It’s May Day today! Growing up in South Dakota, May Day always brought with it a tradition that we kids just loved, which was the annual making of the May Basket. Interestingly, I have lived in five other states in my adult years and no one in these other regions seems to have this May Day memory.

We South Dakotans honored the May basket tradition yearly, which consisted of assembling a basket of treats and maybe a few flowers, and then putting them on a friend’s doorstep, ringing the bell, and then running off so they could be surprised. In our neighborhood, we basically just skipped the surprise aspect and delivered the goodies in person to the door. Maybe this is because between three houses alone, there were 22 kids running about! Pretty hard to surprise anyone with that sort of activity!

If you have never made a May Basket, let me explain the process. First off, the basket could be most anything you had around your house. Paper Cups were usually the baskets of choice in our neighborhood. Do you remember those waxy paper cups back then ? That’s what we’d use. I believe it was usually a “Dixie” brand cup. Then for the handle we’d poke a pipe cleaner through both sides to create the effect. I remember paper doilies being used to decorate the cups too. The contents usually involved finding what you had around the kitchen, and if you were lucky, maybe your mom let you go uptown and get some mints or nuts to add to the cup. Little mini marshmallows were a given as we seemed to always have those on hand, as well as a stale bag of chocolate chips. Usually by May 1 there were flowers in bloom that you might add to the whole look as well, although I think we were usually more interested in the treats.

Since we had such big families in the neighborhood, the May Baskets were usually lined up on a tv tray (remember those?) and then delivered. The families involved in our neighborhood were the two Curry families. Cathy and Jim Curry had nine children like us, and Ed and Jackie Curry had four children. The Ed and Jackie Curry family, being a little more organized, (less kids?) got their baskets delivered to us first. We all followed suit and by the end of the afternoon, May Day had been truly celebrated in grand style!

Now as I write this, I realize the whole event was truly quite a simple little thing, but to us, it was a wonderful sign of Spring. I think the pure joy of being outside on a day in May, weather finally warmer and blooms coming up here and there, was the real celebration…. that and the friendships. We were so blessed with a neighborhood full of kids. We all loved playing outside once Spring arrived. (and I am sure the moms, Ginny, Cathy and Jackie loved that too!) May Day was a celebration of friendship, Springtime, and just the joy of being kids who looked forward to the little things in life. Truly, it did not take much to entertain us!

Happy May Day to all of you. I can’t send you a May Basket, but I send you the above photo of a handful of flowers I picked in my father-in-law Marvin’s yard on Easter Sunday. My mother-in-law Ruth planted beautiful flowers over the years, and though she’s gone now, those flowers live on. So, enjoy the bouquet from us, and maybe tell someone Happy May Day today!…and get going on those nuts, mints, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows!

Spring…Wow, I just can’t stop the thoughts here! So many memories flood my mind as this Spring season is upon us. Easter, Graduations, First Communions, all sorts of rites of the season approach us now. I admit it, I am a real softie for all things festive, with First Communion being no exception.

I made my First Communion 50 yrs ago this Spring! That’s a very long time ago! I am sure that the memory I should have taken away from it was the significance of the act, being able to receive Holy Communion, when actually, I have to admit, at the time for the most part, it was all about the dress! Yes, the dress. Oh how I remember what that dress looked like and felt like.

The dress was white. Pure white. It had a fanciness to it I had never before experienced. First of all, it was one of those dresses that came in a zipped up wardrobe bag. You just knew a garment was special if it had to be protected like that! Being white, it had to be handled very carefully. No dirty hands when that dress got tried on, let me tell you! I can still see in my mind, the little pearl buttons and the trimmed detailing on the front of the dress. So pretty! I’d like to say it was the most comfortable dress I had ever had, but no, it was not. It had a very scratchy slip attached to it and I can still feel the itch if I think about it long enough. But it didn’t matter, I felt like a princess in that dress, and having the matching purse surely added to the look. The purse was plastic, but to me it was as fine as any high-end leather purse of today, and I loved the snapping sound it made when I opened and closed it. I must have opened and closed that purse at least a dozen times as I sat in the church pew on the big day.

