Happy Mothering Sunday . . .

I've written before about Mothering Sunday and Mother's Day so thought I'd just go for the 'blog-lite' version today. Thanks to Sr Anastasia for forwarding these funnies. I expect they make an appearance every year somewhere on the internet. Some of them are new to me so might be to you too.

Hope they raise a smile.

Why did God make mothers?

1. She's the only one who knows where the sellotape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.


Why did God give you your mother and not some other mum?

1. We're related.

2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mum like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mum?

1. My mum has always been my mum and none of that other stuff.

2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mum need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?

3. Does he make at least 1 million a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mum marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mum eats a lot.

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3. My grandma says that mum didn't have her thinking cap on.

What's the difference between mums and dads?

1. Mums work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.

2. Mums know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller and stronger, but mums have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.

4. Mums have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What would it take to make your mum perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd dye it, maybe blue.

Who's a lucky girl then? . . .

See what I found on the breakfast table this morning!

A gift from Number One Son . . . and gifts arrived in the post from the other end of the globe (Manchester!) from Number Two Son - TGF Amazon!

Even the Pater Familias left me something as he's also away. Who's a lucky Mum then?

As I was taking photos of the flowers above, I couldn't resist a snap of these lovely daffs too - Ooh, you can' t beat a bunch of daffs at this time of year- nothing like it to cheer you up after a long, miserable winter.

And . . . even as I type, Number One Son is preparing supper for the two of us - TGF M&S!

Now, if I'm quieter than usual in the next few days, you'll know why . . . I'll be busy counting my blessings - and they are manifold (to use a good old-fashioned Biblical expression).

The best laid plans etc. . . . .

Well, I was feeling pretty pleased with myself yesterday . . .

I had my Laetare/Mother's Day post all ready and 'scheduled' for posting today in anticipation of my being busy 'waited on hand on foot' as befits the day! I should have known better of course - 'pride alert . . . pride alert' - I should have recognised the signs! It never fails - whenever I'm feeling pleased with something I've done, you can guarantee I'll get my 'come-uppance' somehow.

I'd decided that I'd write about the outward signs of Laetare Sunday as witnessed at Mass this morning. Naturally, the signs weren't exactly as I'd predicted so I had to rush to my trusty iPhone and quickly stop the scheduled post before it hit the general public.

Here is the now amended version of that post.

Laetare, Jerusalem!

"Rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow."

Did you notice any changes in your parish at Mass today? Vestments, flowers, music . . . ?

Flowers? Well, we haven't been having any flowers in church during Lent, and I was expecting to see some today but there were none in evidence. It had obviously been decided that 'no flowers in Lent' means just that.

Music? We have been having music during Lent so no change there, but I was expecting especially joyous hymns but to my untrained ear, they seemed to be very much as we've been having during the rest of Lent.

Vestments? I was hoping to see both our Parish Priest and our Deacon 'resplendent in rose' this morning but as our Deacon was not present at the Mass I attended, I had to forego that pleasure. Nevertheless our Parish Priest did wear rose-coloured vestments - hooray!

Despite my predictions being slightly out, it was a lovely Mass and even better thanks to a bit of sunshine and the feeling that, finally, Spring might really be just around the corner.

As well as being Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent is also Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day though the origins of both of these terms is a little different. I wrote quite a detailed explanation about the customs of Mothering Sunday last year so I won't repeat it again here. If you're interested you can have a look back here.

Mothering Sunday, a reference to the Second Reading from Corinthians, which indicates our right to be called the sons of God as the source of all our joy, and also because in the past the faithful used to make their offerings in the cathedral or mother-church of the diocese on this day.

In England, Spring bulb flowers are often given to mothers. In our parish the children all present their mothers with a daffodil. Mind you, until fairly recently they would be brought into church at the offertory after the Children's Liturgy session and as a result not many of them survived intact until the end of Mass!

This year they were handed out to all the Mums as they left the church at the end of Mass so hopefully they at least survived until they got home.

Simnel cake is also traditionally made to celebrate the occasion (this cake has also become an Easter Cake recently, however - shame!). The word "simnel" comes from the Latin "simila," a high grade flour - Now that's something I've only just discovered this year.

I hope all you Mum's were treated in some way today. Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day or Mothering Sunday?

Mother's Day and Mothering Sunday have become confused so that many people think they are the same thing -and I suppose that they have become the same thing but when I was small ( a looooooooooong time ago!) we always celebrated Mothering Sunday on the 4th Sunday of Lent and my own mother was very disparaging of 'that American idea' of Mother's Day. We always had to make sure we made or bought a card that said 'Happy Mothering Sunday' not Happy Mother's Day' or it wouldn't be very well received.

The American 'Mother's Day' is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday in May and is a day when people show their appreciation to their mothers but I don't know if it has any more than that to it's origins. Nothing wrong with that, of course.

Originally in England, Mothering Sunday was a day when girls in service were given a day to visit their Mothers and there are many customs associated with it. One of these is the baking of a simnel cake which the girls used to take to their mothers as a gift on this day. Again it seems that this has now become an 'Easter cake' and you'll find these fruit cakes, sandwiched together with marzipan and decorated with 11 balls of marzipan on top, in the shops at Easter time along with the chocolate eggs. The 11 balls of marzipan are said to represent the 11 Disciples (Judas is omitted).

Where was I? Oh, yes, when I was small we always made a fuss of all mother's in our local church on Mothering Sunday and each mother would be presented with a little posy of violets or primroses.

We still do something similar in our parish but nowadays the violets have been replaced with daffodils.

I'm sorry I won't be with both our sons this Mothering Sunday but I'm really looking forward to seeing number 2 son on Sunday when we go to Manchester. He tells me he's booked somewhere for lunch . . . I'll report back later.

We've already reschedule our 'posh nosh' date for a couple of weeks' time and number 1 son will be joining us for that so this year I'll be having two Mothering Sunday/Mother's Day celebrations. Who's a lucky girl, then?

No 'posh nosh' for this Mum after all ...

Well, that was short lived! I was looking forward to trying out the smart Italian restaurant near us on Mother's Day with the paterfamilias but we've had a change of plans . . .

Number 2 son has now informed us that although he can't come home to the bosom of his family that weekend (sob ...), he would quite like it if we could travel up to Manchester and see him.

Actually this will fit in quite well as it's also his birthday at the end of the month and we wouldn't be able to see him anywhere near the date otherwise so it's all worked out in the end. Shame that number one son won't be able to join us as he'll be away elsewhere that weekend but he'll be enjoying himself on his holiday so not to worry.

Mind, you I'm not letting you-know-who forget about the meal at you-know-where at some other time. Especially with food like this on the menu!

A Conundrum ...

Here's a conundrum for you ...

Having slipped up on Valentine's Day (don't ask!), the paterfamilias is obviously trying to make amends (!) and has booked a table for lunch on Mother's Day at a very smart local restaurant ( Okay, I admit it, I have been dropping a few hints lately but it's the only way!)

Now the problem is that number one son has booked a short break holiday that weekend as he has leave to use up before the end of the year. Number two son is in Manchester and is really busy at the moment trying to get some serious work done as hopefully this will be his final year of his thesis. I know he's busy enjoying himself too but I don't begrudge him that. Anyway, it means that neither of the offspring will actually be here to celebrate Mother's Day on the day itself and be able to join us for lunch. (By the way the numbers merely denote which is the older of the two boys!).

I would love to have lunch at this restaurant and also quite like the idea of having lunch with just the two of us, for a change, but do I want to do that surrounded by women celebrating in the bosom of their families?