(no subject)

[mommydama]

Eeegads!! I just spent $22 on *hair bows* for the girls! That is 10 bows in various colors, but STILL! When did I become such a bowhead!?

It is Madeline's fault. You know the books right? Well, ever since I saw that movie, that and the movie of the The Little Princess I've been obsessed. Between Madeline's big bows and the youngest girl in the school in the Little Princess and her gigantic Victorian hair bows...I'm a lost cause. Besides, Mari LOVES them. She never wants to leave for school without a bow of some kind in her hair. I've tried making them myself, but I'm not good at it. I need to purchase some real directions. About $2/bow didn't seem like a bad price to have someone make them for me in just the right colors. But...but...STILL!!

I did some online shopping for the girls' Pascha baskets last night. I've been wanting some simple wooden crosses for them to wear "everyday" and I found some cute ones so ordered those. I also got each of the girls a small book from Light 'n Life, and one book for them all to share. There will be red dyed eggs and decorated eggs and a few pieces of their favorite candy. Other than that, I haven't come up with much. Maybe I'll put a hunk of summer sausage in Zoe's...she's missed that a lot this Lent. :P I don't want to go overboard. But our church doesn't do the Pascha basket blessing, so we will do individual baskets again this year (though I'm sure if we showed up with one, Fr. Dan would bless it). If we are ever part of a church where that is the tradition again, I may not do individual baskets, but put little "surprises" in the the big basket for the girls. I'm trying hard to stay away from the bunny, chick thing this year. Eggs make sense, they are a very Orthodox symbol...but no matter how hard I try I can't make bunnies and chicks symbolize anything except earthly fertility and cuteness. I so want Pascha to be a Holy day...not just a cute and fuzzy one.

I'm all rambly today because I'm bored and headachy. I don't want to do anything but whine and complain. So...I'm writing rambly posts. Sorry about that!

Comments

[kizmet-42.livejournal.com]

Your church doesn't bless your Pascha baskets? The basket with your feast in it?

[shocked and saddened]

We moved to the chocolate Pascha cross for our chocolate fix, but that felt weirder than eating the bunnies (and the chocolate was from another company we didn't like as much) so we're moving back to bunnies, but our kids are old enough to enjoy the perverted pleasure of biting off bunny heads chocolate for its own sake and care less about its shape.

However, you're at the beginning of the journey and working to keep Pascha as a holy day is a very wise and good thing.

TellAsk your priest to bless your feast baskets. Sheesh!

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

It is sad. I think I will ask him. I WANT to do it. I love that tradition and I know it is sort of a Russian tradition and we are going to a GOA church right now, but Zoe and Luci are both part Slavic, so I would love to teach them that one.

Our church doesn't even have a "feast" after the Paschal liturgy. *sigh* I can't wait to move...

They have an Easter egg hunt after Agape Vespers in the afternoon...but that is it. Most people in this church have very large Greek families and they are all having huge family midnight celebrations. I guess they've tried to have a church celebration and no one stays. Heck, most people don't even stay for the Liturgy after the Paschal service! There is standing room only until they get their little candles lit and then they all run out the door! Gee, I sound so uncharitable, but I think it is one of the saddest things I've ever seen.

[ariellejuliana.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness, that sounds dreadful! I also don't want to sound uncharitable...but that really is sad to me! Worse than Christmas with no church, just Santa Claus and presesnts!

I hope you find a church that is a perfect fit when you move. I'll pray you do.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I almost hope the next church isn't perfect. Because we'll have to leave it in a year or less. No point in "getting attached" ya know? *sigh* I'm feeling a little jaded right now. I should probably quit posting.

[justamy.livejournal.com]

chicks=new life?

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'll agree with that. But it still seems more about fertility than Resurrection...know what I mean? Not that I think there is anything inherently wrong with that. I just want to make sure our *focus* is on Resurrection, and the rest of the Easter traditions are secondary. Sort of like Santa Claus...he's fun and we "do" the Santa thing, but it is has a very careful second place to the Nativity thing. I'm sure Laura will send all kinds of Eastery bunny/chick stuff, I feel like it is my job to balance that with Pascha Resurrection stuff.

[librissimma.livejournal.com]

What about the fertility of the Spirit to bring about new life within ourselves and within the church. Post-Resurrection Judaism was the fertile fields of the Early Church.

Easter for me is about so much more than Resurrection. It's the conception of the church. If Pentecost is the birtday, then Easter is the conception, Easter is pregnant with possibilities, just as my new life in Christ is pregnant with opportunity.

[lizziebennet.livejournal.com]

The bows sound cute, Dama!

I think it's mostly Russian churches that have the big Pascha basket blessing thing. Maybe I'm wrong, but just an impression I got. I know some Antiochian churches do it too. I would miss it terribly if we didn't have it... all the baskets lined up with the eggs and paskha and kulich and candles in the breads and all (can you tell our parish has Russian background!)

I need to figure out what I'm going to do/make for all that. Gotta get Greek egg dye. I don't like paskha and kulich all that much so I may not have them... maybe I'll try to make the Greek bread with the red egg. And I would love to learn to make avgolemono and make that at Pascha (Greek egg lemon chicken soup, that it's a tradition to have to break the fast at Pascha).