The final touch to the entire outfit had to be the veil. Oh, the veil. I am sure every little girl that age, when wearing one of those First Communion veils, gets her first notion of what it must be like to wear a wedding veil. The lift of the veil as the wind caught it added to the magic of it all. Wearing the whole ensemble, I felt like I could just soar with all that pure joy.

Now there is one catch to this fine memory. Sadly, I did not get to make my First Communion with the other dozen first graders that May day in 1964, as I had developed the mumps. Yes, we got “the mumps” back in those days and I had to make my First Communion all by myself the next week. When the doctor told me I had the mumps and the whole First Communion deal was off for that upcoming Sunday I “wept bitterly,” as they say. I remember my mom and my older sisters having to do a lot of talking to convince me that making my First Communion by myself the following week would be just as wonderful, and I could be the only one up there, solo act! I did have a grand time that next week, but being a girl who’s always loved doing things with her pals, that did rain a little bit on my First Communion parade. But again, the dress, the veil, the purse…. Wearing all of that made everything fine and wonderful once the big day finally came.

After the special event, we all came home and Dad took my First Communion photos with his trusty Polaroid. If you notice in the picture, I have my feet angled just so. I had studied a First Communion photo my grandma had at her house, of my cousin Kathy in California. Kathy was a few years older than me and scored very high with the “cool” factor, in my opinion. I just loved the way she stood in her photo. I copied her stance so I could look just like that too. (Oh the impressions others can make without even realizing it, right?) The day was wonderful, the meaning of the event finally sunk in as I matured a bit, and to this day, the thought of that special little First Communion outfit makes me feel like I was indeed something! And shouldn’t we all have that “I am something” feeling now and again? Best feeling in the world!

Here is one more photo…My First Communion gift from my folks. St. Theresa (my middle name is Theresa). I have had this sweet statue for 50 years now. It has survived 8 moves over that time span.

Easter…. New dresses, patent leather shoes, lace trimmed anklets, white gloves and of course, the ever popular Easter bonnets. Remember those days? I am not so sure we see that kind of hoopla today, but it sure brings back memories for many of us. I love this photo of my sisters and our mom, taken around 1960. It makes me think of the notion of rituals. Some might think that word is a bit stifling, but I believe the idea of rituals brings security and comfort to children as they grow up.

We need those rituals to create a sense of belonging and family unity in our world today. Having raised two sons, we don’t have the family memories of the Easter bonnets and gloves of course, but I bet if I quiz our sons, they WILL remember the ritual of getting spiffed up on Easter morning, complete with me chasing them down with comb and spray bottle of water to get that hair just right, especially before the Easter pictures were taken. Maybe this memory will even bring them a laugh some day, along with what I have heard so many times already… “Mom, you were ridiculous with that hair thing!”

Our boys also had the holiday ritual of Easter egg dyeing. Again with boys, we didn’t really have the girly touch to any of this. I would prep the kitchen table with a cute Eastery vinyl tablecloth, line up the cups of colored water, get the wire wands all set up and await the gorgeous beauties my boys would create. Oh, such high hopes I had! Well, the beautiful eggs would start out with great pastel colors, reminding us of the hues of Spring, only to soon be changed up to what the boys called “The Death Eggs”…. The Death Eggs would end up being the colors of gray and black, depending on how many colors they could combine. Why leave those pretty pastels the way they were? Oh no, the best method they could come up with was mixing every single color together to create these little gems. Lovely, just lovely. The Death Eggs. Oh well, tradition! Yes, that’s the way it goes, raising boys, and we’ll take tradition any way we can get it, right?

Do you have some Holiday traditions that stand the test of time? Traditions are a funny thing, since so often the original intent veers so far off the mark that the rituals take on a life of their own. Whatever your traditions, just enjoy them, even if they are as goofy as the “Death Egg”… In the end, that’s what makes a memory, the quirky, “You had to be there” type of mentality. Have a joyous holiday and may your traditions be cherished, no matter what color your Easter eggs turn out to be! Maybe I’ll get that spray bottle of water out again, since my own hair could use a little spiffing up!

Here’s a photo of Matt and Jeff, coloring Easter Eggs back in the day, still young enough to go along with Mom’s idea of keeping the eggs pretty!
And one more photo.. Easter, 1995…Oh the memories!

