Iowa

Iowa

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Easter in the Burgh

I am pet sitting at Mippy's. There is a church near their house and I am sitting and watching people get out of their cars and head for the church.
There was a time when it was a big deal to do Easter shopping for a new spring outfit. New dresses, new shoes and anticipation of heading off to church with the family, even if it was only one of two times you went to church. A young woman is getting out of her car now with her husband/partner/boyfriend. Those must be new jeans she is wearing. And the woman walking up the street in capri pants...they must be new also, along with the t-shirt.
There are some who still buy a new "spring/Easter" outfit. A little girl, about two years old, came into Phipps in a dress, new shoes and a big flower in her hair. Her parents took her into the Palm Court and proceeded to take her picture. People were standing there watching because this little child was so charming. We've had so many people come to Phipps because that is their Easter tradition from when they were small. I went there as a child...never liked it much, as I am sure many of the children who come there now don't like it much. I think one must be older to appreciate the calmness and beauty of the Conservatory. There is one man who brings his son every morning. His son is about three years old,and they spend an hour there every day, come rain, snow or sun.
It has been ridiculously warm here...85 degrees. The magnolia tree is beginning to open and I fear it will open and it will be lost to a frost just as quickly. Daffodils are out...haven't seen any tulips opening up as yet.
Mippy and family are visiting Bird's family. Flurry, the cat, has finally come over to say 'hello' to me and Oscar has finally begun to eat. They both seem to miss the hustle and bustle of a family in the house. Razor, the fish, has not had much to say to me...just floats around. The life of a fish must be very boring.
Oscar and I have been having a morning walk at the cemetery. This would be a reason for getting a dog. It is so beautiful at sunrise walking in the quiet. Wait...maybe I don't need a dog to do that! A man was walking with a folding chair and sat down on the hill overlooking the cemetery, I guess for some early morning meditation.
Oscar is a very strong dog and weighs, I would guess, about 75-80 pounds....maybe more. I cringe when I see another dog approaching. I allow Oscar to run free until I see another dog...Oscar is not the most socialized animal. But he fools people because he is a golden and he wags his tail. When I see another dog or person, I call him and he comes to me. I put him back on the leash and we walk towards the other dog...Oscar wagging his tail, panting. The other dog doing the same. A woman smiles and prepares to greet me and then....Oscar snarls, bares his teeth, barks, lunges and yanks me hard enough to pull my arm out of the socket. A shocked look appears on the woman's face as she speeds up to get past us. Me, holding Oscar for dear life, she casting a sidelong glance as she guards her dog. Once past, Oscar again wags his tail, prances and sniffs every blade of grass along the way. Overall, he is a great dog, but he does tend to hog the bed. And I can't push him out of the way...he is just too big! We sit together in the living room, me reading, he on his chair snoozing. I begin to feel tired, so I close my book. It is the signal. I try my best to beat him up the stairs so I can claim a spot, but alas, he shoves past me and leaps on the bed. He sleeps across the middle of the bed, leaving me a mere six inches on the edge. I have been know to race to Bean's bed, and sometimes I beat him to that one.
I hope all of you are enjoying the wonderful weather and Easter Sunday. Dinner today will be at Ginger's house...she is having ham, but is also having kielbassi...thank goodness!

19 comments:

SassySam said...

Happy Easter, everyone!
I got a new Easter outfit at the mall, of course. Any excuse.
Your story about Oscar made me laugh, Mia. I can see you getting dragged and of him taking over the bed. The picture of the daffodils is beautiful! It is spring here, and much too warm also, but I am not going to complain!

Lori said...

It is a great day here also. It's nice to have the warmth and the sunshine again. We always got new clothes for Easter also, and it was a big deal to get all dressed up and go to mass. I agree, people don't get dressed up anymore, but at least they go! That flower arrangement is really cool, Mia! I like that one best, I think. And how did I know Sassy would have a new outfit from the mall???? Good for you, Sassy!

SocialWorker2 said...

I am so glad you are back to blogging on a regular basis, Mia. It is such fun to see your posts and your humor is so appreciated, as is your art. It must be great fun to create a flower design and display the final project. They are really wonderful, and all so different. The only time our dogs have been socialized is when they are off the leash in a neutral environment. Otherwise, they were very territorial. Have a wonderful Sunday everyone.

Ben said...

