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.