Monday, March 28, 2016

Easter Sunday

I don't go to church any more. As far as Easter goes, I respect the Christian celebration of the Resurrection, but I go back further in my ancestry, to the pagan reason for selecting this date as the day of the Christian celebration. The first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox is the day to honor Eostar, the goddess of spring and rebirth. You see how it all fits together. 

Anyway, even though this little confession offends most of my family and many of you good folks, I say this because it is the reason why, when many of you were in church, I was out walking in the woods. 

Well, sort of the woods, at least a wooded, mostly wild park near my home, one I don't visit that often any more because it requires a  hike down and then back up a steep hill to get back home. 

I went alone, under blustery skies, prepared to get rained on, but I stayed dry. I just had my cell phone camera, so the photos I couldn't help but take are not so clear.
 It's traditionally called a Wake Robin, this native trillium I found blooming in the woods. 
 And the bright magenta flowers of native salmon berry. 
 New green fuzz in the trees just breaking bud, and pathways lined with bright green moss. 

 Yellow blooms of Oregon Grape.
 Fern fiddle heads popping up through lush ground cover. 
 Luxurious blankets of moss. 

 A moss carpet to a brightly painted bench. 
 As DJan informed us last week, this is Hen Bit Dead Nettle, a native lamium. Pretty stuff.
Big leaf maple tree blooms hang heavily from the as yet leafless branches. 

I spent over an hour and walked about three pleasant miles through the neighborhood and in the park, just enjoying my early spring surroundings. The Goddess was good to me. 

And then in the early afternoon we went to Jill's house for the traditional Easter festivities. There was a delicious ham dinner around a festive table, Easter baskets for the kids, and an Easter egg hunt in the yard. 


 As we gathered on the deck to investigate the contents of our found eggs, which Easter Bunny Tom had hid well, we enjoyed warm sunshine. This is how the sky looked - very dark and stormy to the north, bright blue to the south. We were very happy to be on the sunny side of the sky. 




 OCD runs in the family. Jill had all of the emptied eggs grouped by color. 
And fun was had by all!
Happy Spring, everyone. 

17 comments:

  1. I love that walkway. It would be so nice to take a stroll there. I need good ground under me these days so I don't trip. A walk like that sends me into the "thought" world and I get so involved thinking about something, I trip and stumble. Apparently I can't walk and think at the same time!

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  2. No offense taken here! It looks like a lovely family celebration. I did wonder what Jill was looking so intent about before you mentioned OCD!

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  3. Oh Linda, I wish I lived closer to you. I'd love a friend like you. I don't do church anymore and I'm not as nice as you. I don't even consider others feelings, I just say "no." I guess that's not true, I did the church thing as long as my mother lived. Once she was gone I couldn't hit the door fast enough. Your pictures make me long for a walk in the woods. I don't really have a good place near me for that kind of walk but I just might hit son up to take me somewhere. He loves those kinds of walks. I so love the Pacific Northwest mosses. That bright green one reminds me of hundreds of tiny Christmas trees bunched together. My big fern is shooting up fiddleheads. That is a wonderful group photo. So fun to watch Jill's children growing up.

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    1. Linda, even though we do not live close enough to see each other in person, I do feel I have a true friend in you!
      You are nice enough. I stopped going to church while my mother WAS still alive. When she finally asked me why I had to be truthful and tell her I was no longer a believer. She took that very hard. But since on that same day she had already asked me how much I weighed and so I reluctantly told her, I decided she had the truth coming.
      We overcame it all and had a very good relationship in her final years. However I'm sure she prayed for my soul every day.

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  4. Looks like a lovely celebration! I was raised RC, but find that my views on things have drastically changed. I think more than anything, Kindness, is my religion. I also tend to celebrate nature and find joy therein.

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  5. I do not understand why one person's honesty with their beliefs offends religious types. I am not offended that they are faithful church goers at Easter. Seems a bit rude to me.

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  6. Well, I'm a Christian but that doesn't make me like others who think differently any less. ( Unless they are belligerent but I don't care for unpleasant people in general). A nice long solitary walk in Nature is a great way to spend an hour or so. I enjoy all your photos... woods, trails and your family.

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  7. Linda, you are a cherished friend, and your walk in the woods makes me so so happy, too. You know I love the gorgeous place we live, and your honest story of how you find the sacred around you is perfect. My goodness, how perfect those pictures are, they show love and beauty everywhere. Love the family picture, too. :-)

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  8. I loved the way you celebrated Easter. You walk in the woods is one I would have loved to join you on. Easter and all holidays can be fraught with so many memories and expectations. I am trying to let go of those expectations. You are so fortunate to have your grandchildren at the age they are and close by. I just journaled about not putting too much on one daughter to fulfill all my relationship needs that I have for my children on one child that lives the closest. I am a strong believer. My daughter is not. I am freeing her more and more to make her own way in matters of life and faith just as I had to do. I am glad you and your mother came to honest conversations on such things. I am sure she always prayed for you, just as I pray for my children, but none of us can force belief systems on others, and I certainly am glad others don't try to do that to me. As I said, a solitary walk enjoying nature is a perfect way to enjoy Easter. I wish I could have joined you. I know we'd have had a great conversation.

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  9. I'm glad you had a walk in the woods. Wild places bring some peace. Now you cranked it up a notch later when you had your Easter celebrations.

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  10. Looks like a wonderful walk in the woods. I tend to see the world through the eyes of St. Columba, who accepted the 'pagan' worship traditions, and built a gentle Christianity on them. So celebrate Eostar as you wish! And we had a family celebration like yours.

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  11. To me woods and forests are the true cathedrals of the world. I feel more spiritually refreshed and peaceful there than anywhere. Your photos are delightful.

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  12. Honestly never offends. You certainly took us on a wonderful stroll today, what a beautiful neighbourhood you live in. Your photos are beautiful.

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  13. No offense taken here, your celebration of Eostar is right in line with how we think. I bet that was a lovely, peaceful walk.

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  14. Enjoying Nature in all her glory is a form of worship--just not directed to the usual place. Careful of those Henbits. They are very aggressive and can take over a yard. Seems Isaac's hair is back long again. How quickly it grew and he really has amazing hair.

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  15. Honestly, Linda! You guys always celebrate every holiday in the most wonderful way. What a fabulous day you had. Spending it first in the forest was perfect!

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  16. People love to party and have found lots of good reasons to do so. Your walk in the garden cathedral is as grand as any devised ritual. How pleasant to mark the passage of time, the changing of seasons in such special ways.

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