Easter is not the same this year, so what?

There was no donning an Easter bonnet today as it has drizzled one of those April rains, showers for May flowers...nevertheless,  happy Easter day and joyous season to all blog friends and followers; today we greet the day "He is Risen!"  I have been more absent than I like  from this blog as busyness consumes my time while I continue with double chore duties, some full time nursing duties and itch to get outside to begin the annual challenge to arthritis in my hands.  After a  very long winter abundant  pruning, raking. cleaning  of the lawns, flowerbeds as well as a sleepy rose garden will begin to whimper for attention. 

 Jerry's back surgery  Wednesday (April 16)  was a splendid success; the surgery which began at 12:25 PM  took less than an hour, by 3:00PM he was up walking so we were confident that we would be back home by  4:00PM.  Ah ha not so fast there,  when he was unable to "pee", the surgeon had warned about this, a common complication for men of older years, during surgery the bladder catheter caused his prostrate to protest angrily, to swell and prevent urination necessitating reinsertion of a tube catheter and bag which threw a wrinkle into the smooth mix, delayed our departure for home and is a minor annoyance until Tuesday when it will be removed.  His miraculous back surgery to  push the spinal jell back between the discs was a cake walk, he has a  one inch incision which was glued back together so no stitches, staples, and so far so very good.  Minor swelling and very slight bruising where the  muscle  was  prodded to push back the gel.  Just as we heard, Dr Watts, the newest Mayo neurosurgeon is a rock star and well deserving all his acclamation.  A genuine pro.   We are thankful.  Nevertheless some restriction of activities as all is not normal, not yet, but it will be soon.  Thus I am  busy attending to everything and the patient.  Although I disdain people who use Facebook as a blog and write their experiences ad nauseum, I admit to using it heavily, especially because it is so easy to post directly from my smartphone or tablet and update all at a moment. Certainly I do not post the length I do here (unlike those annoying ones) but Facebook is a  good way to get the word out toot sweet to many simultaneously.  

Shrine Fountain courtyard

I have previously mentioned that I am likely to return to Catholicism and have had a few recent experiences validating that choice.  On April 10 I joined some local Catholic women friends on a Lenten pilgrimage to the La Crosse Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  It was a beautiful day and after we climbed the mile hill to the shrine, sopping all along the way first at the Votive Chapel and all the saint statuary, attended mass, then walked back down to eat lunch at the cafeteria.  More information  about this local shrine, is online at this link    http://www.guadalupeshrine.org/   Once again I felt that deep sense of peace, blessing  and reassurance that  I only find at the Catholic churches and masses.  When this happens I recall my grandmother's admonition to me when as a child at mass in Latin or Polish neither of which I could understand I would fidget, "Patty be still and let the beauty be in your soul."  What made no sense then is perfectly clear to me now. Here are but a few photos.  

Shrine  Unborn memorial

Votive chapel at the shrine, first stop on the hill

I felt that same sense last night when I attended the Easter vigil mass at the local Catholic church last evening.  Father Havel's homily seemed destined for my ears as he wove a tale of his deer hunting experience into the Easter mystery and concluded many things happen in our lives that we cannot understand.  Try as we might our human reasoning fails us. But Easter reassures us all in God's good time, all will be revealed.  

We are doing Easter very differently this year, I purchased the ready to warm and serve meal from our local Festival grocery and am now happy I did so, pleased to have all the trimmings ready without extensive effort on my part.  This is a new experience for us; Before I would disdain this thinking "ICan  can fix that easily" today I am glad to have it available.  For only $29.99 we have 1.5 pounds of sliced,home cooked old fashion bone-in  ham with sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, wheat rolls and fruit salad.  There is more than enough for us and I picked up a fresh bakery apple pie onto which I drizzled caramel for desert, although Jerry sampled it last night, as he said, "to be sure it's OK for Easter."  Yes less fuss.  Long ago gone are the Easter days in California when we hosted huge events.  We are downsized and with good fortune soon will be on the move again.  

Meantime Peter Cottontail guards remaining Easter goodies array here.  Yesterday there were Jelly bellies and pastel creams with assorted candy corn, all too accessible walking by..Happy Easter again.

Easter robins and a good song

Spring must be  here, the last of the snow frozen onto our roof in wintry March is gone, snow is melting all around and today we have March rain, which while hiding the sunbeams with tears is cleansing the streets and melting more icy snow. Tomorrow is Easter, early this year, but a day when we rejoice.  One of those days of the year when  people go to church and in many places of the country still dress up out of respect, out of tradition.  

