Wouldn't it be Grand to see the Sunrise?

We visited the Grand Canyon last week and it brought back memories of a family trip there 15 years ago in a rented 30 foot RV. (recreational vehicle) Steve had heard about the fabulous not-to-miss sunrises over the Canyon. Wanting to see one but not wishing to wake the rest of us at such an early hour, he thought he would just quietly drive over in the dark pre-dawn. One of the nice things about an RV is that you sleep in it and then can just hop into the driver's seat. Which is what Steve did.  What he forgot was that the RV was plugged into an electric outlet pole outside.  A large canopy extended from the RV with the obligatory party lights also plugged into the outlet.  As he pulled the behemoth away from our parking site, we all jolted awake to the engine roaring, sparks flying, cords snapping and the canopy crashing into something. 

I'm pretty sure he never saw the sun rise that morning...just a few tempers.
  ©4/2012  Jana B Patrick

What a Grand Mess We are In!

Sound waves from an 1849 conversation have actually bounced back to scientists studying at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.  Below is the amazing sound bite. 


Apparently a pioneer family was traveling west to the California territory...and the 217 mile long, up to 17 mile wide, one mile deep Grand Canyon more or less got in the way...


"What in tarnation is THAT BIG ASS CRACK IN THE EARTH???!!!"


"Jedadiah!!!  Watch your language---little pitchers have big ears!"


 "Little pitchers??--dad-blast it, Adelaide!!!  Looky at that HOLE!!! --We are lightin' out for Callyforn-I-A and what happens, I ask you??! The no account DEVIL opens up this big, long, ruinatious HOLE STRAIGHT DOWN TO HADES-- Dad-blast it anyway!"


"Now, settle yourself, Jedadiah.  There are always the frequent flyer miles we have yet to partake of."
©2012  Jana B. Patrick,  janasrandomwriting.blogspot.com

Slovak Easter Continued...

Our Canadian friend, Daniela, of Slovak descent, sent me the following e-mail after reading my last week's blog about the odd Slovak tradition of the males whipping and dousing the females Easter weekend...  http://www.janasrandomwriting.blogspot.com/2012/04/slovak-easter-whipping-and-dunking.html

I read your blog... too funny. I do remember when I was a kid, my Dad and brother (who were usually the first to get us), plus all the Slovak men that were family friends, would come over and SOAK my Mom and I all morning with jugs, or sometimes even buckets, of water. 

You can only imagine the fear of going to bed each year before Easter morning, knowing my Dad and brother took great pleasure in watching others soak us down. One year, I was still in bed when a young man did this to me. The bed was soaked and I was pi**ed! Not only was there screaming, yelling, running and lots of water everywhere each year, but the custom was for the "violated" women to give the men a gift for doing this, and then of course mop up the mess without the culprit's help!!! Can you believe it? With regards to getting whipped with branches or canes, I think my Mom drew the line there. In more affluent families, I guess the tradition is to douse the ladies with a nice spray of expensive perfume, especially if you were courting her. We got plain ol' cold water. We provided a nice breakfast for each man that came over, plus some nice Easter chocolates. Now that you mention it, and now that I reflect on this, I think perhaps this is one of the many reasons I became a feminist at such an early age!!!

Daniela

Slovak Easter--Whipping and Dunking?

Happy Easter!  I asked our family friend, Maria, what the Easter tradition in her country of Slovakia is.  Here is her email response:

Our Easter tradition? Well we eat something green like spinach or salad on Thursday, because it is called Green Thursday here,  we don't eat anything on Good Friday and on Easter Sunday we have a cake in the shape of a lamb. And for the Monday after that we do the weirdest thing:) Of course, our family doesn't do this!

Easter Monday boys pour water over girls in Slovakia, and in Western Slovakia the tradition also includes the boys whipping the girls with thin willow branches. The tradition was that if the girls wanted to be beautiful, healthy and full of life, they must not try and avoid the water soaking or the whippings. 
(Surely beautiful Maria and her three lovely, delightful sisters must have been to this  Easter Monday 'spa' at some point) (And I can't imagine how their lone brother would have wanted to miss all this fun!)