Easter and the rest of the Triduum

So I had a pretty darn good Triduum this year! This is I believe, one of the first years that I actually attended all three days of the Triduum, all really due to the fact that I sing in the choir at my local church.
I have to say, I don't remember being so moved in previous years, but each day had it's moment when I actually got a little choked up thinking about what we were doing and what was truly happening ...

Holy Thursday. As I sat there during mass, I remember thinking of all the other times that I had been in a mass and actually taken part in the washing of the feet. I actually do remember taking part in it back for a couple of years at the University Catohlic Center in Austin. I want to even say that I did it the first year I was there and we were still in the 'old' building. wow. That was a while back.
At this church though, they don't invite the whole congregation to take part, but ask a few folks who have truly given so much to the church in the past year to come up and not only get their own feet washed, but wash others'. as I have done for you...
This year, as I sang during this part, I sat and watched and lost myself from time to time in that simple act, somehow we linked back and it was as if the past and the present were all there in one action and my mind just raced thinking that this, this was what Jesus did, knowing that he would die. How many of us can give up ourselves in humility like that...

Good Friday. I decided not to go to the 3pm at my local church as I was dead tired after work and everything so I decided to join some of my good friends at St. Clare of Assisi's 7pm. What a beautiful ceremony! I DEFINITELY remember going to Good Friday masses in my college days. I remember vividly placing nails at the foot of the cross, bending my whole body down in veneration and just praying. I remember vividly placing rose petals, kissing the wood and just laying there. This year, I came up, knelt on both knees and tried my best to brush the bottom most part of the cross. I just didn't feel worthy enough to do much else.

Easter vigil. The big show. Here it came and I can't remember a more fun Easter mass that I had been to. We have a wonderful French Cajun priest at my local church who has no qualms letting the Holy Spirit come on out and keep things lively! The joy and the utter amazement in his words and actions are very apparent and it's fun to watch. period. After he blessed those newly inducted, he couldn't help himself and just burst forth, "I love doing that!" and I believed him!
The most poignant part though for me, was right before he asks each candidate, "do you wish to be baptized in the faith that you have just proclaimed?" It is SO different heard like this than when it's a child being baptized! do YOU wish it? Not, do you wish this child to, or anything else, it is YOU. It's a wholly personal decision that these people get to make in full knowing. how amazing! I can't lie, I was slightly jealous that they got to make that decision like that.
The congregation was so awesome too! After each person had been drenched in the waters, a great big 'AMEN' went through the crowd and then huge applause! These people were truly overjoyed to welcome their new brothers and sisters and it was SO good! And I remember the last gentleman, when the last pitcher of water was poured over his head, an older gentleman near me whom I can only believe was his father or father in law or something like that, bolt up straight out of his seat and clapped as if noone were watching. The pride in the simple, yet so joyous, act of deliberate, and knowing surrender was so evident in the father's actions, it was truly moving.

Easter morning. So I went to morning mass with my parents as I often do, but this year was ever more important as I cannot forget to spend time at church with the family on such an important day. Getting to take part in Easter mass with the 'rents is always joyful. What stuck out in my mind though, as I went to receive the cup, it was a familiar gentleman who offered it, and although it is a Korean church and he's white (and he offers the cup in Korean), he gave a welcoming smile as I came up, said in English, "The blood of Christ," as if saying to me, peace be with you, and it felt like going home again.
Then catch up with old friends and go home to spend lunch/dinner with the family. Good times for sure.

Hoping your Easter was as blessed and wonderful as my own.

Pictures

Not that there's a ton of you out there who read this, but I wanted to make sure I wrote it down so I can remember. In any case, new house and I need to start making it feel a little more homey, so I figured what better way than with pics of family and friends, right?
But I don't just want random pics, I guess that'd be ok for later, but I think I would really like to have pics of my family and friends either cooking or eating! How cool would that be to have a house full of pics of your friends and family doing what you love best, right?

