Happy Easter!

Christ is risen. 

He is risen, indeed.

via Pinterest

     I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. 
     You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ... 
     Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.

   ---C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Why This Easter Weekend Is More Difficult

     Good Friday, and the days after, is a hard time for Christians. We remember our Savior's sacrifice, not only for us, but for the world. Amazing...that God and His Son would care this way for us -- but They did.

They care for you, too.

Pinterest photo - weheartit.com

A good reminder is this link to a Stations of the Cross meditation. Take a moment to read the Scripture passages, and ponder. These are from the Resource Center of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio.

    We sang this last night at Creekside's Good Friday service -- it reminded me yet again what Jesus has done for us. Thank you, Lord.

Mercy...by Matt Redman

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There is yet another reason why this weekend is harder than most -- Sunday isn't just Easter. It's April Fool's Day...the two haven't been on the same day since 1956.

It's also my dad's birthday.

The Mama used to play all sorts of tricks on him, poor guy, including salt in the sugarbowl. He would patiently stir the salt into his coffee, and drink it that way, with no expression. (Which drove Ma absolutely crazy.) Or go to the cupboard for a fresh cup and the sugar canister. Again, no comment.
      I asked him once why he continued to fall for the salt/sugar trick every single year. He looked at me and grinned. "Because it makes your mom so happy," he said. That's the kind of guy he was -- and the love he and The Mama had for each other.

Ironically, it was Easter on his natal day, in 1934.

   He will be 84... in Heaven. It's been more than nine years since he left. The Mama counts every day until they're reunited. His family misses him terribly. I miss him terribly.

Happy Birthday, Pa.  I love you -- see you soon.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling...

There's this. Which is true.

And that made me think of this:

Let 'Em Have It!

These caught my funnybone...

partly because Charley the Wonder Dog actually took a hotdog out of one of my piano student's hands this way. (Only faster.)

One of our Weimies, Goonie, pulled the same trick on  Daughter #1 when she was little, and eating a burger. One minute she had it...the next, she didn't. The stinker.

These are from:

29 animals being jerks.      Enjoy.

Easter Eggs Redux

...they glow in the dark! 

Mavis at Hundred Dollars A Month has this great -- and easy -- idea. 

In case you're wondering, they use glowsticks. Yes, there's still space for candy, too.

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: My New Resolve

...is to stop picking on poor Mrs. Clinton. 

A wise friend asked, "What would make you respect her?" That made me stop and think. (Not that Mrs. C. would be that interested in my opinion, of course.) The answer is simple: I want what I would expect from anyone --  myself, politicians and public figures included:

          Honesty
          Integrity
          Defending those who cannot defend themselves
          Living modestly  (including not accepting money for favors)
          Putting yourself somewhere below #1 in your list of priorities

Is this happening in the public forum right now? Not too much... although Vice President Pence seems to be doing a better job at it than some. (If President Trump had followed the 'Billy Graham Rule,' like Pence insists on, he would be in far less trouble. It would have solved a lot of John F. Kennedy's problems, too.)

     Besides, I don't think Mrs. Clinton is well right now. Falling once and trashing out your wrist is one thing -- falling again in a bathtub and re-injuring it, that's another. 
    The worst part, though, is watching her slip twice, walking down steps:

Sure, the steps are narrow. (And that's been the excuse given.) But if you watch the people around her, they're navigating them in reasonable shape. Mrs. Clinton needs not just one, but two supportive arms, to get down -- and even then, her feet come out from under her. Looking at the video again, I realized  she even lost a shoe.

There's something wrong here.

She's wearing a lot of camouflaging clothes. Not much color in her cheeks. Just doesn't look healthy.

Speaking as someone who's had to be careful walking the past few months,* this video, plus the various slips and falls collecting over the past few years, suggest she's not steady on her feet. Somehow her balance is being affected. That could be anything from Parkinson's to MS, double vision to ear infections. But why? Because it's been happening more frequently, I'd guess it's something long-term -- and serious.

So get better, Mrs. Clinton. Hopefully Bill will give you the TLC you need.

Peanuts #27 adventure, 'Get Well, Charlie Brown,' via Pinterest

The book flails on. It's going well, but my deadline is the end of this week -- and there's much to go. Nine hundred bazillion little details need to be included, and I'm afraid I'll forget some. (Which I will.)
      I won't be getting a lot of sleep this week.

* * * * * * * *

*Charley the dog put his full weight on my knee back around Christmas...then I pulled some muscles in my side, no doubt from my body trying to shift weight away from the damaged knee. I've done a lot of limping the past few months, but am starting to improve.

Whoo hoo -- University of Michigan is in the Final 8!! GO BLUE!

"Things my Irish mammy taught me."  (From Irish Central)

Celebrity photoshop fails. Some weird stuff here. SEXY ALERT -- lots of chests and behinds on view... most of them faked!

The economy of keeping chickens.  I hate to say this, but I miss them already... (From Thrifty Mom in Boise)

A fleet of Alfa Romeos...found in the basement of an abandoned castle in Belgium.  (From Messynessy) That's just like...

Expecting the unexpected.  A classic from yours truly.

Grandma's peanut butter cookies.  Always looking for good new recipes. (From Vickie's Kitchen and Garden)

Funniest cooking fails. (From Definition)

An easy to make, effective homemade tub and tile cleaner. Smells good, too.  (From Moneysaving Mom)

The astronaut twins -- one went into space, one stayed home -- are no longer alike.   Here's an article on the short-term results, and a further one on what tests are showing now.

A pot of silver and gold coins -- found by construction workers digging a pipeline in Holland.

Seven alternatives to payday loans. If you really, really have to... (U.S. News)

Mark Zuckerberg happens to sell nearly 5 million shares of Facebook... just before the company takes a huge drop in value. As the Church Lady says:

A D.C. lawmaker announces why the East Coast is getting bad weather -- it's all those Jewish bankers' fault!  Those sneaky Rothschilds...

Four novel ways to earn extra cash.  (From Len Penzo)

Overcoming 'money addiction' -- and what to do to beef up your account when it's getting low. (From Financial Samurai)

When being frugal isn't that important... and when it is.  (From Pretend to be Poor)

Barbara Brackman takes another look at the Scrap Quilt.  One of my favorite methods...and the subject of a book I'll eventually finish writing.  (From Material Culture) Including this 1845 beauty from Pat Nichol's collection at the Mingei Museum:

Alternative lighting options -- what will you do if the power goes out?  (From Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth)


Have a good week.

I'm innocent, I tell ya!

Free Pizza A Week From Monday!

(I got this wrong when I first mentioned it -- it's on APRIL 2, a week away.)