10 on the 10th: April 2024-All About April

It is April 10 (already???) which means it’s time for another round of Marsha’s monthly question and answer game. 10 on the 10th is a monthly series hosted by Marsha in the Middle and is open to anyone who wants to join. You can share your answers in Marsha’s link party if you have a blog or you can share your answers in the comment section. It is such a fun way to share more information about ourselves and to learn interesting new things about others. The questions posed offer a great way to start new conversations, make meaningful connections with new people, and have a good hearty chuckle every now and then.

For this month, Marsha has formulated a series of interesting questions that are all about the month of April. I am excited to share my answers because a few of the questions have already stirred up some really special memories for me. The kind that make my heart full and my soul happy. Let’s get right to it.

1. April’s full moon is the Pink Moon. Tell us about your favorite pink item.

I have quite a few pink things in my wardrobe but no pink in my home decor. My husband absolutely despises every shade of pink. He doesn’t mind it so much when I wear the color. I guess because he likes me. But he has forbidden me from incorporating any pink into our home decor with the exception of multicolored things like tie dye or raggery. I suppose if I had to choose a favorite pink item, it would be my pale pink baseball cap that says I am blessed. Because I am. I wear this hat often. So often that it is getting pretty gross and grungy. Maybe I will dye it. But then it may not be pink anymore. Unless I dye it pink!

2. For those of you lucky enough to be born in April, your birthstone is the diamond. Share a bit about your birthstone or about a favorite diamond.

I was born in May so my birthstone is the emerald. Since green has been my forever favorite color for my entire life, I have always loved that my birthstone is a precious green gem. I used to have a few pieces of emerald jewelry but currently I only have three loose emeralds (and one loose aquamarine) that my husband brought back from Afghanistan to represent all of our birth months. My husband, Archie, and myself all have May birthdays and Ralph was born in March.

My favorite diamond is in a baby ring that holds my father’s and my mother’s birthstones, a diamond and a ruby (July). My father’s birthday is April 4, 1940. He would have turned 84 this year. April has always been a special month for me especially since my father’s death so I am finding that these questions have some sentimental value to me. I would have shared a photo of my diamond and ruby ring but it is packed away in the top of my jewelry armoire which is covered with all sorts of knick knacks and such and I am just too lazy to move it all.

3. For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s time to harvest. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time to plant. Tell us about your favorite thing to plant (even if you end up killing it.)

Oh, Marsha, I cannot remember the last time I planted anything because I do kill it all! Just the other day, my sister and I put some green onion stems in a jar of water to regrow them. Does that count as planting?

4. William Shakespeare was born in April. Please share a bit about your favorite Shakespearean play, quote, character, or plot.

I have always loved the English language and literature, especially the classics, but Shakespeare was never my cup of tea. I struggled through the required course in high school and I struggled the required course in college. I have basic knowledge of Shakespearean things but did need to research a little to find a favorite play, quote, character, or plot. Since it is the construction of language that most intrigues me, I will share a quote that I really do like. It’s may favorite one that I have come across so far.

Mariana. Come, let’s return again, and suffice ourselves with
the report of it. Well, Diana, take heed of this
French earl: the honour of a maid is her name; and
no legacy is so rich as honesty.

William Shakespeare, All’s Well That Ends Well, Act III, Scene 5

Be honest and kind. It is a very important legacy to leave behind.

5. The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970. Tell is if and how you plan to celebrate.

I love Earth Day! I remember attending my first Earth Day celebration in high school. It would have been the late 1980s or early 1990s and there was a festival nearby which I attended with some friends. I had such a wonderful day shopping the vendor booths filled with handmade jewelry and bohemian crafts, enjoying the delicious aromas of outdoor cooking, and coming together to share energy and space with a whole community of earth loving hippies. I still have a necklace that I purchased from my very first Earth Day event over 30 years ago. It is a wire wrapped pink quartz on a black silk rope. Perfect for April’s Pink Moon!

6. The eclipse will have already happened by April 10th. Share something you did and if you were in the path of totality.