Color… Don’t you love it? It’s April here in Missouri and right now each day brings a new, bold expression of color outside. It’s great…Reminds me of when we were kids and they’d have that little announcement, “Brought to you in living color” on tv before certain shows aired. The problem was, we didn’t yet have a color television set in the 1960’s, so that didn’t pertain to us, much to our disappointment. Isn’t it nice that God’s gift of Nature’s color is not for a select audience? We all get to enjoy the colors of the seasons, it’s just there for the noticing.

I must admit I am one of those persons that just cannot keep my comments about the beauty of the season to myself. I don’t care who is with me in a car, if we are driving somewhere I have to comment and keep commenting, “Oh look at that gorgeous tree” “Oh look at that color of the lawns!” “Look at those blooms!” Yes, after a Winter with very little vibrant color to offer, it’s just GLORIOUS to see the Spring Season burst with such vivid hues. I love it.

I love to take my camera out with me and just shoot away. Thankfully the neighbors don’t seem to mind me traipsing around to get a great shot of a bloom. I think they are used to me by now, after so many years of doing this! I am always in awe when I really examine a flower close up with the zoom lens of my camera. The intricate little detail of each flower is absolutely amazing to me. God’s handiwork…Wow, what a Creator!

Our pear tree just finished its blooming as well as our magnolia tree. I can’t wait for the lilacs to bloom soon too. I told my sister Robin recently, when you see a tree looking so pretty, don’t you just want to say “Hey, really nice outfit!” When I see Bradford Pears, especially if they are in a nice long row, I always think they look like pretty bridesmaids, all dressed up for a big occasion. That’s Spring …Life. No more sleepy Winter… The colors, the sounds, the smells of Spring just wake me up and make me feel so alive! I know I may sound a little crazy, making these trees seem like finely dressed people, but truly, it is their time to show off a little. I am sure it’s been a long hard Winter for those trees too. Let’s all look, savor and enjoy. Even the birds outside seem to be chipper and happy with the change in seasons. Thank you God! You do such great work!

Beauty. It takes so many forms, doesn’t it? Beautiful sunsets, blooming flowers, a fine piece of art, a newborn baby, an elderly couple who have lived life well together… All of these images conjure up thoughts of  loveliness.  I love that. I love searching for those images and moments in my life.  Just a few nights ago, my husband Mike and I were able to experience beauty in the form of music and architecture. We had the privilege of listening to the St Louis Symphony at the beautiful and historic Powell Hall. I had recently purchased tickets to attend the symphony, just for something different to do. Different would not be the way I would describe the evening though. More like “Other Worldly”… Oh my, what an evening!  As Mike and I entered Powell Hall, we were amazed by the architecture and elegance of this building. It was a feast for our eyes. That was truly only the beginning of the amazement, we soon realized as we  were seated and listened for nearly two hours to a concert beyond description.  The orchestra and guest musician, an accomplished violinist, filled the hall with  music that just took my soul to place of peace and tranquility. I could probably spend time here telling you about the music itself, but instead I will tell you my reaction to the music. Gratitude, Awe, Amazement.  Isn’t it wonderful to experience something for the first time, or for the first time in a long time?  As I watched the performers, I was intrigued by their individuality as well as their collective efforts to put music together in a way that was as inspiring as viewing The Grand Canyon or watching a Maui sunset. The experience was much like being in your own private world of enjoyment, yet knowing that hundreds of others sitting alongside you had that same thought going on. The Hall itself is elegant, and the high, domed ceiling is full of intricate detail. Just visualizing the music filling that entire lovely space was one of those “other worldly” emotions I am talking about. If you ever get a chance to attend a good symphony concert, please take advantage of the experience. I can’t imagine you too won’t be in awe.  Maybe it’s already something you enjoy doing and if so, I can certainly understand why.

