Pascha the Ham & Potates

Given that we went to bed so early, getting up at 7am wasn’t bad at all. The fact that the sky looked clear only helped make the rise even easier. For what it was worth, it was Easter morning, but honestly, I felt indifferent to the holiday.

I am surprised at the number of folks that have no idea why the Easter holiday changes year to year. And even fewer people realize that Easter has its roots in a pre-Christian pagan celebrations of spring. But even I learned something new about Easter's dating. My assumption has always been that Easter is always celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. But this is technically incorrect. Instead, it follows the Paschal full moon, which is still very confusing to me (see below) and has little to do with the actual full moon.

The Paschal Full Moon roughly corresponds to the first full moon of the northern Spring. The name 'Paschal' is from "pascha" an old term for Easter. The date of Easter is determined as the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. This full moon does not currently correspond directly to any astronomical event, but is a historical artifact determined from tables, and it may differ from the date of the actual full moon by up to two days.[1] The use of tables instead of actual observations of the full moon is useful and necessary since the full moon may occur on different dates depending where one is in the world.
Historically, the Paschal Full Moon was the first full moon which occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox. Later, the Paschal Full Moon referred to the day which was thirteen days after the Ecclesiastical new moon. The calculations to determine the date of the Paschal Full Moon are somewhat complex. For a detailed discussion, see Computus.
If the Paschal Full Moon falls on a Sunday, Easter is the following Sunday. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paschal_Full_Moon)

I made a pot of coffee just before starting my exercise regiment. By the time I had completed my calisthenics and walked Ykraps it was 7:34am. I took a few seconds to back track from our church service departure time to make sure I had plenty of time to enjoy coffee before setting out on my run. I did. By my calculations, I could delay my run until 9:20am if necessary. I didn’t want to push the envelope, however. Instead, I simply took enough time to enjoy a cup of coffee and also play on the internet. Mindy joined me downstairs around 8:00am. We were expecting the kids by 9:00am so Mindy & I hid about 40 Easter eggs in a hurry. Afterwards, she headed off to the shower and I out on my run.

My run was very nice. But make no mistake, it was quite chilly for an Easter morning. It was only 22 degrees. I was in my full winter gear. Even though it was cold, that didn’t stop the spring birds from singing. They were plentiful and helped make my run more pleasant.

The kids were already home by the time I returned. I wasn’t surprised. They were just preparing for the family Easter Egg hunt. I took the camera duties over from Mindy while she started the familiar event. The kids were excited and quickly found all but one of the 40 or so eggs. The one they had trouble locating was black and blended well with its placement. They found it only after a game of “hot –cold”. Bella wasn’t pleased that Jacob found it, citing that he always gets the shiny black egg! However, her complaining ended quickly. There were more Eater treats to be had. Specifically, there was the Easter gift from Mindy & I. They opened it together. We got them a new Disney DVD, Enchanted & a new Wii game, Mario Brothers Olympics. They loved ‘em!

I headed up for a shower soon after the egg hunt. I was ready for church by 9:45am and helped Mindy put the finishing touches on the children. We were out the door by 10:05am. Mindy wanted to be early for choir. Mindy left me with the kids as she headed into the choir’s chambers. I took the kids to fellowship hall. After looking around, I spotted Gloria, Jody, & Camilla sitting in the third to last row. I sat with the kids directly behind them.

Soon the service began, and much like any other Easter service, this one focused on the risen Christ. The choir sang well, too. They had plenty of practice. I was distracted by a few in the crowd. Most notably was Chris (can’t recall his last name), who was there with his baby son. He’s an old Scioto Wood’s kid, and one of Courtney’s old boyfriends. He looked very grown-up. The service last just over an hour. I was eager for home.

Once home I warmed my leftover steak in the microwave. I shared with Bella, who was insistent on having steak as well. Now there’s a kid that would never eat steak just a few weeks ago, but after finally trying it found that she loves it. She ate a little less than half of what remained. After lunch I took to the recliner for some reading and a nap. I woke aggravated after Bella decided to play with an obnoxiously loud hard plastic toy within an earshot. She never plays at the foot of the stairs. Geesh!

Mindy walked by to wake me around 3pm. It was time to head to her mother’s. Mindy wanted to be there by 3:15pm. I changed shirts and brushed my teeth. We arrived on schedule. Brother Craig & Jeff were already there. They also brought along a good friend, Mel. Soon Jody, Joe, & Camilla arrived, as did Julie, Mindy’s niece. The others arrived not long after. Later, half way through dinner Katy arrived. She had been celebrating with her family. All totaled, there were 19 of us. The menu was delicious yet predictable. We had ham, au- gratin potatoes, broccoli salad, macaroni salad, & rolls. And just like most Sunday’s, I ate plenty.

We gathered in the livingroom after dinner where the conversation took a number of turns. We talked about politics, family, & work – the usual stuff. And while Jacob was not his typical wild self, he did have a melt down after learning that all the hard work he put into constructing a Lego village had been torn down in an instant by Bella. He eventually got over it. I went with Bella to help put away all of the Legos.

Dessert time was next - ice-box cookies. They were yummy, too. I had what amounted to two helpings after eating what was left of both Jacob & Bella’s. There was more conversation after dessert. We stayed unusually late, until 8:00pm. We may have been the last to leave. That hasn’t happened in a really long time. It was a nice Easter Sunday to be sure. The weather could’ve/should’ve been better but you really can’t ask for better family interaction.

Once home, Jacob was insistent on walking with me & Ykraps. He followed through on it, too, which isn’t always the case. He had many questions – most about the solar system. His interest was piqued as we stared off at the numerous stars lurking above. His questions weren’t your typical 7 year old questions. Among them, he asked just how far a planet would have to be from the sun to render gravity ineffective. He also asked which planet was the oldest. I didn’t dare mislead, thinking these interesting questions worth researching. I gave him an I-owe-you. Mindy asked me to help Jacob with a shower after we returned. I followed through. Jacob was extra cooperative. Not long after the shower we were tucking the kids into bed. Afterwards, we sat at the kitchen table talking about our weekend, and then placed a call to my mom. We headed up to bed at 10:30pm.