Easter and Beyond

I was so excited about Easter this year.  Maybe because I read the Bible story a little more carefully.  Or maybe because I decided to set aside a wall space to feature the Savior.  Or maybe because I was just thinking about it more.  So I put up pictures and scriptures for each day of Christ's last week and we read about what He did each day.  Were the kids excited about it?  Was Layne?  Well...not as much as I was hoping for.  Definitely not that.  But I was excited and that should count for something.  Of course some people would say that I am the excitable kind and need to make space for others not to be so.  OK.  I'll try for that, but I always picture excitement somehow.

Our Treble Clef singing marathon began right after Easter.  We sang in 18 different retirement homes over three weeks.  It was exhausting but so uplifting too.  We are paid for singing.  So it has become a cycle of sweet things.  We have the fun of forming friendships, singing together, bringing pleasure to many audiences and donating money earned to a wonderful cause--fixing cleft palates in struggling countries.  It is a win-win-win.  Layne sang with us after all.  In case you may not recall, he vowed not to sing with us again after our last concert series.  Our leader, Bonnie, insists that we memorize all songs and Layne has a hard time with that.  He wants his music in front of him.  Bonnie relented and begged his return, promising him his music.  So he is back with us.  He has a great bass voice that brings much pleasure to those who hear him.  We just finished our last performance last night, to friends and family.  Of course the only family we have here at the moment is Seth and Angelica who successfully found reasons not to go.  But we have enough friends here now to make the connections last night very fun indeed.

Here I am with Cheole.  We shared narration.

Here's Layne, happy to have his music!

Reed and Dorothy bought a home about 12 minutes from our house!  I believe I mentioned this earlier.  Layne and I have been trying to get some things in order there for their arrival.  Things like installing a garage heater (for Idaho winters), a washer and dryer, special locks and other errands Dorothy needed done from here.  As of yesterday afternoon, Dorothy, son Bruce and mom Linda are moved into the house.  Well, they are physically there.  We are excited!  There is family here!  Reed and boys will follow after school is out in June.  Family in Idaho.  Imagine it!

Our English teaching is ended for the summer.  We had a fun last meeting with our refugees.  They are such lovely people; we have fallen totally in love with them.  In spite of all they have been through, they are happy optimistic people.  They are affectionate too.  Almost all of them hugged me on their way home from class.  I will miss them, as classes will not start again until September.  That's four months without English.  We challenged all of them to listen to English for an hour a day until we meet again.  I wonder how many will actually do that.

So Singing and Teaching are now over for awhile.  I feel a little relieved and excited about the time that will now open up for me.  I've got plans!  Yes indeed, plans.

Layne is a new man now that Spring is here.  He spends most of his days outside.  There is a garden to plant, weeds to conquer and lawn to once again mow.  With spring rains, all is lovely and full of life outside.  It is good for the soul to be amidst it all and feel the exploding life that fills our sight. There is such a smell of life in abundance.

For our kitty, Cherry, Layne is her man.  Here she is, seeking a little attention from her favorite human.

The kids have one more month of school, then home to Taiwan for the summer.  Here is Angelica, all decked out in her ballet recital costume.  It is that time of year.

 

Life is about to change for us quite dramatically.  Kids soon gone, Reed's family here,  summer warmth, singing and teaching over.  What summer adventures await?