We just got back from a run, and I agree, you don't need a dog to go for a walk or run, but it does make it impossible to say "I will wait till tomorrow to go". WVU lost last night, so I'll root for Butler. And I am curious, is Monkeyboy going to be a pro baseball player or a pro hockey player? The weather is our prize for living thru an awful winter. Enjoy while it's here, Mia, I'm sure the flowers will survive.

Bill said...

We went to an Easter Egg hunt yesteday. They don't use real eggs anymore, just those ugly plastic ones, you know, the ones some people actually hang on their tree! Anyway, because it was so warm, all the chocolate they put in the plastic eggs melted. Kids crying, melted chocolate all over the place and eggs being thrown. Quite a sight. Have a good Sunday...and don't let the chocolate melt.

Jen said...

We had an Easter brunch here, with an Easter egg hunt...but we used the real ones, Bill. Lots of egg salad coming in the future. We always got new outfits for Easter, kind of a rite of passage. But we went to church every Sunday. Sometimes the day turned out snowy, so we had to wear winter coats over the pretty new dresses. Laughed at the story about Oscar. Our dogs were never very well trained, but we had a lot of fun with them.

Twigs said...

Nice, as always, to see your blog, Mia. The weather here also has been hot. Too hot, and I will complain!!! Love the floral design, I think it is the best yet.

Jessica said...

I love this weather! After this winter, I need the warmth and sun. If we are voting, I like this last one (floral arrangement) best. It's different, kind of unique. I just buy flowers at the supermarket or cut them from my yard and plop them into a vase, but these have inspired me!

Springy Kitty said...

Kitty kisses to Flurry and for Oscar, well, he can have my left over horseradish. We have herring on Good Friday and dye the egss then. Our traditional Easter dinner is ham, kielbassi, paska, beets with horseradish, and cirek. I used to make a bunny cake every year but that was a long time ago. Now I just buy nut roll and no one hides my Easter Basket anymore. The life of a grown up. :(

I vote for week number 4 Mia. Very unique and exotic. Luv the hot weather. But that shouldn't surprise anyone. Yes, get ready for Spring. Prrrrrr.

Shelly said...

I am still liking the first one best.
Doesn't everyone have ham on Easter? Not that I like it, but it is a tradition. We still make the bunny cake, always a hit. The daffodils are beautiful mia, and I'll keep my fingers crossed for the magnolia.

Angela said...

I love coming home from work and seeing that you have posted! We had a wonderful weekend here with the weather and the food. I can't believe it is as warm as it is and sunny. I guess we should enjoy while we can, the rain and dreary weather will come...after all, April Showers bring May Flowers. By the way, your arrangements are beautiful.

Tigger said...

We have the annual Easter parade here and it is great fun. The weather was great and everyone comes out to see the wonderful hats.

Allie (Cat) said...

This is truly my favorite time of the year. I love seeing the trees green and flowers pushing up through the ground. Are we voting? I go with week four, it's so different and unique.

Tim said...

I think my Easter bonnet was the best in the parade.

Elizabeth said...

I'm sure it was wonderful Tim, I can only imagine how striking it was. The Easter holiday is, for me, the beginning of a rebirth. The cycle to begin again, if you will. I also love it. And, mia, your pictures are wonderful, always a pleasure to see.

Mark said...

Mia, are you still working out? With the break in the weather I can start running again. All the races are beginning here again. I'll still do some strength training at the gym, but I would much rather be outside riding my bike or running. Traditions on Easter--I can't think of any except hiding the Easter baskets. I'll hide on for you kitty, but I can't guarantee that the kids, wife or dog won't find it first!

JD said...

Like the music, Mia. In fact, I like it all, fun to read, fun to look at. Keep up the good work.

ginger said...

Yes, we had Easter dinner with Mia and it was good. Very nice to have extra guests on a holiday as most of our family is out of town. One daughter, son-in-law and grandson were also here. We all ate our fill and then just collapsed. A beautiful Easter day for a change.

Well, Skipper wore a suit and tie to church which is now a novelty but used to be the norm. Sorry, Tim, neither one of us wore an Easter bonnet.

Nate said...

We just got home from visiting with family. Always good for a day or two, but let me tell you, a week is too long. Haven't heard Annie Lennox in a long time, brings back memories. Glad your tree made it without getting frostbitten, Mia. Those spring flowering trees do brighten up the landscape after a dreary winter.