Easter Egg-spectations

My five year old grandson knows what to expect at Easter. Chocolate! An Easter egg hunt has always been part of his experience at this time of year. He expects to have to hunt, use his eyes and look, and he is not without hope!

Easter has different meanings, customs and dates even according to where we are in the world. But here in the northern hemisphere it is always linked with the new life of spring after death of winter. Early Christian celebrations were of life over death, resurrection, hope and joy. Our garden certainly seems to be celebrating that at the moment.

But I find it comforting that there are other aspects to the Easter season. The expectations of the women who visited Jesus‘s tomb on the first Easter Sunday were certainly not celebratory. That first Easter the friends of Jesus were in the black despair of the afterwards. Grief, loss of their beloved leader, the smashing of all their hopes. They had no hope of a triumphant resurrection. They had no idea about Easter, as Graham Kendrick wrote in this Easter song, sung here by my son and daughter-in -law. “….they turned away and no-one knew that it was the first Easter Day”

Click the picture to listen

For me Easter 2020 is a strange mixture. It is full of a triumphant sunny spring beauty, which assails my eyes, ears and nostrils the moment I step into the garden. It also feels weirdly subdued and quiet, full of disappointment, sadness, loss and fear. Two of my friends on social media recently expressed similar feelings of the contrasting aspects of this time. This poster shared by one of them says it well.

The first Easter was not recognised as a momentous turning point at first. It was full of fear and grief, before came the slow dawning of hope, stumbling recognition and hesitant amazement that the unexpected might be happening.

My expectations this Easter do not have to be either/or. I don’t have to force a positive grin if my heart is breaking. I can try to embrace the “and” of this liminal time. Today I will allow room for the clouds and the bright sunshine, missing my family and enjoying beautiful flowers. And I will keep my eyes open for the unexpected.

Happy Easter Egg hunting!

Listen in the garden – comment 19

It has been a busy couple of days, and I didn’t make any “comment” yesterday. Today there were no pressures and I could take my time. The morning was misty and grey and I stood at the window and watched a song thrush on the lawn. Stepping outside the first sound I could hear was the rain, but gradually I became aware of bird songs all around.

I am not good at identifying them all, but just listening was enough to connect with their underlying joy. So I made a little collage from pages from an old poetry book, and a drawing of a thrush. My comment on their songs…

Keep singing – comment 2

I heard this feisty little bird singing before the dawn this morning. Often associated with Christmas and snow, he is also most certainly a gardener’s friend during the muddy grey days of winter.

Keep singing in the dark little robin.

‘Twas on a Monday morning – small stone 30

The old nursery rhyme describes the laundry maid as “dashing away with the smoothing iron”, but I have no energy for dashing on this murky grey Monday morning.

However there is something gently soothing about ironing. Although I often procrastinate until the laundry basket is overflowing, the ironing process, the creaking hiss of steam and the warmth of the fabric under my hands, is distinctly pleasurable. And then there is the satisfaction of taking a crumpled, creased garment, and smoothing it. Ironing out the wrinkles and ending up with a flat, evenly pressed material.

I hang my freshly ironed clothes in the wardrobe, and wish that other wrinkles, irritations and frustrations could be as easily ironed out, sorted with just a bit of gentle heat, pressure and steam. But, sadly, life isn’t quite as “neat and nimble-O” as the nursery rhyme might imply…

Just singing – small stone 12

Tuesday night, singing a sky full of stars.

Listening to harmonies, learning patterns of phrases.

Expanding lungs, and squeezing pelvic floors to reach the heights, we give it our hearts.

We make mistakes, but get lighter the more it gets dark.

Not quite a heavenly view, but we go home happy and hoarse.

Seasonal…

Pre Christmas  highlights included performing in two concerts with “Just Sing”, (raising £2,800 for a children’s bereavement charity), and watching a scintillating performance of “A Christmas Carol” by Dickens’ great, great grandson.

Christmas itself was a gentle time with a visit from my sister and her family. The “boys” played board games, and we ate lots of food, watched TV, talked and relaxed. The photo shows Anna and me in our matching new coats, bought independently and in different towns,  unbeknown to each other!

A few sales bargains bagged, and the latest Star Wars film viewed, we are now enjoying a quiet period. It is the in between time, after the “birth”and before the “epiphany”.  A liminal space, a chance to reflect on the year past,  and contemplate what might appear in 2016.  And of course a chance to catch up on reading some of my Christmas presents. Thank you everyone!

Guns, hats and “Just Sing”

Another fun weekend at Wimborne Folk Festival! Men (and women) in flowered and feathered hats, musketeers wandering the streets, dancers with bells, sticks and knives, it wouldn’t usually be allowed! But it was lovely to see the town packed with thousands of people enjoying a family day out. Lots of fun for children, of all ages.

And “Just Sing” was performing several times, our second year, with audiences of family and friends and others who seemed to appreciate our efforts! We enjoyed ourselves anyway…

Just Sing – cornmarket
Rachel’s photo

Just Sing – Wimborne square

Water workout – small stone 20

“I should be so lucky,
Lucky, lucky, lucky”
Kick off flip flops, drop my towel,
Slide into warm lapping water,
Not the Mediterranean, just the leisure centre.
“I should be so lucky,
Lucky, lucky, lucky”
Goes the CD, instructor sings along,
Kicking legs, punching arms,
Faster, higher, shimmy shake.
“I should be so lucky,
Lucky, lucky, lucky”
Heart pounding, muscles working,
Running, jumping, flying arms,
Under water I can do things I could never do on land!
“I should be so lucky,
Lucky, lucky, lucky”

It was an effort to go today, but as always I’m glad I went to Aquafit, and am grateful that my body can still do some of these things!

Choir practice – small stone 6

Greeting with excited laughs and smiles,
We start our warm up.
Ascending and descending oohs and aahs,
I stand tall, breathe
and let the sound come out.

New Year, new term, new songs, some new members – but same good relaxing fun.

Finding my voice…

In August 2013 I reflected here on my feelings about being questioned whether I sing. For decades I attended concerts and events where my husband or sons were singing, and I organised school concerts for many years. But not since my own school days have I sung in a choir. Not until this year that is.

Those musings nearly 18 months ago, plus a timely reminder and photo from an old friend about our days in the school choir, challenged me to look for a place to sing with others.

So when a new choir started up near us in January 2014 I knew it was for me.

The “Just Sing” choir has given me a wonderful opportunity to find my voice again, learn new songs, make new friends and have fun. The leader of the choir, Kelly, is amazingly patient and wonderfully affirming, building our competence and confidence.

This weekend we gave a Christmas concert to raise money for the local hospice. It was a squeeze to fit us all on the stage (about 70 of us in all) and the tickets sold out virtually overnight, raising over £1500 for such a good cause. So here is a photo of me in a choir again, nearly 50 years on since the school one, (yes I am there, middle row, third from left, just behind the purple tinsel!) and I love it!