Boiling eggs, a new teakettle, a Garmin for Jesus, and more (7 Quick Takes)

~1~

Every year when I take out the eggs for Easter I google “how to boil eggs.” You might think I’d be able to remember year to year. But apparently I cannot retain that information. Then I always worry that I’ve done it wrong. This year I didn’t test one to make sure they were all cooked through. I’m trusting that my googling was successful. We shall see.

~2~

I’ve been looking for a teakettle for a few weeks, ever since I noticed that the base of ours was wearing out.

When Daniel and I went shopping the other day, we were more focused on birthday gifts for his Aunt Shai and his cousin Elise. But when we were walking through a store and saw a polka dot teakettle, I knew I had to buy it for myself.

It might not be the biggest thing to happen in our household this week, but it’s the prettiest addition.

~3~

Because we didn’t make it to Mass on Holy Thursday, I pulled out our children’s Bible for bedtime reading. We were reading about the Last Supper and how Jesus washed his apostles’ feet when I came to a line about Jesus’ garments.

“No, mom,” our second grader said. “Jesus didn’t have a Garmin.”

He’s right, you know.

~4~

We had planned to go to St. Anthony Shrine in Ellicott City for their Good Friday service, but it was pouring, so we decided not to make the drive. We opted for the Stations of the Cross at our parish instead. That meant more time at home and a quieter, more relaxing day. And it meant we saw the empty holy water fonts and the church stripped bare—but in our own parish, which somehow made it really feel like Good Friday.

I realized this Lent that meatless Fridays aren’t hard for me as an individual, especially because I love fish sticks and canned fish and most seafood. Don’t even get me started on frozen pizza and grilled cheese. Yum.

But meatless Fridays are more challenging for me as a mother of children who eat chicken noodle soup every day for breakfast and sometimes also for snacks in between meals. We have definitely had to be a little more creative.

~5~

My dermatologist told me I couldn’t take a shower for two days this week, and I didn’t know how I would survive. I happened to mention it to my sister—the one with four children 3 and under, including 5-month-old twins—and she just laughed and laughed.

It’s good to have people in your life who can put things in perspective.

~6~

At dinnertime the other day Leo mentioned he needed a protractor to do his homework. I couldn’t imagine where we might have a protractor. If Leo can’t find something in the house, it probably doesn’t exist. He’s much more organized than I am.

So I texted my neighbor who has four children, all older than ours. She said she’d send one over. When she couldn’t find one, they found an image online and printed it. Leo happily cut it out and used it to do his homework.

Maybe I should show him how to boil eggs, and we would be set for next Easter.

~7~

I can’t wait for Easter, but I do love Holy Saturday. It always feels like such a peaceful day to me, a day of calm and waiting and expectancy. And then Easter comes. And Easter is magnificent. But Holy Saturday holds so much hope, so much anticipation. For Holy Saturday we’ll be doing a little egg hunting and some grocery shopping and some food preparation and some egg filling for an egg hunt with some of the cousins on Easter Sunday.

You can find more quick takes at Kelly’s blog, This Ain’t the Lyceum, and I hope you have a great Holy Saturday and a joyous Easter.

 

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