Saturday M & M's

Saturdays are such a mixture. I have tried to narrow down the main purpose or main goal for Saturday.

The best Saturdays for me and my family are the ones that prepare us for Sunday. That may sound overly pious, but it is really the truth.

If on Saturday I am able to figure out every meal that we will have on Sunday, and partially prepare them, that may mean baking muffins for breakfast ahead or, making sure there is enough cereal and milk. Being certain about the lunch menu, is absolutely the best thing I can do on Saturday, for a good Sunday!

Our grandmothers and great grandmothers used to fry chicken on Saturday and have everything baked and ready for Sunday lunch before they went to bed on Saturday. My dad remembers having fried chicken on the fine china, that now sits snug in my hutch, every Sunday when he visited his aunt and uncle.

I think in our post modern era we threw out the baby with the bath water when we gained our right to not be in the kitchen. There is something so healing about having all of your children gathered around the table, with candles lit and napkins folded (even if they are paper... although I prefer cloth, especially on Sunday) heads bowed and the Sunday lunch "Amen" said, there is a miraculous split second when everything is beautiful, and there is nothing to do but drink in a moment of leisure and pleasure.

Now I must stop here and take three huge steps back.

I have been known to, and usually do, try and accomplish the above stated conditions for Sunday lunch. HOWEVER... I have also opted for plan A, and actually prefer plan A.

I heard about plan A, from a very wise Rabbi once. I say plan A, because I do believe that what the Rabbi spoke to me about Sabbath is indeed the first plan that the Jews implemented through the generations in the effort to obey the fourth Commandment.

Thus,
Plan A
Spend Saturday (for the Jew, Friday) preparing for a complete day of rest for a true Sabbath rest on Sunday (for the Jew, Saturday)

And on Saturday evening (for the Jew, Friday) have a family meal with linens, and candles.

Then on Sunday (for the Jew, Saturday) have a lighter meal, that has been completely prepared the day before (that may be a stew that simmered in the crock pot all night, or sandwich "fixins" (as we say in Texas) ready to set out.

By doing this we can truly take Sunday (Saturday) off from all meal preparation, and all work. No laundry, no dishes (to accomplish this the dishwasher, or sink, should be emptied the previous day and be ready to receive each persons personal dishes throughout the day) no work at all. No one person should "do the dishes." Each person should scrape and place in the dishwasher, or stack neatly in the kitchen sink, their handful of dishes throughout the day. And if the meals are kept simple, the dishes are also simple.

Either way, Saturdays are best spent in preparation for Sunday.

Lay out the Sunday clothes, straighten the house completely before dinner on Saturday. Have the entire focus be on what is going to happen on Sunday. When I am able to clear my agenda and accomplish this, there is still time in the afternoon to snuggle on the couch and watch a baseball game, or even now I hear some sort of car racing coming from the den. So Saturday is still a fun day, still a family day, still a day to wash the car, get the yard mowed, whatever needs to be done, but at the end of the day, I hope to lay my head on the pillow and be completely ready for Sunday rest. For Sabbath!