Easter

Easter Sunday is upon us in a few days.  For some reason, I have always considered Easter Sunday the first day of spring.  Possibly reasons could be the weather is warm and many will wear pastel colors in place of the dark drabs worn during the winter months. 

I recall as a child having a new dress in either a pink or purple shade and getting a new bonnet.  Getting a new hat every Easter began my passion for hats. I could hardly wait to put on that new bonnet and go to church.  My favorite part of the day, besides the new hat was finding the large basket left by Mr. Peter Cottontail filled with wonderful treats.

Walking through the stores the past month, I could not help notice the display of Easter candy; marshmallow peeps, jelly beans, dark and milk chocolate rabbits, white chocolate delights and different assortments of chocolate covered eggs.  I have a weakness for the cream filled ones.  So much candy to choose from, I don’t know how the Easter Bunny decides what to put into the basket.

Easter, like Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day has become another big candy selling holiday for the candy manufactures.  Then there are some who actually make their own Easter delights from postings I read on my Facebook page. 

Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate

This year I am not purchasing candy for Easter.  No jelly beans will enter my home, no marshmallow peeps will get stale sitting in their box and definitely NO CHOCOLATE.  Living here in Florida all chocolate candy must be refrigerated or at least at my house.  Today, I looked in my beverage refrigerator and found a cellophane bag behind the bottles of water and cans of soda.  The bag contained candy I had purchased for Christmas.  I wondered if chocolate can get stale.  I took no chances and took the bag right out to the garbage.  Tomorrow is trash day, so farewell Hershey kisses.

Yes, Easter is upon us again.  I need to get out shopping for that new bonnet.  For some Easter is just another excuse to consumer chocolate but for me it is a reason to purchase yet another hat.

  EGGS-CUSE

By:  Scottie-ann Murphy

Easter arrives with the scent of hyacinths

the loveliness of the lily

the brightness of the daffodils

and the beauty of the orchid

Eggs hardboiled painted in hues of

red, yellow, blue, green, pink, purple and orange

Baskets from Mr. Peter Cottontail contain yummy goodies

jelly beans, marshmallow peeps and various filled candy eggs

A chocolate rabbit sits in the center among all the treats

waiting for someone to devour his ears

Children search for hidden eggs left by the Easter Bunny

Women show off their new bonnets and fancy dresses

Men shine their shoes, shave and wear a new suit

Families gather together to celebrate the holiday with feasts

Of all the things associated with Easter time

It is another eggs-cuse to eat chocolate

bring on the crème filled eggs and milk chocolate rabbit

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

Spring finally arrived! Although I wondered the other day where the nice spring weather happen to be hiding?  Yesterday morning the temperature hovered near forty-five degrees here in the “Sunshine State”.  I had been planning to put away my winter attire, but feel I will need to keep it around for a few more days at least.

Of course I should not complain as those living up North have it no better.  Temps are in the thirties in some areas and snow still a possibility.

With Easter only a week away, it soon will be time for the ‘snowbirds’ to pack up and head back home.  Here in my neighborhood, many will begin their exodus Sunday or Monday.  Once more my community will become quiet.  To figure out the day in the week, I will again need to consult a calendar.  During the ‘snowbird season’ I can tell what day of the week it is by just looking out my window.  Each weekday a different activity is being played.  I enjoy sitting at the table in my Florida room having a cup of coffee, writing in my personal journal and look out the window to watch the adults at play.  What I don’t enjoy is all the traffic that passes by my house; the cars, the bikes and the golf carts.  Trying to back out of my driveway at times is no fun; the looking of right, left and rear at least three times.  One thing I must remember about the ‘snowbirds’, they help our local economy with the money they spend.  All in all, I hope those who are vacating their winter retreats have a safe trip home and a wonderful summer. 

Soon it will be time for us Floridians to put our air conditioners to the ‘on’ position and listen to it purr while keeping us cool in the coming months.

Now….I need to find that calendar to place near my desk and computer area so I know what day of the week it is. 

Happy Spring to all….enjoy. 

 THE SIGHTS, THE SOUNDS AND SCENTS OF SPRING

©Scottie-ann Murphy

Gold crocuses

  Yellow daffodils

     And poppies of red

Cover the meadows

    Fields and hills

       With a carpet of beauty

The winds gentle breeze

    Perfumes the air

    With flowering scent of lilacs….

    Hyacinths….

