Holy Week

Last Saturday there was a craft fair at the compound. There were carpets from one end of the central lawn to the other. We brought home two of them. One is perfect with the others in the living room and very soft. The other one reminds me of a patchwork quilt. I could imagine lots of ways of designing a room around it. Turns out that the default green and gold in my study on the third floor go really well.

Sunday was Palm Sunday. We rolled out the carpets figuratively to welcome the Messiah into Jerusalem. We took our rhythm instruments to accompany a Caribbean song for the processional. I'll never forget a Liberian Carmelite novice cheering us on as processed down St. John's road: "Wave your palms, people!" In Turkmenistan, we had rosemary and pussy-willow branches. I revel in the drama of this day, the knowledge that Jesus will climb the hill a week later and that same crowd will jeer instead of cheer.

Monday and Wednesday were stressed out thesis days and Joe wound up with a pretty big American citizen problem at work. Neil's second tooth poked through (photo above). It all got to Ruth Anne - they don't call it terrible two's for nothing - eh?

Early Thursday I was up fretting and doing random things like hiding the crucifix. When Ruth Anne woke up she immediately asked why I'd put the purple paper there. I told her it was a special day and started chatting about Passover (which was really Tuesday this year but which we like to commemorate on the evening of the Last Supper). I got to the part about the Israelites walking through water and she reminded me Jesus walked on the water. By the end of the day with washing feet and matso and haroseth, she was talking about Moses being baptized... Oh dear.

I'm glad she's experiencing these things. Looking at the Stations of the cross she explained the women of Jerusalem will kiss Jesus and make him feel better. I hope it'll get sorted out one day and yet retain the mystery too.

Today we went to the market and found cream cheese at the grocery store. We came home and dyed eggs with tumeric (yellow), hibiscus tea (blue), beet (very pale pink) and onion skin (brown, orange in the picture).

They came out really well for a first attempt at food based dyes. Now Joe is cooking up a storm... bread, mayo, macaroons, oatmeal chocolate chip cake (thank you Patsy Pfaff), fried rice, hot crossed buns.

For a month after Christmas Ruth Anne kept asking to wear jammies to church. Only twice a year, we told her, you have to wait for Easter. Tonight is the night.