He has Risen! 

April 21, 2019 - Easter Sunday Morning

44 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Happy Easter to all. It's a day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

I'm not a regular church goer, don't pretend to be, and I try hard not to wear my beliefs on my sleeve. I find those who have to remind everyone that they are Christians are often those who should probably take a good, long, look in a mirror.

That being said, I find that Easter Sunday is the one day of the year that I feel almost guilty for not regularly attending church. I miss a good old fashioned sunrise service, the choir singing The Holy City, the true joy of celebration, even the colors of the day. 

My very good friend and baby brother, the Reverend Dr. Pat Sheahan, a Presbyterian cleric, would be disappointed if he didn't hear me say at least once today, "God bless Baby Jesus." 

Amen and Amen.

We learned yesterday of the passing of a good friend of Mom's. Phyllis lived in the same community as Mom and was not only Mom's buddy, but also mine. A retired librarian, Phyllis and I occasionally exchanged emails and when visiting Mom, we always sat at the same table in the dining room and caught up on life. We're all going to miss Phyllis.

The world's loss is Heaven's gain.

Proceeding onward...

Luke sent a great picture of Abba and Coleman. The family is spending some time playing tourists in Boston this Easter weekend.

My oldest grandbabies are growing up so fast. I'm looking forward to the day when Sargie is finished working so we can make occasional trips to Maine and spoil them just a bit before they are all grown up.

As most know, I enjoy playing in my shop while fashioning one thing or the other. When it comes to true craftsmanship however, I look up to Mississippi Brother Garry. He recently made this yarn bowl for his sister, Ruthie. 

I see some of Garry's work and realize what a true amateur I am. (I'm also wondering if eating Ritz crackers with a slice of cheese might be his secret to success?)

Well, lookie what ol' Yooper Brother Mark drug home! The boy sold his old side-by-side and bought himself a brand, spankin' new one. 

I'm told this one has all the amenities including roll up windows, a heated cab, radio, windshield wipers, and even comes with air conditioning!

I don't see Mark going out "muddin'" or hauling too much fire wood in his new baby.

Saturday was the big Milligan Easter Celebration hosted by nephew Garth and his lovely wife, Courtney, in Iron Mountain. 

Ol' Hambone, complete with tie and vest, had just found an Easter egg.

We talked and laughed, ate, enjoyed watching the little ones hunt Easter eggs, and all appreciated the most perfect day. With a high of seventy degrees, the sun was bright and there wasn't a hint of wind.

Grandma Sargie's helping to direct traffic

The gathering broke up later in the afternoon. With full bellies and smiles, we made our way back to Pentoga Road.

I was so full of ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, and other goodies that I decided to walk around outside to ease some of the fullness.

The best surprise of the day was discovering that the thornless blackberries in the orchard made it through the cold and snowy winter months.

The nursery sent the wrong order a year ago, thornless blackberries that are meant to grow in a warmer Zone 5 or above. Pentoga Road lies in a much colder Zone 3 and even flirts with an occasional Zone 2, the coldest growing conditions possible. 

Frustrated, there was little doubt that left to winter over without any assistance, the three berry bushes would freeze and die. I decided to take nature in hand and covered each with copious amounts of dead leaves last fall, two to three feet deep.

I was so happy to uncover the plants last night and see that not only had they lived, but a couple even had leaves. 

Hey, the way the weather's been, we'll take our victories when we can get them, even if they come in very small doses.

I shouldn't brag. The water is just beginning to recede from the garden and I was trying to be optimistic until this popped up on my computer screen:

Yeah, well, as I said, we'll take our victories when we can get them.

Jambo and Germaine are down for the weekend and we enjoyed a wonderful walk and visit last evening with our good friends. I'm not sure who's looking forward to the coming summer months more, Jambo or me.

Sargie and I are taking off for Rhinelander later today. It's become an Easter tradition that we enjoy a leisurely drive into Wisconsin and do a bit of shopping at the local Menard's Lumber. Windows are on sale this weekend and I'd like to find two or three inexpensive barn windows for the back wall of the garden house.

It's time to strap on those hikers and put a few miles beneath my feet before the rain starts. I'm certain there's an extra inch of mashed potatoes, gravy, and ham, around my middle that wasn't there before yesterday's meal.

So, from both Sargie and me, we wish all a Happy Easter. 

Hambone, Uncle Cale, and Grandma Sargie

As always, remember...

... that a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Little Lincoln will tell you that the very best Easter meals come in a bottle!