Holy Week Happenings

Hello, my friends. It is Holy Week. Here are some pictures of life around here this week. 

Spring appeared, and daily walks resumed. Madison and Nicolas hosted us all for the annual Easter Bunny Cake decorating night, something we have done for years. Her cake was French vanilla with a perfect whipped icing!

And last night, we started what we hope will become a new tradition: a commemoration of The Last Supper, complete with (mostly) food from Jesus' time. I have wanted to do this for a long time, and this year it came together. We were blessed that a close family friend came to visit and help. It was a beautiful and impactful night.

Steve made fresh white fish, baked with olive oil and chopped herbs; Madison prepared oven-baked carrots with olive oil and herbs; and I made a salad with greens, arugula, feta cheese, walnuts, and chopped apples. Our family friend made a new-to-us dish, Charoset, a delicious mixture of chopped apples, chopped walnuts, golden raisins, honey, cinnamon, and lemon zest, representing mortar, and served with Matzah bread. We made all the food ourselves, just adding olives and oil along with pita bread, from our favorite Mediterranean restaurant. Rhett, Kyrstin, and Flynn helped with everything from chopping herbs to checking temperatures and setting the table. The table was set simply, with candles and a bowl of grapes.

After dinner, we visited, played our daily game of Boggle, and added a game of Pictionary. Then Madison served a delicious honey cake for dessert. We all agreed that this Last Supper meal was a wonderful addition to our Holy Week. It was actually easy to prepare when we all pitched in, and honestly, the food was delicious. The prayers were meaningful and prepared us all more fully for today, Good Friday, and the glorious Easter Season to follow.

Have a blessed and Happy Easter, my friends. Whether it be a quiet, cozy day with your small group of people,  a large family gathering with baskets and bunnies, or something in between, it is your Easter Day 2026. Relax and enjoy. You deserve it. 

Happy Easter!

(I linked a couple of recipes down below, if you are interested.)

Billie Jo

Charoset

Bourbon Honey Cake

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Years ago, when my children were young, I had a flash of a very distant Easter memory. I couldn't quite pull it out at first, but my younger mind was relentless, and finally, I got there. I remembered a movie about the Easter Bunny we watched once a year called Here Comes Peter Cottontail. My love of children's holiday movies knows no bounds, as you may know, so I set out to find it, and a new tradition was born. 

The night before Easter, the kids would set out their baskets, take their "Easter Baths/Showers," and put on their Easter pajamas. Then we would snuggle on the couch and watch Here Comes Peter Cottontail on VHS together. Eventually, the VHS became a DVD, and now, we watch it streaming on Amazon. Those days are gone, but traditions remain. This weekend, we will gather for Easter dinner and watch our favorite movie yet again. My children watch it now, as I do as an adult, but it brings out the child in all of us. And now, in this chaotic, crazy world, that is a good thing. 

Now, in fairness to Peyton, I must add that there exists another Easter movie from my childhood. This one is her favorite, and honestly, I love them both for different reasons. This one is called The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town. It is also available on Amazon.

So, there you go, my friends. A couple of vintage kids' Easter movies that will add some fun to your Easter this year. Being an adult can be tough sometimes. Why not pour out some jelly beans and popcorn, put on an old favorite movie, and have some fun?

That's what we will be doing. And I am glad. 

Have a good Wednesday, my friends.

Billie Jo

Monday Morning Coffee - Holy Week Edition

Good Monday morning, my friends! I just finished my first cup of coffee on this cozy, windy day, and I am thinking about another to go with the homemade banana scone Madison brought me last night. 

In fact, just as I was typing that, she sent me this picture. Like mother, like daughter!

This week, our faith celebrates Holy Week, which began yesterday, Palm Sunday. I snapped this picture discreetly before mass, of course, because I loved the powerful meaning behind the simple design.

I cannot believe we are here, at the end of Lent. To commemorate Palm Sunday, we lit the final candle, had a simple but delicious meal of soup and sloppy joes, and ended the night with some Palm Sundaes. 

If you have never had Graeters Ice Cream, you should give it a try sometime. It is my very favorite, and we get it for special occasions, because it is that good!

Today is chilly, rainy, and windy, and I think Mocha has the right idea. We will lie low and be cozy. Flynn and I have schoolwork to do, and then we are having a simple breakfast for dinner. We are saying a family rosary tonight too as part of our Holy Week activities.

Here is the little message I sent in our group chat, listing some of the things we will be doing this week. I always say that participation is optional, but everyone in my family is a good sport and always supports my ideas. 

Have a nice day, my friends. Thank you for visiting, and I plan to visit you too!

Billie Jo

Friday Already?

Hello, my friends. And Happy Friday! Do you ever feel like you want to say something like, "Stop the world, please. I'd like to get off." I mean, I would at least like to ask if it could slow down a bit! Jeesh! I remember as if it were yesterday, coming home as a teenager, popping my head into my parents' bedroom, where my dad would be acting as if he were watching TV, when we all knew he was waiting for each of us to get home before he fell asleep, and filling him in on my night. He used to tell me something at the time I couldn't understand, yet I never forgot. He told me not to wish my life away, because the older you get, the faster it goes. 

Of course, sixteen-year-old me smiled and kissed him goodnight before going off to my room to listen to my stereo and talk to my friends on my little white corded phone. We talked about an upcoming Chemistry test, prom dresses, and how many days until summer. Those days, school years lasted forever, and summer was three whole months of long, lazy days. I suppose we honestly thought they would last forever. Suddenly, I am fifty-six, with a sixteen-year-old of my own, memories of my mom and dad in my heart, and months and days that pass so quickly they feel like a dream. I keep a picture of my dad on my refrigerator and often tell him that I get it now. I do. And I think of what my mom used to say, too. Life is but a dream. So I try to remember those things in the midst of this roller-coaster ride of life. I try to slow myself and relish the small moments that make up these quickly passing days. Like these...

Madison getting me this precious bunny with a ribbon that matches my kitchen accent perfectly. Just because...

The beautiful pictures she and Nicolas send when they visit the ocean on a random Thursday morning...

The pictures I snap on an ordinary, cloudy day during my morning walk...

After-school wind-down time with pups that wait all day for this moment...

My ten-year-old puppy that is my shadow...

And cookies fresh from the oven...

There are so many more, like afternoon calls with Peyton on speaker, Rhett and I eating Panera DoorDash before he heads to work, Flynn and I sitting in our little schoolroom, talking, laughing, and learning, Steve taking all the puppies outside over and over, and Kyrstin organizing our evening Boggle game. Just little moments making up our ordinary lives.

And to add some lightness to all this seriousness, here are a few reminders not to take ourselves too seriously, courtesy of Pinterest. 

Happy Weekend!

And for a little treat to start off Holy Week, how about having a sundae bar for Palm Sunday? I mean, I don't need an excuse to eat ice cream, but why not, right?

Billie Jo