Skywatch Friday-Under the Roman Sky

Hello, dear friends,
Glad to be skywatching again.

I took he picture above while touring the streets of Rome during our Easter vacation.
I hope your skies are blue.
More great Skywatching here.

He is Risen

He is Risen!-He trully is!

I hope you all had a lovely time during Easter. I shall be posting again soon!














 

Happy Easter

I wish you all my dear friends a holy week and a blessed Easter.








Graphics by Irene

He is Risen~and we are home!

Easter(April 19th)

St.George (April 23rd)

Mother of God~ Fountain of Life (April 24th)

Sending warmest wishes to all of you. We are back to Greece, after a lovely trip to Italy and Germany. I hope to be able to post about it soon and share some beautiful places and times in our life with you. Meanwhile I am taking care of my little one who has chickenpox, thankfully after we arrived home. See you soon!

Holy Week

"See! The Bridegroom sets forth in the dead of night. And blessed is that servant whom he shall find on watch; unworthy the one he shall come upon lazing. See to it, soul, that sleep does not overtake you, lest you be given up to death and be shut out of the kingdom. Bestir yourself, then, and sing out: "Holy, holy, holy are You, our God; through the protection of the bodiless powers, save us."

This hymn has such deep meaning. It speaks to my heart and mind. Makes me stand still. I can be so distracted by the everyday challenges of life that I may forget to stop and think of my soul, of the spiritual growth of my children, or I may put the thought to the back of my mind to see to it "properly" later in the evening. But what the hymn says, inspired by the gospel, is that we must not let our minds and souls fall asleep, otherwise sin creeps in and drives us away from God's path.

It is very strange how this time of the year affects me. Sunday morning C and I went to church. We were in a good mood, as we both received the Holy Communion. We then read the Sunday papers and had a cup of coffee. At home we also did some work in the backyard, painting the fence which we had been putting off since autumn.

By afternoon though, the whole neighborhood was unusually quiet. There weren't any children riding bicycles, not the usual sounds of cooking and TV. When I went out to water the plants, it was as if the entire world was holding his breath. I mean it, litterally. Then I knew it was the beginning of the Holy Passion.

We didn't go to church last night, as Fee had alot to do for her English class today. She is doing some extra hours today and tomorrow as she will be sitting her Cambridge and Michigan exams in less than a month. We watched the service on the telly, instead.

I had an appointment with the physiotherapist this morning, a back issue that has been a nuissance for more than a month. On my way to the shop I stopped and took some photos of the inside of the church, decorated for the Holy Week.

The purple colors will be replaced with red and white rosettes on Saturday for the Resurrection service at midnight.

I hope you all had a lovely time with your loved ones, and felt more intensely Christ's presence in your lives. Have a nice week ahead.

Happy Easter, dear friends!

(Picture credit: Hiccupings)

Read a while ago on Twitter: " I think my kids believe I enjoy dishes and laundry. They seem to keep making them". That was so funny!

I really apologise for not visiting you all. We are super busy here with the spring/summer products arriving at the shop and getting ready for Easter on the homefront. We celebrate Easter one week later than Catholic and Protestant people. it's Palm Sunday for us, tomorrow. We got a laurel bush. It's the first time we shall be offering the church branches from our own tree. Branches of laurel are given away tomorrow from every church.

School paused yesterday for the Easter vacation (two weeks). I very much enjoyed taking Dee shopping on Thursday, talking to her, listening to her. I got to shop for our god daughter, too. It is traditional for a godparent to buy the godchild a chocolate egg, the candle she's going to lit on the Saturday midnight church service, and a pair of shoes. (Isn't that cute?). I got the egg and the candle but not the shoes , as our god daughter is 19 and she gets to buy them herself, we only send a note. But I'd love to buy her a pair of shoes, really!

I wish you all a very blessed Easter with your loved ones.

Holy Week 2008

Holy Week and Easter are behind us, but the flavor of the holidays is with us.
We went to church with the children, who are now more able to understand the language, and more patient with the time involved.

Thursday night we've listened to the twelve gospels narrating the events up to the cruxifiction and placement of Jesus in the tomb in our local church. On Great Friday we went to C's village and followed the afternoon service amongst the few elderly inhabitants and visitors. C carried the epitaph, an edifice made of carved wood, representing Jesus' tomb, that women decorate with flowers. In there lies a heavy red velvet. With golden thread is embroidered the dead Jesus with His Mother, his beloved John, the Apostles and the two Maries.