My sister, her husband, and her 8 year old granddaughter came to visit us from Pennsylvania because we were in the path of totality. They came into town on Sunday morning and stayed until Tuesday afternoon. We cooked lots of delicious food and watched the eclipse from my driveway. It was a beautiful experience to share with family and friends. Even Slim Jerry joined us!

7. On April 4, 1964, the Beatles filled the first five spaces on the American singles chart. Tell us about your favorite Beatles song, even if it wasn’t one of those five.

This is my favorite question of all ten! It is the most sentimental one of all. I stated above that April 4 is my dad’s birthday so it’s cool this question references that date. But even more special is that my father loved the Beatles and he always sang “Michelle” to me. Except he couldn’t pronounce the French parts so he would make them up with meaningless mumbo jumbo that would send me into giggle fits. This song was not one of the five to top the American singles charts in 1964 because it wasn’t released until October 1965. It is my favorite Beatles song.

8. King Henry VIII became king of England on April 21, 1509. Tell us about your favorite of his six wives.

I think Catherine of Aragon is my favorite of Henry VIII’s wives. First she married his older brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales who died shortly after their nuptials. After Henry ascended the throne, he married his brother’s widow. Their only surviving child, a daughter Mary, would become England’s first female monarch. When Henry began growing frustrated because his wife was not producing a male heir, his extramarital affairs began. Catherine remained his loyal wife for 23 years despite his wandering ways. Eventually Henry divorced her to marry Anne Boleyn which led to the establishment of the Church of England. And this is why I say that religion is a completely human construct! King Henry VIII literally created an entirely new religion that suited him because the existing one no longer did.

9. April’s flowers are the daisy and the sweet pea. Share a little about your birth month flower.

May’s flowers are the Lily of the Valley and I absolutely adore them! Lilies of any variety have always been my favorite flowers. The Lily of the Valley comes from the Asparagus Family and is also known as Lady’s tears, May bells, or Mary’s tears. This flower symbolizes purity, joy, love, sincerity, happiness, and luck, and is the national flower of Finland, has an annual holiday in France, and is mentioned 15 times in Biblical texts. It is said to have first bloomed where Eve’s tears fell when she left the Garden of Eden.

Lily of the Valley makes a good ground cover plant for low maintenance gardens. They are perfumed bell flowers which add a sweet aroma to a cut flower patch or a patio pot. As delicate and unassuming as this pretty plant appears, the red berries and flowers are toxic if ingested. They contain cardiac glycosides which are gastrointestinal irritants that cause abdominal pain, blurred vision, reduced heart rate, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rashes. The toxicity could be fatal to children and pets so it is important to keep these plants away from vulnerable beings and wash your hands after handling them.

May’s secondary flower is Hawthorn, a deciduous shrub with lobed leaves, sharp thorns, and clusters of small flowers in white or pink followed by small red fruit. Hawthorn blooms late in the spring and reaches a height of 15-30 feet (4.5-9 meters). It has been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat heart conditions, high blood pressure, and digestive issues. Hawthorn is often associated with the fairy realm in Celtic mythology, and unlike the poisonous Lily of the Valley, its flowers and fruits are used to make teas, jams, and wines.

10. The Ford Mustang was unveiled on April 17, 1964. Tell us about your first car.

I bought my first car when I graduated from college in 1996. It was a brand new silver Nissan Sentra. My grandmother co-signed the car loan for me because I had no credit as 22 year old recent college graduate. I loved that car so much. I drove it for about 5 years until my divorce when I traded it in for a sassy white Chrysler Sebring convertible with a white rag roof. I loved that car, too. I drove that one until some pre-teens tried to steal it for a joy ride and it ended up having to be totaled from the damage. Ugh.

If you enjoyed reading my answers about April things, be sure to check out Marsha’s post and her link party for more fun responses. And feel free to share your own answers in the comments. I would love to read them!

Keeping it on the edge, 

Shelbee

Joining these Fabulous Link Parties

Cover photo by Shane on Unsplash