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

I want to learn to make avgolemono too! I don't like paskha or kulich either, unfortunately. Since we are not "ethnically" of any traditionally Orthodox background, I sort of pick and choose the traditions I like. I lean toward the Slavic ones though, since both Zoe and Luci have some Slavic blood. Hmmm...I need to look up some Guatemalan Easter traditions...

[mrs-zvonar.livejournal.com]

Don't like Paskha or Kulich??? Could it be that you just haven't had a good recipe? Cheese Paskha is especially my favorite - it reminds me of cheesecake! My mouth is watering now :-)

As far as ethnic traditions go, my two older children are Ukrainian and the other Ukrainians (and Russians) at our church have been very helpful when we have asked them questions regarding the kids' ethnicity, traditions, recipes, etc. I'm sure that you'll have the same experience if you move to a parish that has Slavic parishioners.

[lizziebennet.livejournal.com]

I don't know about Dama, but for me... it's not that I *don't* like them. I've have really good paskha in particular, though I've had paskha I didn't like, as well. And kulich is good too, it just gets dry fast... I think it's that they are sooo labor intensive to make, and the amount that I like them doesn't really balance out with that.

We'll have to try and learn to make avgolemono, Dama. Yay, that stuff is addictive. I think it's nice that we can pick from different traditions and do lots of different things. And cool that Zoe and Luci have Slavic blood, so that's a connection too.

[mrs-zvonar.livejournal.com]

Now I have a confession. I've never made paskha or kulich - I always seem to have someone that makes some for me as a gift. You're right, it's too labor intensive for me too.

[lizziebennet.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've helped people make paskha but never done either all on my own. I keep wanting to (I really like making things from scratch) but again, I just don't like it enough.

If someone gives me some, I'll have some, or if they have extra they are selling at church, I think I missed the ordering period.

[mimima.livejournal.com]

You know, if you end up coming to our parish's Greek Dinner on May 7th, we are making avgolemono. Just a thought.

Great basket ideas, Dama! I can just picture the hair bows (says she with two sons - maybe I get granddaughters???? )

[lizziebennet.livejournal.com]

Ummm yum. I didn't know you all were having a Greek Dinner! Will have to think about that... it's a Sunday, yes?

I am planning on being there for Pascha day. Should figure out something to bring to the potluck. There is so much to do (not the potluck specifically, just stuff) and sooo many services. I know it will be wonderful but it's kind of a stressful thought too, with work, and so much church, and knowing how sleepy I will be! :) Ah well, not complaining really.

[mimima.livejournal.com]

Yes. Come, eat, enjoy!

It'll be lovely to see you on Pascha!

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

My MIL had three sons and no daughters...she now has four granddaughters (and no grandsons!)

[mimima.livejournal.com]

That's cool!

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Yes, I do think that they are too labor intensive, but honestly I just don't really like them.
*blushes* Here's my confession. I'm a terribly picky eater. If I don't LOVE something (and no one in my family LOVES it), I'm not going to spend hours in the kitchen making it either. One of the hardest parts about becoming Orthodox for me was not the theology, icons, saints...any of the stuff people usually have trouble with. The very hardest thing for me was the food, all that ethnic food I'd never tasted or heard of before. Some of it I've grown to love, and some...not so much, but I still feel totally stressed when going to someone of a strong ethnic heritage's house because I will have to try all kinds of "wierd" food. It isn't that I don't want to try things, I just know I won't like a lot of it and I worry about not pulling off the "this is delicious!" face.

Yes, I'm pathetic. I'm trying, but I'm still pathetic.

[lizziebennet.livejournal.com]

I can totally see how that would be a real issue, and stress. I happen to love most ethnic food, and am not terribly picky, so I'm lucky, but I grew up with picky eaters (my mom and my brother are both super picky eaters) and I know how difficult it can be. Becoming Orthodox was actually good for me because I discovered I *did* like lots of things that I thought I wouldn't because of the way our family ate.

But if you don't like something... and have to eat it, that's hard. If I had to eat kholodets... well, if you don't know what it is, I'm not sure you want to.

[ariellejuliana.livejournal.com]

I grew up eating all kinds of stuff (and my dad was a vegetarian hippy, so that just added to it), so I am SO not a picky eater. I eat stuff from all over the world, and am a sushi FREAK. But if I ever have to eat molokheya, aka Egyptian green snot soup/national dish of Egypt, again, I don't know what I'll do. So so so gross.

It makes me feel better that Chris grew up in Egypt his whole life and he won't touch the stuff either.

[mimima.livejournal.com]

Green snot soup - is that related to the snot dish called okra?

[ariellejuliana.livejournal.com]

That's the OTHER thing I refuse to eat! Egyptians love that too! What is it with Egyptians and green-snot-like substances? I like all the rest of Egyptian food.

Molokheya is actually a spinach-looking green vegetable that for some reason turns into gelatinous snot when cooked for long periods of time. In English it's called Jew's Mallow. It's totally disgusting.

[mimima.livejournal.com]

Shudder.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Y'all are making me ill!

[ariellejuliana.livejournal.com]

hehe - but doesn't paskha and kulich sound better now? :)

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness, yes!

[ariellejuliana.livejournal.com]

My work here is done.