the true meaning of Easter

I read this on a website yesterday afternoon and found it very inspirational. I'm sure you will as well.

Easter is all about Jesus rising from the dead and scaring the hell out of his disciples who had moved on after his death to selling Chicklets to tourists. But sometimes I wonder if God was just a real forward-thinker. My guess is He convinced Christians to celebrate "Easter" to lay the groundwork so that hundreds of years later ... He could share his second greatest gift with us...

What is it, you ask?...

The Cadbury Creme Egg.

Seriously. I believe everything I read on the Internet. Just ask this guy.

(Although I must confess that I cheated on Cadbury when I was a kid. My favourites were some of the offerings from Laura Secord ...


... which even came in a large size! I don't know what size actually - the website says 300g/12 oz. - but it might as well have been a pound of gold as far as I was concerned!
I mean, a peanut butter chocolate egg - what's not to like?!

But I digress. Actually, I don't believe that the true meaning of Easter is chocolate (although lots of chocolate certainly does make the whole effort worthwhile!). Instead, to me, Easter is about colour. And lots of it.

I know, I know... too cute for words. But I couldn't resist! It reminded me of this Lace Silk I bought recently...

I actually thought it would be called "Easter" because of the colours. But it's actually called Popsicle. This name makes me shiver even though the first day of spring has passed - I'm still drinking snow cocktails to try to keep warm!

But, as is my wont, I digress. Not colourful enough. Next...

Well, today I had to pop along to the LYS to buy stitch markers:

I must say that I showed remarkable restraint today. I had gone in to buy stitch markers, and left only with this kid mohair:

Um, I guess the http://brouhahaknits.blogspot.com/2008/03/evil-spirits-in-angus-ontario.html">anti-mohair phase is definitely over now.

Then I went home and blocked my new Tuscany. Thought I'd photograph it upside down for a change:

(I did this partly because I didn't want you to see that I was idiotic enough to have to use THREE blocking wires on the top because I didn't bother to check to see if I had longer ones. Of course, I did. Sigh.)

Actually, though, it looks quite different from this perspective. Spookier. I like it. I wonder if I could get W to wear it like that?

I realised when I started to plot my new design project - secret stuff! - that this, too, is an Easter colour.
At least, it is in the Greek Orthodox tradition. The priests wear fancy purple robes in almost exactly this shade at this time of year (or so, at least, is my dim recollection surrounded by all the mists of the time passed since I last set foot in a church). It was a colour of mourning, apparently.

Red is also a big colour for the Greeks at Easter. They dye all the eggs red (that's red like the blood of Christ. I kid you not.)

Don't you love these web pictures of food on a white background. It looks as though it is flying through space! Anyway, this is traditional Greek easter bread called tsoureki. MMM.

However, I don't get any today because today is not "my" Easter. That doesn't happen until 27 April. Aphrodite is all miffed this morning because she doesn't get any candy. See? She's not talking to me!!!

Her problem. She should just suck it up, like I had to do. Besides, the leftover candy goes on sale on Monday!!! And - hey! - I never gave her permission to wear my Savannah stole (finally blocked - long boring post with millions of pics on Monday. This was known as SOTSii to me until today when the name was finally released.

Anyway, much to my surprise, JJ came home last evening and presented me with these for "his" Easter:

As you can see, I'll have to fight for them. And in case you're wondering where Bubbles went, s/he has been shipped off to boarding school.

(If you're any type of fan of soap operas, or ever have been, expect hir to come back a few weeks from now, magically 18 years old and pregnant/on drugs/etc).

I did relent and give one to Aphrodite, so now she's happy again.

Happy Easter/Sunday/feast day/whatever it is that you are celebrating today!

Defarge

"Madame Defarge took up her knitting with great apparent calmness and repose of spirit...."

Well, I'm not sure if this describes me or not. Probably not. I suspect that if you ask anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting me in person to describe me, the words "calmness" and "repose of spirit" would not be the first ones to be used.

