veehive

For the past several years, Goldfarb and I have spent the first night of Passover with our friends Katie and Joe.  We feel so blessed to be included in the seder dinner they share with family and friends.  Last night, as we made our way to their home before sundown, I was a little sad.  Absent from the gathering this year would be Sylvia and Jack, Joe’s aunt and uncle who both passed away in the last twelve months.  But then I thought about the first time meeting them both, how much they loved each other and how sad Jack was after Sylvia’s death.  They are now together and I know they were watching over us last night. And I’m sure Jack leaned over to Sylvia after looking at me and asked her, “who’s that girl?” as he so cutely did every year after I’d enter the house.

There are many things about the Jewish religion that intrigue me.  I love many of their traditions. One that I like the most happens during weddings – the wedding procession includes the bridal party and the bride and groom’s the immediate family. And both the mother and father walk their daughter down the aisle.  There is such an added emphasis on family, as it should be. Passover is a time to remember and celebrate the exodus from Egypt.  It is a time to celebrate freedom, think about the freedoms that have not yet been realized and reflect about the things in our own personal lives that hold us back. This year we read some different parts of the Haggadah.  The people we share Passover with bring a wealth of information, insight and history to the evening which makes the night even more special.  I enjoy the discussions we have while reading from the Haggadah. 

It’s Holy Week in the Catholic church and for the first time ever I am going to to attend a few evening masses, mainly because I am interested to see how different they are from regular services and because they are rich in tradition.  I’m especially looking forward to Saturday’s Easter Vigil which starts after sundown with a fire in the parish parking lot from which the Paschal candle will be lit.  All those attending then light their candles from it and process into the church which will be lit only by candlelight.  It will be a service filled with scripture and song, culminating with the baptism of new members and candidates for communion receiving the Eucharist for the first time.  What a special way to celebrate the resurrection.

matzo ball soup

Another Saturday.  Actually, another grey, misty Saturday.  If the sun doesn’t start making regular, prolonged appearances I’m going to scream.  Good thing I booked a Vegas trip this week.  One thing I was able to cross of my list – one of only a handful of to-dos that actually got done in this hectic last week.  Let’s see…here are some highlights with a few lowlights thrown in.

::  ate out five nights – so not like us, usually it’s dinner at home that many nights or more.

::  ate Asian food three times – so yummy, so good and after eating at Wild Ginger for what seems like forever, discovered a new dish: Thai Passion Tofu.  Get it.  It is the perfect harmony of sweet, sour and salty.  The eggplant and tofu combination will have you thanking me. 

::  lunched with girlfriends, two who I’ve known since 5th grade!  They all looked better than ever.  Good genes!

::  went to Tacoma twice, time with family, time with friends, time for picture-taking including the one above.

::  got yelled at by a Port of Tacoma employee for taking said picture.  Pretty sure I’m now on some Dept. of Homeland Security list.  And if I wasn’t before, I am now for posting the pic.  

::  spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about sandwiches.

::  gased up my car.  $75!  And my dad stopped before it topped out. Oy.  Good thing I don’t drive that much.

:: thought about how I miss the Sonics, twice, the later being yesterday when I heard Clay Bennett had been appointed head of the NBA’s relocation team.  Maybe he’ll relocate our team back. Ha!  Fat chance. Watch out Sacramento.

::  that lead to thinking about Nate McMillan {my fave} and Gary Peyton.

::  that lead to thinking about the last time I had a kamikaze {yes, things always circle back to cocktails}…with Gary at Davinici’s – at the time it was our favorite drink.  Boy, that was many, many, many moons ago.

 ::  got scolded by a tween for whispering at the family dinner table with his mom…he was right; bad manners.

::   discovered you can not pour liquid over the very top of the blade in the Cuisinart…it comes out through the seemingly ‘covered’ hole.  Is it possible that I could have made so many things in that machine over the years and not known this?!  I’m breaking down and buying a Vitamix {well, maybe this fall – I’m becoming increasingly frugal}.  No, I’m breaking down and buying a Vitamix.

::  contemplated buying a leather dress.  Decided I would never, in a million years, pull it off.

::  thought about baking.  Then sanity hit me.  Thank, God.

Oh, oh…I see light in the sky.