The Easter that wasn't?

     Easter has always been my favorite holiday.  Spring is my favorite season.  Hyacinths and Tulips are my favorite flower.  MaryEllen's blood was miraculously cured onEaster (Doctor's words!!) So together the whole thing just works for me. 2011 just didn't happen.
     This is the weird thing though.  In the last 2 days not one or two but a number of people have mentioned that this Easter just wasn't what it normally is.  At first I thought it was a Florida thing as the temp here was in the 90's!! But that wasn't the case.  A friend on LI had a real laid back Easter and her son commented how they didn't color eggs.  Another friend across the country noted how they didn't even buy Jelly Beans!!
     HMMM why the lack of EASTERNESS this year???  Well in my world... which of course this blog is all about.... I really think the late timing of Easter had a lot to do with it.  Did you know that the latest Easter can be is April 25 and that won't happen until 2035. The earliest it can be is March 22 and that will never occur in our lifetime.  A couple years back Easter was March 23 in 2008 and that will be the earliest all reading this blog and their grandchildren will ever see. So essentially this year was the second latest it could be and it tanked!!
     So to back up my theory here are other things to ponder.
The timing:
This is how our annual schedule usually happens:
Winter yuck brightened by Valentines.  Then eat up those chocolates because Lent is shortly behind.  Get Happy in March for St Patrick's day and before you know it Easter is here.  There's a bit of a break with weekends free then Mother's Day.
OH NO not this year.  Lent didn't even start until March 9th.  Valentine's candy and even those we bought on clearance were long gone.  Now see right there~ issues in my life.  I usually buy that clearance candy and save it for Easter... soo didn't happen this year as there was plenty of time to enjoy it before Lent.  Now I can't say that happened in my house as, well I wasn't around for the post Valentine's Clearance~~ Hey another thing to blame on the stroke~It's great to be in my world and Royal.
The weather:
  Easter, even here is Florida, is usually enjoyed with pleasant Spring weather.  Nice breezes, blue skies. Today my car thermometer showed the outside temperature to be 97.  Now I want you all to be impressed as well as feel as sense of my commitment to you: I just spent the last 15 minutes googling and yahooing and well searching everywhere possible to find out what the highest temperature recorded was this Sunday here in Jacksonville... you could find out more about the life expectency of a fire ant (that's another blog) than past weather. But with today's temp in the high 90's it is safe to assume Sunday wasn't that much lower.  Hide Easter Eggs in this weather.... better be sure they're boiled or the kids will crack open eggs to find them scrambled.  Or better yet the candy filled eggs?  Can't you just see some cute preschooler in her pretty white easter dress opening up an egg that once held a chocolate treat only to have it drip all over!! Who needs a microwave for peep fun just leave them out in the sun.... ooo have you tried chocolate covered peeps~ so did not need to discover that one.
The Flowers:
     Easter is a lunar based holiday and many of the traditional Easter flowers are bulb based so that works.  EXCEPT for growers.  Usually EAster flowers are set out and THEN the spring bed flowers.  There are articles for growers and suppliers on how to handle the limited space available for all thier flowers.  Usually tulips are around for Easter.  Nope dead and gone this year.  Even my hyacinths weren't available, well not at reasonable prices.


Well those are my gripes but it all boils down to me just still struggling with what I can and can't do.  This year was also rough as Emily wasn't home and it was our first real holiday without her.  I did get her basket to her in Mobile and am so glad she was folded into the Hembree family's Easter weekend activities. 

You know what though despite all of that Easter was and always will be glorious.  Whether the meal is all it should be.  The weather is hot or cold and rainy. The baskets get filled or not. It all boils down to:

He's Alive and I'm Forgiven!!!