Pascha and Bright Monday in MI

Pascha was good, beautiful.

I held onto my wooden beads when I would

feel a bit weepy about my +Aunt Karen;

overall it was a very joyful service for me with 

many beautiful moments.

My flight home today was smooth and quick.

I went to my +Aunt Karen's visitation tonight.

A big loss, unquestionably.

One of my father's cousins is familiar with Russia

and Orthodoxy and I was able to explain what a 

Bright Week funeral would have been like and that was 

nice and very unexpected to be understood,

as my family is respectful of Orthodoxy but do not know 

a lot about it (not something we discuss at length).

 Anyway, that was nice for me.... and not surprisingly,

my family and extended family and my Aunt Karen's side of the family

(she is married to my Dad's brother) is so warm and welcoming as well.

It will be hard to say goodbye

but am grateful it is bright week.

I am grateful that my family loves Christ so much.... that they know that

we grieve with HOPE.

I am going to wear my red jacket and my white skirt,

just like I wore on Pascha....

Sunday Evening of Pascha ~ Festive Dinner

It was so delightful to be back home on Sunday evening!

We were in a hotel from Holy Wed-Pascha/Easter Sunday.

The table cloth is from Mr. Husband's family,

the roses he got me for Pascha 

(I picked them out...), we were given lots of wonderful

festive Easter / Pascha breads! Russian and Greek (the big round one with the red egg).

We enjoyed the breads, cheese Paska, cheese and crackers and tea.

Every family has their own Bright Week traditions and ours seems to be

that we eat what is in our Pascha basket. 

It's simple and lovely to eat our blessed Pascha basket food.

The icon on the table is one I made while living in Ottawa for 

very little money (printed at local grocery store with Kodak machine,

frame from dollar store across the street) and it was blessed on Pascha.

The red egg by the Pascha Resurrection Icon is wood, made in Romania,

that my sister gave me a few years ago.

The candle stand is from a dear friend, I have had it for years now.

The dishes were my Grandma's, the tea pot my Grandma and I found together.

Our big Pascha basket I got in Ottawa years ago,

I remember carrying red roses in it to church,

for Christ's shroud.

The rushnyk is from my Ottawa-Mom for our Pascha basket,

was one of our gifts for our wedding.

As Mr. Husband and I were sitting at our beautiful Paschal table,

we could not help but think how glad we are to be Orthodox Christians and

how so many are missing the deep beauty and festivity of this holiest of times.

We thank God for what we have been given!

Christ is Risen! 

Indeed He is Risen!