The Crab Chronicles

Easters Yesterday and Today

Easter for me as a small child was all about the basket and the goodies, particularly candy. The bunny reigned supreme at our house. (I'm keeping it real, here.) I loved getting a new dress -- and usually a new purse and/or hat -- and going to church to show off.

Of course, as an Episcopalian in the 1960's, women had to wear head coverings to church, and I had to cover my head too. (See shot below with the bow: by the late 1960's I could get away with a big bow.)

Only after I grew old enough to really understand about Jesus did I realize the bittersweet nature of Easter, a time of new life and new growth and yet tinged with sadness because our Lord had been crucified. Did he really rise from the dead? I believe so. Let scholars debate. Faith understands things that defy science. When we teach the resurrection, I think we are teaching children about what it means to be misjudged and persecuted, if we do it right. Also, it's about feeling upset and alone, maybe even betrayed, and yet surrendering to God, who can take even murder and tragedy and make a miracle.

Above, me at age 7, I think. Above right, Mom and Dad and Bruce, Easter 1962 - I know because Mother is pregnant with me. I think she still has that hat, actually. (That may have been the hat she used a week's grocery money on; not sure..) Above left, me about 5 years old, with the basket; we still have the painting and the piano I'm standing in front of, fyi..

My father was miserly with the camera, so the shots from my childhood tend to be either Christmas, Easter, birthdays, or vacations. There are very few "day in the life" type photos. Kids today will never know the patience one had to have with pictures - buying film, inserting it in the camera, rewinding, taking it out and getting it to a shop for development, waiting a week or so -- nowadays everyone has a camera on their phone. Instant memories made -- and I'm glad of that, but the waiting taught us something today's kids don't understand, I fear..

Anyway, we basically had our family Easter yesterday. Bruce wasn't able to come for the weekend, unfortunately. However, Michael came for the afternoon and stayed for dinner (he's living in his own place now) and he gave me my Easter "present" - going with me to buy flowers and planting them in the ground for me. I forgot about mulch but he can do that next time he's home. Michael has to work today, so we celebrated yesterday. Even though he is 20, I got him a chocolate bunny. My mom continued buying chocolate bunnies for me for years after I was grown.

I rarely ever go to church on Easter because of the crowds. I much prefer to sit out Easter Sunday and just have a relaxing "day off," as much as possible.

Below are some shots of the flowers. I went with an all-pink theme this year.

 

 

Notice the World

One of the great benefits of getting older, for me, is that I notice more beauty around me, all the time. When I was young, I was always restless. Always wanting excitement and adventure, always wanting to travel and see the world.

The irony of that is that only after I matured and actually did travel to different countries, only then did I appreciate the beauty all around me right here close to home.

Below, a view of Edinburgh Scotland, from the castle there, in 1988. For the first time in my 25 years, then, I was looking around, really noticing. This exact same view had hardly changed in centuries -- the sense of history, everywhere, was profoundly moving. I must admit, though, that I wanted to take back interesting photos, to remind me of the trip, or I wouldn't have noticed much. I was like my dad, zipping along as quickly as possible from one thing to the next. When I got home and really studied the photos, only then did I really appreciate what I had seen.

I took some good photos on that trip, but it wasn't until I went to Russia in 2003, with the choir, that I really became acutely aware of things. I was in a country so unlike America that I noticed everything. The beautiful churches. The potholes in the roads. The trash everywhere. The beautiful and exotic buildings. The faces of people so different from Americans. There were huge contrasts of the lovely and the ugly everywhere.

I love the photo below, because it was made the day after I had actually taken custody of Alesia, and we were walking down the street next to the beautiful Amur river in Khabarovsk. I was so glad the ordeal of that adoption process was over, and I had a little girl who was happy to be in a family, even if her mama bought her pants that were too short..

When I came home, I realized that there was a lot of beauty here, too. I was insanely busy, though, between work and being a first-time mom to a child that didn't speak English.

A couple of years later I adopted Michael, and my life began to be more about being outside, because Michael loved to play outside.

Below, a street in Petropavlovsk Kazakhstan in March 2007 when I was there for the first adoption trip.

