Easter highlights...

Our friend dropped off this beautiful loaf of bread on Easter morning, and it looked so pretty with our Easter eggs, which we dyed with red cabbage and tumeric.

We had blueberry muffins at our favorite bakery before church.

Egg hunt at Oma's...
Live music!  Henry especially loved the accordion.

We had a beautiful day.  Christ is Risen!

"Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness.  A great silence because the King is asleep.  The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began...He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep.  Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him--He who is both their God and the son of Eve..."I am your God, who for your sake have become your son...I order you, O Sleeper, to awake.  I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell.  Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead."

Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday

The Seven Last Words of Our Savior on the Cross

1787, Franz Joseph Hadyn (1732-1809)

"I was requested by a canon of Cadiz [Spain] to compose instrumental music on the seven last words of our Savior on the Cross.  It was customary at the Cathedral of Cadiz to produce an oratorio every year during Lent, the effect of the performance being not a little enhanced by the following circumstances: The walls, windows, and pillars of the church were hung with black cloth, and only one large lamp hanging from the center of the roof broke the solemn darkness.  At midday, the doors were closed and the ceremony began.  After a short service the bishop ascended the pulpit, pronounced the first of the seven words and delivered a discourse thereon.  This ended, he left the pulpit and fell to his knees before the altar.  The interval was filled by music.  The bishop then in like manner pronounced the second word, then the third, and so on, the orchestra following on the conclusion of each discourse.  My composition was subject to these conditions."

-Joseph Hadyn

We've had a busy Holy Week and I have felt harried at times but a highlight was the performance of this piece of music at church for the tenebrae service on Wednesday.  There was childcare (hooray!) and the string quartet was performed by two parishioners and their friends.  In between each sonata, one of Christ's "words" (such as "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do") was read.  If you need any Good Friday music to listen to, I highly recommend it.

My spring break:

I spent the day at a wonderful quilting workshop, an early birthday present from my parents and Andrew.

We spent a lovely (though cold) week in Maine with my parents.

We visited the zoo!

And we played quietly at home.

We had a really lovely and long Christmas vacation, but it was still hard to face going back to work this week.  I did a fair bit of grumbling and dreading over the weekend, but got up at 6 a.m. Monday with resolve.  However, when I pulled into school it was strangely quiet- no cars, no people.  Turns out that all along school was scheduled to start again on TUESDAY.  It was like a snow day but maybe even better.  I came home and surprised Andrew and Henry reading stories in bed, and we decided to go into Boston to the Children's Museum where we spent the day in the "Big Dig" area lifting Henry in and out of the bobcats.

Then after dinner my sweet husband sent me out to the movies with a thermos of tea and a chocolate bar to see Happy Go Lucky, which I loved.  Funny how one extra day of vacation seemed to double the whole thing.

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen

I received many wonderful gifts for Christmas- one of my favorites is this handmade wallet I received from Maryka.  I love it!  In the past I have usually had zippered pouches for wallets with change and cards and everything mixed up together.  No more!  Now everything is neat and organized, see?

After a long and unintentional blogging break I needed a fresh start in the new year, so I am beginning to blog anew here. I hope to post occasional photos and family updates here. I've also established a Flickr page for those interested in extra photos.  So you see I have a refurbished online presence!  (One of many new year's resolutions).

We had a wonderful New Year's day sledding with rosy cheeked children and having dinner out with friends.  Hope you enjoyed your celebration as well!