My Passover preparations have been a bit more complicated this year. I’ve been sick and I will lead the community seder at Temple Sinai on the second night of Pesach, so I have to “go easy” the first night to save my energy. On the plus side, in the last year I began using a cleaning service, so I have been able to delegate some of the more strenuous parts of Passover prep.
Every year is different. Every year Egypt looks a little different. This year, Egypt is pain and debilitation and the frustration that goes with that. Salvation, I suspect, will come in a clever mix of creative solutions and inner acceptance – and in the seders themselves, which teach me something new every year.
I’m actually ahead of myself with prep. I have enough bran cereal for tomorrow morning, then it’s gone. I gave away most of the packaged chametz already – I have one bag of blueberry muffin mix and assorted small things to go into the Food Bank bin Wednesday evening. I have one more meal’s worth of pasta. Everything else is eaten, given away, or thrown out. The fridge is clean. The kitchen will get its final cleaning Friday morning. The house is chametzless, with the exception of my bedroom (I had to eat a couple of meals in bed) but Thursday morning we’re going to finish that.
Shopping’s done. I’m not cooking for seder this year, but it’s important to make sure that I’ve got plenty of good kosher for Passover food on hand – so I’ve got extra eggs and potatoes and I ordered some extra fresh things from the organic box service. First night Linda and I will have a Movie Seder, to conserve my energy.
I’m going out to dinner with a friend tonight, and I’m looking forward to it with extra fervor, because during Passover I won’t eat out at all.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, please take a look at Passover Prep for Beginners. The essential thing is to get to a seder. Everything else can be a learning process.
How are your preparations going?
This will be my first ‘proper’ Passover….so, all very exciting, and a wee bit scary, but it’s ok. I’m limited as to what I can do, and what I can eat, but have a plan, and it’s good. Solo Seder. That’s fine, too. It’s also a time I’m trying to do what I can to honour the memory of my mother, grandmother, and great aunts(one of whom I was named after) all of whom were cut off from their Jewish roots in one way or another, snd in the case of my mother, cut off from me(my choice….very difficult but necessary choice)
I wish you a zissen (sweet) Passover! Let me know how it goes, ok? You in the UK will get to it before we do here in the States.
Are we ever ready? Perhaps this is one of the great lessons of Passover… that if we wait until we are “really” ready (by whatever we judge that state) we may never leave. Sarah and Abraham didn’t know where they were going, and neither did those who fled from slavery with Moses and Miriam. Our most important journeys, it seems, start with a belief that we will be shown the way, but only after we take that first step into the unknown.
Chag Pesach Sameach to you and all your loved ones.
Profound. Thank you so much.
We are making an effort. Like you mentioned, eating up or giving away the chametz cereals and bread, and laying in the matzoh, potatoes, gluten-free cereals. I really like the idea of clearing things out. Gosh, I had no idea there was so much bread in my freezer!! We can’t possibly eat all of the pastas in the pantry so I’m OK with leaving (“selling”) things that are still sealed. Hopefully next year we will host our first seder and this year we’re lucky to have been invited to 1st and 2nd nights. I also (happily) found kosherwine.com and have laid in several to share of the “blue bottle” fizzy Bartenura’s that everyone loves! Chag pesach sameach!
Pesach sameach, Anne!