Jelly Beans, Nightmares, and a Moravian Brass Band

My husband, Bud the Plumber brought home Jelly Beans from the Fresh Market last Saturday along with $400.00 worth of other purchases from assorted stores throughout Forsyth County for our Easter feasts (which, were carefully planned and budgeted though he exceeded the budget).

“I already got Jelly Beans at the Dollar tree,” I told him.

“These are gourmet. They’re Jelly Belly’s and they come in a hundred different flavors. I got you your favorite – black – the licorice ones. See – they’re all at the bottom of the bag.”

Indeed they were – in a small bag, barely one fourth the size of the bag I purchased for $1.00. The price tag based on weight, would have sent the National debt into doomsday (which, coincidently, was the title of the local paper’s business section this morning. I mention this because the size of the national debt, the size of my local paper, the size of the no-name bag of jelly beans, the size of the gourmet bag of Jelly beans and the fact that the US Banking System will no longer offer free checks, are my next blog, and why I had nightmares last night).

Bethania Moravian Brass Band 1900 Image

I had to eat all the other beans from the bag in order to get to the black Jelly Bellies. Obviously there was a flavor that disagreed with me, and gave me nightmares, which, began about two AM.

I had fallen asleep when suddenly, a band playing brass instruments was serenading me outside my window and I was being profusely kissed by a hundred or so tongues. I sat up, fumbled for the bed light and said damn, while my other hand tried to find the TV clicker.

Seven Yorkie puppies attacked me in unison, one dropped the TV clicker, (which, I really had been certain that I turned off the TV because my glasses were off and my book closed and by the lamp).

Angel Yorkies

We normally only have six Yorkie puppies in bed, but this weekend, our youngest daughter was here to celebrate Easter with us because she knew her dad would buy gourmet Jelly Bellies. She brought our first born girl Yorkie, Mizzie, who had to sleep with all her brothers and sisters, as well as mom, dad, and us. Thankfully they are small dogs, weigh less then one full grown Golden Retriever or the like – but oh – they often seem like 101 Dalmatians.    

Okay, so back to finding the TV clicker AKA remote (which, may disintegrate at a moments notice because of the thousand of tiny razor sharp teeth marks that cover the plastic).  We will be SOL if this no longer works because the BIG Screen TV, which we purchased at Sam’s Club, only operates by REMOTE (This will be another rant one day because the TV has NO buttons etc on the TV itself).

Anyway, the Brass Band I thought I heard was real and still playing.

Bethania Easter Sunrise 1950s

“We’re late for Easter Sunrise Service, I thought even though it was next to impossible to be late for this memorable Moravian Easter tradition because we live across the street from our Church. It sounded very clearly that the service had already started.

I leaned over the bed and looked at the clock.  Of course, how could I forget – Moravian tradition, celebrated for centuries - the Night Watch. and the early morning call of the brass instruments for all to wake. Here in Bethania, the brass instruments have played the same notes for more then 250 years, and I think last night, the band added something new because I most definitely heard a voice that said, “If this doesn’t wake them nothing will.”

Mom Zoie . . . Leader of the Pack

The puppies agreed and proceeded to add their own version of a brass band calling a small Moravian town awake to celebrate the promise and hope for a new beginning.  However, next year, I think I'll ask for a separate bag of black Jelly Beans and get a new remote control that is encased in metal.