Saturday, April 7, 2012

Happy Easter!

Just added my little Golden Egg tale to Liz's (Brambleberry Cottage) Time Travel Thursday...♥

 
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Wishing everyone a glorious Easter!
(If you have been following my antique postcards (previous post), there are a few new Gnomes...I think the one on the rooster is really spectacular ~ makes me want to do a painting of him!)
♥ ♥ ♥
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Do you have a favorite Easter Egg Hunt memory? Mine was from 1964; I was 6 years old, and it was a Methodist Sunday School egg hunt...the Saturday before Easter, in the town's park.

 I was shy and didn't hunt agressively like a lot of the other children...I only had a few...and then, of all things, another little girl came up to me and said she hadn't found any, and would I share mine with her?....
Well, Good Grief...I didn't know what to think ~ (no, that's not right ~ I thought ~ "Go find your own, I don't have many, either!"), but, sweet Southern-Belle-in-the-Making (my daughters will laugh) ME, I SHARED, gave her half...now, I might have felt a surge of pride in myself for doing that, but then, I just felt like crap. I was doing poorly anyway, and I had just given away TWO of my four pitiful eggs!
Then ~ I almost couldn't believe it ~ there, right in front of me in a clump of grass, was a
GOLDEN EGG!

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Oh, my goodness...I can still remember the heart-pounding giddiness of it all...I don't remember how many more eggs I found (oh, back then, even though there were plastic eggs, egg hunts were always done with REAL, hard-boiled eggs...which we later ate...with no negative effects, that I remember!)...But it didn't matter ~ I had found one of THE eggs, and I was secure in that knowledge...;^)

The prize for finding that special egg was one of the brand new, hard-to-come-by, John F.Kennedy silver half dollars...

This is what Wikipedia says about the Kennedy half at that time...

Within hours of the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, Mint Director Eva Adams called Chief Engraver Gilroy Roberts, informing him that serious consideration was being given to depicting Kennedy on one of the larger silver coins: either the silver dollar, half dollar, or quarter dollar. Adams called Roberts again on November 27 and authorized the project, stating that the late president's widow, Jacqueline Kennedy preferred that he be depicted on the half dollar,[1] replacing the previous design of Benjamin Franklin.[2] Kennedy's reasoning was that she did not want to replace George Washington on the quarter.[1][3]
In the interest of time (the striking of the new coin was to begin in January 1964), Roberts modified the existing bust of Kennedy he had created for use on the Kennedy medal in the Mint's Presidential series, while Frank Gasparro began modifications to the reverse he had created for the same medal.[1] Both Roberts' and Gasparro's designs had been approved by Kennedy.[1] After the Mint produced trial strikes, Jacqueline and Robert Kennedy were invited to view them.[1] Mrs. Kennedy viewed the designs favorably, but suggested that the hair be altered slightly.[1] It was also suggested that a full or half figure of the president be used instead of the profile, but Roberts noted that there was not enough time to produce an entirely new design because of the project's time constraints, and also that he believed the left profile would give a more attractive appearance.[1]
Congressional approval was required for any design change within 25 years of the last.[2] In early December, Representative Henry Gonzalez (Democrat-Texas) introduced a bill for Kennedy to appear on the half dollar.[4] On December 10, the new President, Lyndon Johnson, endorsed the call for a Kennedy half dollar, asking Congress to pass the legislation promptly to allow striking of the new piece to begin early in 1964. President Johnson stated that he had been moved by letters from many members of the public to agree with the plan.[5] The bill to authorize the Kennedy half dollar passed on December 30, 1963.[6] Work was already underway on coinage dies; the use of the already-available designs allowed for the completion of the first dies on January 2, 1964.[3] Only proof coins were initially struck.[7] The first Kennedy half dollars intended for circulation were struck at the Denver Mint on January 30, 1964, followed by the Philadelphia Mint the next week.[1] A ceremonial first strike was held at both Philadelphia and Denver on February 11, 1964.[8]

The coins vanished from circulation soon after their release in April 1964 due to collectors, hoarders, and those interested in a memento of the late president.

I didn't know until I looked this up that it was such a prize, really.
I wish I had kept that particular coin, but my Grandpa got in the habit of giving them to me, as well, and they all were put together.

One more thing...

Our Dogwoods bloomed extra-early this year, due to the warm temperatures...
(the Dogwood-Azalea Festival in Charleston, Missouri (just down the road) is not for another couple of weeks...I feel bad for them that the "show" is over... but the celebration goes on!... I will be there, painting faces...) ~ here are a couple of photos from 10 days or so ago...

(I didn't get any photos of the azaleas here, but they were spectacular, as usual ~ just short-lived because of the warm weather...)


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And, whether the stature of the Dogwood tree has truly changed or not, I love this bit of folklore...


