Remember from art history or cultural history or something or other way back when, when they taught you about memento mori? My memory is that they are basically still life paintings with lots of death imagery and symbols of death built in, meant to remind you of your mortality.
Well, this is my memento viva--reminder of life--for this fine Good Friday. Hot cross buns from the alley bakery, flowers stolen over back garden walls on my way home and a couple of mementos from recent visits with beloved friends.
P.S. Hot cross buns are a Good Friday tradition here in my temporary homeland. Interesting history, as have many things, I suppose. Unclear what is historical and what legendary, but here goes: Originally a pagan pastry, meant to symbolize four moon phases, the Church coopted them into its religious tradition when converting the good people over to their way of thinking. I also read that Elizabeth I tried to outlaw them [why?!?] but gave in and let people eat them, but only on Easter and some other special occasions. Whatever. I don't pretend to understand the number of strange little historical tidbits I'm picking up.
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