Good Friday

Today started early. I couldn't seem to sleep, so I watched a bit of a movie on my laptop in bed for an hour or two.

The Tenebrae service was fantastic. Next time I'd really like to be in the congregation, instead of a participant, as you get a bit more of the full visual impact. I couldn't see some parts as well as I would have liked from where I was sitting as a reader. I was delighted that a few friends joined us for the morning (I hope you enjoyed the service, guys!).

I spent the afternoon at Elbow Falls, near Bragg Creek, with one of my youth girls, my brother, and one of his friends. It's become something of a tradition for me, over the last several years, to try and get away from the city, and out into the mountains for a period of time on Good Friday. I find it refreshing. And it's always fun to share it with friends! Today was a bonus - because of the cold (very unspringlike and un-easterlike if I do say so myself) weather, there were very few people at the falls, which meant we could roam a bit and laugh and chat and generally be a bit less considerate than we would have needed to be for a bit more crowded touristy type day!

My mom and I baked hot-crossed buns after dinner tonight. (Actually, I think they're still finishing rising, and then we'll bake them!) I wonder if this is a distinctly Canadian thing, hot-crossed buns for Easter? Anyhow, my grandma has a fantastic recipe, which we followed, and I quite happily expect to be eating a lovely, warm bun, within the next hour or so, with a bit of butter melted onto it to make it extra fantastic!

A long bubble-bath (chamomile and lavender) rounded out my evening quite nicely. I'm working my way through Pete Greig's "God on Mute" (a more full review once I've finished reading) and enjoyed laying in the bubbles and reading.

I'm thinking of heading to China Town for a while tomorrow... anyone interested in tagging along? I have a craving for these fantastic buns with barbequed pork baked into the centre of the them. I want to pick up a couple dozen, so I can freeze them and have them for lunches at work over the next while... We'll see. If the weather stays cold, I probably won't want to wander around downtown Calgary on foot.

And with that, may you go in the remembrance of the cross. May you be caught anew by the suffering of Christ, by the magnitude of the bloody significance of this day.