I have written often about the extreme contrast between Kazakhstan and Atlanta in May 2007, when I returned from my second [and final] trip. After the ordeal of getting home, I wanted to weep at the sight of Atlanta's beautiful flowers and shrubs and trees, as soon as we got off the plane and were going through town in a taxi. Michael was stunned, looking everywhere. I imagine he felt like he'd landed in Oz.

Along with the [unnaturally hot] weather, though, he had a sister, Granny, uncle, and Mom who adored him, and a big backyard to play in. I like to think living here has significantly impacted the sweet, thoughtful young man he has grown into.

Since I have lived here these past ten years I have learned to notice the world. I notice our house, the pool, the tall trees, the streets not filled with potholes. I notice that we live in a lovely place. I used to say I never wanted to live in the suburbs, and now I've totally changed my mind. I love living here.

When I started walking Lola every morning some months ago, I started to notice even more. (I wish I had a better camera than my phone, but at the moment a new camera isn't in the budget.)

No matter where one lives, there is beauty there, if you look for it. You don't have to live in an exotic place. You don't have to have mountains or a lake in your backyard. You don't have to have a cute doggie to walk. Just look around. Notice. Take photos. Don't take photos. Remember.

God is everywhere, in everything beautiful.

Notice how nice it is to walk around and breathe in quiet and clean air.

Photos Old and New

Got some old photos from several sources and a couple of new ones I wanted to share. It's a gloomy, rainy day and we just un-decorated the house, which is always a bit depressing.

Below, a shot from 2009, made by my cousin Mark Embry, who is an awesome photographer. Michael had only been here a couple of years. My smile is crooked but otherwise I like the shot.

A friend sent me some photos of my dad I had never seen, from his days with the bank in Knoxville.

Dad always liked to wear suits with vests. I like that look. Particularly good for a banker. The younger man is David Moore, who worked with Dad for years and is still a friend of our family.

I really like the image below even though you can't see Dad's face that well. He was very fond of Betty, and she was a wonderful colleague. She is still going strong even though she's up in her 80's.

My friend Joanne and her daughters came by for a visit yesterday. I wasn't feeling well so it was a short visit but it was wonderful to see them. It's lovely to be friends with someone since babyhood -- Joanne lived next door when we were small. Her daughters are now in college and my kids are in college. Amazing to think how the years have whizzed by.

Below, all of us [except Michael, who hadn't been adopted] in my mother's house in Augusta in 2005. Joanne's mother is a dear friend of my mom's.

Below, the girls and Michael in 2009.

Below, the murky shots from yesterday. Not sure if it's the fault of my phone or the lighting... Lola decided the girls were there simply to play with her..

My old friend Gary came by today and we had a great visit. He brought Michael two  UGA shirts!

Storms and Old Photos

Yesterday was a stormy day from hell, and I spent the entire morning anxiously watching the pouring rain and wondering if my backyard was going to flood. Finally, in early afternoon, when my backyard was an enormous pond of dirty water, the rain stopped.

About 30 minutes later I took Lola for a long walk. Sun was shining on all the leaves and debris, but at least we didn't have to deal with a tornado scenario.

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I was sitting on the sofa last night watching TV and eating a snack, and I felt something on my left hand and looked down and there was a palmetto bug on my hand. I screamed and jumped up so fast I scared Lola. HATE those things. Thank goodness the bug guy came today!

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I was trying to semi-clean up my desk and I found a package of old photos my aunt gave me some months ago, and I decided to scan them in.

below, my grandparents Bob Hasty and Wilma Butler Hasty, about 1949

below, Mom when she was about 16 or 17

above, Mom and Dad in 1981
below, Mom and her two older brothers, Bobby [with beard] and Don

below, a rare photo of me in a bathing suit... [I was 15]

Photos of North Georgia

I have several friends and family members who are talented photographers and I wanted to share some recent photos that I love.

This is one my cousin Mark Embry took last week when we had the snow days. Love the grays and the way the trees frame the view.

in the shot above, from my friend Lisa Amos, the trees aren't the focus but the sky is - feels to me like God is THERE

My cousin Linda Harris took this awesome shot of a blue jay - saw one in my yard the other day.