April Showers & April Fools...

I'm so sorry that I haven't posted for a while....I have so missed it, and my blogging friends! Both our computers have been out of action for some time and, although the 'big' one is still glitchy, this little laptop is now ok so I can finally catch up & also pay a visit to the wonderful friends I've missed while I've been away. So if I haven't commented for a while it really isn't personal -just technical!

Anyway, I know that it isn't quite April yet but....Alice is being clipped today, the birds are singing, all the daffodils are nodding their beautiful heads in the rainy churchyard and on our walk yesterday I saw the first bright purple violets showing their beautiful faces. It's definitely Spring and I wanted to celebrate that a little today.

And tomorrow is April Fool's day!

It's not so important now that I'm (sort of) grown up, but I can never think of the day without remembering my dear Grandad who took such pleasure in it! We were usually staying with my grandparents at this time of year as we often travelled to Suffolk to spend Easter with them. And the pranks came thick & fast! My poor mother always fell for them to our great delight, despite knowing her father and his ways for all her life! She fell prey to gravy browning instead of tea (so sleepy she didn't notice until she'd half drunk the mugful....yuck!) to being told that her 'shoe laces were undone' despite the fact that she was wearing moccasins, and to the old 'put the clock forward by an hour so everyone thinks they're late' trick! How she must have hated it secretly, but she was such a good sport as we capered and giggled at her misfortune! I was only caught once I remember...I've always hated eggs and was SO upset when my grandmother said very sternly that I HAD to stop being ridiculous and eat the boiled egg she'd made for my breakfast, and stood over me to watch while I tearfully took my spoon and tried to crack the brown shell...and tried....and tried, while she and my Grandad stood with their mouths twitching, knowing full well that it was a trick sugar egg (very realistic!) When had they ever made me eat an egg before? I really should have known....!

They've both been gone a long time now...Grandma died 20 years ago this month and Grandad 17 years ago in September....can it be that long? I'll think of them both tomorrow with a smile, and remember the happy times we shared.

Looking forward to April and all it brings. xoxo