"The Legend of the Dogwood Tree"

An old and beautiful legend has it that, at the time of the Crucifixion, the dogwood was comparable in size to the oak tree and other monarchs of the forest. Because of its firmness and strength it was selected as the timber for the cross, but to be put to such a cruel use greatly distressed the tree. Sensing this, the Crucified Jesus in his gentle pity for the sorrow and suffering of all said to it, "Because of your sorrow and pity for My suffering, never again will the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a gibbet. Henceforth it will be slender, bent and twisted and its blossoms will be in the form of a cross - two long and two short petals. In the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints - brown with rust and stained with red - and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns, and all who see this will remember."


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Hope you all have  delightful memories of Easters past!

Have a wonderful day...♥

♥ ♥ ♥
Anne♥

21 comments:

  1. This little chick does not look like a friend little fellow. look at that switch in his hand. ouch!

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  2. I think that chick looks like he is in command! LOL

    Happy Easter!

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  3. What a lovely post. How sweet that you shared your eggs. Maybe as a child it upset you to do so, but it was a sign of the generous adult you would become. And you were rewarded for sharing with that golden egg! Divine intervention? ...hmmmm...

    The photos of the flowers are beautiful. You can never have too many images of flowers now that the gardening season is here.

    Happy Easter. Have a wonderful day.

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  4. A precious memory of Easter.

    Easter blessings to you.

    Pam

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  5. What a wonderful story! I love it..and I do remember those JFK coins. I also have always loved the dogwood story...blessings to you this Easter Day- xo Diana

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  6. Sweet Easter memory! Lovely blooms!!

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  7. I love the legend of the Dogwood tree.

    This is the best day of the whole year! Have a blessed Easter. Sandie

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  8. I didn't know about the Dogwood Legend, how interesting. When I was looking at your photo I thought it looked as though blood had dropped on the petals.

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  9. That Legend of the Dogwood is one of my childhood Easter memories. I remember it being read at Easter season several years. As I grew a bit older, I became a teacher for a class of younger children, and I would organize egg hunts for them. I was never very lucky at finding some myself, and it was much more fun to hide them for younger children to find.

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  10. Hi Anne...Thank you for joining my blog. So lovely to be with you here.
    Growing up in England, I never experience easter egg hunts until I moved to Canada and had children of my own. Easter for me as a child was always a new outfit and a beautiful hand-crafted chocolate egg. Just the one!
    I love your story of the dogwood (godwood?) tree. When we lived in Altanta, we had them surrounding our beautiful house there...another thing that was new to my experience!
    Look forward to following along with you with your little bit of fur in the paint! LOL!

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  11. Beautiful post, Southern Gal! I love your egg story. I remember those hunts as well-and being shy too...still am. Now I hunt for goose eggs, which my girls (the geese)jealously try to guard from me. Wow-I should paint one gold! They are so huge.
    Love, Debra

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  12. I really like the old cards, such beautiful images. Great story about the Easter egg hunt. Life can have lots of drama even for a six years old. Stunning photos of the dogwood.
    I'll be following you. :)

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  13. What a delightful post! I am so glad you stopped by my place, because now I have yours!...k

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  14. Thank you for stopping by my blog and commenting - I am following you right back as I LOVE your blog! A favourite Easter memory of mine was having an Easter basket filled to the brim with toys and goodies left at our front door that said "Love from the Easter Bunny." To this day it is a family mystery as to who sent it. I choose to believe it was Peter Cottontail!

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  15. How cool that you found the golden egg! Yes, all our Easter egg hunts when I was a kid was real hard boiled eggs too. I did hard boiled eggs last year for my daughter and she was used to plastic ones so she pitched them into the basket, so they weren't hard to shell after she got done with with! lol

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  16. What a fun post. I remember Easter egg hunts as a child, but never found a golden egg! A precious memory for you.
    Love the dogwood blossoms. So very pretty.

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  17. Hello Anne, I am so happy you like my blog and so pleased to have discovered yours too! I love the story of the dogwood. Jane x

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  18. Lovely photos!! The Dogwood trees are my husbands favorite! They really don't do well here in this part of Texas!
    Happy week, friend!!!

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  19. Thank you for your thoughtful Easter post! The story of the dogwood is so touching and such a reminder of our Lord's supreme sacrifice for us all!
    Your blog is incredibly beautiful, my friend! I saw your comment on darling Paula's blog "Victorian Rose Cottage". She is a special dear and you found a treasure!
    Blessings,
    Carolynn..."Chenille Cottage"

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  20. I've never heard the Easter egg hunt story, Mom!! Why not?? :) Nice that you shared - don't you wish you knew who that little girl was?

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I love your thoughts and comments, and I read each and every one! Sometimes life gets in the way, though, and it takes me a while to respond...Thank you for understanding! ♥...Time is precious, and the time you have taken here is truly appreciated!