O is for…

For April I’m challenging myself to an A-Z photo a day excluding Sundays and in addition to any regular posts that come to be.

Today is Thursday April 17th and the letter is O. I’m manipulating this one since it is Easter Week.

O is for Old and Older photos of Easter celebrations.

Easter in the 50’s at 4635 Oak Street in Pico Rivera.

Joshua’s first Easter in 1979 in Huntington Beach, California.

Easter on Arroyo Drive at Dzedushka’s and Babushka’s in the early 80’s.

Easter in Ventura 1986.

Easter in Yorba Linda, 1987.

Ventura 1987.

Easter in Yorba Linda, 1988.

Easter in Bothell 1989ish

All the rest of these photos are from Easters in Kenmore after 2001.

Our Russian greeting at Easter; Christ is Risen, Truly He is Risen.

Russian Easter Bread that we call Kulich and our Mennonite Friends call Paska.

2010

Sweet Cheese Spread for the Kulich/Paska that we call Seernaya Paska.

2011

2012

2013

The year we were in Italy just before Easter we brought home the Italian version of Easter Panettone from Milan for our Easter treat. We didn’t bake our traditional Easter bread that year.

2014 was another Panettone Easter.

2015

We baked Kulich in 2015!

Easter preparation day in 2016.

2016 was the daffodil year.

It was also our first year with our newest daughter-in-law.

Easter celebrations are a priority in our heritage and in our present lives.

The Resurrection we celebrate at Easter is the climax of the story of Redemption God planned throughout all of history. We worship and serve a risen Savior in whom we have redemption. He provided the sacrifice we needed for our sins to be forgiven. Because of that forgiveness, we can live a new life in Him with hope for our future.

Colossians 1:13-14

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Today on this year’s calendar and in Easter week we think about the Last Supper and Jesus Christ’s humility in washing His Disciples Feet. We also consider His instruction and encouragement to His Disciples on this night for what was about to happen.

God bless you with a heart to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved!

Traveling

Lets talk about Travel…

1. How far have you gone from home and where did you go?

The farthest I’ve been from home is Milan, Italy. I traveled there in 2013 with my husband who was sent there by his company for a medical conference. While he worked I explored Milan. Before the conference began the two of us were able to travel by train to Lake Como to the city of Varenna and enjoyed a very windy cold few hours there.

On my own I did a hop on hop off tour and I went by myself to an Inter Milan soccer game at San Siro stadium.

While getting on a subway a group of pick pocketers tried to grab my purse. They work in teams to distract you. Thankfully I was on to them and smacked the hand of the one who reached for my purse and they jumped off the subway just as the doors were closing.

2. Do you think the hassle of travel is worth the trouble?

Most of the time, yes.

3. Are there places you would like to visit or have plans for visiting?

We would like to visit some areas of the United States like the Northeast and National Parks in Utah. In Canada, it would be fun to visit Prince Edward Island. We always enjoy planning our next trip to the U.K. Lord willing we will be able to visit again.

4. What trip was the best you’ve ever had?

The best trips we ever had have been our trips to the United Kingdom. Greg and I met in a Christian band that toured England in the early 70’s.

After we got married we always dreamed about going back. In 2003 we were able to take a trip to London for a week with a few day trips out of London.

In 2004 we returned with our daughter for her graduation trip visiting many of the haunts of her favorite British authors.

In 2006 we traveled with good friends to Wales, England and Scotland.

In 2013 we were able to return to England with our oldest son and our daughter-in-law. On that trip we traversed a lot of miles and our son got his dream of going to two premier league soccer games.

In 2014 Dear and I returned for a 40th year wedding anniversary trip. If it sounds like we can’t get enough of Great Britain, that’s correct!

We made plans to return to England in 2020 but we all know how travel came to a standstill then. We re-planned that trip for September of 2022 and spent a week in Oxford with extra days in Woodstock.

We arrived in England just after the Queen died.

We returned home and just 6 weeks later Greg had his stroke on November 5th of 2022. We wondered if our traveling days might be over.

We were thankful for yet another trip with our kids to Dublin and England in September of 2023.

Time will tell if it is God’s will that we take another trip this coming September.

What’s the furthest distance from home that you traveled to? What’s your favorite place to travel to? Any travel plans for this year?

Angels Long to Look…

1 Peter 1:10-12

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

Acts 2:38-39

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

https://youtu.be/xy5h1FHYW6E

Maundy Thursday ~ The Last Supper

I took this photo a few years ago at the Monumentale Cemetery in Milan, Italy. Today and this whole week Christians around the world remember the events that led up to the crucifixion of Christ and Christ’s resurrection over 2000 years ago. I always look forward to Easter week which is also called Holy week. Celebrating our risen Savior and what he accomplished for us tops my list!

