Notes from Jan

Springtime Sunshine

March 20, 2019

Shared lunch with a new friend last week.

Friend: So how’s the diet coming?

Dieter: Had one egg for breakfast.

Friend: Scrambled?

Dieter: Cadbury

I can hear my son, “Mom, just say it was a joke instead of trying to make it sound like a story or conversation.”

Well, it’s a joke, but the lunch and Shirley, my friend, are real. It’s her joke.

Spring’s back. She’s no wimp, hiding in Florida until she’s positive winter’s gone into full-on hibernation. Last time I checked the Forsythia bush, it seemed to be warming up to the idea of blooming. A Willow up the road looks a tad yellower than last week. That’s a good sign. Most Christmas decorations have found their places in attics, basements or landfills, except for a few browning wreaths and downtown Gloucester’s red banners sprinkled with permanent snowflakes. They’ll get around to swapping them out before the St.Peter’s Festival come June

Signs of winter continue to melt away. Our condo association pulled up the orange spikes, designed to keep snowplows and shovelers off the grass, which we have little of to begin with, but I appreciate the thought. Shaw’s market’s designated space for Cadbury, pastel colored candies, dyes for eggs, sure signs Easter’s coming. The newspaper’s full of ads for Easter clothes, garden supplies and reminders to book early for Easter brunch or lunch here or there.

Then, there’s Lent.

How does one do Lent in this culture of stuff and such?

.Went to Wegman’s Friday night. Not my usual grocery store, but it was Friday night and I craved adventure. At my age that’s about as exciting as it gets, pushing a cart up and down new aisles, hoping for free samples.

Sometimes I suffer from low expectations.

After finding a place in the massive parking garage, I headed for the entrance, when I heard singing. Turned around and saw the cart man, helping someone back out safely, as he sang. I stopped to listen.

‘You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know, dear, how much I LOVE YOU. Please, don’t take my sunshine away.”

Some would say, “He’s limited in what he can do. Probably, being a cart man is all he can aspire to.”

To me, he was a preacher, guest soloist and usher, wrapped in a glow-in-the-dark jacket, reminding all who came for mere groceries or free samples, there’s something more.

Lent.

Time to reflect on the one who whispers or sings, “You’ll never know, dear, how much I LOVE YOU.”

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10 Comments

  • Reply Paula Cerulli March 20, 2019 at 9:26 am

    Beautiful! You are AMAZINGLY talented; multi-talented that is!

    God Bless You and Happy 1st Day of Spring Sunshine!!!

    Blessings,
    Paula Cerulli

  • Reply RUSS BISHOP March 20, 2019 at 9:44 am

    Wegman’s! Numero uno on the approved list. You know ho to pick em…

  • Reply Faith Wright March 20, 2019 at 10:35 am

    Just lovely, dear Jan! I went to my 92yo neighbor’s celebration of life last week. He sang in his church choir and a gospel quartet, and reportedly even to the RN’s at the hospital to the very end
    . And guess what was sung for the closing hymn — yep, You Are My Sunshine !!
    Much love, Faith
    PS == I still keep posted by my a.m. mirror your message from last year, A Heart for Lent. It has kept be smiling and saying “Oh yes, Lord!” all year…and on.

  • Reply Wendy March 20, 2019 at 10:42 am

    Thank you for the joy and the blessed reminder. <3

  • Reply Valerie McCoy March 20, 2019 at 11:29 am

    And then there is the patient who is being wheeled out of surgery after an endoscopy…..the anesthesiologist asks, as he races alongside the gurney,
    “Are you religious or something?” In my twilight awakening I respond, “yup, sure thing….why do you ask?”
    “Because you were belting out some kind of hymn when we were waking you up.”
    Now there’s a divine celebration of Spring and Lent……if, indeed I was in tune and caused the interns to smile rather than look for the ear buds.

  • Reply Shirley Dubeau March 20, 2019 at 1:13 pm

    Peeps! Don’t forget PEEPS!!!

  • Reply Jeanne Webster March 20, 2019 at 4:15 pm

    Dear Jan
    Ken and I always enJOY your blog.
    This morning it brought us a laugh and a ray of sunshine
    on this rainy California day.
    We like our eggs Cadbury style also.
    Plus we KNOW who LOVES US.
    PLEASE keep writing and sharing. xox

  • Reply Jeri March 20, 2019 at 9:48 pm

    Keep these coming Jan! LOVE this Sunshine!

  • Reply dan March 21, 2019 at 11:39 pm

    Thanks, Jan, for being a light of the Light of the world. Sunshine, indeed!

  • Reply dale lefever March 24, 2019 at 7:21 am

    Thanks Jan. My guess is he was loved by someone who looked past cart man to the man. “man looks on the outward, BUT God….”

    Blessings, Dale

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