Bluebirds in the Soil

(A harmonica makes a good song great.  Just sayin'.)

Home again, home again, jigga-jig-jig.  And it's good to be back, but it was a really wonderful time.  Our kiddos little love tanks got filled up - grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins...lovin' on them, bouncin' them, tickling and laughing with them.  It filled up my momma's heart pretty full, too.

 We felt so much safer with Edie on board. 

And never mind what the weather is doing outside back here at home...

There's a bluebird in my heart.

And it's singing it's little heart out, promising the spring that is coming.  Of warmer, jacket-less, barefoot, diggin'-in-dirt, lemonade-sippin' days...just around the corner.

We planted herbs today, in honor of that promise.

Winter does not stay.  And I'm reminded of something my grandma used to say: "No season, good or bad, lasts forever." 

I find great comfort from those words in these days of transition and waiting and snow.  I get impatient.  We are still looking for a house.  We are still asking God to heal Kate McRae.  We are still waiting for warmer days.  We long for the promises of spring...of new life.

But we will never be here in this place again.  And I want to make the most out of this place, this time.  Pointing my feet...and hunting more marrow to suck out of this season.  Knowing that spring is coming...and so we hope and we plant and we wait and we enjoy today.

And when he sings to you,
Though you're deep in blue,
You will see a ray of light creep through,
And so remember this,
life is no abyss,
Somewhere there's a bluebird of happiness.
Life is sweet, tender and complete,
when you find the bluebird of happiness.

Edward Heyman & Harry Parr Davies, Bluebird of Happiness, 1934

Snapshots of a Lovely Day

Apparently I really did send some of you sunshine.  'Cuz it's been 65 and sunny back home.  And today, it's been snowing.  In Redding.  California.  Snow sticking to palm trees.  Seriously, give us our weather back.  Well, guess I told you I would send sun your way.  And, baby, do I deliver.  Anybody want a car?

Not much to say tonight.  But yesterday, we enjoyed a day trip to San Francisco and Berkley.  It was sunny.  And the drive was lovely.

 

We stopped in Berkley for lunch, old stompin' grounds for my Father-in-Law.  (And seriously, how fun is it to throw in old phrases like "old stompin' grounds?")

Shed layers in a local (indoor) rainforest...

Aunt Mel is so fun! 

...and then headed for the airport to send our sis, Mel, back home to New Zealand...and to her new hubs.  They've only been married a few weeks.  I know they were so ready to be together again.  We weren't quite ready to let her go.

After hugs and showers of "we'll miss you"s, we waved and went on to Fisherman's Wharf.  I'm sure I looked like a crazy tourist snapping photos, but it was gorge...

Ames could totally take him.

And then signora-ed the city for the drive home.

A truly lovely day.