On a side note here, as I was taking in the entire evening, my mind went back to my girlhood days, being in junior high and high school band. I played the clarinet, and although I would not consider myself gifted in music, I now have a real appreciation for being exposed to a variety of music during those growing up years. I thought of my mom, Ginny, who gave me a memorable gift the year before she died. Mom was a school teacher and in my seventh grade year, she used her first paycheck of the year to buy me a new clarinet. I am sure that paycheck could have been used in countless other ways for our family, not to mention for herself. But, to this day, I still have that clarinet and it has always been a reminder of my mom and her typical generosity as she made sure we had what we needed in life.  I so appreciate that evening of beautiful music the other night, and probably even more so, I appreciate the beauty of a mom who made sure I had a good start to that world of music.

Knit one, Purl two…. Ok, make that just knit…knit….knit. Yes, I have been hooked on knitting this winter. I am loving it. I only know how to knit scarves, but knitting them, I am. Seems that a lesson I learned in fifth grade, some 45 yrs ago, is resurfacing. Back in 1968, in South Dakota, our fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Austin, taught us students how to knit. Mrs. Austin was one of those “you’ll never forget” sweet, older lady teachers. You know, the ones with the belted floral dresses, hankies up the sleeve, hair a wavy blue-gray. You get the picture. Oh, and her voice had kind of a soothing sound to it, even maybe a bit of a whistle to it. Mrs. Austin would read a chapter book to us, after noon-time recess, and we would pull out our knitting as we clicked away to the soothing sound of her voice. Picture this on a cold winter’s day in South Dakota and you probably have visions of Little House on the Prairie. Well, it wasn’t quite that rustic!

So, fast forward to 2014, and you will find me clicking away, on these colder winter days. Delightful! One of my friends was recently visiting me and she said she could just crawl up on our couch and fall asleep, listening to that sound. (Really, she liked the sound of the clicking needles… She was not drowsing from boredom, I promise!) The best part of that day was the conversation and joy we had being together, but after she left, the memories of that day got intertwined and woven into that scarf.

I have heard it said from people who quilt, that every quilt brings back a memory of the feelings they had as they did the sewing. I feel the same way with the knitting. It’s really great when you know as you knit, who the recipient is going to be. All that love and all those good feelings for that person really do get knit into the piece. Hard to explain this, but it’s an amazing feeling, for sure. I recently finished a scarf for another dear friend, and as she put it on she said, “Oh it even smells like you, Mary”…(Thankfully she did add that it was a good smell…Whew!) So, create, express and then honor a friend or family member with your creation. It just feels good to pour yourself into something, then share it with someone else.

My sister Robin had told me several months ago that “every person needs a hobby. It’s just good for them.” I would have to agree with that thought. I know that in our busy world, many people don’t really have the time to think about hobbies, (and I might have thought that same thing last year when I was working at a very busy job) but what a gift it is to give yourself the joy of learning something new, and creating and just slowing down a little to enjoy something outside of your normal world. Maybe pick up those knitting needles, (or, “knitting sticks” as one of my friends called them!) or grab a paint brush, a writing pen, you name it…Just create…and enjoy…and slow down …. I know as a fifth grader, it just felt good, and as a 57 year old, it still feels nice… Maybe you can find a “Mrs. Austin” to teach you something new… Oh my gosh, I just realized, I AM about the “Mrs. Austin” age now! Kind of glad we don’t go with the blue gray hair any longer, but she looked great with it! Happy knitting one and all…Click click click…..

Recently, my sister Nancy and I were exchanging memories… You know that type of conversation, where often one remembers it one way, and the other may have a completely different memory? Well, this was a time when we both remembered the same thing. It was a trip our family took to St Louis, from South Dakota for Christmas one year back in the Sixties.  I was five and Nancy was eleven.  We were packed into the family station wagon, six children, (the last three  siblings were not yet born),  our mom, dad and our Grandpa Gill.  Packed in we were, along with Christmas gifts, suitcases and eggs.  Yes eggs.  Our grandpa brought along farm fresh eggs from South Dakota, for our aunt and uncle. How we kids did not end up breaking those eggs in that packed car was probably a Christmas miracle unto itself!

