Everyday Living

Simple + Southern Sunday No. 490 – Easter

~ Easter, Faith, Family, Spring

Wishing You A Wonderful Easter

”And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large.“
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

”And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.“
‭‭
”And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.“
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭5-6‬ ‭(ESV‬‬)

Wisteria is very invasive yet very pretty, rich in purple tones. Purple, through the centuries, has been a symbol of royalty and used in outer garments for kings. A purple robe was placed on Jesus by soldiers before he was crucified in an attempt to mock him…but little did they know.

I was thinking Easter would be a good day to look at a few things around our place that are bursting forth with new life. Or as one of our readers stated last week, “new beginnings”. Deer love hosta, and this tender new growth would be a delicacy. It is very near the house so maybe they won’t make the discovery!

New life has appeared on the gingko in the form of clusters of miniature leaves. 

The tiny buds on a bridal wreath spirea will soon pop open giving a new beginning to hundreds of white blossoms. 

When Peonies come to life they literally leap out of the ground overnight and then grow extremely fast. A strange looking bud to me, yet a lot of people (including Pam) believe peonies are the most beautiful of flowers. You might notice a light brown/tan leaf-like part of the plant just below the bud. It is not part of the plant at all but was deposited there by the wind. It came from…

…a red maple tree that has come to life in our front yard. These “wings” take their passengers wherever the wind blows, and given the right combination of material and events, a seed will give new life to another maple tree. I call them helicopters and have fun with the grands tossing them up and watching them spin their way to the ground. Did you have these around as a kid and play with them, pretending they were helicopters? I remember doing that. I believe there are currently several thousand of these little “wings” in the driveway and yard! Observing creation is a continuous fascination.

A group of hungry and thirsty bikers dropped by yesterday. Fortunately we had acceptable snacks and drinks on hand. 78 degrees and sunny skies will cause a rider to need refreshment!

Often thought of as a symbol of the cross at Easter, this dogwood bloom appears as if it could have blood stains on the lower petal!

This black locust has yet to show signs of new life, but without foliage it is easy to understand why I would not want to stumble into this tree. These can be a real problem for tractor tires too. And consider wearing a crown made from these branches!

A Japanese cherry on a rainy day early last week was absolutely weighted down with flowers. I read that the Japanese cherry in some cultures is regarded as a symbol of mortality because the blooms are short lived. Mortality is not a particularly pleasant thing to think about. Death is our enemy for certain!
 

On that same rainy day, I ran across a tree that had large ivory blooms, prior to putting on leaves. I knew it was some type ornamental and to me the bloom looked a lot like our southern magnolia, which is native and blooms later (and it is evergreen). I discovered why this reminded me of a magnolia…it is a magnolia. Yulan magnolia is the species of magnolia with the longest history of cultivation, dating back to 600 AD. It was the first magnolia from Asia to be introduced to the western world.

Thanks to Appalachian Media for a beautiful photo of Natural Bridge. I think we may know the visitors spotted beneath the bridge…they look familiar. This beautiful spot as well as many other great sights are found in Alabama’s Bankhead National Forest. It is home to our only National Wild and Scenic River and the Sipsey Wilderness, the state’s only wilderness area. Covering over 181,000 acres, the forest is about 2 hours from our home.

As I made my way back across a field toward home after being out to catch a sunrise, I looked up to find another wonder in the sky. So why not take a photo? I understand this waning gibbous moon has a plan to eclipse the sun on April 8!


”But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.“
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Blessings to each of you on this Easter Sunday!

Linking with:
 Pieced Pastimes,  Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
 Life and Linda

Comments

  2. Love the shots and narrative! All the nature shots are beautiful. The grands are growing up fast! Happy Easter! Clara❤️

    Reply

  9. Praise God…He is Risen! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

    Thanks for the beautiful photos Butch and for your narrative. Funny how those little “visitors” seem to show up everywhere! It is a good thing you had the right treats for them because who knows what mischief they would have done! Lol 🥰

    Today we went to Sunrise Service and there is something about being outside in the beauty God created and hearing His Word as the sun creeps on the horizon. Much like your early morning walks…the quiet, beauty of first light is amazing.

    Thank you for your reflections. You and Pam are indeed a Blessing to all of us.

    Reply

    • Thank you Kari. It is great to be outside and every sunrise can remind us of Jesus’ resurrection. We try to keep a good supply of things in case little visitors stop by. Have a blessed week!
      Butch and Pam

      Reply

  10. What a lovely Easter commentary and photos, Pam and Butch.He is risen, indeed, to the World
    and in our lives.. To embrace Him further on this day is to be filled with joy and gratitude for so
    many of His wondrous gifts, (chocolate bunnies included) The little ones probably thrilled at their
    adventures and laden Easter baskets… they make a joy of such occasions. May all be blessed by this
    Holy Day bestowal of His redemption and renewal of life.

    Reply

  14. Happy Easter Butch and Pam,
    I had to find you on April 1st as my heart was with all of you yesterday morning. This post is so stunning! Every sign of Spring–the flowers, trees, and my favorite, the grands on bikes (they are adorable!) speak of Christ’s goodness and love! From the “bleeding” dogwood to the thorns, from the Arch (how wonderful) and the cuties standing under it…everything is blooming. May we live as though WE are resurrected–just as Jesus did for US! It was an emotional few days. The treatment, side effects…and then, (my precious youngest son and family came to visit so I wouldn’t have to drive) a glorious time celebrating our Savior yesterday at Church! HE IS RISEN! We had a precious time at my Mom’s. I’m struggling to “find my new normal” with so many responsibilities; yet, I release it all to Christ, knowing HE has everything perfectly under control–I just need to ask the Spirit to guide me moment by moment. The beauty, and truth in the verses and wonderful words you choose, provide such hope! “Everyday Living” is such an inspiration—it’s an amazing testament to your love of the Lord and all his creation! God bless you all. Much love and prayers, always, Karla and Family

    Reply

    • Thank you Karla. As always, your words are so uplifting and inspiring. We pray for strength and energy for you day by day. It sounds like you experienced a wonderful Easter, maybe tiring but a blessing for certain. Have a great week!
      Butch and Pam

      Reply

  15. Wow – it is so beautiful seeing all of nature coming to life. It is truly magnificent! The grands are adorable and how sweet that they popped in for drinks and snacks. I hope you both had a very wonderful Easter!!

    Reply

    • Thank you for your comments Kim. We did have a wonderful Easter and hope you did as well. We have a few cool nights coming up but things are really springing to life here. Have a great week!
      Butch and Pam

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *