I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S EASTER ALREADY!
I think I'm becoming one of those people who comment on how quickly the
year is passing. It's already April and I feel like Christmas was only a few
weeks ago. Now we've just ticked Easter off the calendar and before we know
it, we'll be halfway through the year.
I thought I'd share a few little highlights that Easter holds for me - it's
such a special time of the year.
FAMILY TIME
I didn't want to lead off with "the reason for the season" serious part of
Easter - I thought I'd save that until the end of my post - and I'll jump in instead with the fact that Easter gives us a 4 day holiday and it
marks the beginning of the school holidays here in Australia. So many of us
take this time to head off on a mini-vacation, or to spend time with family
over a very relaxing long, long weekend.
We don't have our family here for the Easter break this year, but we're having
the grandgirls and their parents next week - along with their new little
kitten named Mallow. I'll be sure to share a few pics in my wrap up post at
the end of April - kids and kittens are soooo cute. Mallow is short for
Marshmallow - she's a very sweet little ragdoll cat who the girls are loving
beyond measure as she's their first remembered pet.
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| Mallow the mellow new kitten |
HAVING A DAY OFF WORK
I only work one day a week now - it's bliss - and because it's a Friday, I
never seem to jag having a public holiday to give me a free day off. Good
Friday granted me that respite and it was lovely to be home and not dealing
with all the busy-ness that a work day holds. I really do enjoy my job
(probably for the first time in my entire working life), I go because I want
to, and not because I have to - and that makes all the difference......but I
still enjoy a bonus day off.
CHOCOLATE TREATS AND HOT CROSS BUNS
I'm not a big chocolate eater - that's my husband's strength. I always find
that chocolate tempts me but ends up being a bit too rich. The occasional
Easter egg is a nice treat though and he's always happy to finish off
anything I can't get through.
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| via Hedger Humor |
I may not be a chocoholic, but I do love a hot cross bun. In fact I eat one
for lunch quite often instead of a sandwich - it feels like comfort food to
me. The shops start selling them straight after Christmas - which used to do
my head in, but now I take advantage of that and buy them regularly in the
lead up to Easter because they're so delicious.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBERING THE REAL REASON
I think the fact that Easter commemorates the death of Jesus on a cross
often gets lost in amongst the chocolate, Easter bunnies, and holiday rush.
You can't pretty this event up - not like Christmas when there's a baby in a
manger to offset Santa Claus. Having someone dying on a cross just isn't
pretty at all - but it's all the more meaningful because it's not
pretty.
Rather than going on about the whole Easter story, I thought I'd share this
beautiful rendition of the Easter Hallelujah - the images are quite graphic
- but those were brutal times and it stands in stark contrast to what Easter
has become for a large part of the world. I think it's good to pause and
consider history for a moment in amongst all the fun - it's a balance.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
What do you find to be the most special aspect of Easter? I think it's
different for all of us and often reflects our family heritage. I'd love to
hear your thoughts in the comments.
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I rarely eat chocolate so while we buy chocolate for Sarah and she always gives us a Lindt bunny each, she also knows that Grant will eat most of it. I do, however, love hot cross buns (with heaps of butter) and lamb roasts. Sarah's home today (she spent the Easter weekend in Sydney with Mum and Dad) for a few days and as lamb roasts are best with family, that's what will be on the table tonight.
ReplyDeleteHi Jo - I'm a very moderate chocolate eater, but I do love my hot cross buns (and yes lots of butter is the key). Lamb roasts and Easter are definitely the way to go - we have ours ready to roast when the family arrives on Friday - so much better than faffing around with one when there's just the two of us. Happy Easter to you and yours x
DeleteEaster is a beautiful time of year catching up with family and church members. Wishing you and your family a lovely Easter 🐣
ReplyDeleteSame to you - I think it's a very special time of the year and one that holds really deep meaning in amongst all the pastels and chocolate bunnies :)
DeleteWe've just had a lovely weekend visit from our daughter, SIL and the two little ones - it was such a precious time which we never take for granted as they don't live all that close to us! I'll admit that I have indulged in a few chocolates and my fair share of hot cross buns and it was all fun! I hope you have a great time with the family plus new kitten next week Leanne. I did watch the video and thanks for the warning!
ReplyDeleteHi Deb - it is a pretty graphic set of images, but also a reminder of why we have this time of the year to celebrate. So glad you could have some wonderful family time - Easter is the perfect time to do some catching up - and yest the family plus a kitten will definitely be making me very happy this weekend coming. x
DeleteThat is the cutest kitten!! You are going to have so much fun with family. Good Friday started my son's April vacation and I am really enjoying not having to be up and at 'em so early this week.
ReplyDeleteI love how quiet Easter is with everyone enjoying a break from school and work. It's not as full on as Christmas and I think that makes it even more special in my world - no presents to buy - just a bit of extra chocolate to share around instead. x
DeleteHello Leanne, Mallow is gorgeous. A quiet Easter for us and no chocolate! I do think the true meaning of Easter is getting lost, which is a shame. I hope you have a lovely time with your family.
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth - I kept trying to remind myself throughout the weekend about what it was truly all about. Having a quiet Easter gave me more time to do that - I was less caught up in family time and 'holiday mode' this year. And yes, I'm looking forward to meeting Mallow in all her furry glory on Friday :)
DeleteThis year really does seem to be passing by quickly though, doesn't it?! Mallow is such a cutesy pie! Happy Easter!
ReplyDeleteSame to you Nikki - and yes, the year is zooming by. I can't believe that we're past Easter and heading towards May already.
DeleteHappy Easter, Leanne. We had a quiet weekend and enjoyed some hot cross buns too. I made some Goan pork curry for lunch and we enjoyed that with a vegetable pulao.
ReplyDeleteSomeone sent me the exact same video - a lovely version of the song!
Hi Corinne - I thought the song was really well juxtaposed with the images - and it felt very 'real' watching it. I didn't know hot cross buns were a thing in India too - nice to know they're popular world wide! I've been appreciating your FB posts as you share your journey of healing. x
DeleteI guess when we have work and we are fully occupied with no time to kill, time flies fast. Time drags for those who have lot of time.
ReplyDeleteI love chocolates, but I can't have too many.
Hi Pradeep - time must be flying for you with all your work plus juggling the AtoZ Challenge on top of it all for April. Happy Easter.
DeleteHi Leanne. I was raised Catholic, so we always went to church on Easter Sunday, decked out in our Easter outfits. I always had a new dress, and I remember wearing paten leather shoes, as well. My mom always filled an Easter basket for us, even when we got older. The basket always had a big chocolate bunny, small chocolate eggs, a big cream filled eggs, and lots of jelly beans. Tim and I are in Cyprus, right now. There are lots of British people here, and we went to a British restaurant here, on Easter Sunday, and celebrated with dinner and a show. This Sunday, here in Cyprus, the Greeks will celebrate Orthodox Easter. As I remember, from other countries, they will share red dyed eggs with their neighbors. Happy Easter, Leanne, to you and your family. xx Christina Daggett
ReplyDeleteHi Christina - wow! you had a pretty fabulous set of Easter traditions when you were a child - I think we were lucky to get one chocolate egg each! No new dress or shoes, but I do remember the joy of a new dress - kids today will never know how exciting it was to get one new "good" dress!
DeleteEnjoy your time in Cyprus - you're certainly seeing the world and experiencing so much more than most of us will ever see or do. I bet it was a nice change to go to a restaurant and show in English for a change :)
Hi Leanne, I'm glad to hear you've had a great Easter. It sure did come around quickly - you're right there! Mallow is so cute! No wonder your grandgirls are enamoured and are enjoying her. I'm a choccy lover so always feel guilty after Easter for over indulging. I'm not a fan of hot cross buns however so no guilt there as I've not had any of those. We had lunch at my sister's house which was lovely. Sadly my daughter was working so I haven't seen her over Easter at all. Won't be seeing her for a while cos she's sadly tested positive to Covid so isn't very well! Love the little laugh at the end of your post. I've seen that many times before and it always gives me a chuckle! xo
ReplyDeleteHi Min - sorry to hear that covid is blighting your family - our DIL just tested positive and their lovely visit is now being postponed. We're all very disappointed. It's all so frustrating and disruptive even 3 years down the track.
