HOLY WEEK....DOMESTICITY....

Leafing through cookery books to get necessary recipes for Easter goodies, I found myself browsing one given to me by my sister on my engagement over 25 years ago... on the flyleaf she wrote:"If you cook with love, he'll always eat with pleasure...Always enjoy cooking and don't resort to tins. Much love...". She now lives on the other side of the world, but felt suddenly near. Sent her a mental hug.

Am planning a Simnel Cake but had to tackle some work first. Got a good deal of writing done, interrupted by bits of cooking. Discussion yesterday evening with friends about Hot Cross Buns. Is it worth making one's own? Useful kitchen activity with children/friends for Holy Week or too jolly messy what with yeast and leaving-to-rise and making pastry crosses?

Would value ideas/opinions. The query is not just a personal whim: I'm doing another TV series for EWTN in due course, re Lent and Easter traditions, to match the series I did on Advent and Christmas. This new Lent/Easter series will be broadcast next year, 2008, but we are busy planning it now...I am not short on ideas for things to make, do, eat, pray and sing for this whole season but don't want to offer ideas that are just impractical or silly. (For those who didn't see the Advent/Christmas series, it's all set in a kitchen, and is meant to show ideas for ways of marking all the seasons...)

MAUNDY MATTERS

Tomorrow sees the Chrism Mass at St George's Cathedral, Southwark. I plan to go along to be part of the "Thank you to our priests" which greets the clergy as they process into the Cathedral - excellent initiative of Mulier Fortis which, as you will have read in yesterday's posting, has now spread to Westminster and been a great success. I won't be able to stay for the Mass itself, however because I'm due at the BBC for a radio programme. Later I'll be at the evening Maundy Mass in a London church, always a central point of the whole year. "Ubi caritas...."

AND SO ON....

I don't think one blogs on Good Friday. Then on Holy Saturday I'm meeting Mother in London and we're off to a family gathering for Easter, where Jamie will join us. Later in Easter week, J. and I will go on to Bogle relations in Somerset. What with family and country walks and chocolate eggs and nieces and nephews and talkative meals and being by the sea and relishing every moment I can't see an aunt spending much time blogging. And is there any point, since it would only encourage people to be at home reading it instead of being out in the Easter springtime?