I suddenly realized this Monday morning that the small flock of juncos that has been here every day since last October did not show up for breakfast in the small yard outside the glass doors. A pair of cardinals has been often in the spruce tree. I think they are building a nest on the other side of the house in an evergreen tree. But no juncos have been here. I guess it is safe to consider it spring – finally.

Already the papers and current issues of some magazines are calling attention to the celebration of Mother’s Day. It will be May 13 this year. In spite of its well established observance, Mother’s Day is one of our most recently declared “special days.” After many different unofficial beginnings, it was not until May of 1914 that both houses of the federal government passed the resolution that made the day official, and President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday of May to be observed as a public expression of love and reverence for the mothers of our country.

What began as a more religious ceremony was soon expanded to a more secular observance, including the giving of flowers, cards, and gifts.

Prior to the establishment of the Mother’s Day as we know it, one earlier day in England was known as “Mothering Day.” It became the custom for young people who were appointed and had taken jobs away from home as servants to go home on the Sunday known as Mothering Day, taking small gifts and sometimes a “Mothering Cake” to their own mothers.

The mothering cake was a very rich fruit cake.

The originator of our Mother’s Day was Anna M. Jarvis, who honored her late mother by inaugurating a letter-writing campaign to ministers, businessmen, and congressmen to gain support for the proposal. On May 10 in 1908, a service was conducted in Grafton, West Virginia, to honor Miss Jarvis, and carnations were used in the service, because her mother had been so fond of them. Eventually, it became the custom to wear a white carnation to honor a mother who had died and a red carnation to honor a living mother.

A famous mother was honored by the son of Mrs Whistler, James Abbott McNeil Whistler, in a painting exhibited in London in 1872. It soon became familiar to the world, and was used as the subject of a commemorative stamp in the United States in 1934. It soon became a collector’s item.

In modern times, Mother’s Day has been further expanded to include aunts and grandmothers and any woman who has become a mother. A bit of the historical celebration of “Mothering Day” has carried over to this day and again children of mothers all over tend to make special visits to their mothers, bringing gifts, flowers, and even a traditional Mother’s Day cake.

In our area, the Easter weekend weather turned out to be pleasant and not dampened by the rain some weathermen had said would arrive late Sunday. Dame Nature owes us after the winter and early spring she doled out.

During that weekend, America added 24 heroes to the roster of others in that category, as the crew of a plane was released after 11 days of being detained by Chinese officials. It has caused concern after the crew has told its story about the airplane’s landing in Chinese territory. There is no doubt that the skill and training of Lt Shane J. Osborn and his two co-pilots saved the plane by landing it safely, and saving the 24 lives of those aboard. It made all America proud.

Words at the end of last week’s column were by Robert F. Kennedy, US Attorney General. Who said “Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery”?