Easter

 

When you come to the end of a perfect day...

  ( that is a favorite  ♫ of mine )

And Easter is a favorite holiday of mine, it is one holiday that the family gathers here in our home.

Growing up, we celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus every Sunday.  So Easter does not hold the same meaning for me, that is does for many other Christians.  

Without more details, I will share how THIS year looked... and was loved

Worship at Westminster.  

Luke 20:1  An empty tomb
Luke 20:11.. A personal encounter
Luke 20:24... questions answered
I Corinthians 15:3 -6 Jesus died, was buried and rose again and was seen by many

            The greatest story of all, for all 

Celebration at home
Family and friends gathered for the feast

Thanks to Mari for several photos 

the hunt

Friends

Lucas      Tanner       Sebastian 

and Luna ( age 6 months )

They found 122 eggs in the back yard. Seems there is still one to be found, maybe this summer?

A little rest and then to another celebration

Friends invited us to a little gathering... sweet and colorful presentation...Cheese cake and hand colored eggs 

Then 

 another message, taped from their morning worship 

I do not know when... but I know Who
I do not know where...but I know Who
I do not know why......but I know Who

and that is enough.

So much to reflect on, remember and enjoy

           and then sitting down at our piano

                no one is listening...and I sing along

I live an exciting life

Memorial

 

There are different levels of friendship and sometimes we can have a close relationship with someone and not know lots about their lives.

Often it depends on how we meet. Maybe on the plane, side by side,  in the grocery line, or sitting beside them all year long in Bible study,or in a large crowd, like a wedding…. Like Alice and Bob.

 

That seems to be the way it happened.

 Alice and Bob  met at a wedding where she knew the bride, and Bob knew the groom. Alice attended the guestbook, and Bob was in the wedding. So he always teased her that she ran after him to get his autograph....!   Bob and Alice  were married at the Isaacson chapel at North Park College in Chicago.  

And for us,it was at a Church gathering . We were introduced, Alice, Anna and me and we soon found out we had a mutual friend Bonnie. That made us instant friends. First it was Anna that we were blessed to get acquainted with. Then Bob and Alice were added. They had invited every family from 50th and G to their home on Vashon. We were favored to be guests too.

And that was when the relationship started to grow. Bob and Darrell hit it off cutting wood and Alice was a delight to spend time with.

Though I did not know it then, Alice had an unusual maiden name, Imig, and born into a large family of believers. She studied to be a nurse and did some traveling before meeting Bob and was prepared to move around the world ( so to speak ) as a family.

Back to Vashon. While Bob and Darrell spent hours cutting wood, Alice and I spent time together in the kitchen, over a puzzle, walking the beach. We had great conversations together, many around their fire place

To me, Alice was a place for answers to some hard questions. Some were spiritual and some were just about life. She would never judge me. She would never pity me or let me have a pity party.

She was honest and faithful and loving and wise.

Though there are many other qualities I could add, I will just share one that is rare..Bob and Alice could publicly disagree without making one or the other be wrong. 

She had a great style of decorating and I have to admit, my favorite was Christmas. 

And of course food...and always with special presentation 

And the tree.
I told her about my "Trim my tree party:. Friends come for lunch and decorate my tree.  But Alice said " No way, I trim my own tree".    And I can see why.  It is a style that requires exact placement of ornaments to show them off.  
Well done Alice ! 

Our last visit with Alice was in December. We came with grandson Tanner to watch the Nutcracker.  Family members were in the play and it was a great evening.  We spent the night and on our way to church we stopped for breakfast at their favorite spot. We were happy to listen to the Sunday Morning worship time.  We hugged as they returned to the Island for the final performance of the  Nutcracker 

A special and sweet memory to hold on to. We texted several times and an email or two, but I did not hear her voice again. ( a few messages are still on my phone)  

March brought the family and friends together to pay honor to Alice but even more, to pay honor to her Lord and Savior.
There is a full recording on YouTube, which tells about a side to Alice I did not know. And also the message of God's love. We sang together.  The grandchildren played instruments and sang together. Some very wonderful sharing...worth watching ....

But my take away:

Accept opportunities, rather than looking for them ..expecting nothing in return 

The program I plan to frame...happens to be my favorite chapter in the Bible.  

I live an exciting life

Memorial

 

One more goodbye...but when you know that you will meet again, the experience is different

And those were  the feelings on Saturday.

My sister had been very close to Dorene, so my relationship was because of my sister.  

Dorene was very artistic and generous and many good things were shared at this service.