For the second day in a row here the robins have flocked, they are busy spring harbingers and a welcome sight at last along with the v formations of geese, ducks and birds headed north!  These are more reliable predictions than Punxsatawney Phil.

  Today I walked in the rain after a few hours at the nursing home and overseeing MIL care, I needed the release of outside even if it was  wet.  It started to drizzle just as I stepped out the door, but I thought, Nah won't be bad. I was wrong, but I had a  rain walking jacket with hood so off I trotted. 

Sighting  a large robin in our side yard, I thought about that old song I sang as a kid, "When the red red robin comes bob bob bobbin along, along, there'll be no more sobbin.....", actually one that Uncle Carl taught me, he played a harmonica and I sang and danced.  We were a hit of the house and the neighborhood near and far,  I got dimes and quarters at Sarniaks butcher shop for my performance, with my pipe curls and all who knew where the talent would take me.  Hah!  After each show, I would tell Uncle Carl,  "but I'm still a kid  and the song says again??"  I was puzzled but he assured me it was all part of the performance and entertainers had to go with the words.  It is a song of perky happy times, at least for me.  A welcome interlude in this time of MIL responsibilities, daily SNF  calls and lots of energy spent.  I almost could skip in the rain singing red red robbin bobbin though. 

  I have learned that the popular song was written in 1926, by songwriter Harry M. Woods.  Wikipedia says:  The song was an instant hit for singers like "Whispering" Jack Smith, Cliff Edwards and the Ipana Troubadors. Al Jolson, however, had the most success with his recording, which reached #1 on the Billboard charts.  The song became the signature song for singer and actress Lillian Roth, who performed it often during the height of her musical career from the late 1920s to the late 1930s. It was later performed by Susan Hayward, playing Roth, in the 1955 biographical film about Roth, I'll Cry Tomorrow.The song was recorded in 1953 by Doris Day, and again reached considerable success on the charts.   (Oh wow,  Mom liked that I'll Cry Tomorrow Movie...)  Lots of  memories here  Easter eve.

Here is a link to a you tube of Doris Day's rendition  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y4PUZA0k9E

But my favorite is the Bing Crosby   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOn-uIDk-oE
There are ever so many red red robbin comes bob bob bobbin along on you tube.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7r62rp5wNA   you can find a favorite there, I am sure.    Happy blessed Easter to bloggy land  pals and all. 

Celebrate Easter

Along with "Here Come's Peter Cottontail"  which I must have first  heard by  by Gene Autry  that great Irving Berlin song, "Easter Parade" is my favorite seasonal melody for this time of the year.  If I am feeling  less than Easterly all I have to do is wind up my Easter music boxes  and hear the golden notes to bring back a smile. 

I unboxed some of my bunny collection  to display in the living room this past week.  I felt more Easterly after their appearance.  There is one from Steve and one from a young boy, Mikey who lived near us in Newcastle.  There are several from my departed best friend, Roberta, some funny plasitc wind ups with goofy faces.  Each bunny has a memory attached and I think this is why I like to take them out  and touch them.  I admit I do not  need these things to bring memories but they are seasonal dear reminders and so I will keep them.  True to bunnies, the collection has multiplied necessitating a slightly larger box in which to put them back to sleep after next week.  There are two porcelain rabbits acquired on our trip south last fall at a thrift store, I can't pass those up without looking  and one pinkish ceramic bunny picked up at a tag sale, someone made it and someone was tossing it so I added it to my bunnies.    In the box I discovered an autumnal elfin guy  complete with horn of plenty and  pumpkins; I don"t know how he got  in with the rabbits because he belongs in the separate box for fall.  Did those "wascally wabbits lure him?"    Did I allow him to remain in place from one fall until after an Easter when I would have boxed up the bunnies?  Minor unsolved mystery.

You might wonder what I mean by feeling Easterly but all you need do is hum along with  those songs.  It's the rhythm and the light spring in the music that uplifts an attitude.  Spring  arrived early this year bringing warm sunshine and  blooms that stimulate gladness in the soul.  It's the magical promise of Easter, the assurance that raises our spirits. I was blessed to be raised in faith and to know  the Easter story which is the triumph out of the darkest of times, redemption for the ages.  My maternal Grandmother, Rose, saved the Easter card to the right that her sister Francie  had sent her in the early 1960's after my grandfather had died.  The year following his death I remember my grandma saying as Easter approached, "we always have something to celebrate because it's Easter again."    I think of her wisdom, a push toward the sunshine like the spring flowers. 

I wish that happy feeling for everyone out there in blog land.  The Joys of Easter,  Happy Day!