Easter

I realized this morning, while squeezed into the pews at the church at St. Andrews, that I've now spent Easter in four different countries. The first time I was away, I was on my senior trip and we were in Switzerland. Several people were interested in attending church on this holy day, so we found a small church to worship in. Although the mass was in French and I had no clue what was going on, I was moved and honored by the welcoming spirits of the congregation. The next time I was away for Easter, I was in New Zealand staying with a wonderful, giving family who happily included me in their Easter celebrations. Today, I was in a stone church, hundreds of years old with acoustics that could rival the great cathedrals of the world. The university chaplain delivered a beautiful Scottish sermon with a great mix of hope and humor. The choir led us in several unfamiliar hymns with one we knew.

We headed north, driving through some absolutely stunning scenery of snow capped peaks, rolling hills, frosted lakes and fields of sheep. There were lambs, rabbits and a very few daffodils, reminding us of the promise of this special day.

At one stop: The Blair Castle, the docents in the museum had obviously decided to have a wee bit of fun and they hid Cadbury cream eggs (sadly out of reach) in most of the rooms, and even gave the stuffed rabbit a festive hat.

We're now staying at Loch Ness, hoping tomorrow to catch a glimpse of the ole girl!

I hope you and your loved ones have also had an Easter full of hope, love, and joy!

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