I'm thinking back to when I was a child (yes, I was one once upon a time) and we loved April Fools Day. Why? Because we got to play tricks on our friends, teachers, and once I started working, on my coworkers. I never did anything mean or out of line, but just fun stuff.
Like telling them their shoe was untied. Or a blouse unbuttoned. Or make-up out of place. Or any thing that would 'make them look'. And things like sugar in the salt shaker, unplugging office phones or removing keyboards. Silly, fun things.
I think my favorite after I started in the workforce and taking messages for my bosses, was writing on a message pad that a Ted E. Bear called. And I put the number of the zoo as the return number. I know, the zoo still gets hundreds of these calls every year, and they have learned to laugh at them too, and it always brought a laugh to my boss or to a coworker when I was able to 'trick' them into calling and then say 'April Fools'!
I had to stop and look it up as to the origination of April Fools Day - and here is what I found:
There are several explanations for the origin of the April fool's Day. But here is the most plausible one. April 1st was once New Year's Day in France. In 1582 Pope Gregory declared the adoption of his Gregorian calendar to replace the Julian calendar and new year's day was officially chance to January. First it took awhile for everyone in France to head the new of this major change and other obstinately refused to accept the new calendar so a lot of people continued to celebrate new year's day on the first of the April earning them the name April fools.
There were several other 'origins' but I didn't take the time to go through them. And so we still celebrate April Fools day, although now that I'm an 'older adult', I don't see it happening as much. People around me aren't as much 'fun' as they probably were twenty years ago. I guess they don't realize the laughter and playing clean jokes and doing fun things - well, I like to believe it keeps one young, keeps their attitude young.
Speaking of young, yesterday was Easter and our children and grandchildren and us - we all gathered at the daughter's house and had a nice lunch together. After lunch the (grand)children went out and hunted Easter eggs in the back yard. We watched a movie or two then we headed home. For some reason I just couldn't get into the movies. They were ok movies, but I felt somewhat withdrawn, bored. I'm not sure why, it just seemed like there wasn't much laughter this year. Not much excitement. No playing of games (other than the 5 minute hunt for eggs) or going for walks. Gads - could it be my children have gotten TOO OLD for such activity and prefer sitting around like the OLDER generation and watching movies all day? Geez! No wonder we are getting to be a fat generation! We eat, we sit. We eat, we sit. We could have played games to keep the mind stimulated (true, I didn't even suggest it) or go for a walk (which I did suggest) or just DO something. It was a weird day.
We did go to the early service at church yesterday. I wanted to go early so that I could get the ham in the oven. Oh yeah, discovered something on the ham too. I used Schwans sliced ham - and it is great for sandwiches - but baked in the oven - naw, I will be going back to the bone in ham and doing it the 'old fashioned' way. These just didn't have much flavor. There was enough I was able to send some home with the boys. The salad was nearly gone - and I left what pie was there was with the daughter. I have enough trouble with my weight without bringing all the leftovers home.
I was able to get out on Saturday and walk with a girlfriend 7.74 miles. After I came home, I went to the mall and walked nearly another two miles. Got to keep up on my walking and also need to keep watching my weight for the weigh in this Wednesday. I tentatively got on the scale this morning and was curious how my eating yesterday affected my weight - well, I am not sure it was that I watched it carefully, or that I walked nearly ten miles on Saturday, but it looks like I may lost two pounds. Of course we have to go by the scale here at work - which is different than mine at home. I just need to watch what I eat over the next couple days so that I will have a loss. It's ok I don't make the top three; I just want to lose.
One month from today I head for Indiana for a week. It will be good to spend time with my family, visit my in-laws, and do the mini marathon on May 4th. I'm excited about doing it again this year, and am glad my little sister is training to do it with me. In spite of what SOME people think, she can do the mini, and she is actively walking to build up her strength. We want to start making it a 'sister' thing and the two of us do it every year from here on out. With us living so far apart, it is hard for us to do anything together, so this is something that we can do - and it is good for us. Now that I have done it once, I know what to expect (and especially know to use the bathroom BEFORE I get to that last mile. Last year I thought I'd wait to about the last 1/2 mile then sprint towards the finish line. Unfortunately, the last mile held NO PORT A POTTY. I thought I was gonna die I had to go so bad. When hubby suggested we sprint across the finish line, I knew there was NO WAY I was going to move any faster than I was at that time. And THEN we had to go nearly two blocks overall to find a port a potty I could use. I wasn't sure I was gonna make it. Anyway - I know better this year! I still have hubby's registration to sell, maybe one of my brother's in laws will buy it.
I am looking forward to play time, long walks, laughter, and seeing my siblings. It's been a year since we were there. I'm hoping my body will be smaller than last year - I can possibly get ten pounds off yet this month - wouldn't it be fun to surprise everyone! I haven't told them how much I've lost thus far. I will still have to watch it while I'm there as my challenge here isn't over until the middle of June. Could I even hope to win first place in the challenge? Looking at some of those in the challenge - if they really applied themselves, nope, no chance of my winning without becoming too thin. I don't plan on that - I like having meat on my bones. It is what it is - so maybe they will lose interest in the challenge. I can hope!
It's about time to start work today - and I know I'm rambling again today. Seems like I've been doing that a lot lately. It will be a very busy day as it is the first of the month and we have to have all our previous month work completed today. I may need to work a little late - which is no biggie - I don't think we have anything going on tonight. I will leave you today with this.....
"May the blessing of God await thee. May the sun of glory shine around thy bed; and may the gates of plenty, honor, and happiness be ever open to thee." ~~ Charles Dickens
Blessings!
1 comment:
I was pretty bored yesterday, too. I think it was just a mind set for everyone.
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