Easter 2013

There's more to it than Easter eggs and candy.

Ever since the stone was rolled away, Christians have celebrated Christ's resurrection. He is a man for all seasons, races, ages, beliefs. He showed us how to live and how to die and is still with us. I know including Him in my life makes it work better.

 I look at Christ's way and contemplate my contribution to the whole. Perhaps the best thing I can do is live through my heart. Live love, forgiveness, compassion, patience, and service. Be slow to anger. Listen. Allow others their own beliefs without judgement. Yes, live without judgement. I don't walk in anyone else's shoes. I do not know every experience they have lived that shaped them to this moment.

My life is longer and more complicated than what has happened since I was born. From years of digging, I KNOW I have lived in other times and places. Where love lives, hearts are forever connected. Love at first sight is picking up where we left off.  Past life unresolved issues returned to be resolved. At least now I'm aware and take pains to resolve them. I'd rather recycle paper and cans than discordant thoughts and feelings.

Life is fascinating. I am determined to complete mine in peace and harmony and maybe graduate as Christ taught us. To you and yours, Blessings this Easter, whether you celebrate or not.

2013 Red Convertible Travel Series

EASTER 2011

The past few weeks my internet, computer and camera have been on the blink. Maybe it was Mercury Retrograde, maybe not. To see the pics with this story, go to my Facebook page: Maeann Jasa.

When the Methodists organized a church at Friars Point, MS in 1836 they had hopes of esatablishing an anchor for their community. Twice the church has been destroyed, once by Union troops during the Civil War and later by a tornado. At the 9 am service Pastor was quick to point out his own faults and remind us that Christ paid the price for us, our job is to believe and live/be like Him.

The Easter bunny had hidden bucketfuls of brilliantly colored eggs for little people to find. While they hunted, I snapped pics for you that are on facebook. In the block south of the church stands The 1850's MINIE BALL HOUSE that bears the mark of Union Navy shelling and was briefly the headquarts of Union General Napoleon Bonaparte. This was before the Levy separated the town from the MS River.

Speaking of the River, it's rising. The National Weather Service River Forecast Center publishes the River stages online. The Mississippi River is expected to crest at Helena, AR May 10th at 49.5' above flood stage. The Levy is about 70' high. Thank God for engineering, or we'd all need houseboats!

Muddy Waters, King of Chicago blues, lived his first 30 years on the Stoval Plantation. The family log house was moved to downtown Clarksdale for exhibit. The placque marks where it stood. Shut your eyes, feel his "blues", smell the greens cooking, hear the cotton wagon mules bray and wipe your sweaty brow.

In the midst of MS's history, this tree caught my eye. If you know what it is and what it's growing, please explain. Imagination can have a field day.

The last picture is of a Quapaw Indian Mound in the Indian Mound subdivision on Farrel Road.

Back home we turned on the hall ceiling fan that sounds like a jet engine and feels like it will suck the paint off the walls. But, the heavy air is moving. Peas, greens and cornbread for lunch.

Oh, no, muddy Madchen slipped in. OUT!!!!!

2011 Red Convertible Travel Series

Easter 2010

Life rearranges
to adjust to the gap
so each may experience
their true spiritual path

Easter the 4th and Krysia's birthday would be the 6th.

It's celebrating Jesus Christ's overcoming death that inspires. Enough with the suffering already, his and everyone else's, I'm concentrating on "The Good News."

Andre Rieu is helping me sort my household. He fiddles while I work. But he's fiddling with the Holland Orchestra and is magnificent. Even Aja likes it. We have to stop and dance.

I had Minestrone with Alphorn Music that could be heard for miles, but without the beauty of the Alps. That's what memory is for. I had a large fresh salad with Andy Griffith when he explained Macbeth, as only he can.

My friend, Diane, is too busy with web design school to cook or dispose of her dozens of quarts jars. I gave her homemade Minestrone in two of my quart jars. fI won't repeat what she said.

This week I offered to fix them dinner. It started with a trip to the meat market for bottom round. Two grocery stores were required for the fresh veggies: potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, turnips and celery.

Inspiried by Vivaldi the menu grew from "Betty Crocker" Beef Stew to include "Joy of Cooking" Popovers. No stopping me now. A Romaine lettuce salad with chopped fresh tomato, sliced burpless cucs and scallions needed a low-cal Vinegarette dressing from "Joy of Cooking." Back to the grocery for Dijon Mustard, scallions and fresh lemons.

With Julia Child enthusiasm, I dug out my Mississippi "Belle's Best" cookbook and made a sourcream poundcake. Then back to the store. My intention was to buy a bag of frozen raspberries. Not at $7.05 a bag! Punt. Mashed fresh strawberries would work just fine. I had a small bottle of CA White Zinfenal to reduce the berries in. Now all I needed was a drizzle. In the frig was an almost empty jar of Hershey's chocolate topping. Bingo!

Dinner was a hit! Middle-schooler, Justin, wants to come and learn to make pound cake. Another kid in my kitchen. I love it.

"Julia and Julie," or is it "Julie and Julia," awaits my viewing. What better way to celebrate "The Good News" than sharing food with friends.

Easter Blessing. Take care of one another.

