Happy- Or Hoppy- Easter

Jillian here. Sorry I missed my day to blog last month. Hobbes had just had surgery and he was a miserable kitty who wouldn’t sleep alone and I spent five nights sleeping on the couch with him while he moaned and groaned about the collar he had to wear. I walked around in a daze at work for that week and didn’t even realize the 9th of the month passed until the 12th. Pretty crazy, I know.

Today is Easter and I hope those of you who celebrate are having a nice holiday. Now that we don’t have small children and don’t do the egg dying and hunting thing, it’s a pretty quiet day. We have dinner at my parents’ home and enjoy the whole turkey with fixings meal as if it was thanksgiving all over again. My mom makes the best gravy and the best deviled eggs so I am sure to indulge in those.

We used to go to the sun rise (or SON-rise) service at my church but they stopped doing it. I always loved that service as it was set to start before the sun was up and the sun came up just as it was ending– at the final hymn–beautiful. And then there was the pancake breakfast…

One thing I love about Easter is the availability of Starburst jelly beans. They have a bag of all reds that we stock up on while we can. They used to only be sold at Target but now you can get them other places. I am proud of myself this year. I bought 6 bags and have not eaten one. Not one, single jelly bean. I’m still trying to lose weight and cut down on sugar. But I do think I might cave before the day is over and eat a few. We’ll see.

Passover was also this week. My daughter-in-law is Jewish so they do both a Seder and an Easter celebration. They went on an egg hunt in their community park last weekend and her brother’s girlfriend gave birth to their second daughter on Passover. A sweet new little girl for my son and DIL to be aunt and uncle to and a new cousin for Benjamin.

Whatever holiday you celebrate, I hope you have a blessed day full of love and happiness. And go get you some Starburst red jelly beans—you won’t regret it.

Happy Easter Weekend!

Oh, I love Easter. It’s perhaps my favourite time of year. The days are drawing out, daffodils are everywhere, the lambs are frolicking in the fields around us, and we have the promise of better weather on the horizon.

Today the weather here in the UK is glorious, so we took Vivvy to the seaside. It’s the first time she has seen the sea and felt the sand beneath her paws and she absolutely loved it. We did an hour’s walk one way, then stopped for coffee and a hot cross bun at a lovely seaside cafe, before heading back the other way for another hour’s walk. Apart from coaxing her still for a photo shoot, I don’t think Vivvy stopped running once. There were so many dogs around and it was lovely to see them all playing and enjoying themselves in the sunshine.

I’m going to do an awful lot of walking this weekend because then I can have a guilt-free chocolate Easter egg. A friend bought one each for me and AJ and I’ve spent the last couple of days with that egg sitting on my table just calling to be eaten. I so love chocolate. And I heard that the chocolate of an Easter egg once broken becomes devoid of all calories. Apparently, it’s something to do with the chocolate pieces coming into contact with the air 😉 Ha. Works for me 😆

Happy Easter!

 

Happy Easter Monday and Patriots’ Day

Today is Easter Monday which is celebrated in several countries but not much in America. It’s a holiday in Australia and in many other countries, they have church services on this day. The Eastern Orthodox Church calls this Monday “bright Monday”- I love that. In the Republic of Ireland, this day is a day of commemoration for those who died in the Easter Rising which began on Easter Monday in 1916. Do any of you celebrate Easter Monday? If so, what are the traditions you observe?

It is also Patriots’ Day- not to be confused with Patriot Day (which marks the Sept 11th tragedies). This Patriots’ Day is celebrated in Massachusetts by the running of the Boston Marathon. It’s a day of commemoration for the battles of Lexington and Concord. It’s celebrated on the third Monday of April in Massachusetts and Maine. For some reason which is unknown to me, the state of Wisconsin also observes this day and the state of Florida also celebrates the day even though it’s not an official holiday.

The actual battles were on April 19, 1775 and were the first battles of the Revolutionary War. In the two towns of Lexington and Concord, there are reenactments of the battles. They also recreate the horseback rides of Paul Revere and William Dawes (with police escorts), calling out warnings.

I love that so much of history is commemorated this week. It just seems right that we remember the ones who’ve gone before us as we celebrate the love of God for us sinners, doesn’t it?

Sunday’s On The Way! by Valerie J. Patterson

When I was a child and it was Good Friday, my mom made my sisters and I be quiet from noon until 3 PM.  I’m not saying she didn’t allow us to speak or move.  I’m saying she had us be quiet little ladies instead of the rambunctious, high energy, giggling and carrying on powerhouses we normally were on a day off from school.  Every year she’d explain to us that this was the time Christ suffered and died for us and we needed to slow down and think about what that meant.

Most Good Fridays, we’d go across the street to our neighbor’s house and sit with the children that lived there on their front porch.  We’d color or read or play dolls but we were never loud or obnoxious.  My mom and a few of the neighbor ladies would gather in the kitchen at my house and talk amongst themselves.

