Holy Hilarity, The Bible in 50 Words, Lanesboro,MN

Here is the front of yesterday's  bulletin,  Prince of Peace Lutheran church here in La Crescent where I've been attending (more later on my church search in MN) as we celebrated  Holy Hilarity Sunday.  I had never heard of this but it has  been their tradition for the past eight years, held the Sunday after Easter.  They say that long long ago in many Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant  countries Easter Monday was observed as a day of "joy and laughter."  It was the time to laugh at the devil because Christ had risen, God's supreme joke played on the old master, Death.  This practice evolved into the Bright Sunday celebrations on the weekend following Easter.  All that Lenten deprivation fades into joy.

Serendipity in action again as I had posted about my great Aunt Mary and her humor and laughter on Sepia Sat.  Aunt Mary would have loved this service as I did.  I have not laughed so hard at one time over and over continuously  for such  a long time.  It was tremendous and did me good! The entire  hour and half was hilarious with corny jokes and stories, jugglers, costumes, mimes, joyous music and presentations.  I admit to being skeptical as to what I might encounter, but from the prelude opening the service with Angie playing ragtime music on the piano to Pastor Mike's introduction ala Old Time Talk radio and Groucho Marx jokes, I was in! Even the young who don't have a clue about Groucho laughed out loud!    As I sat there, I thought that if  a person who never went to church would come to this service they would see true Christian joy and glee!  But then again as I shared with June after the service, a visitor might think everyone was nuts!  Pastor Barb has to be worn out from her miming and expressive costumes and changes.  Costumes and silly hats were tossed into the air to members of the congregation to don  from an  antique trunk  which had belonged to a Swedish immigrant, Thekla in the 1800's who migrated to Chicago, her name stenciled onto it with destination. Several youth and men hauled the wooden trunk  in and out of the sanctuary.  Pastor Barb's duet  with her husband of "I Love to Laugh" a sing along from Mary Poppins was absolutely gleeful and we were filled with the laughter as we sang along.  This is a service I would not want to miss in the future.  Oh and all that laughter generated a potty trip immediately following the service for me!

My happy mood stayed with me all day as I broke out in smiles over nothing at all; it's still here today as I recall corny joke such as typos from Church Bulletins, "Rummage Sale--get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands"  or "The peacemaking meeting had been cancelled due to a conflict."  That last comment would fit the Methodist church I left here in town, but more on that later.  I felt Great Aunt Mary's spirit along with me laughing through the day.

Here I share the Bible in 50 Words, part of what we read yesterday in the service.  I thought this and the  bulletin cover very worth sharing.

We drove our Grey Goose, our new HHR acquired to tow behind the motor home, over to Lanesboro, one of my favorite places. This photo is from February when we still had snow--long gone now to lovely green grass all around.   Lanesboro, MN  is an old town that has been resurrected with crafty artsy places shops and restaurants, but this is the off season with few tourists and the perfect time to visit. Bike trails abound and yesterday was a perfect day to walk along and get ice cream or other refreshments.  My giggles continued when I saw these hand crafted wooden spoons  in the window at one  Lanesboro shop.  Don't they make you smile?  Dancing spoons----& the dish ran away with the spoon!   Jerry commented that while I seemed to be lifted maybe I  was turning beyond the bend with my giggles.   Maybe I still am around that bend , but it's a good feeling. 

Here are just a couple photos  of Lanesbo including its famous waterfall, someone's RV atop the waterfall at another observation point, we were below in the abandoned park and fishing spot.  Its American Legion post #40, which makes it one of the first around was closed; we had not walked that way in the town before so it was a new  site to us.  And it's 1880-s firehall which has now been made into a restaurant.  Our favorite sandwich shop. German, Das Haus has not yet opened for the season so we did not get Reubens on their homemade bread--another time.

  I acquired an old "ooga--aooga"  rubber bulb horn to mount on my trike in one shop.  Watch out now around town as I use my clown horn....hilarity will abound.  Can't wait till I surprise friends with a blast from the past....and then there was Jerry, waiting patiently for me in this candid shot; fittingly he found an open saloon to which we adjourned for a glass pint of  liquid refreshment before heading home on this gorgeous day.