We had a wonderful time with our cousins that Christmas, and I know our mom had a great time with her sister, our Aunt Toots. Dad, Uncle Pat and Grandpa all had a good time as well.  Lots of playing, lots of gifts, lots of laughs.  We have great photos to look back on, remembering this holiday time, but what Nancy and I both have zeroed in on with our memories, was the trip home. We drove late into the night and nothing eventful happened, but we both have this imprinted image in our heads of being so safely tucked in, drowsy and sleeping on and off.  We both recall looking out into the dark of the night,  seeing the precipitation rolling down the outside of the windows, all the while feeling so safe and secure as Dad drove us home. Maybe it was the warmth of the car, or the joy of having had a good time with our cousins or just the relaxed feeling of being tired and tucked in, that has us remembering feeling so good.  I think it was all of that plus the feeling of just being with family. Our family. Our mom, dad, brothers, sisters and grandpa, all crammed into that car. Nine of us.  (Yes,  you might be wondering about seat belts,  but really, I don’t think they even existed back then.)

I believe the warmth of this memory is quite simple. We felt loved and taken care of and protected, and accepted as members of  a family. I hope anyone reading this has good memories like this, either with their  family or with a special group of friends. Belonging, being part of a pack,  being taken care of, and helping take care of the others…that’s what a family or special group of friends should be about, right? That safe place… That cozy, warm spot in the car, as you drowse on and off, with someone in control of things.  It feels good to know we had that growing up…and I hope my own kids can think back on some times they felt that kind of secure love. I’ll have to ask them….. And you? Maybe tonight, as you fall asleep, try to think of your “safe spot” memory. It might be a nice thing to drift off to sleep thinking about.

PS   I  just now asked son Jeff if he knew what I meant about feeling safe and secure as a kid.  I am happy to say, he had several instances to share with me. I’ll keep them to myself, since this is my blog, not his, but it is nice to know Mike and I have fostered that safe place too, now and  then. Feels comforting…kind of like precipitation rolling down the outside of the car windows on a long drive home.

 What’s your  “Carpe Diem?”…. Me? Anything to do with Water.  I  have always loved that song, “Age of Aquarius” written back in 1969 by The Fifth Dimension. My sis Nancy and I are both Aquarians.  I think our mom was too… (Sometimes I get mixed up on this since supposedly all those Astrological dates changed a few years ago, but no matter what, Aquarians we are!) I know this for a fact because we love love love anything to do with water. Always have, always will.   Today was a  good day for this Aquarian girl. You see, some good friends gave me a Spa gift card for my birthday LAST year and just this week I remembered I had not yet used it. (I am a saver!  Thank goodness when I called the Spa,  they extended the expiration date!)

I made an appointment for today, for a one hour massage at the local Ameristar Resort.  Well, the massage was awesome, I will say that right off the bat! (By the way, I always feel a bit awkward having to ask, “Do I keep my undies on or not?” )  Sister Robin just had a massage earlier this week and we had this very conversation.   Ok nuf on that. You don’t need to know if undies were on or off, right? TMI!    The point in this story?….Oh yeah, WATER…Aquarian Girl… After the most heavenly of massages, I took full advantage of the offered use of pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room. Yep, I arrived at 1 pm for my massage and left the Spa at nearly 5 pm!  Ahhhhh….What a day, what a day!…. The Spa was first class all the way… I didn’t even need to bring my black robe I use at my gym! Beautiful white spa robe and  great quality flip flops were provided. (I know I sound like a hay seed, all impressed with this stuff, but it was just grand!)

I went back to the women’s spa room after the massage and read the sign that suggested the perfect end to the massage…1. “Steam room for five minutes.” (Ok first off, I wasn’t sure if the steam thing was working and had to ask a fellow spa participant for help, after I got tired of pressing a button that seemed to be doing nothing.) Yes, it worked, and yes, I stayed in there for a good seven minutes. 2. “Take a cold shower for one minute,” said the instruction card.  I entered the gloriously lovely shower and took said one minute shower, cold… (this was AFTER I nearly burned myself, not getting the fancy schmancy shower to adjust properly. Once I got it adjusted, it was great…Water coming from every direction and then some.  3. “After the  one minute cold shower, take a 5-10 minute relaxing stay in the sauna.”  I was able to accomplish that with no help from anyone. Felt great. (By the way, I have always noticed that a sauna smells a lot like potatoes baking in an oven. That’s not a bad thing at all, just a weird observation.)   4. “After another one minute cold shower, go to hot tub for ten minutes.”  Ok, shower worked out fine this time…no scalding, just one minute of cooling water, and it felt great. Check.   BUT, the hot tub? Well….. I didn’t quite understand the  turn on switch. Ended up sounding some sort of alarm , but no worries, I figured it all out and no one came running to the sound of the alarm.  So much for security, huh?  I will admit,  I cut the hot tub time short as I was getting hot and antsy.

