Holy Week this year was one of the more deliberate and lovely that I've ever had. It was a luxury to be able to give it so much attention; a real grace that I received despite having been perfectly lousy at Lent this year.
Below are the objects I used to teach the Chapel kids about Holy Week, on Palm Sunday. I might have told them that kids say Hosanna better than adults do and might have sent them marching back into church singing Hosanna a bit louder than is usually Episcopal. I regret nothing.
By the way, this is how our Resurrection Garden looked early in Holy Week:
Bearing much fruit
Lighter and lighter the evenings come. This is last Tuesday's 8pm, after I taught my one class (as required in the syllabus). I can see the finish line to this semester and it is taking some discipline to sprint to a premature finish.
Holy Wednesday was our 9th anniversary!
We had a low key time at a local bar that evening, but it was a precious opportunity to talk and enjoy each other. Still, we're making plans to take a trip later in April to celebrate as a family.
Good Friday's sky looked just as it should.
Thursday night brought us the Grunert Grandparents! We really enjoyed catching up with them, and the kids, needless to say, looooved the attention. At one point, one grandparent was reading to each child, the book of each's choice. Heaven!
I made a slap-dash Christ candle this year. Little efforts at beauty make a difference in one's happiness, don't they?
The Grunerts and Michaela & Marshall joined us for the Smithfield Plantation Egg Hunt. It was precious family time!
Miles was Adele's hunting dog during the Chick Hunt. He would point at eggs, and she'd pick them up.
Obligatory Smithfield fence picture:
Besties
Miles at the takeoff. He's serious.
Proud.
Cuddling with Aunt & Uncle:
watching the blacksmith
Rock pizzas! She's practicing for the "Pizza Shelter" she plans to own when she grows up
Easter morning comes early when you attend the Great Vigil at 6am!
I just breathe this service in. I love the darkness, the fire, the incense, the chanting. I love not being able to see the spring flowers covering the alter but knowing they are there. I love the Old Testament readings and the candles, and I sure love that Easter acclamation and the lights coming on! Alleluia!
Miles & the other choristers were singing in the 8:30 service, so we stayed for that. But I sneaked out early because I was just flat out too tired to stand up any longer. Fortunately, the egg hunt outside revived me.
Below, Adele hunts in the sandbox with the other littles, while the bigs have just been released. Look at them charge! See Miles with his hat?
See Miles' ears on his hat?
Showing off their loot. There were a LOT of eggs.
After church, we all had a nap! Easter miracle!
And later on, the kids (including my inner kid) all did chalk drawings with our new chalk from Grandma & Grandpa Grunert. Thank you!!
A night sky
Below, Adele and my photoshoot. People kept saying we matched. I didn't see the dresses matching, but our attitudes do.
She is my pretty little dutchess. And by the way, when she is grown, there will be a pizza shelter in NYC one day with a huge rainbow painted bus parked out front; that'll be where you'll find Adele if her plans pan out.
Miles marches boldly into Eastertide this morning. It was sunny and warm already!
This 50 days promise much! I will try to take them one at a time.
Spring has been seeping in, putting a new layer of color all over all our doings. I have been trying not to be too Busy and Important and Grown-Up to notice it!
Saturday, March 14 brought us a classic Blacksburg treat: A free production of The Velveteen Rabbit at the local antique theater! Since it was at 2pm (right in the middle of Adele's nap), Miles and I made it a date by ourselves.
At the meet-the-actors session before the show, we learned that one of the actors is a talented ballet and tap dancer. Miles was impressed, and after the show, during the Q&A with the cast, he raised his hand and asked his question with boldness and clarity. "How much do I have to practice to become a really good dancer?" I was so proud.
The answer, if you're interested, from this young man was: As much as you're enjoying practicing. If you are enjoying it, you can never practice too much!
The actor approached Miles after the show and had an encouraging chat with him about doing what he loves, no matter what. I snapped a picture of Miles with his new hero.
Sometimes the sky seems to be raining gifts.
