The scriptures and the devotionals that popped up this week all point the way to our preparation for spring. Get ready! Be prepared! Make way for the new!! It will come, won’t it? Eventually?
I am more than ready for our ice (used to be snow) piles to melt and allow the bulbs to wake up and begin to sprout!
Isaiah 43:16,18-19-
This is what the Lord says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing…”
But, I do remember those former things!!
These were the last of them from last spring.
I am ready to hang my spring wreath and I am ready to “Spring Up!” my clocks tonight in preparation for Daylight Savings Time.
I am ready to keep that time schedule all year round to give us more hours of daylight in our waking hours. How about you?
Get ready for a sunny Sunday! I am ready for more sunshine. How about you?
I love it when my friend, Lisa, sends me photos of her sunrises above the lake near her home in North Carolina.
I’m ready for a ride on “Lucille” (our redheaded ATV who is a “Ball”) into the springtime wildflowers on our mountain trails around here.
Right now, looks like that’s a couple months away.
This year we won’t have our TazE (our beloved Boston Terrier traveled over the Rainbow Bridge last December. We miss her!) to keep us company on our rides. She was sure a great trail companion!
We saw some mighty PURDY sites together on those rides! Sometimes we’d take the trail all the way over to Pony, Montana, the cute little town northwest of us where there is a cute little tavern. We’d meet our other ATV friends there.
So, get ready, my friends. Make way for the realization of those dreams once more when we can take that ride again!
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal (that’s my time right now); a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh (that’s ALWAYS now!); a time to mourn, and a time to dance (let’s do!!); a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace (let’s do that, too), and a time to refrain from embracing; …
May your storms diminish and your sunshine increase; May your troubles decrease and your joys abound.
May your eyes clearly see the beauty all around you. God bless you, my friends. Make way for those blessings! They are coming! Rest assured!!
Love and Lotsa Hugs, JanBeek
P.S. My eyes are healing after the cataract surgery last week. Thank you for your prayers. The farsighted vision is bright and clear – beautiful colors. Single lens replacement instead of the multiple variety was my only option. It has to do with the age of these tired 83 year old eyes and the shape they were in. But I’m not complaining. Another follow-up appointment is scheduled in 3 weeks. I’ll keep you posted. Thinking positively!
Time to embrace friends Time to invite them again Leave the masks behind
Time to hug our friends Time to share a laugh or two A welcome relief!
May 21st and it’s snowing outside!!
Loved having the Feldmans & Lyons here to meet Mary Grace and share a meal with us
My Native American pancho is just what MGR needed to go out and face the bitter cold
The wind blew the snow It fell and swirled all around Indian blanket
Just grin and bear it Don’t worry, spring will return We will survive this!
My daffodils are probably toast And the crocus will wait to return next year They’re buried under four inches of powder But the ground needs the moisture – never fear The snow will melt and the sun will shine By Sunday we could be wearing shorts Keep an eye on the weatherman But don’t put too much stock in his reports!
Pray for good weather Sunday!
We’re getting ready for Pentecost Sunday Mary Grace will preach for the congregation Afterward, at a special meeting, members will vote. I’m praying we’ll have cause for celebration.
Pray with me, will you, my friends? Have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for dropping by. See ya tomorrow.
When I was a child at Bonita Elementary School in Crows Landing, California, May Day was a very special occasion. We always created a May Pole around the flag pole at the front of the beautiful, two-story brick building. We dressed in colorful clothes and practiced days in advance to be sure we knew how to weave the ribbons properly. Parents came to watch as students assembled in the front of the school. The band played. The principal spoke, and teachers did special art projects in the classrooms.
I especially remember Mrs. Horwedel, my 4th grade teacher, who had us go out into the fields near the school and pick wild flowers. Then we made paper baskets, filled them with the flowers, and created unique cards.
They weren’t as pretty as the one pictured here, of course, but we thought they were! Some of us took them home to give to our mom. Others hung them on a doorknob of a friend’s house as they walked toward home. (You hang it, ring the doorbell, and run to hide). It’s a surprise! A few decided to hang them on the door of a favorite teacher’s classroom.
Today’s World
In today’s world, there are few schools surrounded by fields with wildflowers, and buying flowers is too expensive. So, the tradition of the May Day baskets has pretty much gone by the wayside, right?
But May Poles didn’t cost much. Just a few bucks for some crepe paper or ribbon strips, and time to practice. I think it’s a shame that in most places we seem to have forgotten this day’s history and we have failed to preserve it.
History of May Day Celebrations
According to Wikipedia, “May Day is a public holiday usually celebrated on 1 May or the first Monday of May. It is an ancient festival of Spring[1] and a current traditional spring holiday in many European cultures. Dances, singing, and cake are usually part of the festivities.”
Moving Forward
Let’s get back to dances, singing, and cake! Let’s reinstate the celebration of spring. Let’s recreate the May Pole. Let’s make it a part of our “new normal” once this VOVID-19 pandemic allows us to go back to our schools and hug our neighbors. What do you think?
The calendar says it’s spring,
But the weather says it ain’t.
Hoar frost greeted my morning.
“Smile,” it said.
I replied, “I cain’t!”
Then off I went to Lenten Breakfast
While I marveled at the frost.
I skidded on the icy drive.
“Relax,” I thought.
Then wondered, “At what cost?”
I made it to the breakfast
With the help of neighborly folks.
The place was bright and cheerful.
“Let’s eat,” they invited.
I laughed at friendly jokes.
My next stop was at TOPS*
Where I weigh in to keep off pounds.
My KOPS** buddies inspire me.
“Did you eat all your breakfast?”
“Nope, I left one of the rounds!”
My reward was to wear the hat
That signified I’d lost the most weight.
What a treat – worth the feat!
“Keep up the good work!” they encouraged.
I headed home – feeling great!
The calendar says it’s spring,
But the weather says, “Not yet!”
White stuff still covers the ground.
“Smile,” it said.
Sun sparkled. I sang, “You bet!”
Are you enjoying this first day of spring? What did YOU do??
* TOPS = Take Off Pounds Sensibly
** KOPS = Keep Off Pounds Sensibly
Check it out, if you need encouragement to
“keep off pounds sensibly”, too. Log in to http://www.tops.org
Saw our first robin
