Cake in Bed

 

 

I made a Lemon Bliss Bundt Cake today for coffee hour and drizzled on some glaze made with Meyer lemons (which have such a wonderful taste!).  It is a bit of a nail-biter to remove a cake from a bundt pan, but it worked out today.  There was one slice left and I got to enjoy it this afternoon while knitting and watching Father Brown in bed.   

Lady's Slippers

 

  Elusive Pink Lady's Slippers are dotting our woods.  I look for them all of April and then, seemingly overnight, they are up!

A Place to Lay Her Head

 

 

Our little girl finished embroidering the first of a pair of pillowcases.  She bought the kit at Hobby Lobby after carefully saving her allowance for a worthy purchase.  I am so impressed by all of her hard work and can hardly believe that our ten year-old is able to create such beauty!

Kindnesses

 

If she had been a rich woman she would have given presents to every one she knew, and it was actually a luxury for her to do something for the Cupps, who she always felt were continually giving her more than she paid for.  the care they took of her small room, the fresh hot tea they managed to have ready when she came in, the penny bunch of daffodils they sometimes put on her table, were kindnesses, and she was grateful for them." 

The Making of a Marchioness

Frances Hodgson Burnett 

My Own Sunshine

 

 

 

 

It was another gloomy day weather-wise, but I made my own sunshine with fresh flowers for the table and a return to my knitting.  When things get busy, my knitting and reading get cast aside...  now that things have started to settle down, I can concentrate on some leisure activities.  I'm in the midst of knitting my first Amelie Sock and am slowly reading Few Eggs and No Oranges.  

 

The Day of Joy

 

 

It poured and poured today.  We've kept the fire going for the past two days to ward off the chill and it's cheerful glow has kept morale up in the process.  

Today is the Day of Joy in the Orthodox Church.  It is the day that Orthodox Christians sing memorial services and remember their dearly departed loved ones.  We had a service at church this morning and afterward one of our parishioners gave me a pussy willow tree to plant in the garden.  Hopefully we'll have pussy willows to bless for Palm Sunday next year.  We need to find a wet and sunny spot to plant it.

We've been recuperating from our busy weekend (and really, we're still recovering from Pascha).  The most we've accomplished in the last two days has been a little remedial housework and our schoolwork...  we're all just so tired! I anticipate a few more lazy days until we're back to our usual selves.  Sometimes the best thing to do is to listen to our bodies and rest.  Why is that so hard to do?! 

The Holy Fire

 

 

We were very blessed to be able to bring the Holy Fire home with us last night!  Our dear friends (and two of our children's godparents) were able to get the Holy Fire on Bright Monday and have passed it out to several churches in New Jersey.  It was a little stressful to keep the candles lit on the long way home, but Glory to God, we got it here! 

Snapshots from Anna's Shower

  

Bridal Shower Menu

Sandwiches

Tortellini Salad

Crudité Platter 

Cheese Platter

Assorted Cakes

 

 

Bright Saturday

 

 

 

 

Rejoice, O holy and divine abode of the most high!  For through you, O Theotokos, joy is given to those who cry:  Blessed are you among women, O all-undefiled Lady!    

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My sisters and I spent the day getting some errands done for Anna's bridal shower and her upcoming wedding.  It was a fun day for us all!

Bright Friday

 

Bearing Life and more fruitful than paradise, brighter than any royal chamber:  Thy tomb, O Christ, is the fountain of our Resurrection.     

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The Merry Trio and I are on our way to a little weekend getaway that will include a bridal shower for my sister, Anna!

Bright Thursday

 

In the tomb with the body and in hell with the soul, in paradise with the thief and on the throne with the Father and the Spirit, wast Thou, O boundless Christ, filling all things.   

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Thursday is our busiest day with gym class and violin lessons.  We left early for gym so that I could run a few errands for my sister's upcoming bridal shower, and decided at the last minute to skip gym and have lunch out.  It was a lot of fun and I don't regret our truancy one bit!  

Bright Wednesday

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thou didst descend into the tomb, O Immortal, Thou didst destroy the power of death!  In victory didst Thou arise, O Christ God, proclaiming "Rejoice" to the myrrh-bearing women, granting peace to Thine apostles, and bestowing resurrection on the fallen. 

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My husband had to visit a hospitalized parishioner today, so the children and I tagged along and wandered around one of our favorite seaside towns.  The children enjoyed looking in the shops, while my favorite part was gazing at the gardens and architecture.  I believe that this was the first time that I have seen Lily of the Valley growing.  I'd like to add a few plants to my garden this coming year.

Bright Tuesday

 

 

Before the dawn, Mary and the women came and found the stone rolled away from the tomb. They heard the angelic voice: “Why do you seek among the dead as a man the One who is Everlasting Light? Behold the clothes in the grave! Go and proclaim to the world: The Lord is risen!” He has slain death, as He is the Son of God, saving the race of men.   

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Today was the first day that we could have a nice breakfast and I really savored it.  I love making toast from the Greek Pascha Bread that I baked on Great and Holy Saturday and frying up some bacon and eggs.  It's such a festive breakfast after fasting for so long.  The weather was beautiful, so we headed out to the boardwalk after lunch, took a walk, and played a little skee ball.   

Aren't those pysanky eggs on my breakfast table lovely?  I won a recent giveaway on Deirdre's Instagram page and am thrilled with them! If you're looking for some beautiful pysanky, check out Daedal Shop! 

Bright Monday

 

Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship, the holy Lord Jesus, the only Sinless One! We venerate Thy Cross, O Christ, and Thy Holy Resurrection we praise and glorify; for Thou art our God, and we know no other than Thee; we call on Thy name. Come, all you faithful, let us venerate Christ’s Holy Resurrection! For, behold, through the Cross joy has come into all the world. Let us ever bless the Lord, praising His Resurrection. For by enduring the Cross for us, He has destroyed death by death!    

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We had Liturgy this morning and then took the Merry Trio to see Beauty and the Beast.  It was such a beautiful movie.  I read an article on the movie prior to viewing it and felt it was spot on.  Have you seen it?  

Prayer Pal

Every Forgiveness Sunday, our parish draws names from a basket and gets a "prayer pal" to pray for during Great Lent.  I found out that I was Father Daniel's pal last night.  I think that having the highest ranked priest in the Orthodox Church in American praying for me for the last six weeks was the reason I had such a nice Lenten season.

Christ is Risen!

Our 2017 Pascha Basket

Greek Pascha Bread

bacon

Lindt chocolate bunnies

red eggs

feta

pepperoni

summer sausage

sparkling apple cider

mozzarella cheese

Cheese Pascha

 

Our Pascha Menu

Spiral Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

Scalloped Potatoes

Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

Hard Boiled Eggs

Greek Pascha Bread

Cheese Pascha

Strawberry Blueberry Trifle (with homemade pound cake)

Great and Holy Saturday

  Every time I open the door, I get a whiff of Pascha.  Buying hyacinths for the porch will forevermore be on my Holy Week to do list.

Great and Holy Friday