2010 Red Convertible Travel Series

Easter 2009 AD

Mother Mary relieved
He's alive
overcame death
the world changed
forever
He did it
for us

Thank you.

2009 Red Convertible Travel Series

EASTER 2008

This week we cycled out of winter into spring and an early Easter. The weather is still March: warm one day, rain or snow the next. Mom would say Mother Nature is cleaning out her weather closet.

Crocuses that peaked through my front garden during the week are closed tight today--to stay warm, I suppose. Saying we had the last of last winter's something makes winter seem further behind us. It was a corker. Today is gloomy and cold. For lunch we had the last pieces of winter's gingerbread warmed and with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. I love the aroma. It feels substantial, insulating. We won't make it again until fall. When the weather warms we hunger for cucumbers, lighter meals, Greek olives and pasta dishes.

Tomorrow is Easter, Christians day to celebrate the Risen Christ. Imagine finding his tomb empty. Would you be afraid to tell anyone? Would you question your sanity? I saw them put him in. What would you do?

At Easter we acknowledge and celebrate God's gift of salvation for us. Read John 3:16. Whether you make a pilgrimage to a sacred place such as Knock, Ireland, southeast of Castlebar, or Mount St. Michel, France, or the Coptic Church in Cairo, Egypt, the Holy Land, your local church, or spend time with nature, I pray you open your heart and accept the unconditional love God has for you. Feel His love flow around, in and through you cleansing every cell, erasing doubt, fear, and mistakes.

If you don't already know the Lord, I suggest you contemplate Him. Invite Him into your world. Ask for His help. No problem is bigger than the Lord, and He wants the best for you. You won't find a better friend.

2008 Red Convertible Travel Series

EASTER 2007

MSN photo

MSN Photo.

Happy Spring! Happy Easter!

I love sheep and the smell of wet wool. The lanolin in the wool is healing to the hands. I bought a dyed purple sheepskin in Virginia that laid on the bed for years. We raised deserted lambs on the farm. It stunned us the mother would reject her own. Lambs have the prettiest face.

About Easter

This Easter we will walk across the street to the Methodist Church established in Friar's Point, MS, in 1834. Our Easter dinner will be a surprise later in the day on our way home. That's okay, we have lots of miles to cross.

Back home, Papa had to have a Lilly plant. Some families placed theirs in front of the church altar in memory of someone dear. Sneezes interjected the services.

Easter was sunrise youth services first, and then breakfast. The eleven o'clock service was a celebration in choir music. Lent was over. My Presbyterian background doesn't require giving anything up, but it keeps me in touch with the Passion. I didn't accomplish much giving up food, I did better working on giving up a bad habit. (Sometimes it took more than one Lent.)

The year I attended Easter services at the Assembly of God in Warner Robbins, GA, they put on a live performance of the Passion with a cast of dozens. The motion and commotion made further inroads in my belief bank, as does hearing the recorded voice of a deceased famous person.

Seeing the Passion Play at Spearfish, SD, made the whole business real and overwhelming; I forgot my childhood responsibility of keeping track of our family's dirty clothes. Several hundred miles later I confessed. Dad discovered his Masonic affiliation's worth when he went to buy us jackets. I don't remember he ever thanked me. Minnie liked my white imitation leather jacket better than hers. It had more colorful embroidery on it. She nagged me to look down knowing full well it would scare and sicken me. I liked mine too, and did not look down.

In Nashville, TN, the Easter service I attended was without piano or organ accompaniment. I was thankful they weren't relying on me to lead. Afterwards I learned it's their custom. Whatever works, there's no limiting God.

My daughters fondly remember new dresses, hats, white gloves, white straw purses, and paten-leather shoes for church, finding the marshmallow chicks under the front seat of the car and eating them, and hunting for the eggs they'd decorated.

Easter dinners involved the best dishes, linens, crystal, elaborate Ukrainian hand-decorated eggs displayed, and the ceramic rabbit pulling a cart filled with artificial grass and plastic eggs full of M&Ms - a lot of fuss.

We served Papa's homemade wine, ham, scalloped potatoes, asparagus or green beans, five-cup, Watergate or pretzel salad, deviled eggs, horn rolls, kolaches, and hot-cross buns. Dessert was angelfood cake with strawberries and whipped cream. One year a guest brought a cake in the shape of a lamb frosted white and covered with coconut. Yummy. And one more thing: all our guests, even those over eighty, hunted eggs. And a good time was had by all.

The times we did Easter brunch we used our clear purple dishes. They're springy. We bought service for eight at a fleamarket in Minnesota. Having left our boat motor at the lodge for fall fishing gave us just enough trunk space.

Our eyes were fed by the rich colors of the dishes, plump blueberries; cool green kiwi slices; juicy melon slivers; warm, buttery croissants, and Mexican eggs topped with hot Salsa. Dessert was a slice of Napoleon, the Lithuania tort made with custard and apricot between thin pastry layers.

We attend church and gather with family and friends to celebrate our Christian heritage. God's love and forgiveness for us, and Jesus Christ's cooperation with His plan for our benefit, is a knee bender. Thank you.

copyright 2006 Red Convertible Travel Series