On Friday morning we visited an elderly relative who is very-very nice with us, bringing her the customary Easter sweets and eggs.

Fasting on Great Friday is strict, so we don't eat meat or dairy, not even oil. So, this is what our meal looked like.
I shall soon post about Easter Sunday, too. It was a deeply moving and peaceful week, for which I am offering thanks to God.

He is Risen!

"Great Saturday"

"Weep not for me, O Mother, beholding in the sepulcher the Son whom thou hast conceived without seed in thy womb. For I shall rise and shall be glorified, and as God I shall exalt in everlasting glory those who magnify thee with faith and love."

"Arise, O God, and judge Thou the earth: for Thou shall take all heathen to Thine inheritance".

"Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

"Great Friday"

Great Friday morning.

57As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. (Mathew 27:57-61)

Great Friday evening.

"The perfume-bringing women sprinkled the grave with perfumes, having come very early in the morning; Your all-pure mother started lamenting because you, Word, were dead. And the young girl was crying, with warm tears, tearing her insides"- "Oh, my sweet spring, my sweetest child, where has your beauty set?"

"Great Thursday"

Today He who hung the earth upon the waters is hung upon the Cross.

He who is King of the angels is arrayed in a crown of thorns.

He who wraps the heavens in clouds is wrapped in the purple of mockery.

He who in Jordan set Adam free receives blows upon His face.

The Bridegroom of the Church is transfixed with nails.

The Son of the Virgin is pierced with a spear.

We venerate Thy Passion, O Christ.

Show us also Thy glorious Resurrection.

Holy Week so far...

I have been silent in the past few days. Not having access to the net from home has quite an impact. The children are off school for the Easter holidays so we are all together at the shop.

I got to play board games and do some hugs and get confidential, which doesn't happen that much during a regular week.

On Palm Sunday morning I went to church. In the evening we went to church together, as a family. I loved it. Then we had dinner with friends.

Monday, I had all the good intentions of posting a rather trendy Lent menu. But I didn't. I hope I will sometime this week.

On Tuesday I've read Annie's Time Travel, and I would post, because I had quite a lot to say!..

But I didn't, because it was hot and I had a headache, and we were doing a clean up for Easter. The grass is cut, the floors are clean.

Now I have to work on the house. There is so much to do, I hardly know where to start. I'll probably just hoover and mop and tidy up. I have really began looking forward to moving to our new house. Sometimes I get desperate. Will it ever finish? Shall we be well to enjoy living in it?

I have so much wanted a house of our own. My grandma died soon after their house was finished. She refused to buy a second coat before the house was finished. She got sick soon afterwards, and died never wearing that second coat she so much wanted...

Tonight it's the the Sacramental Service of Holy Unction (Oil), celebrated only once a year, on Holy Wednesday evening. "During Holy Unction, we confess our sins and seek to be reconciled with God. The priest anoints us with Holy Oil that we may be healed both physically and spiritually".

13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. (James 5:13-15)

We've just sent our goddaughter her Easter candle, chocolate bunny and tsoureki, a traditional bread-like cake. You can find a recipe here. There is an interesting tutorial with photos here.

In the afternoon I want to make Easter cookies. Find my original recipe here.
Tomorrow we are painting the red Easter eggs. I shall be staying at home with the children in the morning.
I hope you all have a great time.

Wordless Wednesday-He is risen!

Tasty Easter

Photo Credit: Mark Thomas

Macaroons for Passover

MAKES: 3 dozen
TIME: 10 minutes per batch

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup hazelnuts (filberts), toasted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line large cookie sheet with kitchen parchment or foil.

2. In food processor with knife blade attached, blend toasted hazelnuts with sugar, cocoa, chocolate, and salt until finely ground. Add egg whites and vanilla, and process until blended.

3. Remove blade from processor. Drop batter by rounded teaspoons, 2 inches apart, on cookie sheet. If necessary, with moistened fingertip, push batter from teaspoon. Bake cookies 10 minutes or until tops feel firm when lightly pressed. Cool cookies completely on cookie sheet on wire rack. If you want to reuse cookie sheet right away, let cookies cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then slide parchment or foil, with cookies attached, onto wire rack and let cookies cool completely.

