Hello Blog Friends!
We have almost come to the end of our Lenten journey and are in the liminal space when we wait for Easter Day.
Last Saturday’s Mini Retreat was very lovely and I’m planning to do a separate post about it, probably this coming Wednesday. I compiled an email with a copy of Michelle’s “speaker” notes with a folder of photos of the icons we had discussed and it sent out to everyone who had registered for the Retreat. Several people were unable, at the last moment, to attend but asked for some follow-up resources.
Early in the week it was time, again, to send out the agenda for our monthly committee meeting. At this upcoming meeting we hope to do some serious planning for the Day Camps Kick Off, scheduled for Saturday, June 1st. Next week will be a good time to start advertising the event so it will be important for us to work together on the scheduling.
Wednesday I took some time to add info, on the Day Camps webpage and Facebook Group page about our new partnership with Pulse Ministries, UK. For the present the only CTM resource posted on their site will be the Come Together e-book but we hope to continue conversations about adding Day Camp Programs in the future.
Holy Week is not really a good time to be badgering church communities about hosting a Day Camp so it seemed best to focus on tidying up more of the “behind the scenes” jobs, ready for a new month, come Monday! There is a different atmosphere to Holy Week and so, despite putting in my usual office hours the pace has altered along with the focus of the past five days.Evenings, I have tuned into an interesting series of reflections offered by Canterbury Cathedral on its You Tube channel and have found them very insightful.
Of course during office time there have also been tasks such as sending the President’s annual report to the Diocesan Office for inclusion in the Synod convening circular. Then there are always some banking chores to take care of, this week, along with making payments there was the very happy task of depositing the cheque for the grant that Day Camps has received from the St. John’s Legacy Foundation 😊. Receiving this mark of support for the ministry offers so much encouragement to us as well as easing the, always tenuous, financial position.
Wednesday evening I enjoyed a lovely visit with Jessica when we watched our monthly episode of Hometown Cha Cha Cha. This time I deviated from my usual Korean cuisine and cooked a Middle Eastern Dinner. For many years, when I led the Youth Group at St. Matthew’s we always had special activities on Maundy Thursday and in the latter years of the group we met here in my home and cooked and ate a “Bible Times” dinner, all sitting together on the living room floor. Jessica and I did not sit on the floor (although I’m sure Thomason would have been delighted to join in if we had done so 😊), however we enjoyed a lamb dish with prunes and carrots accompanied by Gozleme (Turkish stuffed bread), followed by fresh pears and Turkish Halva for dessert, with mint tea. Although it was a day early, it was special to share the meal with another person, as I most certainly would not have prepared something quite so elaborate for just myself.
Other evenings have been taken up with completing a birthday gift for Victoria (mother of 3 of my Godsons), as I am still hoping they will be coming, Easter Monday, from Ottawa for High Tea and I also FINALLY finished the Swedish Socks that seem to have been months in the making 😊 . My attention will now turn to knitting a sweet little pullover for one of the soon to be born “alumni” babies. Hopefully over this long weekend there may also be time to sew the two “baby girl” sundresses with matching ruffled diaper covers, which have already been cut out ans are waiting in my sewing basket.
Yesterday, saw the completion of Easter gifts as I iced the previously baked Fairy Cakes and arranged them, along with a Pysanka in the baskets. This morning a friend dropped by to pick up the one for her family and other people are scheduled to drop by for theirs’ over the next couple of days. In the afternoon.After watching the three hour Good Friday liturgy from Canterbury, I made a start on the baby clothes and was able to sew some stripy leggings and ruffled diaper covers😊.
Today I will be welcoming Mae Anne for our monthly lunchtime visit. I don’t usually “entertain” during Holy Week but both she and Jessica are very special to me and if that means adapting a bit to fit their schedules then so be it! I have been hurrying to get the Bake completed and am now heating up a pot of lentil soup, which we will be enjoying with a sourdough boule, still warm from the oven.
It really is time to close off now. The lamb recipe I made when Jessica visited was quite simple, so it will be this week’s recipe 😊.
Turkish Lamb
- 2 lbs. lamb, cut into 2” chunks
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 2 tsps. grated gingerroot
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 cup prunes
- 2 large carrots, roll-cut into chunks
- ¾ cup each red wine and vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown the chunks in a large, deep-sided skillet. Remove to a bowl and add the onion, garlic, ginger, prunes, carrots and cinnamon to the pan, sautéing until fragrant. Stir in the wine and stock, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Return the lamb pieces to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer very gently for 2½ hours. Serve with rice or Gozleme. Serves 3-4.