This Joyful Eastertide

Though we debated trying to be back in Chicago for the Triduum, we’re very happy to have been able to participate so fully in the Easter season here, from start to finish.  A Chicago trip would have broken up the experience and this way we’ll be able to fully partake next year.  As always, our friends in the music ministry were more than willing to let us be involved and it was incredible fulfilling. A brief summary:

• Holy Thursday – “Mandatum novum do vobis”.  We commemorated the Last Supper and the washing of feet.  In addition to my piano duties, I also was in the hand bell choir.  This was a first.  And likely a last, but I enjoyed the new experience.
• Good Friday – Aimee sang (as she has the two previous years) “Zerfließe mein Herze”, an aria from Bach’s St. John Passion.  We had a flute and oboe join us from Emory and it was beautiful.  The poignant text lends itself perfectly to the Good Friday service:
  
  

  Zerfließe, mein Herze, in Fluten der Zähren dem Höchsten zu Ehren! Erzähle der Welt und dem Himmel die Not: Dein Jesus ist tot.

  Dissolve, my heart, in floods of tears, In honor of the Lord Most High! Tell the news to the earth and heavens: Your Jesus is dead.

• Easter Vigil – this was our first Vigil that really stepped through the liturgy as prescribed by the Church.  It was longer than I’m used to but very well done. 
• Easter Sunday – we did both the 9am and 11:30am masses Easter morning.  It’s always interesting to see the change in “prayer dynamic” from the people that attend the Thursday-Friday-Saturday services to the people that attend the Sunday mass.  Often one of the few masses many people attend all year, it’s always important to put your best foot forward.  Our collective feet were forward as I accompanied Aimee singing “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth” from Handel’s Messiah.

In all, I would describe the Triduum at IHM as “very ritualistic”.  Speaking of ritual, did we dye eggs?  You bet.  Except I decided to forego the Paas go a bit more natural. In honor of Angry Birds (not the ones currently swooping around outside our apartment, but the iPhone game), I made several Golden Eggs.  Turns out turmeric, lemon peel, and vinegar all boiled together with eggs makes a fantastical dye.  They are well hidden too, just look in the fridge.

This week, Aimee and I are in Austin together.  I’m here for work and she’s here for vacation.  My family is coming to town on Wednesday for a family wedding but also to help celebrate my 30th birthday.  We will be dining at La Traviata in downtown Austin.  Aimee had some more days off to take before the end of her year so we decided to spent the time together in Austin.

With Lent behind us, thought I would share a picture of one of the meatless entrees I created:  green peppers stuffed with quinoa and roasted vegetables, topped with feta cheese.  They tasted better than they look below:

And last but not least (well kind of least): Some pictures of Crowley after her Easter grooming:

Special thanks to Michael and Jeff for their willingness to help us take care of Crowley when we’re out of town and for those times in life when you just feel like a deflated, punctured tire.