Unlike her:


Who was Madame Defarge, anyway? Only, arguably, the most famous knitter in English literature! Were you sleeping through public school when they taught Charles Dickens in English class, anyway? Sheesh!!

(Um... er... well, gentle reader, I do always strive to be honest with you. So, now it's time for a deep dark confession. I never actually read A Tale of Two Cities in grade 8. Instead, I read this:



Coles Notes were my huge lifesaver in both public and high school. I could never figure out why they insisted on making us read Shakespeare and Dickens every year for - oh - eight years? Especially when I found out that Dickens got paid by the word to write. Sigh.

I still can't figure it out, actually. Even when I tried to read one chapter of the online version for purposes of this post, I just couldn't keep my eyes open. I had an easier time reading the Income Tax Act, and for anyone who has ever had that pleasure - no $&#(*@$&#( Coles Notes either!- you'll know just how much I hate Dickens. )

So, how do I even know who she is, you ask? Because some of my coworkers bestowed "Madame Defarge" to me as a nickname. So, after 25 odd years, I had to go and find out who she was.

First of all, I reviewed the classic source materials:

... but the source materials were not as informative on her history as I would have hoped. However, luckily for me, well after I left grade eight the internet came along and now on-line versions of Coles Notes proliferate! (I'm surprised the teachers have not protested this en masse, actually...).

So, what did I learn?

Well - she was a subversive knitter of the first order, as it turns out. Apparently, she was a spy for the French revolutionaries, and used her knitting to record the names of the enemies of the Revolution in code.

Pretty wild, eh?

And - you've got to like a woman who got to boss around men in the 18th century:

"Take you my knitting," said Madame Defarge, placing it in her lieutenant's hands, "and have it ready for me in my usual seat. Keep me my usual chair..."

Man, I wish I had a knitting lieutenant to fetch me all my stuff, make emergency runs to the yarn store, etc.

Oh, hold on a minute... I forgot about JJ!

Phew. Things have not gone backwards for women in the past 225 years after all. What a relief.

Madame Defarge had certain other things in common with me apparently - she liked hanging out at...

Next noontide saw the admirable woman in her usual place in the wine-shop, knitting away assiduously. A rose lay beside her, and if she now and then glanced at the flower, it was with no infraction of her usual preoccupied air.

Now, I rather imagine that in real life, she would have looked like this:

(in other words, what I wish I looked like, minus all the black).

Oh - I should note that the coworkers stopped referring to me as "Madame Defarge" around the time that I started bringing my knitting to staff meetings. I wonder if they started to worry about the sopisticated codes contained within - especially given that I detest staff meetings and tend to mouth off during them as a result.

But fear not, O Coworkers - I have real enemies of the revolution to record!!! For example, this:

contains a record of all of the shameful, left-abandoning exploits of Jumpin' Jack Flash, toady to the Conservatives current leader of the NDP - which is what passes as the "left" party in Canada today.

And this sophisticated code?

Well - Bob Rae, of course.



The colour of the scarf denotes the champagne nature of his prior socialist attitudes, now apparently long gone since he is making bids for Liberal leadership (although right now he says he's not. Pull the other one, Bob - it's got bells on it!

(Oh by the way, I'm not alone in my assessment. If you're Canadian and/or extremely bored, check out what Rick Mercer had to say back in 2006 about him and his nonsense.)

So, how about the latest project off the needles, my Vegan Tuscany?

Well, I'm a bit behind the times on this one - maybe. However, I just saw the Trial of Tony Blair and was reminded anew of so-called "leftism" and its possible end results in the wrong hands.

Well, time to get off today's soapbox, I guess. I have to go and check on the blocking progress of my SOTSii!!

It should be dry enough by later today to try to get some proper photos.

And then to scheme what future projects I will use to record the stupidities of politics... hmm. Here's one I just started - working title is "April Showers". Yarn is Kidsilk Night, which has little sparkles in it:


It looks a bit of a mess right now, but I have high hopes...