The Last Supper and the Washing of the Disciples Feet are both remarkable events. While in Milan I was also able to see Leonardo da Vinci’s mural of the Last Supper. The original mural is on a wall of the refectory (dining hall) in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. No photos allowed.

While in England in 2014 year we saw two amazing paintings of the last supper, one in the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist in Windsor and one in the chapel of Magdalen College.

From the Lectern, look down the centre aisle and observe in the West Gallery a painting of The Last Supper. This is a national treasure. The picture was originally presented to the Royal Chapel c. 1660 by Brian Duppa, Bishop of Winchester, Prelate of the Order of the Garter. It was “bought by him beyond the sea”. Another tradition ascribes it to Franz de Cleyn (1588-1658), Rostock, Mecklenburg, Court painter to James I. It was rolled up and buried “in the plumery” (plumbers workshop?) in the Great Rebellion. It hung over the altar at St George’s, Windsor in 1702, and can be seen there in Sandby’s drawing dated 1786.

Above the stalls in the chapel hangs Giampetrino’s remarkable 15th copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, on permanent loan from the Royal Academy. In view of the bad condition of the original fresco in Milan, Magdalen’s copy on canvas is a piece of increasing historic and artistic significance.

This next sculpture of Jesus washing Peter’s feet is at the Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks, California.

Excerpts from John chapter 13…

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

InSPIREd Sunday -Duomo Milan

In March of 2013 I traveled with my Dear to Milan, Italy for a EAU conference. The Duomo Di Milano stunned us with it’s beauty and architecture.

If you’d like to see more about this cathedral you can view my previous posts here and here and here.

Click on InSPIREd Sunday hosted by Beth and Sally to see more entries.

Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele

We are praying for all the victims of the explosions at the Boston Marathon. I can’t imagine what all these families are going through right now. Hats off to the first responders and the people of Boston who were so ready to help. May God comfort the suffering.

I’m winding down on my Milan posts and today I’ll share shots of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele which is named after the first King of the Kingdom of Italy and the oldest mall in Italy.

I didn’t go for the twirl on the Bull but I enjoyed watching others twirl on their heels.

I guess I’m not a design shopper as I didn’t feel tempted to go into any of the shops.

No shopping in the oldest galleria but I really enjoyed all the old Architecture and details in the Galleria.

The country we will be visiting with our oldest and his lovely lady is England. Josh and Laura have never been there and it will be fun exploring some old sights with them and discovering some new ones while we celebrate Dear turning 60. 2013 is fast becoming a major travel year for us between Dear’s conferences, family events, and the Mennonite Girls book launches. Praying already for God to go before us.

Psalm 121:8

The Message (MSG)

^7-8God guards you from every evil,
he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
he guards you now, he guards you always.

More Monumentale…

The entrance to Monumentale Cemetery in Milan is as grand as the rest of the grounds. This cemetery is filled with both contemporary and classical sculptures. We were struck with how massive many of the sculptures are.

This monument reminded me so much of a story from the Old Testament. Anyone out there want to guess which one?

This cemetery would need several hours to fully take in. I will soon share the last part of the cemetery we visited including the Hall of Fame.

Hope your week is going well. So far so good here. I was happy that the constant rain from the weekend has seemed to cease. The exciting news this week is that our new cookbook, Celebrations, is in the hands of some at Menno Press. The 10 of us are excitedly and anxiously waiting for our copy to arrive!

Blessings…

Over the Top…

Monumentale Cemetery in Milan, Italy is hands down the most over the top cemetery I’ve been to yet. I’m breaking down the photos I show into categories. I’ve already shown you a few like the last supper sculpture. This post will be all about angels…

In general I feel angels are depicted too mellow and sweet. I like this one for it’s more rugged style and many more of the sculptures we saw at this cemetery.

Looking at all these statues reminds me of the Amy Grant Song from a few years ago, Angels Watching Over Me.

Got his angels watching over me, every move I make,

Angels watching over me!

Angels watching over me, every step I take,

Angels watching over me!

Now from the past to the present…

Lovella from Mennonite Girls Can Cook and What Matters Most along with her dear husband were camping for one night in our neck of the woods on their way home from Cannon Beach so we were able to get together for breakfast at this old house on Sunday morning. What a fun treat to have them in our home for the first time. I did not take one photo. Can you believe that!? I guess I was just too excited. We had blintzes with fruit topping, bacon, sausages, coffee, and fresh orange juice with maybe some champagne in it. I’m not telling. Here’s a photo of what the table looked like after the fact…

I have a couple of weeks of quiet on my calendar. The end of April really heats up into May. Hope your week ahead is a good one. Blessings.

