APRIL FOOLS! ENJOY

Okay, Tina Fabulous' collection of little known facts about cole slaw et al http://embracinggrace.blogspot.com/ has prompted me to do a tiny bit of research on what I have claimed as my high holiday, April Food's Day. Here is what I learned:

Charles IX introduced the Gregorian calendar to France in 1582, starting the New Year off on January 1, unlike the 8 day celebration from March 25 through April 1 that had previously marked the new year. Because they didn't have the internet and the evening news, this information traveled very slowly, even taking years to get around. Plus, there were the hard heads who didn't like change, resulting in alot of people celebrating New Years at the wrong time. These folks were the butt of open mike night at the local comedy club, sent on "fool's errands" (I think I have been on some of those), and had a lot of pratical jokes played on them. This fun was introduced to England and Scotland and eventually spread to the Americas and other parts of the world. In Scotland, they celebrate April Fool's for 2 days, one day of which is called Taily Day, because pranks target a specific area of the body. You got it! The "kick me" sign originated in Scotland.

I love fun and pratical jokes. Here's my daughter's list of favorites: 1)One year, when April Fool's Day fell on a Sunday, I sewed a light colored string to a $20 bill and then left it in the church aisle. Of course, I pulled the bill back every time someone went to pick it up. The best part was when a friend walked up to me loudly exclaiming, "OK, Kathy....I know you have something planned...what is it?!!" She couldn't figure out why we were all laughing hysterically, but when she walked up, she unknowingly stood on the $20. 2) I had a group of young adults, part of Master's Commission at our church, over for dinner. All these great aromas made them salivate, but when they took off the cover of the main dish....there was a huge, very long...cow tongue on a bed of lettuce. It took awhile for anyone to get their appetite back for the real dinner. The cow tongue was seen later that night in the Youth Pastor's office. 3)We have been accomplices in a number of creative toilet paper episodes, as well as victims. Once, we were watching the front of the house, when the kids snuck in the back of the house, toilet papering inside our refrigerator, our dog, and even my toddler daughter who was asleep on the couch. Another time, not only was my house toilet papered, but we found several "rooms" on our front lawn, including rugs, chairs, tv and tv stand; a dining table with service for 4 neatly arranged, and more. My neighbors often stood around scratching their heads after we had been "hit", amazed by the things they would see.

I would love to hear some of your favorite pranks!

"He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy." Job 8:21