Reminiscing

I was watching an old re-run of the Lawrence Welk Show tonight... No No... I'm that much of an old fart.. I usually can't sit through the old show, but tonight I kept it on while I worked on other stuff around the house. Every time I catch a glimpse of that show on Sundays as I flip through channels, I can't help but think of both sets of grandparents, who loved the show up to the end of their lives. I can fondly recall sitting with each of them watching a performance or two.

The show tonight happened to be an old Easter show. I used to look forward to Easter so much growing up. I think those of us growing up in the late 80s and early 90s were the last generation of kids to really experience Easter as a major holiday. Sadly, like many other things, it has fizzled out to just another day, perhaps with a dinner, and maybe a cheap basket with candy. It seems to have lost any religious zeal it once had as well as an occasion to get dressed up and celebrate the beginnings of spring.

We had quite a turn out for Palm Sunday Mass today, and since the weather held out (it was actually quite nice), we had the blessing of the palms outside and then a procession into the Church. I sat behind a young married couple who just had their baby baptized last week. The baby didn't make a sound... she (I think it was a girl) looked so sweet... it's always nice to see kids at Mass. Maybe one day I can sneak my nephew to Mass with me, though his mother will be raising him Lutheran.

This Easter is going to be a rather quiet occasion. I'll be going to Mass alone as usual, then to Dad's side for brunch. Going to Dad's side is a bit of a downer for Easter.. no one gets dressed up, no one really celebrates the holiday except to eat, so it's just a formality now. With my mother's parents both gone, and now my Aunt Karen, our numbers have dwindled considerably. Uncle Vinny will be joining us.. so at least it won't be just my tiny immediate family. Joe and Katie and Collin will be having dinner at Katie's folks, but stopping by for desert. -- I miss going to Mass as a family, the big dinners at Grandma's, the egg tree and egg hunts (I always wanted to have an egg hunt like in the final scene of Steel Magnolias), people getting dressed up, and the corsages the ladies would wear.

I'm a bit nostalgic today.. as you can tell. HaHa.