Monday 5 April 2010

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter. I hope that you have all enjoyed today - whether that's meant celebrating the resurrection of Christ, spending time with loved ones, catching up on some long overdue DIY (or iplayer) or simply taking some time out from the busy-ness of everyday life.

It's been good - I think - to see many stores, supermarkets, Garden Centres even, closed for the day. Reminds me of when Sundays were different. Annoying perhaps if you'd run out of something - milk, soap powder, or just time - but also a genuine excuse - reason actually - to do a little less, slow down, spend time being rather than doing. Is it just me or have others also noticed a number of tv programmes about Easter and its meaning? I watched an interesting exploration of various atonement theologies which took me right back to my third year at Theological College. Again it's seemed right to acknowledge this significant Christian Festival in a way that seemed to have been lost over the past few years. (I read some shocking statistic which said that one in three children think we've been marking the Easter Bunny's birthday this weekend...!)

Whether you're a believer or not it's surely hard to disagree that children ought to at least know why at this time of year we enjoy the benefit of two Bank Holidays in one weekend and don't grow up thinking - as some apparently do - that it all came down to Cadburys?

Usually we'd host some kind of celebration here - invite friends and family over for food, drink, conversation, games. This was impossible this year and we discussed as a family what we might do instead. The honest truth was I didn't feel able to do anything. I can still only sit for 40 minutes or so, I possess no appetite and stupidly overactive tear ducts. I just wanted to let the day come and go - and in the end that's what we did. Yes we watched a bit of the Grand Prix - I fell asleep. Yes Dave put Doctor Who on iplayer - I fell asleep.

I eventually woke up around three when it was lovely to see my mum who popped in for a visit with chocolate eggs and carrot cake - thanks mum! Around 7pm Paul and Jem turned up and Ian somehow magicked up a roast dinner from nothing - well the freezer. He is seriously going to be up for Masterchef next year - look out Alan Hansen :-)

We watched Jonathan Creek - well I started to as I fell asleep - and now everyone's asleep except me - as of course I have been asleep most of the day. Nice to have Paul and Jem staying over and the lads off to Vicarage Road tomorrow. If Jem doesn't go perhaps I can ask for a manicure :-) Ian and I have been invited to join them at Paul's in the evening to watch the Newcastle game (they have Sky TV) as it has huge promotion significance - what do you reckon? Apparently I could lie on his sofa - hmmm - not managed that on ours yet so we'll see.

What't the point of all of this rambling? Maybe it's something to do with me learning to go with the flow. Yes I love the parties and celebrations and get togethers - long may they continue. But it is also okay to just "be" and see what comes along. We've got food, warmth, books, laptops and tv if all else fails. How often do we arrange things because we feel the need to be busy. Wasn't it Colin Firth who praised the benefits of spontaneity? Easy for me to say all this when I'm surrounded by family perhaps but I have spent many long hours and days on my own these past months - a new experience. I've realised being alone and being lonely are not the same thing. Something to explore in another deeper post perhaps - or others may care to comment?

For now though thank you all again for your Easter greetings and look forward to hearing from many of you in the coming week. If you would like to visit drop me a text and come armed with Kleenex - this week is filling up but the one after looks good.

Much love and Easter blessings

Linda xxx



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