4. When cool, carefully peel cookies off parchment or foil. Store cookies in tightly covered container up to 2 weeks.


NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

(per individual serving)
Calories: 50 • Total Fat: 3 g • Saturated Fat: 1 g • Cholesterol: 0 mg • Sodium: 10 mg
Carbohydrates: 7 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 1 g

For more recipes go to the Good Housekeeping website.

And there are some more delicious Easter recipes here.

A great post

The Fact of the Resurrection

Author: Elisabeth Elliot

A metropolitan (bishop) of the Orthodox Church in Russia was faced with an atheist in the congregation who loudly declared, "Today nobody believes in the resurrection of Christ." Instead of answering the claim, the metropolitan cried out, "Chrise is risen!" and the hall, which was supposedly filled with atheists, responded with a roar, "Indeed He is risen!"

This is the proclamation of faith. It is often a waste of time and energy to argue with doubters--including ourselves. If we are assailed with unbelief, let us return to the bedrock of faith: the resurrection, for without this our faith is certainly vain. Let us shout (even alone with our private doubts) Christ is risen! It is a fact. Everything else is trivial by comparison.

And a great quote:

"God wrote, "I love you" -- he wrote it in the sky, and on the earth, and under the sea. He wrote his message everywhere! Because God created everything in his world to reflect him like a mirror -- to show us what he is like, to help us know him, to make our hearts sing".

(From this Rocks In My Dryer" post).

Easter candle

Today we bought the Easter candle we are going to offer to our goddaughter. There is a custom among Greek Orthodox people for the godfather/godmother to offer their godchild his/her candle for the Easter night service, when the Easter light is distributed among the people in church. It is lit from Jesus' tomb in Jerusalem by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and then flies to Greece and is distributed by special flights among the local dioceses.


Our goddaughter is 19 this year. She is in her first year in College studying Psychology. We therefore thought we'd buy her something cheerful, yet more feminine than fun. So this candle has a brooch on its ribbon, which I think she (or her mother!) may like.
We are also offering her an Easter egg and an Easter cake, again according to tradition.

I love to take care of her and be close to her. Time goes by so fast! Strange she is a woman already!I remember buying her shoes (another Easter custom: godparents buy their godchild new shoes). I remember in particular a pair of red sandals with tiny flowers embroidered on them. She must have been about 12...

I love keeping traditions and creating new. I believe most expats get more tied up with their country's traditions than the people who live in the actual country. This is particularly true of the Greeks, as far as I know. We grew up with very strong ties to church and Greek traditions. There was such a rivalry between homemakers for who will make the perfect red eggs, and among men for who will roast the perfect lamb on a skew!

Sometimes I get tired of all this. But then I think that in following those traditions, I am doing something important in creating memories that my children may wish to imitate for their own families, and that I am doing my part in preserving diversity in a world that becomes increasingly identical.

Easter decorations

I saw this on Martha. I think it's pretty doable, so I thought I had to share it. I think we'll give it a try.



These cheerful decorations multiply quickly, thanks to their simple construction. To bring some festive cheer to your dessert table, march the rabbits across a garland, sit them atop cupcakes, or use them to offer sneak peeks into gift bags.

Bunny How-Tos
Garland: Download rabbit template, and print. Trace onto vellum; cut out shape. Punch 2 holes in head; thread with yarn. Repeat as desired.

Gift bag: Cut an 11-by-2 1/2-inch strip of vellum. Position upright template so ears fall 2 1/2 inches below top edge. Trace; cut out. Fill 2 1/2-by-1-by-6-inch cellophane bags with favors, leaving about 2 1/2 inches empty. Wrap vellum around bag, fold top edges together, and punch 2 holes for ribbon tie. Cupcake topper: Trace template onto vellum; cut out. Repeat. Coat back of 1 rabbit and top 1/2 inch of a 6-inch bamboo skewer with a glue stick. Sandwich the stick between 2 rabbits. Dry between the pages of a magazine for 30 minutes.

For more Easter ideas from Martha Stewart click here.

Window shopping

Bunnies and eggs