Like this crocus, that I noticed in a friend's yard, when we were on our way to Pub Theology at the London Underground Pub. Like the stories that Rev. Emily told us about the struggles she'd been having in her advocacy for needy community members, and the way we were all able to encourage each other in our varied Lenten journeys. The gifts are coming thick and fast; I have to remember to keep up with my gratitude journal so they leave some kind of wholesome residue.
Here, Miles has a serious moment on Saint Patrick's Day, during an emergency readiness drill for which Jon was volunteering. The bow tie doesn't quite fit.
I rage and storm against Daylight Savings Time (and I really do think it's unhealthy!) but I had to admit it had one positive side effect: I got to leave my evening MA class, which meets from 5-8, and still see some light in the sky last week:
Evenings are starting to resemble their summer descendants.
I have been busy, and a little under the weather, and sometimes I'm not ready for the burst of enthusiasm from the kids at the end of the day. But sometimes, it's the tonic I need.
Here is my card from Miles, which he gave me for no occasion at all. And, this is how he looked when he gave it to me, wearing a pair of glasses fashioned from pipe cleaner.
Here is how Adele looked when I found my old cassette of the Godspell soundtrack and loaded it into her cassette player in the playroom. She's been going on my recent Godspell kick with me. God Save the People and We Beseech Thee are her favorites.
She sings along really earnestly when she thinks I'm not in the room. <3 nbsp="" p="">
This past weekend seems to have been the tipping point for the flowers. They are here, friends! And so is Spring.
Sunday's gifts included a resurrection garden craft, made at church.
Watering the garden with Baden's support
There's grass seed, which has fallen to the ground and died, in the dirt (as per last week's gospel lesson).
The seeds will sprout by Easter. We are leaning into it! Lent grows old.
At home, the kids enjoyed some more independent play in the yard. The parents enjoyed getting the house somewhat clean at the same time.
Miles has to re-build his outside house, from time to time.
Sunday night took us for a ride! to Starbucks to drop Papa off to let him get some work done.
Miles doesn't mind not being in the stroller if he has his trusty steed, Gorse-Gorse.
He looked so delightful I had to get a picture.
More and more I am using my lunch break to take care of my body and soul. On sunny days, this sends me walking to the duck pond.
That there is a gift.
On rainy or cold days, I stick to yoga in the office. On Friday, my office mate joined me. We pulled down the shade, put on some gentle music and just turned on, tuned in and dropped out for a while.
I could never have anticipated that I'd have company in my office yoga. Many thanks to the one Giver for all these. And for the sky this morning! Well done.
Winter is melting away. Either that, or we're climbing up out of it. Either way, the air is full of changes.
We had one last snowstorm (and two last snow days) last week. It was that wicked, spring kind, with lots of ice, poor planning (university was open until 2, with buses spinning out at noon and no bus service between 1 and 3), and grumpiness. But, it still made for a pretty gorgeous view while it lasted. Pizza movie night continues to define Friday night in our house. Here, the kids watch Peter Banning fail to save his kids from Hook.
They experienced a range of appropriate emotions while watching; the adults mostly felt nostalgia for childhood and for the life of Robin Williams. God rest him.
While at church, I snapped this picture of the Godly Play (Sunday School) room. It's such a lovely space for kids to learn about God, and one of the reasons I'm so grateful for our church.
Below: special bonus for Miles fans. Every morning, Miles wakes up to his favorite song, and in a kind of trance, he comes out to the living room to do his Morning Spirit dance. This always delights us, and leaves him in a great mood.
I've been enjoying a campus almost free of students. My lunchtime walks are peaceful and quiet this week in the developing spring conditions.
Below: ducks apparently eat mud in March? I just love the sound they make.
This week brought us reason to celebrate: Jon defended his preliminary exams on Tuesday! And (I'm not surprised, but he's relieved): he passed!!
We ate dinner in the new taco place to celebrate.
I love the locally inspired art on the walls.
The smell of mud in the early spring always smells like change. What will this summer bring?
