HANGING OUT IN JERUSALEM ON PALM SUNDAY

When I awoke yesterday morning, I did not hear the familiar sound of my son in the kitchen, making coffee and getting ready for work.
I found myself in a different place, altogether, perhaps a different time from 2013.

I looked down and saw I had on the maroon bathrobe my husband once wore. Under it was an old fashioned floor length flannel night gown. I didn't really look so out of place as I looked around me.

I seemed to be waiting with a throng of people for a parade to start. It reminded me of the Christmas parades in Memphis so many years ago. But this was in the day time and the excitement of the people seemed to go way beyond something you would expect for mere parade.

People were waving palms and shouting at Someone I could only now see at a distance.

There was an elderly lady standing by me; she had two palm branches and handed me one. I waved mine too, although I wasn't quite sure why??? I gathered she was  Hebrew Jew (spoke Hebrew) and she assumed I was a Greek Jew. Or perhaps she was speaking Aramaic; anyway I could not understand anyone.  

הושיעה־נא,הושיעה נא hôšâ‘-nā


Hosanna!!  Were they saying Hosanna? Indeed!! 

So this was Palm Sunday!!! And I somehow was there as a witness!!

When Jesus was at the top of the road ready to descend, he paused a moment. Was He crying as he viewed Jerusalem below him?





There was clothing thrown on a donkey which Jesus sat upon, Then the crowd began to throw down their cloaks on the road for Jesus to ride over.  I threw down my bathrobe and waved my own palm branch vigorously. The crowd was shouting!!




The procession gradually reached us. I could only shout, "Hosanna!"
From the Bible I remembered, (although I could not understand)...

 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

 "Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" ⁴⁰ "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.

The lady next to me tried to point to her back...and

then she bent over in a stooped position,stood upright and and did it again. She was showing me that Jesus had straightened her back!!

My new companion took my arm and led me to the temple where the procession reached.

She then motioned for me to follow her to her home.

We had light refreshments.

Then I sat in a chair to rest a little, then closed my eyes

 I was so happy 

because when I saw JESUS

I could tell he recognized me, knew my name. 

                           Hallelujah!

I guess I napped just a little, then I smelled eggs

 frying in our kitchen at home. I heard Ben(son) say,

"I'm up!!"  I answered, "Me too!"

Easter will be here in just a few days.
May you all be blessed.
Love, annie in memphis   

SHIRLEY CALDWELL REMEMBERS LEROY & HONORS THE LORD

Many of you read my blog entry about my little brother, WILLIAM LEROY CALDWELL, who died December 22. He was 75. It had one of the largest numbers of viewers I have ever had!!

Before his death, Shirley was already involved in sewing  to help &/or encourage others. She was already making pillow case dresses to send to young girls in Guatemala. 

Leroy sometimes washed and ironed the pillow cases. Shirley always dreamed of having a large sewing room where other women could join her in this endeavor. Not long before he died they did find a house with a large room suitable for the task. 

v



Yesterday, seven women came at 9 am and filled that sewing room with laughter and joy. They stopped for lunch then worked the rest of the day.
               
They made 7 adorable dresses; Shirley was not only blessed with a sense of satisfaction but also blessed with plain old fun!! The ministry will branch out and  "SOW AND SEW"  other things always for others.

vv


The yard can be seen  through the large glass area of the sewing room. Recently Shirley looked out and saw two birds seemingly flying away from each other but came together again. It was so reassuring to be reminded that she and Leroy will indeed be together again. Meanwhile, I know Leroy is pleased with the Sow and Sew ministry. 
v
   
Love, annie in memphis...God is good ALL THE TIME!!!

SNOT RAG

Have you ever in your life seen a snot rag...? I don't mean a dainty handkerchief that has been discreetly soiled from blowing one's nose. I mean a real SNOT RAG!!!  Well, I have lived to see and tell about it.

One day as Ben and I were driving over some Kentucky roads...(we so loved those Kentucky roads,)we were having trouble finding what we were looking for. We saw a fiesty farm woman out getting her mail, so we waved and called to her. 

She was wearing a nice print dress with a very large rag attached across the top of it by a huge safety pin. Yes, she did know exactly what we were looking for and started right in with the directions. Suddenly she grabbed on her rag (and without missing a word) she blew her nose.!!!!!

I was somewhat aghast, until it hit me...she was actually so friendly and gracious and not in the least self conscious about her snot rag.
Without the least embarrassment, she waved us goodbye with a big grin on her face.

I am finally coming out of my cold and this memory came to mind.
I learned a lesson that day...not sure what...but I learned something. Just saying. 

She was too modest to let Ben make her picture. But this is sort of how her farm house looked. A nice memory of a friendly woman~
Snot-rag is actually in the Webster's Dictionary. Dudn't that beat all??
annie in memphis

PRE-SPRING by WILLIAM BENJAMIN BREWER (1933-2012)

                              PRE-SPRING
                                     



     Now is the time of little hangy things
That come before the leaf.
Over there's a kite,
But now the hand must sting that holds it
In this month that's not yet spring.

     A certain stir there is for sure,
But waxy grass has yet to nuzzle through the thatch,
And trees are mostly grey or black,
Though many wear a veil
Of olive mostly, here and there of pink.

     Daffodils again have jumped the gun,
By last week's cold front now quite stunned,       
Down-facing, philosophic,
In their sudden loss of innocence...

     And only oaks,
Whose lower limbs still wear
Tattered tutus of last fall,
Only oaks resist to give a hint
Of their seduction by a sign of  renaissance:
Oak trees got to where they are by sternest cynicism,
Across the ages coexisting with that temptress spring.

     A man would better be like these,
But something deep biologic
Makes response to overtures perverse
Of life to be renewed among the greening hills.

A man, I think, in April is
Not so robust as he's daffodillic.
****************************************************
Although Ben wrote more poems than I have posted, I chose this poem as the last;seems fitting since he died last spring.April 6 

   WBB 1956