Holy Week

The last week of Jesus' life was crammed with events, as we follow him from his glorious entry into Jerusalem on Sunday until his death on Friday. In the in between, he preached, taught, presided over the Passover supper, stood trial, and was condemned to death.

This we call...........Holy Week.

Sunday Surprise!

My cute daughter Mackenzie has been in Salt Lake with her sister Ivy for several days and she and her cute family decided to stop by on their way back to Vegas and see me. I am always excited to see them and especially hug and kiss that adorable baby Wynter Brooke. I can't believe she is almost 5 months old. She is such a happy baby and just smiles and smiles..........

We love to go to our favorite restaurant which is Oscars. Seriously it is the best restaurant ever. WE LOVE TO EAT HERE!!!!! I would like to think that I am the highlite of their trip but.......Oscars is a close second. When you live in a tourist town there is always some great eatin going on.

Palm Sunday

The Lenten Season is almost over and it's time for Palm Sunday. By this time next week it will be Easter Sunday.

Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast which always falls on the Sunday before Easter Sunday. It is also called Passion Sunday or Palm Sunday of the Lord's passion.

In many Christian churches, Palm Sunday is marked by the distribution of palm leaves (often tied into crosses) to assembled worshippers. The Palm branch is a symbol of triumph and victory in Jewish tradition.

According to the Gospels, before entering Jerusalem, Jesus was staying at Bethany and Bethpage, and the Gospel of John adds that he had dinner with Lazarus.

The Gospels go on to recount that Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem by riding on a donkey with the people waving leaves from the date palm tree. The people sang "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord".

May we all find peace and love in our hearts at this special time of year. It is my wish that we all might be kinder and more loving to our friends, neighbors, the people that surround us and our most treasured family members. God Bless us all!!

What Is Passover?

Passover, or Pesach, is the first of the major Jewish festivals mentioned in the Bible. Passover celebrates God freeing the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, led by the prophet Moses. The story of Moses and of Passover can be found in the Bible's Book of Exodus.

Matza, an unleavened bread, is the primary symbol of the Passover Holiday.

This Holiday is observed by Jews and Samaritans.

The Bible tells that God inflicted ten plagues upon the Egyptians before Pharoh would release his hebrew slaves, with the tenth plague being the killing of all the firstborn sons, from Pharoh's son on. The Hebrews were instructed to mark the door posts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the Spirit of the Lord passed over the homes, hence the term "Passover".

When Pharoh freed the Hebrews, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread to rise. In commemoration, for the duration of Passover, no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason it is called " The Festival of the Unleavened Bread".

Easter Bonnet's and Easter Parades....

The "Easter bonnet" was fixed in popular culture by Irving Berlin, whose frame of reference was the Easter parade in NYC, a festive walk about that made it's way down Fifth Avenue from St. Patricks Cathedral. This photo was taken in 1900. The parade dates back to the mid 1800's.

People come from around the world to participate in the Easter parade. Outfits range from outrageous to elegant.

I think this is one of the funniest ones that I have seen and how original!

At the depths of the Great Depression a new hat at Easter, or a refurbished old one, was a simple luxury!

Why the Easter Egg?

Eggs and chicks symbolize new life. Eggs have been a symbol of spring since ancient times.

An egg also is a symbol of the rock tomb out of which Christ emerged when he arose again. The chick, hatching out of the egg symbolizes life or re-birth.

Originally Easter eggs were painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring and were used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts to children and servants.

I love these eggs. I would consider these "ART".........................

It was during Easter that the consumption of eggs resumed after the strict Lenten fast. Eggs were thus a main stay of Easter meals, and this is probably one of the reasons why eggs came to be associated with Easter.

So much fun..... I use to love coloring eggs when the girls were little.

I forgot to post this photo on the Easter Bunny one........but I love it!

"Sugar Doll" Blogging Award!!! What? Me?

Two Blogging Awards!!! Are you kidding me? (My kids will tell that is my favorite phrase and that I over use it way to much!), but back to the award. This was given to me by my favorite blogging friend, Janis.

I love to read her blog, it makes me laugh and it makes me think...........

She is a very special person with many great qualities and she speaks her mind!

Please check her out as she is on my favorites list or go to her blog at

http://www.justbreathejanis.blogspot.com/. She has a list of her favorite blogs that you should also check out. We both probably spend entirely to much time blogging but.....what's a girl to do?

The Easter Bunny..........and It's Origin

The Easter Bunny as an Easter Symbol bringing Easter eggs seems to have it's origins in Alsace and the Upper Rhineland, both then in the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation, and the Southwest Germany, where it was recorded in a German publication in the early 1600's.

The first edible Easter bunnies were made in Germany during the 1800's and were made of pastry and sugar.

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

The arrival of the "Oschter Haws" was considered a "Childhood's greatest pleasure" next to a visit from Christ-Kindel on Christmas Eve. The children believed that if they were gook the "Oschter-Haws" would lay a nest of colored eggs.

I remember as a little girl growing up on a farm in Iowa that at Easter one year we got little baby ducks that had been dyed with various colors. I have never quite seen anything like this crazy colored rabbit. Poor rabbbbbit...............

I still remember the day..........the very day that my brother told me the truth. I even remember where I was standing and in what room...........It was a shocker. There are just those very times that make your world stand still and that you will always remember .............I was probably about age 10 or so. Thanks Steven...So if those of you who know me think I have issues.....well.......I am putting the blame on the "Easter Tale Shocker" Ha Ha!

The Easter Lily Holiday Tradition

Easter has its share of traditions: Egg decorations and hunts; gift baskets and chocolate bunnies, sunrise church services, parades, and, of course, The Easter Lily.

Each holiday is marked by cherished traditions that bring joy, comfort, and warmth, and provide continuity from one generation to the next.

From fields to the greenhouse, the Easter Lily remains the traditional, time-honored flower for Easter. Symbolic of a resurrection.

Stained glass window located in the Iroquois Avenue Christ Lutheran Church in Detroit, Michigan.

Dating back to Biblical lore, the lily is mentioned numerous times in the Bible. One of the most famous Biblical references is in the Sermon on the Mount, when Christ told his listeners: Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow......

Often called the "white-robed apostles of hope," lilies were found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ's agony. Tradition has it that the beautiful white lilies sprung up where drops of Christ's sweat fell to the ground in his final hours of sorrow and deep distress.