end of Pesach

As the light slowly closed on the last day of Pesach aka Passover on Saturday, I was at the family seder to which I'm customarily invited as a supernumerary member. This was news because it was the first time we'd done it in three years. Everybody was vaccinated - and I was fresh out of my second booster shot the previous afternoon, that's my other news - so we were feeling pretty easy about it. Even the cats were cool.

Normally it takes about two hours to get through the prayers, narratives, responsive readings, tiny skits, songs, and ritual eating (this is the matzo of affliction, these are the bitter herbs) and drinking (this is the second cup of wine, praise to the Lord who created the fruit of the vine) that make up the bulk of the seder before the meal is served - there's more afterwards, and you're not in a hurry: this is a relaxed occasion. But Jena, our hostess and mother of the clan, who acted as leader, took a turbo-charged way through the opening, reading fast and skipping a lot, and got through it in 65 minutes flat. Mark, her husband, prepared a fine lamb roast for the main dish plus magnificently tasty matzo-ball soup with home-made schmaltz as an ingredient and eggs fresh from the 15 chickens they have living largely in their back yard (this is out in the country to be sure). Guests brought sides; I made the same broccoli I had for B's family last week. Some sort of whiskey-infused flan and chocolate mousse for dessert.

Home again before falling asleep, fortunately.