Good Friday

Still Life with Breath

Lara Orchard

We know what happened on Good Friday and there wasn't anything "good" about it. The incongruous name may have evolved from the more ancient "God's Friday."

The new pope just held an unprecedented ceremony on Holy Thursday, washing and kissing inmates’ feet at a prison in Rome.  It was the the first time the ritual happened in a prison and included women and Muslims.  “Whoever is the most high up must be at the service of others,” says Francis.

My family members indulge me because I like Roman historical movies at Eastertime.  The habit came from the dark ages of television, when you watched whatever seasonal movies the handful of channels played. Remember checking the TV Guide? That's when Ben Hur, The Robe and Demetrius and the Gladiators became Easter traditions while the ham was cooking.

Now these movies are out on DVD, sometimes in Blu-ray "collector's editions." John gave me Ben Hur for Christmas a few years ago, and more recently Spartacus (1960) and The Bible: In the Beginning (1966).

I love Blu-ray, and the painstaking restorations make them look better than they did on the big screen. When you see a "cast of thousands" it's real people, not computer-generated nonsense. I will say though, movie audiences had more patience in those days. I know John must truly love me if he sits through a three-hour Biblical epic.  But you can't beat the stories...

Antonio Ciseri

Pontius Pilate presenting Christ to the people  

A couple of small things made me irrationally happy yesterday.  It was so warm I left my fleece jacket in the car and walked around Target in a T-shirt. I felt light as a feather, especially when I realized I wasn't using the cart as a walker.  (Other than a twinge now and then, my ankle is finally feeling better.)

And best news of all, our family will be here tomorrow afternoon.  I can't wait to see the little girls!  And Easter Sunday is still on track to be the warmest day of the year.