Almost Pascha!

Well, I'm back from the States. It was a whirlwind and sad trip, but it was good to be with family, and good to see Jeremy. There are little moments where you realize that your husband/fiance is becoming family, and one of them for me was when Jeremy helped my brothers, father and uncle carry Babushka's casket to the hearse, and from the hearse to her gravesite.

It's Holy Saturday today, and as I write, the bells of the nearby Armenian cathedral are tolling. They have been tolling for about three hours, actually, which I don't quite understand, as it's not Pascha yet. I'll be going to church in a few hours for the midnight Paschal liturgy, which will be interesting. The church is under renovation, so its cavernous nave is off limits. We have been having services for the last six months or so in the offices, which can only accommodate about 60 people if you really pack 'em in. This morning after the liturgy, the priest announced we would have Pascha services outside. It's supposed to be about 40 degrees with showers, and it's a four-hour service, so we'll see how that goes. In any case, Holy Week has been a good one this year; despite our sadness about Babushka, these last few days of Great Lent really help put it all in perspective, and helps us to remember that she is not gone. Memory Eternal.