Easter Weekend



Daffodils in the Skagit Valley

Dear Cal,

  Just back from a weekend away.  Went to visit friends north of Seattle, just in time for the Tulip Festival.  Thanks to the continuing cold (snow on those foothills) there were probably three field tulips blooming in the whole valley.  But the daffodils were glorious!  It made my heart soar to stand in the fields and drink it all in.  And, as a bonus daffodil blooms were given to everyone attending the Easter services at the church I visited.  It was wonderful in every way.

All my best,
Kate

Ready to Celebrate

This year's flock of butter lambs

Dear Laurel,

We are ready to celebrate the best and brightest day of the year! The lambs are finished and have been delivered; I have one remaining to take to Easter lunch with me.  It's always quite a moment to open the refrigerator and be met by all the little faces peering back.  I hope that you and yours will experience the deepest blessings and joy as you celebrate the Resurrection!

All my best,

Kate

Perfect Pie Crust

Thanks to Graphics Fairy for this lovely pie

Dear Sonja,

   On Thursday evening a friend and I took dinner to an older couple--older meaning they are of the generation who has a deep and abiding appreciation for skillfully made pie and layer cake. I took an apple crumble pie because I thought they'd enjoy it.  As everyone took their first bites I felt like I was 15 again, waiting for the verdict....  The conversation went from "crust like plywood," to "not flaky at all," to "doughy", everyone offering an animated opinion on what passes for pie crust.  And then someone said, "Not like this pie... this pie is wonderful, the crust is perfect." And they meant it. Oh blessed, wonderful relief!  It made my day.

All my best,
Kate





Truth

Dear Laurel,

I've been in deep thought about the purity and beauty of truth.  In our world, yours and mine, we've been conditioned to guard the truth, to not reveal too much about what we really think, or to not openly say things that would cast someone else in a poor light, even when we're asked by a trusted person who needs to know.  We hint at truth hoping that the other person will somehow find it.  I saw the folly of it all the other day, stricken by my withholding.  It takes discernment and boldness to know how and when to speak; don't miss it.

All my best,
Kate

Good Words

Song of Solomon 2:12

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

Lilacs

Dear Sonja,

Remember the card I sent in October, the one with the remontant bloom on the little lilac?  Well here it is again, at the right time, in the right season... and every little branch is loaded to overflowing with the visible promise of the glorious blooms to come.  I need to devise a plan for supporting the weight of the flowers--how wonderful is that?  There's just nothing like the joy of springtime when hope delivers on its promise.  Tell me what you see in your garden.

All my best,
Kate

Unexpected

Unexpected sunbeam



Dear Laurel,

It's almost here--on Wednesday evening I will see a dream fulfilled, only it doesn't look like I thought it would.  Sounds like a Biblical theme, doesn't it?   It was an unexpected God-thing the way it came together with a phone call from someone I didn't know.  This new opportunity is still about community, serving, and the church, but now it is focused on offering resources to serve, support, and care for some of the most valuable and vulnerable of our society--our elders, and their families.  It's a paradigm shift in the dream, but  I'm ready, I know my stuff, and I'm excited. 

All my best,
Kate