Easter Week

And what a beautiful week it was, between meeting up with folks for fun, and meeting up with folks for worship. Not to mention that it has been warmer and in fact, a few days have been too warm for my liking! After so many months of cold weather it is going to take me some time to adjust. In our home I would rather be cold, while Bruce would rather be hot, although wouldn't it be nice if the weather stayed about 72 degrees every day? Heck no--where would be the fun in that, after all variety IS the spice of life.

Because we live so close, it is easy to participate in most church activities. Aside from Soul Table this past Thursday, we went to Maundy Thursday service (my favorite), the cross walk and a noon ecumencial service on Good Friday. Finally the culmination, the Easter sunrise service, followed by a breakfast and the main service. It was so nice that we have been the April door greeters, handing out bulletins and welcoming folks. We were both delighted that we ran out of bulletins on Easter Sunday! That is actually saying something because living in the Bible Belt, there are many, many churches to choose from!

Like many churches a cross is put out and parishioners are asked to adorn it with flowers, and ours is no exception. My three tulips hung in there, much to my surprise and delight, until Easter morning when I brought them with a few other flowers to place in the cross.

Never having had a tulip come up in my yard before it was very exciting indeed. 

On Good Friday we met at the local Catholic church to join forces and shoulders, in carrying the cross from their church to ours. 

As was the case last year, Bruce carried it up the hill for the last bit.

We stopped for readings of the stations of the cross along the way.  Seven local pastors joined in reading parts of the Easter story.

The sunrise service was held at Harshaw Chapel, the beginning of Methodism in Cherokee County.(should it interest you, click on the link)  Our church has been raising money for ages to restore it as time and weather have worn it down significantly. The day began overcast and only a sliver of the sunrise appeared over the mountains.

The view is a good one.

Earlier in the week, Bruce along with a multitude of other volunteers tidied up the cemetery with weed eaters, lawn mowers, and was the case for David and Bruce, trash bags! Between them they gathered enough trash to fill six lawn garbage bags! Sadly, the few unhoused folks living in town often make this area a place to rest.

Lastly, our pastor is a big fan of deviled eggs and the folks did not disappoint him on Sunday!

Have you had your fill of Easter stories? I suspect you have so let us cover other parts of the week. 

Big news folks! Christian has rolled over on his own! Although we are far away, Fallon sends photos and videos many times each week and boy do we love them, watching them multiple times with big grins on our faces! Here's the little one with his Daddy.

Won't this be fun  to look back at his growth in a few years? Hopefully in May sometime we can get down to Florida to hold that chubby little boy!

Speaking of Florida, Bruce wanted to get his North Carolina drivers license and car tag, along, of course with insurance. The insurance was pretty easy because we have made friends with our agent, the license took some work because the office is way understaffed and they actually put a sign on the door that they are giving someone a road test and will be back in a few hours! With dedication Bruce got it done, but when it came to the license tag, dedication only took him so far. He needed the car title and after some searching here, we determined it had to be in Bruce's files in Orlando. A big shout out to Keith Parson, such a good friend and person, who went into our home, dug through Bruce's files, and the very last paper was the title, which he promptly mailed! He had less success in starting my car which appears to have died but that's a story for another day. In short order, the title arrived, and get this, Bruce showed up at the tag office, just down the street from here, and had to wait for only one person! Done and done.

The farmers market has re-opened and will remain so until late October; Saturday morning I went over to see what I could see. For now it is small, but will get bigger as the crops come in. There were some wonderful plants, so many that I have never had the pleasure of growing before.

One of the vendors who sells bread, eggs and flower bunches, had this most gorgeous peony, the plant of which came from the pictured vendor above. The fragrance was heavenly!

It was so perfect, at first I thought it was fake!! Our peonies are nearly ready to burst open and there are so MANY buds. At last count there are forty on one bush! 

Meanwhile, Bruce was mowing our unruly lawn that is filled with weeds and wildflowers! You could not tell it from this picture though! That tree!! It is so red IT looks fake!

Ironically I went on a hike to see wildflowers when, in fact, they are everywhere, including these Mayapples on the river walk.

The butterweed is in full bloom on the river banks, something I have seen now three times and it's appearance continues to thrill me.

Seeing more birds out and about  has not happened, so when I do have the pleasure of spotting one it makes me very happy. Who does not love the sight of the bright red plumage of a Northern Cardinal in the forest?

Woo hoo! Look who is hanging around the back yard now that I have lured him with mealworms?

Actually there are two Bluebirds and I hope this means what I think it means!

The dogwoods in our neighbors' yards are nearing the end of their showy display.

Here were my three little tulips before I cut them. Actually there were four, however one I had previously brought inside for a vase.  If we are lucky, it seems as if there is one other bloom that may or may not come to fruition.

Although I was hoping the bulbs from Tammy that I planted last year would come to something, I am still not sure because although there is some foliage, nary a bud is to be found. Bright sunshine is a premium in our yard, so I imagine that is the problem. Thankfully Sandy has an abundance of irises that I can admire.

Small rhododendron are blooming around town and when I say blooming, I really mean it as the blossoms are so dense!

Oh my goodness there is so much to write about, but as I know your time is precious I will end this by saying, isn't life such a balancing act? 

Of course when we were young it was work, our children and their lives, and our extended families. These days we are trying to be a part of one community, and at the same time, not forget where we came from and who we love. One would think that when one is retired and children are managing their own lives. one would have plenty of time but somehow that has not turned out to be the case, as you well know. 

Thank goodness for texts and Facetime!

your friend,

Gail