Anything less than love

Good morning, how have you all been?! A little fattened up by your Easter banquet? My Easter four letter holi*- day presented a different kind of celebration- ribs and kite flying, bubbles off the deck floating on the wind, out over a lake.

Beautiful day with beautiful friends.

I did not attend the four walled kind of church, spending most of my time out under the big sky cathedral. The hymn that was fixed in my mind most of the day was "Unclouded Day"- good old time music.

The February nursery garden supplied fresh radishes and delectable greens, the bright yet sprightly still chives- ended up in a vinaigrette made for sharing.
I gathered a bouquet of yellow tulips and budding branches from the apple tree, mixed in some walking stick willow stems and delivered it all there to the house on the lake in an old blue Ball jar.(The flowers, not the salad...oh my.) The old green Ford carried me and the flowers to the place of laughter and guitars, hammocks made for two- a virtual love palace. One of those places that you are made to feel welcome by the hugs and smiles of the inhabitants, as if you'd been there before... A few there had never shared a meal with the fellow across the table from them, and yet...eating with your fingers, barbecue dripping off your face didn't seem odd or out of order, just made the grins more abundant.

Anything less than love would not have been welcome at that table, so without thinking, I acted accordingly.

"...Oh the land of cloudless days
Oh the land of an unclouded sky
Oh they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise
Oh they tell me of an unclouded day..."

written by Rev.J K Alwood

It felt like an uncluttered, light and breezy dry day- and yet, there were storm clouds all around, heavy with rain, though not an ounce of precipitation from me or the sky, hallelujah!

Take care-

(*holidays stink. This one was different though, and once again I find myself being ever so thankful...not once identifying with those devilish eggs ;)

forward now

It's a beautiful morning, it's a beautiful day...thinking I should write something, spread some good cheer. The sun is shining, though still a bit cool outside-but my beans did germinate, reason enough to celebrate! But...there's more! The big, big boy- the one who changed schools mid Senior year, last of his high school days- HAS GRADUATED!!!! He has, in his own stubborn way, on his own terms, finished his education...well, the institutional kind, but I think, yes I do believe he might just keep surprising us, again...in his own way- with more triumphs. We'll be having a diploma party on this here little farm as soon as I can get his band together to perform. What joy! Imagine, a party worth celebrating with music and food and fun and maybe volleyball- and the guest of honor, Mathew- beaming from ear to ear...though not near as wide of a grin as his mother will wear. I gotta tell ya, I was wondering if this day would ever arrive. He is so stubborn, so boyish sometimes, and yet the man in him stepped up and pulled this one off...we didn't really know if he would. We prayed and hoped and begged even, but in the end...he had to decide to get er done, and by golly he did.

Phone conversation Friday: "Hello?" "Mom, you won't believe what has happened to me..." "Oh no Mathew, what?????" "I'm gonna graduate..." "WHAT?!!!You what???? You're not kidding?" "Nope, found out today, thought it might make your day..." "Oh my gosh Mathew, alright!!! Good job!!! Oh, I am so happy, so proud, oh thank you son, thank you..." "Yep." "Love you son...." "Love you too mom."

And then his dad called me, joyfully tearful...and then his sister, and then friend Kathy...and on and on, the phone calls, the well wishes, the good good news. So- with that in mind, I thought I should put it all right out here, share some wonderful news.

What a difference a day makes, an earnest delivery of the stuff...and on to the next right thing, and the next right thing...yep, he pulled it off. Mathew has come a lonnng way...he doesn't often realize the good in him, the strengths he employs. He doesn't know how he often can light up a room, with his smile, his jokes...oh boy, this big ole boy doesn't realize his own worth at times, but he sure is walking a little taller today, I think he feels quite proud of himself. There, within it all- is the key. To be proud of one's accomplishes, to realize that it is always within us to rise, no one or nothing can give that to us...faith must first come from within, then out and above and all around. I think the picture has widened for my young man, I think he can put that foot forward now...the one he had such a hard time extending. Oh can you tell I am beside myself with joy?! Boy oh boy, such a long hard road he took...and now he is standing just where he wanted to be...on his own two feet.
Be well, take care...