Day 108: 4/19/11
New Thing: Make an Easter Bonnet Headband for Delia
Inspiration: Easter, Mom
Cost: $??
Time: 30 mins.
Bottom Line: She'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade.
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| With all the frills upon it. |
Reflection: In our family, there are a few stories which live in infamy. Yet of all of these yarns, there is perhaps one which can make us laugh the hardest: the time Mom made me an Easter Bonnet. When I was just a young tot at Sonshine Nursery School (as in "Son-of-God"), I was delighted one day to learn about a grand affair to take place in honor of the Pascal Feast--the annual Sonshine Nursery School Easter Bonnet parade.
Perhaps No doubt, you have heard of it. Every student was sent home with instructions for our parents telling them that they were to make us a fancy bonnet with all the trimmings and that we would then wear them in a few weeks hence in what I was sure would be a defining moment in my young life. I handed the paper to Mom (as well as the subsequent reminder fliers) and was sure that my bonnet would indeed make me the grandest little girl in the Easter parade.
Days went by, turning into weeks. "Mom," I would ask, "how is my bonnet coming?!" I was assured that progress was being made. Finally, my long wait was over. The day was upon us! I woke up on the morning of the parade, ran out to the kitchen ready to adorn my head with a crown of epic proportions. I was prepared to face my destiny!
What I was not prepared for was Mom's reaction. "Oh......yes.....the...
bonnet...", was her reply at my query. Now, to understand what happened next, you have to know something about my mother's reactions in these moments. When an occasion arose when she had, shall we say, dropped the ball, she would often shift into "over-play-it" mode. She would make things seem larger then life to try and distract from what ever it was that was, shall we say, lacking in some way.
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| The pin-wheel smacks of desperation. |
This reaction was in full swing as she shifted into action. She sat me down in the chair, ran down stairs, grab her white hat with flowers (purchased for a wedding I believe) and came back up stairs. She preceded to ingloriously plunk the over-sized, floppy hat on to my head, grab a store bought cup cake off the counter, ripped the plastic bunny rabbit tooth-pick figure which adorned the top of the confection, licked off the icing and stuck it in the top of the hat. "Perfect!", she lied. She seemingly had put as much forethought into the dressy outfit that was to accompany my new accessory. I was quickly draped in the bunny rabbit sweatshirt and pants that I wore at least once a week since it was now a "theme" outfit. Her frenzy to make these seem grand continued when she suggested a photo shoot. Making good on the fact that we only took pictures of special occasions, she whipped out the camera for several staged images including props (see picture). The pin-wheel was my favorite since nothing says desperation like a pin-wheel. Those with a discerning Hillary eye can tell that my smile is one of unsureness and disbelief and my pose is not one of "happy go-lucky girl with pin-wheel on her way to revel in her Easter finery." Yet, my mother insisted I was the most decked out girl in the history of Easter. Oh, and there was also a bunny pin from our special holiday junk draw to really pull the whole thing together.
My mother's ruse showed no signs of lessening by the time we got to school. Indeed, she became more stalwart in her claims that I was better then all of the other kids. The pictures continued, and my mother began to taunt the other kids under her breath to make sure I was truly understanding how much better my ensemble was to their inferior rags. "Look at Bonnie," she chortled. "Look at all the balloons on her hat. What, do you want to be like 'Balloon Head' over there?! I don't think so." (By the way,
Balloon Head Bonnie is still one of my best friends to this day.)
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| An Easter Memory |
And then came the faithful moment when the parade began. By this time, my suspicions had been realized--I was NOT, in fact, wearing the world's most fantastical Easter outfit known to man. The other children asked me why I was wearing play clothes, untied sneakers, and no coat (my mother had taken it off insisting that it hid a few of the key elements--ie. the bunny shirt and pin.) By the time we were posed for the final pictures, I was left on the end, away from the other children as though my outfit may spread to theirs. The picture my mother took while shouting "Over here, beautiful!" shows me shooting her a knowing look while a few other children turn to look at me. The jig was thoroughly and completely up. Mom told me years later that other mother's had remarks like, "you really went all out, huh Debbie?" To this day, we tell this tale and cry from laughing. Or just cry.
All this is to say, that my new thing of the day was to make Delia an Easter Bonnet. Except, she does not like hats. She does, however, love head bands, so I decided to make an Easter Bonnet Headband for her basket instead. Yes, it is over-the-top, but all Easter Bonnets are--save my childhood one. Here are some shoots from different angels.
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| Big flowers on one side which she will like and are very Eastery. |
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| Since it is for her basket, I will have to model it for you all. |
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| A cross and pretty flowers (which look like they could be on vestments) for signs of the resurrection. |
Lenten Meditation-
Prayed for: ME
Prayer Walk/Yoga- Early Morning Run after Spin Class and a really great evening yoga session with Delia.
Journal Topic with Ken- We will be doing this after this.
Music- I may not get here today.
Fast- Pretty moderate except for a little over done at dinner.
Daily Office- EP doing home Communions.