So! If you happen to be reading this and have a pic of you, you and me, you and significant other, etc etc eating and/or cooking and you'd like to be in a frame in my house, let me know and send em my way!

Backyard update

So instead of going to the Austin Rodeo BBQ competition and stuffing myself silly, I decided to stay home this weekend and take care of some more backyard stuff. I know I know, bad bad, but the saving grace is that there is some work going into a Texas Hill Country BBQ tour sometime in middle May =)

New Bublina Frutescens and river rock placed around the transformer finally!

From Backyard_garden

close up, unfortunately, the two closest to the fence here got TRAMPLED by the stupid power company guys when they hopped my fence to install the new power lines for the new houses behind me. >(

From Backyard_garden

More river rock and two new hibiscus plants put in, hibiscus was my grandmother's favorite flower...

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two more hibiscus plants put down in the corner,

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A couple of shots of the length of the back fence

From Backyard_garden

From Backyard_garden

Cooook (and some garden pics)

So it looks like the new flowers I put down have started blooming a bit more, it looks quite nice!

From Backyard_garden

From Backyard_garden

From Backyard_garden

And I ended up doing a bit of cooking last night, just had been a while. Decided on some stuffed chicken breasts using my own homemade sourdough bread stuffing with roasted tomatoes and pan seared broccolini! btw, love broccolini, damn good stuff...

From Food

From Food

Oh, and I got suckered into a new pair of motorcycle boots, my old ones have been going downhill fast (pieces breaking off, etc), and one of my more favorite gear stores (newenough.com) had the new Sidi Vertigos on CLEARANCEEE, only catch was that I had to buy the white ones, but they look pretty darn good anyways!

From Ducati bikes!

From Ducati bikes!

More gardening

I finally got around to putting some petunias and snapdragons in the ground, my first real set of color in the backyard. Not bad. I was planning on making that corner a bit of a sitting area, but I may decide to just put a Japanese Maple there and leave the corner be a nice looking area...

From Backyard_garden

From Backyard_garden

From Backyard_garden

From Backyard_garden

btw, my honeysuckle is growing like crazy, it won't bloom, but dang it it's wild!

From Backyard_garden

Food pr0n party

So as I was watching the latest episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, episode labeled "Food Porn," all I could think was, damn, it's been a while since I've tried a totally new and crazy food item. I am in need of a bit of a taste palette tease.
As such, I think it may be an opportunity to get some of my more near and dear foodies to get together and have a little tasting party.

Of most interesting note from the No Reservations episode that I would really like to try to make, super soft boiled egg covered with a nice stinky, melty, soft cheese, and shaved truffles. Yum.

Heck, why not just call it a Food Pr0n party. Anyone in blogger world in?

Green Thumb

So I've been working on my backyard garden a bit, trying to do some landscaping, but it's slow going as my finances are still pretty jacked up at the moment, but slowly and surely it's coming along!

Updates:

From Backyard_garden

Nice Bougainvillea from Barry, thanks!

From Backyard_garden

I've got the electrical transformer in my backyard, so the lattice went up and added some japanese honeysuckle (beautiful red blooms) and some star jasmine (beautiful white flowers)! Both plants actually bloom at different time periods, so I should have some fragrant blooms for a good portion of the year and maybe some bees and hummingbirds! =)

From Backyard_garden

Right in the middle of back of the yard, Japanese honeysuckle that will hopefully just go wild on the back fence and some small foxtail ferns that will surround a couple more layers of plants in between, TBD ;)

From Backyard_garden

Little different view here with the Compact Nandinas shown to fill in the areas in between. I'm going to find some nice button ferns to plant in curved rows around the Nandinas

From Backyard_garden

Nice closeup of the foxtail ferns


So hopefully as I get some more money, I can fill in the gaps and finally get the nice riverstone or crushed rock I can place around the plants,
Whatcha think??