         And honeysuckle

Tulips provide a kaleidoscope of color

The earth….turns from muddy brown

   To pale yellow

       Then shades of glorious green

Buzzing sound of humming bees

  Harmonize while they pollinate flowering buds

The caterpillar emerging from its cocoon

    Becomes a flittering butterfly

Each morning at the glow of dawn

   A robin’s song awakens us

As spring arrives on the wings of March winds

   We bid a fond farewell to winter

  

GET YOUR GREEN ON

As I walked through three different grocery stores today, (I shop where the sales are), I kept seeing the same items on sale; cabbage, potatoes and corn beef.  Seems the stores all are trying to get everyone into the St. Patrick’s Day mood.  One store had shamrock plants on sale along side a display of green colored carnations wrapped as a nice bouquet.  Of course I could not pass up the sale on the shamrock plant.  Me having the black thumb, I do know if it will not survive long.  The shopping experience today prompted me to do a blog about the day to honor the man known as St. Patrick.

I remember in either third or fourth grade our teacher told us that in a few days it would be St. Patrick’s Day and everyone should wear something green to school. I recall wearing a green dress and green socks.  Each of us in class was given a shamrock made from construction paper to wear.  Our teacher told everyone for the day they would have an Irish last name so many put an ‘O’ or ‘Mc’ in front of theirs.  That teacher’s idea crept back into my mind a few years ago when I penned the poem at the end of this blog.

Although I was Irish, we did not celebrate the day in the home where I lived.  My mother had married a man who was Slovak.  She and I were the only two out of a household of six who were Irish.  There was no typical Irish meal to enjoy.  My step-siblings thought that it was a dumb holiday.  I told them if they were Irish they would think differently.  Of course this caused a fight between us, two against little old me.  Over the years I kept quiet when March seventeenth would approach.  

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day now consists of having my morning coffee laced with Bailey’s.  My husband boils up ham, cabbage, potatoes and carrots in a pot for our meal.  One year he surprised me with Shepherd’s Pie. 

We will go out someplace for a few brews; in honor of the day I order an Irish one and a shot of Jamison’s.

As many know I love holidays and do something to help others get into the spirit of the coming day.   Usually I have a give-away a few days prior to the holiday.  For the past few days I have been passing out St. Patrick’s Day cards, bookmarkers with an Irish poem, pins to wear and bar coasters shaped like a shamrock.  Giving something away days early is fun and

a reminder the day will soon be upon us.   

Today I am sending my greetings to one and all for a great St. Patrick’s Day.  Of course you need not be Irish to enjoy the day.

As I sit here typing away I am enjoying a nice mug of coffee with Bailey’s Irish Cream.  Getting into the holiday mood early you may say?

Perhaps, but today is March the fifteenth, St. Patrick’s Day Eve-Eve.

Sláinte.

So put on your green, pin a shamrock to your lapel, alter you name if you must and enjoy the fun; remember all the world is Irish on St. Patty’s Day.

TODAY IS MARCH THE 17^TH AND THE WEARING OF THE GREEN

©Scottie-ann Murphy

Most everywhere you go today a shamrock can be seen

For today is March the 17^th and the wearing of the green

Gallons of Guinness will be chasers for Irish whiskey shots

Kitchens will be cooking up ham and cabbage in their pots

Murphy’s, McGill’s and the Shea’s will be singing some Irish songs

Till midnight they will celebrate as they began from early dawn

A song called “Mother Machree” will protrude from their voices

Then sing the ballad “Danny Boy” one of their favorite choices

They’ll try to do a quadrille and a lively Irish jig or two

They may look ridiculous doing so; people may even boo

But they’ll have a shot of Jamison’s and wash it down with beer

Then proudly shout “hey Erin go Baugh” so everyone can cheer

If you last name is not Murphy, Shea, Kelly or McGill

Just put an O or Mc in front of yours, today it will fit the bill

You can be an O’Grabarek, an O’Gomez, a McLublin or a McYung

For the entire world is Irish today, you will be part of the fun

So don your favorite attire colored green; get into a party mood

Enjoy St. Patty’s Day festivities, the drinks, parades and food

For every place you go today, a shamrock can be seen

Today it is March the 17^th and the wearing of the green

MY BRAIN IS FILLED TO THE BRIM

The past few weeks have had my head reeling with new information I need to remember.  It seems we live in a society of PIN Numbers, passwords and security questions.

Try to set up on-line banking and they ask you for a series of security questions as well as a password to access your account.  Get a debit card and you need a pin number.  Set up a new email account, you need a password.  Join a social media site; you need user name, password and a security question.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t’ think my brain can retain much more of this needed information to survive in today’s world.

In the past three weeks, I signed up to review two of my bank accounts on line; set up new user name on my computer, new email account, Facebook account and joined another social media site.  My head is spinning with all the information I need to access these accounts.

