Pascua de Resurrección

Shades open to grumbling storm... Gregorian chant to wake the kids for Easter morning...

Sour tang of communion wine at the seven o'clock service... rain pounding... thunder cracking under pipe organ... searing trumpet from the balcony...

Gifts of Easter for all the kids at home... don't usually “go big” but this year it's Riverdance tickets for Patience, a long-awaited bright blue Fortnite “battle bus” LEGO set for Yali, and a nice wallet for the Puckster...

Saint Peters in the afternoon... shared ham with cousins... less ear-cracking happy screaming than in past years but still happy play... while adults discuss topics ranging from the pretentiousness of golf to which materials can be safely microwaved... wind spinning up pollens and seeds... cousins split the giant chocolate bunny before we leave... “Dad! Dad! We just slayed the bunny!”

Storm watch begins at home... sitting in the driveway on wooden folding chairs listening to Channel 5 storm tracker... eating chips and leftover spinach and artichoke dip...

As kids are tucked into their bunks... blue storm night tumbles through with nothing much more than a little rain and thunder...