The "Is" of Easter

My March MMe-note thoughts generated several appreciative comments, so I thought I'd post it on the Mid-Morning blog.

I frequently talk about my mom and her battle with Alzheimer's. I'll continue to do so, only now it will be in two tenses: past and present, because on January 23, my mom, Eileen Natalie Furtado del Grosso, died.

The things she did and experienced during her lifetime on Earth require the past tense. They happened at a set time and place: She was born in Taunton, Massachusetts, in 1932. She gave birth to four daughters between 1954 and 1967. The women she is, the qualities and traits that comprise the unique soul known as Eileen, still exists in a forever body and requires the present tense: Music is mom's outlet for expressing her feelings. She is bursting with joy and gratitude and probably hasn't stopped singing since arriving in heaven. Mom is generous with all she is and has. Right now she is cheerfully tackling her heavenly assignments as Jesus prepares His return and our forever.

This isn't a positive spin on death; it's the believer's reality.

And while the calendar reminds me of Lent's lingering presence, I've already begun celebrating Easter. I couldn't wait until March 31. Not this year.

Jesus is alive; and because He is, so is my mom...present tense.

Happy, happy Easter!

Lynne

                      Mom and me on a train trip to Cape Cod in 1962.

                  Mom and me during our final visit to Cape Cod in 2009.

 

 

 

Welcome...??...Sweet Springtime??

Happy First Day of Spring!! I told Lynne earlier today that this frigidish start of spring would be more palatable if I didn't have such fond memories of last year's 80-something degree first day of spring. I looked out the window this morning and saw...

SNOW!!!

WHAT!?!?!? Snow on the first day of spring!!

I'm consoling myself with the memory of slight tree buds I noticed last Sunday afternoon...and the beginning of daffodil sprouts I saw in the back of the yard last night...and the smell {odor rather than aroma...but I'll take it} of the freshly laid mulch outside. Spring WILL be here soon. Right? It just has to be!

I feel like I declare {minus the BLT declaration music} every time the seasons change...how much I love this season. Perhaps I am just ready for change each time and welcome the promise of what's ahead.

This time...I'm looking forward to:

* Putting together the hammock Ryan and I received from my sisters for our wedding. Actually I'm not looking forward to putting it together. I'm looking forward to RYAN putting it together and I'm looking forward to enjoying it! {I'll help him but tools and assembly have never been my forte, so it's safer for everyone, the hammock most of all, if he's in charge of that project.}

* Evening walks outside. I adore watching the sun go down and walking around just enjoying the great outdoors that I feel like I've not seen since October!!

* Running outside. OH man. How I've missed exercising outside this winter!

* Eating outside. {Hmmm...sensing a pattern here.} Ryan and I have a sweet little patio table and I love parking outside to eat dinner {or lunch if we're home for that meal} - or even just have coffee while listening to birds. So cozy.

* Use of sunglasses for purposes OTHER than glaring snow.

* A whole new wardrobe - courtesy of the non-fleecy stuff I can wear again!

* Running the air conditioner in my car. {I don't bother waiting until summer for that one.}

* Ditching the fleece sheets. Not that they aren't oh-so-comfy. Because truly...it's like sleeping on a cloud. But the ditching of the sheets signals the arrival of the warmth, so let's bring THAT!

* Lilacs. I have 3 kinds of lilacs in the yard and I cannot WAIT for them to bloom. I love smelling them and cutting them to bring inside...so lovely.

* Freshness. There is something just so refreshingly lovely about spring.

What about you? Any faves you're eager to welcome?

Celebrations and Such

Some of you probably read my personal blog, and because of that, I hate to overrun the Mid-Morning blog with pictures that you'll see again over there, but I felt like I wanted to write a quick post today just to honor the Lord for the way He's been writing my love story with Ryan.

This past Saturday, Ryan and I packed four vehicles with a dining room lod of crates, mason jars, pictures, shells, netting, and much, much more, and set up the banquet rooms at Indiana Wesleyan University for our at-home wedding reception. A chance to share our wedding with friends, family, and co-workers. A chance to show them our wedding video and let them have a front-row seat to the beach wedding most of them didn't have the chance to attend.

I have just a few of the {hundreds of} pictures taken by our 3 photographers. But I wanted to share with you...indulge me?

We were married on white sand...this isn't QUITE the same...but so close. :) My bustle broke, so my sweet husband carried my train for me:

I'll write a longer blog post on my own blog about this later...but I spent many dozens of Tuesday lunch hours sitting in the same pew in the little prayer chapel on campus, praying for God to bring my "Mr. Missing" to me. That's why this was such a reward:

Recreating a moment from the wedding: survival on sweet tea!!

Sitting with our wedding party during the showing of the video. Some of the people who have impacted our lives most profoundly:

For the record, it was so hot in there, both Ryan and I were about to die. Shortly after this photo, I sneaked over to the gift table, snagged 2 cards out of the basket and we fanned like crazy people for the rest of the time.

Cutting the cake. BEGGING him to be nice to me. {He was.}

And in the theme of how God writes stories....

...Got about 45 hugs from this sweet thing. I was there when she took her first breaths. I've seen her story from its first outside-the-womb moment. I watched her baptism last fall. And I love this photo SO MUCH.

And I was there for the births of her brothers as well. So excited to give them an uncle...and to have them share with us that day:

And another special moment: introducing Ryan to June...my second grade Sunday School teacher, whose investment in my life that year and in many other times and many other ways greatly shaped the woman I am today. She wrote a chapter in my story.

And the representation of many, many more people whose investment in both our lives made us who we are today:

It was a beautiful day of affirmation from those who love us - and a chance for us to give praise to God for the love story He wrote. Just wanted to share a bit of that with you!! :)

A Little Mid-Morning Recipe For You

Hey Everyone! The Mid-Morning blog page has been awfully quiet lately and I wish I could explain to you how it is that my head can be SO FULL...and yet nothing comes out in a coherent enough fashion to blog. It's maddening. Or, as my Ryan would say, it's betrothing.

{If you missed our last BLT, I shared the story of the time Ryan used the word "betroth" to mean "annoy." So now it's our new word. I'm so betrothed = I'm so annoyed. Feel free to use it.}

Tomorrow is Lynne's visit with fitness expert Kerri Zurbuch....and they have a recipe for you! I'm going to post it here in case you can't write as fast as they talk during the show!

Crock Pot Cabbage (Recipe from Kerri Zurbuch)

1 head of fresh cabbage, chopped
1 pound trimmed cooked ham or lean sausage (no nitrates)
1 onion chopped
1 pound of fresh or frozen green beans
2 stalks of chopped celery
4 red potatoes chopped in 8ths with skin on
Black pepper to taste
Water to fill crock pot 2 inches from the top
Put everything in the crock pot in the morning, turn it on low, and when you get home - it's ready!