Sisyphus fully understood the daunting challenge of Easter at Moone Athy.

To lessen his burden, The Management has requested that OurRumpus list the various needs for the Easter festivities and solicit assistance from the clan. To this end the following needs have been identified. If you can help with any of these, simply reply in the Comment Section below so that everyone can pitch in without reduplicating efforts. Also, once we have an established protocol we can use this as a template each year for the occasion. Here goes:

Please sign up for one (or more) of the following:

For the Food Gatherers – I know there are no Hunters

Running Tally as of 8:37:32 AM Apr 10

Adults: 30, Children 17

1. Volunteer Director - 2009 – Sarah Fehlig
• Coordinates Food Assignments
• Coordinates with Gina for setup/serving/cleanup
• Ensures necessary supplies on hand – paper products (dinner and dessert plates and plastic cups), salt/pepper, creamer, coffee/tea, dish soap, dish towels
• Extends invitations to extended family – John Harney, Charlie Skinner, Helen and Geaorge Quick, Karen Kalish, Clay and Jean Skinner
• Optional Activities – Wild Flower Walk, Children’s Activities, etc.
2. Egg Hunt Coordinator – Charlie Judy gets Nod. He says:
   

   “…every family with egg hunting children, please bring:
   1) at least 1 doz. dyed easter eggs for every egg hunting child you own
   2) at least 1 bag of individually wrapped candies
   even if you don’t own egg hunting children, you are of course welcome to contribute
   3) this year we’d like to start the tradition of a “golden egg hunt”. A commemerative 2009 Moone Athy Golden Easter Egg (currently on order from J.A. Whitney) will be hidden far from the farm house. The easter bunny will leave treasure maps and a group hunt will ensue (adults and children included). The golden eggs will be collected each year, kept at the farm, and displayed every easter.
   i know hunting is forbidden at the farm, but this is one of three exceptions that we make…so don’t miss this opportunity! looking forward to seeing you all…”

3. Menu Volunteers please bring the following – ready-to-go in their serving dishes! And please provide a post-party assessment of amounts served: how much was served – was it too little, too much, just-right ?
• Hors d’ Oeurves – McClellands
• Lamb, Gravy – Sarah and Ed Fehlig (hip hip hooray)
• New Potatoes with Butter/Parsley – Gina Osburn
• Asparagus and Hollandaise Sauce – Quicks
• Buttered Rolls, Mint Jelly – Kate Smith
• Salad – Tatums
• Desserts – 2 Volunteers – Sarah Dunn, Lori Judy, and Helen Quick
• Wine – Quicks (4 Bottles), Halcombs (1 Bottle), Rob and Elizabeth Judd
• Cheese and Crackers – Laws
• Beer – Halcombs, Rob and Elizabeth Judd
• Juice and Bubbly Water – Dellie and Qun Sha
• Ice -Bobby and Mary Dunn
• Children’s Drinks - Lori Judy

Rsvps should be sent via the Comments Section below. Be sure to include names of all family members (children too) as well as any guests. Also let us know via the Comments what you plan to bring. Bring lots! and Often!

Sisyphus will be ready for drinks and Hors d’Oeuvres at 12:00 Noon, and his Easter Dinner will commence at 1:15PM. Egg Hunt time at the discretion of the Egg Hunt Director – Sis can’t wait to put down his load! Please Help! We hope to see you there…

L.C.

To celebrate not only St Patrick’s Day but also the birthday of Nat King Cole (b. March 17, 1919 Montgomery Alabama), here’s a St Patrick’s Day gift to the clan, a video of Nat doing one of his favorites, “Sweet Lorraine”. Delectable…

Nathaniel Adams Coles was the first black to host a TV variety show. His baritone voice was legendary, as was his distinguished gentle demeanor. Earl “Fatha” Hines was said to be his musical inspiration. This Wikipedia entry is a fascinating read, from which I quote the following:

“It is a common misconception that Nat Cole’s singing career did not start until a drunken barroom patron demanded that he sing “Sweet Lorraine.” In fact, Nat Cole has gone on record saying that the fabricated story “sounded good, so I just let it ride.” Nat Cole frequently sang in between instrumental numbers. Noticing that people started to request more vocal numbers, he obliged. Yet, the story of the insistent customer is not without merit. There was such a customer, who requested a certain song one night, but a song that Nat did not know. Instead he sang “Sweet Lorraine.” The trio was tipped 15 cents for the performance, a nickel apiece (Nat King Cole: An Intimate Biography, Maria Cole with Louie Robinson, 1971).”

Nat, a 3 pack a day cigarette smoker, succumbed to lung cancer at age 45. What a gift he was!

L.C.

Sadly, I must inform readers that a cruel joke has been perpetrated on the Clan. Despite clandestine retrieval efforts, our magnificent majolica urn, the treasure of The Haiku, has been ruined. Our diminished prize was anonymously returned to the Chamber in an unmarked package. The photo below – apparently taken on Valentine’s Day – miserum memoratu – was included.

I will detail our team’s diligent but unsuccessful attempts to restore our prize intact. For now, Shock precludes any additional commentary.

M.P.

Cynthia Cromie has recently been awarded the 44th annual Four Chaplains Brotherhood Award for her pioneering efforts in improving literacy amongst teenage mothers and their children in Albany. Cynthia’s program, administered by a team consisting of the Mayor, the city schools, and neighborhood groups, provides books to mothers to foster reading and family discussion. Begun three years ago, the program has enrolled nearly two hundred moms. Here’s how Cynthia describes her project:

“The idea is to give mother and child lots to talk about, lots to learn together, in the everyday context of home and family,” she said. “We hope that Albany mothers will make reading and learning about things and talking them over with their children a comfortable and comforting daily habit. This habit, over time, will build a tight family bond.”

The Troy New York Record has a detailed report about this award and the program which can be read here.

It is noteworthy that the newspaper’s title reads “Force behind literacy effort honored“. Cynthia’s mother and maternal grandmother were both described as “Forces of Nature”. They would take great pride in Cynthia’s accomplishments, as does the rest of the Clan. Our congratulations to Cynthia!

M.P.