Next stop, the pool.  Yes, the pool was my favorite part of the day. I had my waterproof IPOD with me (Thanks to sister Nancy, great gift!)  and I swam for a good 45 minutes. The coolest part of the day? This pool was indoors but connected to the outdoors. Yes, here it was, 29 degrees out, January 31, and I had the utmost privilege of swimming outside in Missouri!  I marveled at  the sky, as I floated on my back, just taking this all in. I felt like a kid…You know how kids always make full use of a hotel pool? Well, that was me… I loved it and said a silent  thank you to my friends for giving me this lovely birthday gift. I gave God a thank you too, for giving me a soul that connects so precisely with water. You know when you just KNOW what things delight your soul? For me it is water…Always has been, always will be, and I am grateful for knowing myself well. Do you know what truly delights your soul? I hope you do!  If you don’t know, I hope you will get in touch with yourself and figure that out. It’s a good good thing to know .  When you do figure it out, (and maybe you already have) you will have that feeling like I do, like that  expression , “Carpe Diem”… My sister Susan JUST gave me a necklace last week for my birthday that says that…Carpe Diem..Seize the day.  Today was definitely a day to seize… and I am grateful…Amen.

PS….the Spa also provided a nice bowl of fruit. You’d better believe I helped myself to an apple…If you are tracking with me, you recall, I am on a 28 day food use up campaign. We are out of apples and my, that apple was fabulous!

Our son Matt just got a new car this past weekend…A nice bright shiny red Honda Fit.  Wow, he was excited, and rightly so! It’s a big deal when you go and do the work (and save the money) to buy a car, especially when you are young. I can still remember when I was about a year out of college and had saved up enough money as a new nurse, to purchase my very first  new car. I lived in Colorado at the time and my biggest memory is how exciting it was to go shopping  for that car. Exciting and Scary!  It’s a big purchase…I was so grateful for my brother-in-law Mart, as he was the one that went with me to figure out which car to get, and how to bargain for the price. Mart and I looked at all sorts of cars. If ever there was an organized, clear headed type person to go with me, it was Mart. He knows his cars, and he also  graciously could read my mind as to what type of car  I might like.

We test drove all sorts of cars and then finally ended up choosing a sweet little Honda Accord. (Gotta love those Hondas!)  I can still remember how exciting it was to purchase that car and to this day, a new car  smell reminds me of my Honda. Back then (1980) the music system was all about the cassette player. Yes, the cassette tapes were all the rage! Come to think of it, Mart also went with me when I purchased my first stereo, which included a turn table and a cassette player.  But back to the car…I lovingly named that car “Rhonda Honda” and I can still remember how excited my nieces, Mollie and Jill were, riding around with me in Rhonda Honda, and they were all of three and five at the time. Wow, the years did fly by!

Rhonda Honda served me well, as I drove it with sister Robin  as we moved to California together, a few years later. That car saw even more adventures with niece Shannon and nephews Chris and Sean. Rhonda Honda was with me when I first got married and also was around when we had our boys in the late 1980’s and into 1990. Rhonda Honda was with us until the year 2000, when I sold her for all of about $300 to a guy that had fallen on hard times and needed a car. My husband Mike and I marveled as the man drove away with Rhonda Honda, twenty years after  I bought her and she still ran like a champ! I admit, I was pretty sad as the sweet little car left our drive way. It’s amazing how attached we get to our cars, as they almost seem like a part of our family. That little car saw me go from single girl, career girl, young adventurous girl moving to California, young wife, then mom of two boys. Rhonda served us well. So, here’s to cars, sentiments and memories. Matt, I hope your little Honda Fit gives you many good years and lots of grand adventures! Make sure you give her a good name, and hopefully she too will be with you for a lot of years! Hey, you just can’t beat a Honda!