well and another neighbor family had taken them in for the night, I felt like I could sleep. Which I did. For what amounted to 4 hours before The Spouse got up for early services.

So there you go. Mama is soooo going to be taking her traditional Easter nap today. The extended version. Now I must away to assist the Easter Bunny -who left a basketful of eggs on my desk. I think she wasn't quite sure if the weather would support an outdoor hunt so she left that call to me. It is blue and fine...just like an Easter morning should be...so outside it is.

Friends arrive at 10:30 for the hunt and brunch. I intend to bodily remove them all by 1 at the latest so I can sleep before the feast at 6:30. Mmmmm. BAH.

For those of you to whom it applies, have a very happy, blessed Easter. For those of you to whom it doesn't, have a wonderful day anyway!

Monday Stuff

This week is going to be massively nuts. Tonight is the only night I get to spend at home. Tomorrow I'm doing some Passover babysitting for the Rabbi's grandson. Wednesday there is a meeting at school. (You know how I hate evening meetings but someone is coming from the SPD to talk about internet safety and teens and that's a pretty important topic). Thursday is Holy Thursday so we'll be at church.

To balance the equation, The Child is starting her service hours for this trimester, working 3 days a week helping with different after school activities. Which means mama doesn't have to pick her up until 4 or 4:30 most days. Love that.

Yesterday the weather really got into the whole April Fools concept. It was bright and fragrant but the sun was deceptive. It was frakking cold all day. So cold, that even though it was April, I felt completely justified in making chicken and biscuits for dinner. Winter food in springtime. It was really yummy.

Yesterday was also Palm Sunday. YAY! Lent is almost over, officially ending on the Thursday evening, when the Holy Triduum, or 3 Days, begin. This Lent has kicked my butt. I'm going to be really, really, REALLY ready for the feast of Easter.

Not that I'm complaining. Lent is supposed to kick your butt, one way or the other. There's been a lot of reflection and wrestling and plenty of realizations. The self-examined life, they say, is not worth living. But Lent is heavy on the examination part. I suppose it's not unlike studying for a really big test. You have to do it, you know it will bear fruit, sometimes you discover little nuggets of truth that escaped you during the regular classwork. But in the end, you really can't wait for it to all be over. Hopefully, some of what I learned will stay with me instead of falling out of the back of my head.

Crap. School just called. The Child is sick.