Exhibition in Wellington, New Zealand.

My dear, artistic friend has an exhibition coming up:

Practising.........

I have asked husband E and 7 year old daughter to sing and play Simon and Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair" for my birthday at the end of June. They are practising. It already sounds good.

Here is 2 year old daughter 'practising' too!

A New Friend.

Using ANZAC Biscuits for Dessert........

Take two ANZAC biscuits. Put them in the microwave for 30 seconds. Using a teaspoon, mould them into muffin tins. Spoon caramel or chocolate sauce onto each base. Bake for 10minutes. Eat.

Mum gave me a photocopy of this recipe.

ANZAC Day.

25.04.09

Genesis 9.

Photo by husband E. Taken today at 5pm from our front driveway.

"I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my convenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting convenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9: 13-16.

This 'Blogging Thing'.

This 'blogging thing' is interesting isn't it? So many connections with faces not physically seen. Susan at High Desert Home is moving and not continuing with her blog anymore. I feel as though I have lost a neighbour. So many things she talked about on her blog are things that I feel or value. She advocates healthy eating, simple pleasures, joy in her surroundings and days dedicated to God. I loved her snapshots of life as they were warm and reassuring. I will truly miss her.

Views From.....

..........my sick bed. This too shall pass.

More Children's Artwork.

More artwork from 4 year old daughter.

Impossible Lime Pie.

To make two pies:

120g butter

1 cup SR flour

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

6 eggs

grated rind of 3 limes/lemons (I used lemonades from Mrs N's tree)

1 cup lime/lemon/lemonade juice

3 cups milk.

Mix all ingredients except milk. Then add milk and whisk. Bake two pies at 180 degrees for 1 hour. Serve with ice cream or thick cream.

Thankyou Mrs N for this recipe which was brought to a pot luck dinner at our house.

These Three Things.

Flannel flowers, to be found in the bush later in the year, graced my wedding bouquet. My Ouma's hand mirror.

Outdoor Furniture.

I (actually husband E), has been moving furniture, outside.

Lake House Bathroom Renovation.

A very small bathroom. I like the dark tiles that help us be on holiday and not notice the dirt on our feet and on the floor.

One A Penny, Two A Penny........

Hot Cross Buns. Homemade.

He is Risen!

He is risen indeed!

Today, a moving church service with little girls dressed in dresses made by Aunty L and 2 year old little girl dressed in a dress smocked by her great aunt in England. 10 year old son looked handsome too!

Then we drove past Aunty L's church and saw the beautiful cross that was bare yesterday.

Lunch then overlooking the water as our family treat instead of Easter eggs.

Easter Saturday at the LakeHouse.

Good Friday.

Passover Meal.

and washing..........

Easter Bible Readings.

I wanted to bring as much focus into our family's experience as there is at Christmas.

Judas' betrayal Matt: 21: 1-11, Luke 19:29-35, John 13:21-38
Palm Sunday, Luke 19: 36-44
Passover/Last Supper Luke 22:7-20, Matthew 26: 26-28

Passover meal: Tonight we will enjoy this.
http://www.westarkchurchofchrist.org/wings/lbcexo11-12.htm

Washing feet John 13:3-16 We will wash our childrens' feet...........
Judas' betrayal John 13:21-28
Gethsemane Matt:26:30-46
Arrest of Jesus Matt 26:47-56
The rooster crows /Peter Luke 22:54-62
Mocking Luke 22:63-71
Pontius Pilate Luke 23: 1-7, John 18:28-38
Barrabus Luke 23:8-12
Crucifiction Luke 23:26-43 Homemade Easter buns.
Death Matt 27:45-54, John 19:30
Tomb Matt 27: 57-66, John 19: 38-42
Sunday/rose again Matthew 28: 1-7
Perhaps (?) we will wake our older two and see the sun rise with some Rooibos tea and buns.
Also the tomb cake that I wrote about, inspiration from another blog.
Mary John 20: 1-18
Jesus walking Luke 24:13-27
Jesus rises to heaven Acts 1:3-11
Pentecost Acts 2:1-11, Acts 2:12-39

If You Go Down to the Woods Today......

You might find Grandpa and some grandchildren.

Soup and Soccer.

We are back to earlier darkness in the day, ballet and then soccer training on Tuesday afternoons and evenings. The crockpot works well for soup for our family; keeping warm, looking after itself and being wholesome. Homemade bread is good company, butter too.

Palm Sunday.

From Sunday.

Soft, Green and old.

This blanket is soft and green which is my favourite colour. I love these suitcases (I have talked about them before), they hide everything and are easy to open and they belonged to someone else before me. I wonder where this one travelled to?

Easter Traditions in the Family.

OK, lots of lessons about Easter since my last post:

Easter eggs aren't bad, it depends how you think of them. There is the empty tomb concept that I spoke of ; the symbol of new life and the fact that Jewish people eat an egg at the Passover meal (Seder) to symbolise the suffering and oppression in Egypt. Everything else in boiling water becomes soft or disintegrates. But an egg becomes hard, like the Israelites. The more it is boiled, the harder it becomes.

I have also read Nicole talk about a cake that she bakes and serves on Easter Sunday with a cracked, empty Easter egg on top to symbolise that the tomb is empty.

See this post and her blog for some great ideas to create Easter traditions in your home with your family.

Here is another post from Barbara: with some brilliant ideas.

At this stage, I think we will have a meal to symbolise the Passover on Thursday night and to remember the Last Supper. Perhaps some feet washing too.

Friday is for hot cross buns, a quiet day of reflection.

Saturday a day of vigil; in essence a Sabbath.

Sunday a day of celebration:

See here for the markers of the Holy week.

Easter.

I read in a blog that Easter was a really special time for that author as it did not have the huge run up to Christmas, yet was a very special time in the Christian calendar. I agree but also find that I have neglected to bring the lead up to Easter into our discussion and preparation with the children. Time to fix it.


I found our books............I bought unleavened bread ready for a Passover meal.............we are not doing Easter eggs en masse, I don't see the need. We have a little bag to share. If eggs feature in a large way for you, I remember a church service explaining to children to check if the egg was hollow or filled. If hollow, it was a real egg as the tomb was empty when Jesus rose again from the dead.


One tradition we do have each year is to give family members bulbs to plant so that we have new life in Spring in September. Quite frankly, I think if we buy chocolate it has to be the good stuff and I am afraid that it does not come in the shape of an Easter egg for me..........

Rhythms and Rituals.

St. John.

I have enjoyed learning more about a family in Israel by reading Domestic Felicity. I am struck by the rhythms of life in the Hebrew calendar that a Jewish lady, Anna describes.



Also Elizabeth, a Catholic lady writes about prayer that is rhythmic much like a call to prayer for five times a day in the Islamic faith. The Angelus, a rosary; uncomplicated practices that direct one.



I also read last night in the Sydney Morning Herald's "Good Living" guide about an Orthodox Greek family who are preparing for Easter with cooking and the very specific foods that are eaten after church as we remember Christ's death and resurrection.



These rituals are excellent prompts to help us be still and to reflect. I am not thinking of these things as being beneficial if done without thought and meaning.



Today I am thinking about the meaningful rituals that are in our life that help us to be still and draw us to God throughout the day.