The other day I used my debit card to pay for a purchase at Staples.  The transaction was rejected; not because I had no funds in the account, but because I forgot my pin number.  I transposed the numbers twice.  This is one of the reasons my husband has to accompany me on shopping trips, so he can use his debit card instead.  You don’t know how embarrassing it is for the cashier to tell you we can’t process your transaction.  I am sure the people around me think the reason is due to non-sufficient funds and not because I hit the pin number incorrectly.    

As a matter of fact I could not log into my blogspot account earlier today.  I forgot my password and had to reset a new one. 

Well time to go now.  I am logging on to the local library web site to request books.  Yes I need my library card information and a personal number to access my library account.  Wish me luck on trying to recall this information.  I just hope I remember where I put the paper I wrote the information down on.

I am only the only person who feels the way I do about having to remember too much information to function in the world today?

OFFERINGS OF MARCH

March has arrived in like a lion with a brief cool down here in Florida and will hopefully leave like a lamb as the saying goes.

During my years of living up north, after New Year’s Day, I would go into a ‘funk’.  Some call it the ‘winter humdrums’; I called mine ‘funky winter blues’. Sounds like a song title doesn’t it?

The dreary gray days of January to March held no interest for me.  Like many, I could not wait for the warm weather to arrive, the trees to have leaves again and the grass to turn to lovely shades of green.

One year I decided to look on the bright side and find the silver lining in those months until spring would be in full bloom.  February seemed like a good choice.    

I thought I could at least learn something new with February designated as Black History Month.  It would give me an education on the events and people who shaped the Black Community.  Learning something new is always a welcome to my brain.  Also I waited patiently to learn if whether or not Punxsutawney Phil would see his shadow.  February brought the event of Mardi Gras; fun and parties to celebrate before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten Season.  The day of love, Valentine’s Day, was another holiday for celebration.  The lucky ones had a day off from work due to President’s Day.  The fans of NASCAR were more than thrilled to see the season begin with the Daytona 500.  Of course February is the month of my birthday and that of three other family members; parties and celebrations all around.

Indeed February appeared to be a month of events to give me a ‘pick-me-up’ from my ‘funky winter blues’.

Last year as I sat writing in my personal journal I made notes about the month of March and what it has to offer.  I put these thoughts into a poem called “March Offerings”.  I realized that February holds no patent on a event filled month; March has a lot to offer.  At least I feel it does for me living here in the Sunshine State. 

The following poem tells it all.  I may add, though, there should have been a post script to the piece I wrote which would probably go something like this:

P.S.  March at times is the month we celebrate Palm Sunday and Easter.

          Bring on those jelly beans and chocolate covered peanut butter eggs.

MARCH OFFERINGS

 ©Scottie-ann Murphy

(Written in March 2012)

The early morning sun tries to move from behind the gray clouds

it does nothing to warm us; the blowing winds of March chill our bones

i put on a pair of red framed glasses to read the mail

Sipping black coffee laced with a small bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream

I tear open an envelope containing a St. Patty’s day greeting card

A Claddagh with the words LOVE- LOYALTY- FRIENDSHIP printed

semi-circle on the front

Inside picture….shamrocks pouring out of a Kelly green bowler

TOP O’ THE MORNING written beneath in bold black lettering

The main verse states that there are four things needed for

a wonderful St. Patrick’s day……shamrocks,  Irish derby hat,

pot of gold and most importantly a mug of brew

My mouth salivates at the sight of the glasses of beer illustrated inside

White foam pours out over the top and spills down the sides

I mentally taste a frosty Guinness chilling my taste buds

Perhaps this should be our appropriate beer choice for the month

March….thirty-one days packed with excitement

St. Patrick’s Day falling on a weekend; celebrations and parades to enjoy

March Madness….jeers and cheers for fans of college basketball

Who will reign as number one for this year many wonder?

Beach towns and destinations will greet with open arms spring breakers

arriving from the frigid north to enjoy sun, sand, surf and suds

Clocks will be pushed ahead for that one extra hour of daylight

Highlands County will welcome the masses of race car fanatics

clamoring to central Florida to watch the ‘Twelve Hours of Sebring’

The boys of summer return to the diamond for spring training games

Women celebrate Women’s History Month…. we all await springs arrival

I spot a book of poetry and quotes on the coffee table

Picking it up I flip through the pages and find the passage

from an unknown author….it is an Irish saying

“An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto one blade of

grass to keep from falling off the earth. “

I book mark the page to refer back to it during the month

It will become our mantra while enjoying all the festivities

that March has to offer