As a child I never fully understood what it meant–this noon to 3PM pause.  It wasn’t until I was in junior high that I began to understand what an amazing sacrifice Christ made for me.  It wasn’t until high school that I fully understood what inconceivable pain and agony Christ endured so that I could be forgiven and have a right relationship with God.  As an adult, Easter has become my favorite time of year.  I cannot gaze upon a crown of thorns without tears springing to my eyes.  It’s personal between Christ and I, as it is meant to be.  I have His blood and His resurrection as my assurance that my transgressions are forgiven.  I’m not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and the great thing about it is that Christ knows I’m flawed and He loves me in spite of those flaws.

This Good Friday–as with all Good Fridays in my lifetime–I will be quiet and reflectful and I will be thankful that Sunday’s on the way!

Until next time, I hope your Easter is a truly blessed one!

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday also known as the first day of Lent. For the next 40 days, a number of people will be giving up something to take part in the lead up to Easter. I’m not a Catholic so I don’t go to the church to have ashes put on my forehead although I think that tradition is quite nice. I have a number of friends who will be walking around with this mark all day.

I also don’t usually give up anything for Lent but I do try to use the period to attempt to fix some habit or personality issue that I perceive I  have. Sadly, I haven’t been really successful in making life time changes – I have read somewhere that you can form a new habit in 30 days but I’m not sure I agree with that. I plan to test the theory yet again this year as I am going to try to not be so dang sensitive. I find as I get older that I’ve become someone who seems to wear her heart on her sleeve. I wasn’t this way before but for some reason, it’s been true for the last few years.

I tend to invest everything I am into every endeavor I undertake and that includes friendships. I’m finding as I age that this is not the norm for people and as a result, I’ve been in situations where I get hurt (feelings, not physical).

I’ve decided to try to change a little and not invest so deeply so fast. I’ve got a new mantra I’m going to try in this Lenten period and it’s “surface, surface, surface.” I am going to endeavor to keep things on a surface level. Once I master that and learn to take my time in diving in deep, I think I will be better off and my heart may hurt less.

What about you? Any ashes for your forehead? Any Lenten traditions?

 

If Easter Eggs Don’t Wash Their Legs Their Children Will Have Ducks by Valerie J. Patterson

That line is from a song aptly titled “The Nonsense Song”.  It’s a song I learned as a child.  Every once in a while I sing it for the bubbly hubby and—for my effort—he graces me with a smile, a shake of his head, and a squeeze of my hand.

Today’s blog is not so much about nonsense as it is about traditions.

St. Patrick’s Day and Easter—both holidays right around the corner—are steeped in tradition.

My grandmother—Dad’s mom—with the maiden name of Brady, was Irish and very proud of it.  St. Patrick’s Day was a big deal in her home.  Not because she liked green beer, but because she was a faithful Catholic and Saint Patrick meant something to her and the country where her ancestors lived.

The Wearing of the Green—commonly misinterpreted as wearing green for Ireland actually means to wear a shamrock on one’s clothing.  St. Patrick often explained the Holy Trinity using the three leaves of the shamrock.

Annually, Dublin, Ohio holds a huge Irish Festival that showcases fabulous Irish music, dancing, and dress.

Irish Truth—It is often that a person’s mouth broke his nose.  I don’t think that really needs interpretation, but just in case:  If one keeps his mouth shut, he removes all reason for someone to plant a fist on his nose!

March 17 commemorates the date of death for Saint Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland.

Legend states that St. Patrick banished all snakes from Ireland by chasing them into the sea after they attacked him while he was fasting on a hill.

Traditionally, St. Patrick’s Day is full of parades, celebration, and drinking all over the world, not just in Ireland.

Easter comes with its own traditions from the coloring of eggs to the wearing of Easter bonnets, spotless white dresses, and patent leather shoes.  From hunting for hidden Easter eggs to devouring candy found on artificial grass inside a straw basket, to looking for the Easter Bunny.

The Egg Bump—traditionally each player brings their own decorated hard boiled egg to the competition.  Two players stand across from each other and roll their egg into the egg of their opponent, bumping eggs.  The player whose egg cracks is out of the competition.  Play continues until only one intact egg remains.

Early Christians stained eggs red as a symbol of the blood Christ shed.  The egg traditionally represents life.

The Paschal Greeting is exclaimed on Easter Sunday.  Instead of “hello” it is customary to say, “Christ is risen” to which the response, “He is risen indeed!” is returned.

Easter also—for me and my family—celebrates the resurrection of Christ on the third day after the crucifixion, offering salvation to all who wish to accept it.

For you and your family, I hope there are traditions that are held precious and dear to your heart, that are steeped in meaning and sentiment, and that are shared with each new generation that arrives.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day and Happy Easter to all of you!

Until next time, take care and be happy.