It's An Easter Miracle! (Maybe Two!?)

(Okay. I admit that there are a few people in the world who may not find this funny. I, however, am not in that group. I suspect that many of you also are not in that group. Or at least I hope so.)

This morning, when my father went down to have coffee at the bar/cafe, he found out that a local woman, who is really very nice, had passed away. For the sake of argument, we're going to call her Estelle. Estelle Branch. Estelle was a very nice woman, and, although she was right as rain just a few days ago when my parents saw her, she apparently died in the night. Possibly in Sioux Falls. So my father, having come home from learning this news, phoned his good friend - Estelle's nephew - to tell him the sad news. It made for a melancholy Easter Saturday lunch.

However, about an hour later, the phone rang. It seems that the men's gossip newsline had gotten it wrong. It was not, in fact, Estelle Branch who had died last night. It was Estelle Schwerner. And Estelle Schwerner had been ill for a while, culminating in a stroke just a few days ago. No one knew why she was might have been in Sioux Falls. Although this is definitely sad news for the Schwerner family, it's much better news for the Branches. So Dad picked up the phone, again, to call his friend and let him know that his aunt is, in fact, alive. Again, sad for the Schwerner's, but good for the Branches.

Except that, as we learned just about an hour ago, it wasn't Estelle Schwerner who died. Estelle Schwerner, just like Estelle Branch, is still alive and well. Although, possibly not quite as well as Estelle Branch, considering the stroke and all. You see, it wasn't Estelle Schwerner who died. It was actually Estelle Schwerner. I mean. Umm. Another Estelle Schwerner. An Estelle Schwerner who lives in Sioux Falls, whom no one around here actually knows, and is simply someone that somebody in town is sort of related to.

Need a score card? Here you go:

Estelle Branch. Dead? Only for about 3 hours in gossip-time. Currently alive and quite possibly kicking.

Estelle Schwerner. Dead? Only for about 90 minutes in gossip-time. (Although possibly not kicking so well after the stroke.)

Estelle Schwerner. Dead? Sadly, yes. And we feel really sorry for her family - whoever they may be.

Estelle the half-tabby/half-pure-white cat who lives down the street? (Seriously. I kid you not. We just found out that was the cat's name this afternoon in the midst of all of this death and un-death.) Still has all 9 lives to work with, as far as we know.

Overall score: 1 alive (nine lives to go); 1 dead (again, sadly); 2 alive after amazing resurrections.

And neither of them even had to wait three days.

Now that's an Easter miracle.