INDEPENDENCE DAY 2011

 

My goodness!  Is it July already?  Wasn’t it just Easter?  After a long hiatus from blogland, I thought I couldn’t let America’s most important holiday slide by without paying tribute.

I’m sure everyone has many memories of how they’ve celebrated the Fourth of July.  Some do the same thing every year.  Some do something different.

Most celebrate with a cookout, barbecue or picnic with family  and friends in their backyards or at local parks,

and follow the festivities with fireworks in their neighborhoods or by watching the town sponsored displays.

In Maryland, backyard fireworks are prohibited, so you won’t see any stands in parking lots doing booming business.   But we can go to any number of the local cities’ beautiful shows.

Or we have the privilege of fighting our way down to the National Mall to experience the fantastic shows put on there every year. 

I moved to this area in 1979.   In 1980 the Beach Boys made their first performance on the 4th of July on the National Mall. 

And that is where I spent the day that year!

Now my memory doesn’t go back that far with complete accuracy, so I won’t even try to remember all the details.

I do remember a very hot, muggy, DC day in the sweltering sun surrounded by thousands of people sitting on blankets.

Some of them, most of them, drinking beer and smoking…stuff! 

The day progressed with a great concert as I recall, and then the sun started baking some, most,  of those people sitting in such close proximity to me who were drinking beer and smoking…stuff. 

The sights and smells turned unpleasant!  Time to move to another part of the mall for the fireworks extravaganza.

Which didn’t disappoint!

The ride home to Virginia on the Metro was a cattle call as it usually is after a huge event downtown. 

But when you’re young,  an experience like that day is more exciting than bothersome.

I’ve gone downtown for the fourth, maybe a couple of times more since then…with my husband and  kids.  But now the kids can go down on their own.

And I’m content to watch those beautiful colors on TV, or down the street from the fairgrounds, rather than fighting the traffic and crowds.

Or I’m content to celebrate America’s most important holiday on my deck with a great meal with friends and family, remembering (or trying to) past 4th’s.

I hope I never grow too old to enjoy the sparkling bursts of explosions in the sky that we are privileged to experience with our senses wherever we live in this great country,

reminding us always that we truly do live in the land of opportunity.

I hope you all have a fun, happy and delicious celebration this year in honor of our country’s birthday!

                                      HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

                               And may God continue to bless us always!

Hope to see you at all the festive red, white and blue parties at Table Top Tuesday and Between Naps on the Porch!

Thanks for visiting!

Sheila

Easter Brunch

 

WELCOME THROUGH MY RED DOOR!

I found this story about the Easter bunny on a website of Easter poems and stories. 

Origin of The Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny is a symbol that originated with the pagan festival of Eastre.

           

               The goddess, Eastre, was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons
                                       through her earthly symbol,

the hare or rabbit.

The date of Easter is determined by the moon whose symbolism is strongly tied to that of the hare.

In fact, the hare is the symbol for the moon.

Ever since the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., Easter has been celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after March 21st.

The Easter bunny was introduced to American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s.

The arrival of the "Oschter Haws" was considered "childhood's greatest pleasure" next to a visit from Christ-Kindel on Christmas Eve.

The children believed that if they were good the "Oschter Haws" would
lay a nest of colored eggs.

 
The children would build their nest in a secluded place in the home, the barn or the garden.

Boys would use their caps and girls their bonnets to make the nests.

           

The use of elaborate Easter baskets came later as the tradition of the Easter bunny spread through out the country.

The author is anonymous.

This table, as so many others, just came about, partly unplanned, but with what is around the house.

So what was I going to write about?  I don’t consider myself a writer to any degree, so it’s always the hardest part for me when putting up a post.  That and getting my computer to cooperate!

So as I’ve done before, I searched for a story.  This one couldn’t have fit better.  But I was uncomfortable with all the talk about a pagan goddess and hares…after all Easter is the holiest of all Christian holidays.

As I read I searched a little more, and even though I sort of knew some of it already, I came to appreciate the history behind the traditions and how church events have evolved. 

I love spring!  Everything starting over!  Renewal! Another chance!  So wise!

And so another place setting was added to this table as my youngest joined us for Easter brunch and we were all together again if only for a day (until summer).

I hope you and your families have had a joyous and blessed Easter Season and will continue to ‘bloom’ and ‘grow’ as we move on into the rest of the year.

Now I think we can actually get on with the spring planting outside!  Yay!

Happy Easter!  Happy Spring!

Sheila

First Day of Spring

Welcome Through My Red Door
This past Sunday was officially the first day of spring.

It’s trying so hard to make it’s first appearances  in my yard.

The crocus have come and gone.  They never stick around long enough for me.

The daffodils are still trying to make up their minds.  They’ve peaked in other neighborhoods and yards…not mine!

And the deer and the bunnies have already had their first feast on my tulips.  I doubt we’ll get to enjoy them this year, sorry to say.

But the forsythia, well, is always reliable!

My next door neighbor has a bush planted right up against her fence, so it grows through in to my backyard.

I have to admit that I never really gave that bush much thought, except to view it out my kitchen window, and I’ve lived in my house for almost 10 years.
    
But this year, now that I’ve started a new hobby, this bush has become inspirational!

As soon as those yellow buds started popping, I started watching that bush because I had a picture in my minds eye!

It was to be the anchor of this table.  I just snipped away.

Grabbed one of my white pitchers and stuffed it.

Then I remembered I had this yellow tablecloth. A treasure I inherited from my Italian grandmother.

And somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered there were napkins to go with it.  However, I didn’t remember that there were two different ones.

The fringe edged cocktail napkins came in handy as a little runner to cover up the hole in the tablecloth that the pitcher of forsythia couldn’t, because of course the hole was not centered in the middle!!  Reminds me; I need to find a professional vintage linen repairer!

Did I mention this set is very old?  My grandmother, if she were still alive, would have been 102 years old this year.

And all the linens I inherited from her were around long before I was even thought of!  And I’ve been around a long time!

You’ve probably seen all the dishes, flatware, and candlesticks on many of my tables, but I just picked up the margarita/fruit glasses the other day at Salvation Army for 50% off.  So I only paid .30 each!! 







This table served us a sunny and delicious spring Sunday brunch of scrambled eggs,

hash browns, spinach and garlic sausage,

fruit and orange juice!



I have to say, I can’t think of when I have ever been so happy or excited to see spring arrive as I have this year.

I’ve had spring fever since November!

And I’m itching to get to the nursery to fill the yard with some color!

Can’t wait!!

I’m joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.  Hope you will stop in there too.
                                           
Thanks for stopping in.  I hope you’ve enjoyed your visit.

Happy Spring,
Sheila