DeleteHi Leanne, lovely to have the grandchildren at Easter, my family went camping. I can't believe that Easter has now come and gone. We enjoyed a quiet break dog sitting and just relaxing. I take classes on a Friday for SHW so it was good to have the day off too. What is next on the calendar? I'm looking forward to reading your catch up post for April in a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue - our Easter was quiet, but that was nice too - it's always good to not be battling the Easter traffic or holiday crowds......and a bonus day off is always a plus when you don't get one regularly (says she who only works one day a week!)
DeleteI really laughed at your personalization of the closing joke, Leanne. It's always good to have a sense of humor about such things. Easter was a religious holiday for my family growing up, but it also meant an Easter basket and a new dress for church...which I probably appreciated more than the meaning of Easter at the time. When my grandchildren were younger, we often got in on the egg dying action, but not so much now. They still bring me a couple of specially decorated eggs though!
ReplyDeleteHi Christie - that rabbit joke has finally started to grow old - maybe because my butt doesn't hurt anymore :) A new dress for Easter sounds delightful - that's a tradition we all should have carried into adulthood - it'd inspire me to brave the dress shops!
DeleteWe were brought up with Easter traditions of no meat on Good Friday & hot cross buns for breakfast, and Easter Bunny comes on Sat before Easter Sunday. Some of these were family traditions of our parents/grandparents and we followed them as our kids came along. Now, many years, on, we no longer adhere to any traditions or rules. One thing for me is that I like chocolate, but not Easter chocolate. We ARE all different indeed. Thanks so much for linking up your blog post this week for Wednesday’s Words and Pics. I appreciate your support of this community! Take care, Denyse.
ReplyDeleteMy husband eats any type of chocolate so he's happy with Easter chocolate - I agree that it has a different taste to it (even the Cadbury ones) but seeing the chocolate in Easter eggs is so thin, I manage to enjoy one with a cup of coffee to keep him company :D. We have no real Easter traditions in our family now either - probably due to the distance and the irregularity of family visits over the Easter break.
DeleteVince calls me Marshamallow Pie, so I feel a connection with the new kitty. She is adorable, and with little kids will be such a mellow kitty. I love how your granddaughter is carrying her around. Speaking of chocolate bunnies and body parts that need a bit of removal work... I wouldn't like the pain, but to take out that much fat... I'd be tempted! Meanwhile, I'll eat chocolate and anything sweet right now. :)
ReplyDeleteI love that you're "Marshmallow Pie" Marsha - that's so sweet! And yes a bite or two out of my middle aged midline might be worth the pain now I come to think of it.
DeleteOur Easter was two big family days - my husband's family and my family but now it's Bluesfest - and I LOVE it. I know that sounds bad but it's soooooo good and reviving. Brilliant for the soul.
ReplyDeleteI think Bluesfest might be quite a nice way to celebrate Easter Lydia - a bit of dancing and musical appreciation goes with the celebration on Easter Sunday :)
DeleteHi Leanne, That's a sweet photo of your granddaughter and adorable Mallow. Wishing you a wonderful weekend with your family. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.
ReplyDeleteThere was plenty of chocolate and hot cross buns eaten here over Easter Leanne. We had a quite time at home, mostly in the garden.
ReplyDeleteWe managed to knock off quite a few Easter eggs too Jennifer - and had such lovely weather that we even went for a stroll along the estuary to enjoy the sunshine (and burn off a couple of calories in the process).
DeleteMy father-in-law came to our place for Easter this year and my boys loved it. I loved it to; it was nice to have company for the holiday.
ReplyDeleteMarshmallow is a great name.
Thanks for the virtual coffee.
Hi Shari - family at Easter is always special - I missed not having either of my "kids" here for the break, but we'll make up for it in the weeks ahead.
DeleteWhat a cute kitty. I love chocolate but growing up my favorite was white chocolate. It still is. That video was beautiful too.
ReplyDeleteI'm a white chocolate girl too Kirstin - it tastes like solid condensed milk to me - very sweet and very more-ish! I'm glad you enjoyed the video - I think it was a wonderful look at the Easter story.
DeleteThat's my reality too, of eating a Cadbury egg...LOL! Karen #Weekendcoffeeshare
ReplyDeleteThey're just so sweet aren't they Karen? I do enjoy a little bit of chocolate, but all that sugar slows me up a bit ..... until they tempt me again down the track!
Delete