Whooshing through Lent! Imagine only one more week until Palm Sunday, then Holy Week and then EASTER!! And tonight is our Spring Team Gathering. The last few days have been a flurry of text messages and emails, desperately trying to pin down elusive young adults, and worse still, to figure out what food we could expect for the supper. AGH!! Well I’ve said it often, but it is very hard to corral teenagers. Sigh.It is, however,shaping up to be a good evening and we are looking forward to hearing Steven, our Speaker from MCF.Horrors! just had an email and phone call from Steven- he has a nasty virus and is unable to come…I guess it is time for our usual “Plan B”!!Hmm.
This week, there has continued to be a fair amount of activity from potential host churches, including some more Montreal region enquiries and a productive Skype meeting with a group at an Ottawa church. Every day I have made a point of contacting at least one possible Team recruit and, mid-week, sent out a special email to a wide selection of Clergy and Coordinators asking them to help in the “hunt”. One more reference form came in and we now have 3 prospective Team Members instead of 2! We have to start somewhere!!!
So today I shall be making a big bowl of Tuna Rotini Salad with mixed peppers.The buffet table was set up yesterday, in the hopes I might also squeeze in a bit of work on Pysanky this afternoon. There is still a bit of furniture arranging to do in the living room as we will be having a House Eucharist tonight and I think there will be 16 of us to fit in. And, of course, one still has to haul out a bunch of boot trays since it is supposed to be a wet evening and we are now at the disgusting melting snow and mud phase, but at least it is raining and not snowing, woot woot!
There has not been a lot of time for sewingbut I have been mending a friend’s jacket, which required lots of hand sewing and I’ve starting knitting some lovely green yarn for a spring cardigan.
In the coming week I need to figure out some sort of containers in which to present my Pysanky and other Easter gifts (possibly using chicken wire, stay tuned!) I’m planning to make some teacup candles and, having heard that a baby boy has just been born to a friend from St. Stephen’s,so am going to make another pair of wool felt booties to go along with a little hat knitted a while back.During Lent I always try to expand my quiet times by seeking out interesting readings, poetry and prayers. I checked in with one of my regular “blog reads” yesterday and found this post, which is worth sharing.
OOPS! Time to start the pasta salad.
Tuna Rotini Salad
- 1 lb. rotini pasta, cooked al dente and
well drained - 1 can tuna, drained and broken into chunks
- 1 each red, yellow and orange pepper, diced
- 1 Bunch Spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tomato, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsps. black olives, chopped
- Fresh Italian Parsley
In a large serving bowl, combine all the ingredients, except the parsley. Toss with ½ cup French Dressing. (Do not use nasty bottled dressing!!) Sprinkle with Parsley leaves. Serves 4, easily doubled.
French Dressing
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 Tbsps. grainy mustard
- 2 Tbsps. honey
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and liquidise. Transfer to a bottle or jar with a tightly fitting lid. Keeps in the fridge for several weeks.