Pascha Sunday Night at Home

After a beautiful Pascha and Agape Vespers,

we went home and I set up the table for our Pascha night dinner.

We always have food from our basket and this year had leftover 

chicken from earlier that day!

I used my Grandma's everyday dishes that I was given when she replaced

them with a new set, well over 20 years ago... 

We used her silver-plate silverware,

the rushnyk (the red, white and black cloth)

 from my Ottawa Ukrainian Mother, 

that she gave me for Pascha over 7 years ago,

the icon of the Resurrection, the big one, I made with a Kodak Machine in Ottawa 

and a dollar store frame and had blessed on Pascha, many years ago...

the smaller icon in the basket was +Patrick's... 

The tablecloth is one of two that I have that were my Husband's Grandmother's, 

we think... that I got from his Mother a few years ago... 

so lots of beloved family and church family remembered in our Pascha table...

and the multi-coloured roses that we always get on Pascha... 

And that was our Pascha night table this year... 

Christ is Risen! Truly, He is Risen!

Pascha 2015

It was, as a good friend said,

a bittersweet Pascha for us this year...

having just the day before

learned of Mr. Husband's 

Godson's death...

*

I thought I should put up some 

pictures from Pascha nonetheless... 

I am so glad that Pascha is for 40 days

and that we get to keep singing 

"Christ is Risen from the dead,

trampling down death by death"

*

It is the best news,

the only news,

we really need to know

and it is saving news...

Pascha Baskets for 2014

My Pascha cookies!

A special gift from friends at Christmas that

I told them we will keep till Pascha and have blessed...

Italian chocolate from the town where 

St. Benedict is from!

Four different cheeses for our Pascha basket!

Funny, but I was getting the baskets ready

in our hotel suite and kept feeling disappointed,

because our Pascha baskets seemed to be lacking...

and then I realized I forgot the many cheeses I had 

bought earlier in the week!

Then the baskets seemed great!!!

 The large basket with cookies, with

a white linen cloth... the linen is a heirloom

I found of Mr. Husband's Mother's Mother,

Grandma P, ... when I saw it 

I knew I would use it for Pascha this year!

I used my Ukrainian Rushnyk again this year

that my beloved Ukrainian family gave me as

a wedding gift... this one they gave me was for my Pascha 

basket and I think of them very much when

I am getting ready for Pascha... 

*

I am so very glad to be married to Mr. Husband...

and I love my new Parish...

but of course I love my Ottawa Parish too 

and missed seeing them on Pascha... but!!!

I knew we were all spiritually celebrating together

and I lit many candles for them all on Pascha...  

and told some of my new church family about 

Pascha things we did in Ottawa and that helps 

me feel connected to my beloved past church and 

my beloved new church...

*

Mr. Husband's spiritual father wisely told me

before we were married that I was not 

losing my Ottawa church family

but extending my church family...

it was to get bigger not smaller!

Our Pascha basket this year!

See the daffodils in the basket next?

I loved that and hope to incorporate it next year, 

DV... I love how Pascha traditions grow with the years...

There were so many beautiful baskets this year!

Our church basement is not that large so 

we did the blessing of baskets outside...

Mr. Husband is in this picture...

he is wearing the white cassock that I got him

for his engagement present on Pascha

the year we got engaged...

*

Already in the years we've known each other,

Mr. Husband and I have so many good memories

together...and this was our third Pascha!

*

Christ is Risen!!!

Truly, He is Risen!

Bright Wednesday

Another way I decorated for the
Bright Season
is using this lovely table runner that
Mr. Husband's Grandmother made.
So lovely and festive! 

I put out the icon of
St. Nicholas, Raphael and Irene
on display as well as
they are commemorated on Bright Tuesday.
See here for a wonderful story of how
a young teenage boy was saved by them
after being severely injured on a motorbike accident.
My small icon of them is from the
Greek monastery Mr. Husband and I love in
Quebec. 

So glad for this beautiful embroidery from
Mr. Husband's Grandmother;
having things passed down to us is such a special thing.

We got this lovely Pascha card!

Mr. Husband stayed home today ~
there was a flash flood warning for this part of NJ earlier this AM;
sadly Mr. Husband woke up with a sinus cold
and we are drinking lots of water, teas and I made
chicken soup for lunch.

 

It was the easiest soup I've made
as I had been given the chicken broth by a
caring friend from church,
had the rice made already
and the chicken I cut up from the nice
meal Mr. Husband and I had at restaurant on
Bright Monday.
*
I am still really tired and am trying to rest up.
A dear friend sent me an email about when she had mono
and that it took time to get better
and reminded me to keep pacing myself and rest.
*
Pascha was such a wonderful time.
I miss it already!
Yet it is still bright week and that is so wonderful!
This blog has had so many wonderful
posts for Bright Week.
*
I am loving that we get to sing
Christ is Risen
for our prayers this week!