I think of the garden after the rain;
And hope to my heart comes singing,
At morn the cherry-blooms will be white,
And the Easter bells be ringing!
~Edna Dean Proctor, “Easter Bells”
A blessed Good Friday & Passover to all who celebrate, and a joyful weekend to all.
I could include a host of Easter symbols here, but here’s a handful that make me hoppy happy.
1. Tatted cross bookmarks
Image credit: eBay.com
My Nana tatted Bible bookmarks for me that looked very similar to this one. They got lost over time (and over the course of several moves). But I found some tatted crosses on eBay, of all places, which I commissioned for myself, my siblings, and a handful of special friends.
2. Peeps
Image Credit: Boston.com
My husband loves Peeps, in all their iterations. (He’s a member of the Peeps fan club; did I already mention that? Silly boy.) I’m not a huge fan of the way they taste, but these colorful chicks take me back to simpler times. Plus! See how they stick together…how they own their uniqueness, their vibrant colors and textures? Yeah, that’s the ticket: they remind me of my peeps.
3. Easter Bonnets
Image Credit: PracticallyAtHome
Aren’t they just the cat’s meow? I don’t own a befeathered, beribonned bonnet, but I sure wish I did! Moreso, I’d like to develop enough "hattitude" to wear a crown, special occasion or no.
4. Foot washing
Image credit: South Wisconsin News
This ritual was typically performed by servants, so in washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus went all rogue (as he was wont to do). Aside from the metaphor about spiritual cleansing, this ritual calls us to our better angels, suggesting a life of humility and service.
5. Spring flowers at sunrise
Image credit: flickr
‘Nuf said.
Even as the Earth turns into Spring,
Angling its torso towards the sun,
So like birds our hearts begin to sing,
Touched by time as tides by moonlight run,
Ebbing as faith faces the long night,
Returning with the laughter and the light.
~Dmitri Shostakovich
(Photo credit: EastCoastHarmony)
Clockwise, left to right: My sister Coral, my mother,
Sheryll, Melodye, and Heidi (the church organist is in the background)
Look at me, all dolled up in my Easter finery! We’re standing in front of Everybody’s Tabernacle in Baltimore, circa 1961. There’s lots of cultural history embedded in that photograph, and there’s a story behind the slightly peeved expression on my face.
In retrospect, I should have shown more gratitude to the woman who gave us those outfits as a "love offering." But truth be told, I loathed having to dress like anyone else. And I remember being especially peeved about having to wear hand-me-down cowboy boots with that flouncy cotton dress. Footwear can make or break an outfit, don’t you agree?