Vale Madame Defarge!

vale Patrick! a celebration in blue and green

Now, I gather that Pope J2P2 had attempted to strip Patrick of his sainthood some time back.)

(why? did he fear that Patrick looked better in green that he did?



You be the judge!

Anyway, since I'm not sure of that status of that situation, not being Catholic nor Irish, I'll just call him Patrick.)

I assume, for the purpose of this blog post, that Patrick did not get stripped of angel status as well.

Now, why would he be robed in blue?

Well, believe it or not, according to Wikipedia one of his colours is blue. St Patrick's Blue, to be exact.

And you know I believe everything in Wikipedia.

Besides, this mysterious blue hued lady dropped by my apartment earlier today and confirmed the story.

If you don't believe me, here's the proof - some mysterious objects she left with me:

What am I going on about now? you ask. Gentle reader, all will be revealed, but you'll have to bear with me a while longer.

You see, I would have told you before today that I don't really like green. As I said, I'm not Irish. (I live with someone who is Irish, his parents having been Irish, but he refuses to identify himself as Irish. Long story. I'm sure if you bring him a bottle of some malt whisky - any malt whisky! he'd love to share all with you.

However, I had to revise this opinion when looking through the stash today:

Now, a lot of it has blue in it - so that's my excuse. But still, quite a bit of green. Hmm.

(Oh, I forgot this stuff:


Man alive - do I ever have a short memory!!)

Now, blue, in addition to being a St. Patrick colour, is my favourite colour this week, and also the colour of Scotland where JJ insists his heart lies. So, in light of this, I think that now the mystery lace project will have to be made with this yarn, as I'm going to start it on or just before the feast day of Patrick.

This is now the third time I've changed my mind about the yarn for this project. However, it is Italian Silk - and I don't want the Fleece Artist to think I've completely thrown her over for the Handmaiden!

Now, we did not go to the big Patrick parade today... J "shurrup woman, ah keep tellin' ya ah'm no' irish, ah'm scottish! OHKEH???" J wouldn't hear of it. Just as well because parades freak me out.

Instead, we went food shopping. There should actually be a house rule that we never go food shopping on any day which directly follows both household paydays (which happens fairly rarely). Why? This is the end result:

But, to be fair, we did have to get in some food for a little party tomorrow in honour of Patrick it being Monday.

And, just to prove that no-one Irish actually resides in this apartment, there's none o' that colcannan, bridie or boiled corned beef crap here. No way. Top of the line for us non-Irish people.

(Check out the sticker on the front prime rib for proof that a certain resident of this household who shall remain nameless is scottish no' irish.)

Of course, there will be no green beer either - nor any of that whisky spelled with an "E":

Glesga! Glesga! Och aye the noo - go Rangers! Aye ready aye.

(Oops, channeling JJ again. )

Now, the President will be doing most of the catering of this wee do... and since I'm Greek I don't like any of that British/Scottish/Irish muck anyway:

I love the President! JJ gets pies, which makes him happy... I get guid fillings!

Some more Medi stuff:

(The lemons are going on the roast. Don't tell JJ.)

However, never let it be said that I don't know about compromise. Here is the Irish Scottish component of the big feast:

(man, so much more boring than the President's mediterranean finest!!)

And dessert:

The late night snack, however, must definetely be Canajan:

Anyway, I have another reason to celebrate: I have finished knitting the SOTSii!!!

She's currently keeping JJ Grackle warm. (Grackle is JJ's little friend which, although originally from France, came from ... where...? Ireland!!! And when did JJ get him? Why, when he was visiting relatives in IRELAND. Blood relatives. Does this not make him Irish? I'm so confused...).

I'm very, very happy to be finished - I'll bore you more later in the week on the whole shootin' match should you bother to check in after all this nonsense today.

But, for all of the reasons discussed above, I felt this would be a suitable tribute to Patrick.

Rest in peace, Patrick. Anyone who managed to chase all of the politicians snakes out of Ireland is a guid guy in my books.