Easter

Well, FavoriteBoy and I both survived Easter! He was very busy writing music for a brass ensemble and a handbell choir, and I was very busy preparing to host an after-church Easter celebration with our friends from church choir. I felt a little bit overwhelmed about cleaning and cooking for, well, quite a few people, but it all worked out in the end. Late Saturday night I sent my Mom the following email:

Dear Mom,

My apartment is quite clean, my shelves and knick-knacks and windowsills are dusted, my kitchen is shining, and the tables are set with gleaming china – well, nine place settings of china (which is all we have), and the others of regular everyday dishes. Napkins are in silver napkin rings, and the flatware is polished to a shine. I have a hazelnut brown butter cake draped with chocolate ganache on a platter, and a buttermilk pound cake on my glass cake stand in the kitchen. Sixty-four homemade rolls are sealed in ziplock bags awaiting tomorrow, and a potato casserole is in the refrigerator needing only to be heated up. Four dozen hard boiled eggs are in the refrigerator. (And I am REALLY glad that we have a full-sized refrigerator this year instead of a tiny one!) Sixty-six plastic eggs filled with candy are hidden in the living room of the apartment, and you can’t see any of them without really looking!

Holly and her mom were the most wonderful helpers, and so much fun to talk to while we worked. I feel almost completely ready to have everyone come over after church. All I have to do tomorrow is put away a last few things, cook the ham, make a salad, and cook the asparagus. Holly’s dad is making squash. Friends are bringing ice cream and fresh berries to go with the cakes.

Just thought I’d let you know that things are turning out okay after all. :)

Love,
Sarah

We crammed seventeen people into our little apartment for the Easter festivities, which included egg-dying, a candy-filled plastic egg hunt, dinner, and dessert.

Here's a picture of the dinner table - well, one of the two tables we used! (See the two Steinways in the background? Uh-huh, that's right... two Steinways!)

Monday morning, FavoriteBoy and I slept until about 11, and it was everything we thought it would be. And probably by the time next Easter rolls around, I'll have forgotten the worry and stress and I'll be ready to do it all over again.

By the way, all the music FavoriteBoy planned and wrote turned out wonderfully. I got to play in the service this year, too, since the choir sang 'Worthy is the Lamb' from The Messiah, and you can't do 'Worthy is the Lamb' without violins. Everything was very beautiful and celebratory, and I couldn't have been prouder of FavoriteBoy.