Waiting for the dough to rise...



Gettin off easy this year...

...for our Hot Cross Buns...

Dan's sauteeing the" faux lamb" for our Maundy Thursday dinner.  Don't tell the kids, but I just couldn't justify paying $9.00 a pound for lamb, so we're using stew meat...  I'm so raising my own sheep for next year.  Instead of having the roast lamb  and fingerling potatoes and asparagus like we did for years, we stumbled upon a new tradition last year of having a curry dish instead.  Dan and half the kids don't like lamb, so masking the flavor -- when we actually really have lamb does the trick.  This year it's not even lamb, though.  (Teehee)  Wonder who's going to  complain because they can still taste the lamb?

Having finished one more "last trip" to the store this morning, I think I have just about everything else in order for the rest of the week.  I started typing out my list of to-dos to share, but was searching around for last year's Maundy Thursday stational Church link (for the Following the Path post) and realized that I'd already written the list, almost word for word, last year!  So here, with a few alterations, it is; this is what we do:

Maundy Thursday

*Finish up the spring cleaning started Monday
*Supper:
between 2 and 3 pm to accomodate fasting for Maundy Thursday Mass at 6:00
Lamb , asparagus with hollandaise, herbed fingerling potatoes, hot cross buns (our non-sweet version) wine
Faux lamb curry over rice

At the dinner table, everyone has a glass of wine (or Sprite with a drop of wine) and by Dan's plate we place a basket of hot cross buns (actually in our house they are rolls with a cross cut into the top before baking). After we pray grace, Dan makes the sign of the cross over each bun and hands it down the line until each member of the family has one. Then we eat our buns and drink our wine while Dan reads the Gospel of the Last Supper. After which we eat the rest of the meal. Then, Mass in the evening, after which the oldest of us will take turns at all night adoration.

Good Friday

Friday is a quiet day. As much as we are able, we speak in quiet voices and as little as possible, in memory of the solemn events in Christ's life on good Friday. The two little boys have nasty colds, so they need to be home, but  Dan will go with the big girls to the Good Friday services at our parish, while I babysit the boys.  We'll read the Passion story in our children's Bible and color some images of Our Lord on the cross and be as quiet and subdued as we can.  Then, when everyone's home, we'll have the remainder of the Hot Cross buns with a simple clear broth vegetable soup that I'll start before we leave. Then we'll watch The Passion.

Holy Saturday

* Preparation and decoration day. We usually watch Jesus of Nazareth while we work this day. (We've often started it on Maundy Thursday and we finish it today)  We'll bring out our spring wreaths and decorations. Deck out Our Lady's niche with flowers and ribbons. Make sure everyone's bathed and hair washed by bedtime. Get out everyone's Easter clothes and make sure they're pressed and ready to go for Easter Mass. Color eggs, prepare Easter goodies, and begin work on the Easter feast.

* Of extended family,only Aunt Nina will be here for Easter Day, but that doesn't mean we'll feast any less.  We'll spend part of the afternoon preparing potato salad, broccoli salad, and some little Easter Cakes maybe.
Then:
*10:30 Paschal Vigil

Easter Sunday

* ...begins for some of us at midnight with Midnight Mass, following the Paschal Vigil,

* Since my sister (Bless her!) is staying home with a contingent,  I think only Dan, Theresa and I will attend the Paschal Vigil and Midnight Mass; she'll take everyone else with her to morning Mass.

* When we get back, Dan and I will lay out all the Easter goodies and decorate the dining room table, with a place set for each child with their own special treats. And then, bedtime for us...

* ...and God willing, the children will let us sleep in!

* And then, the fun really begins in the morning. The "candy bar" will be open to all. The house will smell like ham and rolls baking. Since we don't have any of the big kids home before Easter evening -- when John, Michelle, and a slew of roadtrip buddies will roll in -- Dan or I will probably  hide the Easter eggs.  Then we'll drink coffee, watch movies and eat candy the rest of the day.  Maybe play a board game or two.  And wait for the crowd to arrive.

Life will be good.

Life is good.

Our best wishes for everyone's Sacred Triduum to be filled with graces!
I'll try to get on and record some more of Abbot Gueranger's meditations on Good Friday, but then I expect I'll be up to my eyeballs until after Easter....  So, if I don't see you 'til After the big day -- Happy, Happy Easter, too!