Along with sweet memories I was impressed with  St James Cathedral

My mother had lived across the street for many years, and we had been to a few weddings and events there.
On a trip to Madrid, I was also impressed with cathedrals.  It seemed like there was one around every corner. And no matter how small the town, there was always a cathedral.  Each one different, and each one beautiful

It is the person of Jesus Christ that is of the most value, and not the building, but these places have been built to honor Him, in the way that they feel is right and good.

I took a few pictures on Saturday, and will close there

Here is the tribute announcement....

These four friends, since high school...  My sister in purple, Dorene is the blond

And I know those smiles mean more than a good friendship,  they knew how to have fun 

I live an exciting life

Hi Marti ♥

 In passing...

We were seated at a restaurant and  I noticed a young  family arriving.  The little girl was wearing one of those fluffy dresses and so colorful.  

When making a visit to the ladies room, in comes little princess.  I smiled and told her she looked adorable. I was still doing that covid 20 second wash when she came up to the sink.

My name is Olivia, she said.  

Oh, my name is Kathy, I told her  We cannot choice our names, but Olivia is a great name  The people I love the most call me Grammy. I like that.
She smiled 

Soon it was time to pay our bill and head home.  I paused by Olivia's seat and touched her shoulder..she looked up... I said,
      " Sweet dreams, Olivia"...she smiled, and so did her Daddy.

My take away:  This family has done something special, raising their family. To feel comfortable talking to strangers is different these days. 

I am careful who I speak to and touch, so this was special to me

Both of us smiled.

I live an exciting life 

 Tiffany's Oscar parties  have been a fun event for me for many years

Truth be told, I seldom see more than one new movie a year ( this year I caught one on a flight to Orlando, I think it got a music award )

Truth be told, there is always good food.  She has a way of signage that connects with some of the years best shows 

Truth be told, it is a chance for my sister and me to be together ( we are in  the same "movie going" boat)

Now you know where I fit in the critics category, in the movie department    
  ( Amy is a good source of info, she usually wins the prize for most correct answers )

Here is a taste of the tastes..

Fashion.   The red carpet. My take?  Would anyone dress that way in public in the real world?  Well, I do walk in the mall and there are some very entertaining outfits. ( I might as well confess that too much body will never be on my list of winners )

There is more to be said for red carpet  fashion, but I have one lady in mind.

As she stood by her husband who was being interviewed, I did not recognize her.  I did recognize her husband, but could not think of his name.    She was beautiful . Head to toe, she was stunning. 

We are all used to the joking of the presenters.  Sometimes I don't get it, but the girls explain it...usually a line from a movie.  

During a little  presenter dialogue  with   lots of laughs from the audience, one man came up to the platform and hit the presenter in the face.

OK.  The world has seen that now.

I am thinking as a woman, no not an actress, but someone who has her own style,  old enough and confident enough to look in the mirror before leaving the house and say... just going to the mall, but I want to look together..or going to a wedding, wearing an outfit that says this is a special occasion.....ok, done!  

The stunning lady, we all know now is Jada.  This elegant lady stood by her husband, so poised and "confident".  We all know now, that she has a condition that has taken much of her hair and has made the choice to shave her head.  If she was bothered by being bald, she could wear a wig. ( not the first )  When my cousin lost her hair to Chemo, her sister shaved her own head (not the first)
For all the love and protection that her husband shared in his speech, it is a mystery that he did not know that his wife knew that she was beautiful and comfortable and accepted, just the way she was.

I have not read all the updates on what has taken place, I could be wrong about Jada. But she is old enough and has been on stage enough to be as confident as she appeared and should be.  

And as I said... she was stunning.

So I am ready to head out the door, I check in the mirror... does a light purple top blend with a subtle pink jacket?   Yes.  And I am ready to meet the mall

I live an exciting life. 

 This morning something happened

Not my view, but I wish it was 

My devotionals all sort of blended together

( love it when that happens )

My take away:

We are not puppets
What we choose to  read 
What we listen to
Even what we eat

That is who we are becoming

( kind of scary) 

My Favorite Chapter

Romans 12... Renew your minds

    Read:  I Timothy 4:13 & 15 devote yourself to reading the scriptures.. give yourself wholly to them so that everyone may see your progress.

    Pray:  Colossians 4:2 Devote yourself to prayer

    Life:  Hebrews 10:24 & 25 Consider one another in love and good works. gathering together.

And I like to add
     Dance: Psalm 149:3 Praise his name with dancing 

     Sing:  Psalm 33:1 Sing joyfully to the Lord 

Care to share your thoughts?
Always welcome  ♥

I life an exciting life