Oh and while I’m thinking of it head over to our MGCC blog on Monday to get the recipe for Aebleskivers!

The Other Side…

I wanted to finish sharing my photos from the Duomo (Milan Cathedral). These shots are taken of the back and some from the sides.

This shot captures the lift that is used by construction crew to get to the top of the Duomo where restoration work is being done.

There are 2245 statues on the exterior of the Duomo, 96 gargoyles, and 135 Spires.

This is the one figure that I recognized on the outside of the Duomo. Have you read the account of David and Goliath from the Bible? Here are excerpts from 1 Samuel 17…

⁴The Philistine army had a hero named Goliath who was from the town of Gath and was over nine feet tall. ^5-6He wore a bronze helmet and had bronze armor to protect his chest and legs. The chest armor alone weighed about one hundred twenty-five pounds. He carried a bronze sword strapped on his back, ⁷and his spear was so big that the iron spearhead alone weighed more than fifteen pounds. A soldier always walked in front of Goliath to carry his shield.

⁸Goliath went out and shouted to the army of Israel:

Why are you lining up for battle? I’m the best soldier in our army, and all of you are in Saul’s army. Choose your best soldier to come out and fight me! ⁹If he can kill me, our people will be your slaves. But if I kill him, your people will be our slaves. ¹⁰Here and now I challenge Israel’s whole army! Choose someone to fight me!…

^…11Saul and his men heard what Goliath said, but they were so frightened of Goliath that they couldn’t do a thing…

…¹⁶Goliath came out and gave his challenge every morning and every evening for forty days…

^…26David asked some soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and stopping him from insulting our people? Who does that worthless Philistine think he is? He’s making fun of the army of the living God!”…

^…31Some soldiers overheard David talking, so they told Saul what David had said. Saul sent for David, and David came. ³²“Your Majesty,” he said, “this Philistine shouldn’t turn us into cowards. I’ll go out and fight him myself!”

³³“You don’t have a chance against him,” Saul replied. “You’re only a boy, and he’s been a soldier all his life.”

³⁴But David told him:

Your Majesty, I take care of my father’s sheep. And when one of them is dragged off by a lion or a bear, ³⁵I go after it and beat the wild animal until it lets the sheep go. If the wild animal turns and attacks me, I grab it by the throat and kill it.

³⁶Sir, I have killed lions and bears that way, and I can kill this worthless Philistine. He shouldn’t have made fun of the army of the living God! ³⁷The Lord has rescued me from the claws of lions and bears, and he will keep me safe from the hands of this Philistine.

“All right,” Saul answered, “go ahead and fight him. And I hope the Lord will help you.”…

…David took off the armor ⁴⁰and picked up his shepherd’s stick. He went out to a stream and picked up five smooth rocks and put them in his leather bag. Then with his sling in his hand, he went straight toward Goliath.

⁴¹Goliath came toward David, walking behind the soldier who was carrying his shield. ⁴²When Goliath saw that David was just a healthy, good-looking boy, he made fun of him. ⁴³“Do you think I’m a dog?” Goliath asked. “Is that why you’ve come after me with a stick?” He cursed David in the name of the Philistine gods ⁴⁴and shouted, “Come on! When I’m finished with you, I’ll feed you to the birds and wild animals!”

⁴⁵David answered:

You’ve come out to fight me with a sword and a spear and a dagger. But I’ve come out to fight you in the name of the Lord All-Powerful. He is the God of Israel’s army, and you have insulted him too!

⁴⁶Today the Lord will help me defeat you. I’ll knock you down and cut off your head, and I’ll feed the bodies of the other Philistine soldiers to the birds and wild animals. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a real God. ⁴⁷Everybody here will see that the Lord doesn’t need swords or spears to save his people. The Lord always wins his battles, and he will help us defeat you.

⁴⁸When Goliath started forward, David ran toward him. ⁴⁹He put a rock in his sling and swung the sling around by its straps. When he let go of one strap, the rock flew out and hit Goliath on the forehead. It cracked his skull, and he fell facedown on the ground. ⁵⁰David defeated Goliath with a sling and a rock. He killed him without even using a sword.

⁵¹David ran over and pulled out Goliath’s sword. Then he used it to cut off Goliath’s head.

Hope you made it through my longer than usual post. There’s more and you can read the whole account in the Old Testament in the book of First Samuel. Reading this again makes me want to sing “Only a Boy Named David”. Did you ever sing that song?

Tuesday got away from me. Now I’m doing some scrambling today to get reconnected to my brain. Our glorious sunshine from the weekend is hiding away for now and hopefully will return soon. What are you enjoying this week?

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Category Archives: Milan