airless lungs, stretching tulips, and my favorite holiday

good morning, gentle readers,

i have gotten into the nasty habit of going for 15-minute wogs a few times a week. actually, it's not a nasty habit. i think it's probably good for me, despite my inability to fully catch my breath. i have a nice little route that i run and walk, and recently the running part has been increasing and the walking part has been decreasing. so exciting! i think spring is totally motivating me. while we've had rainy mornings this week, every single day has turned sunny by the time i get home from school. now that philip is in class until 6 each night, i have plenty of time to exercise and get some other things done (read: vegetate) before he gets home. i always wanted to be a runner (it's way cheaper than a gym membership!), but always felt unable to do it. while i am a LONG way from being a certified runner, i think i'm making progress. yay.

i love waking up at 6:45 on a saturday morning and seeing sun peeking around our dark curtains. i love that on my wogs i now see every shade of tulip stretching into the sun (and al, now i'm thinking of squashed and max the giant pumpkin). i love, love, LOVE flowers. especially brightly colored ones. i'm not sure i can think of anything i like better than fresh flowers in a vase on our table in the sunshine on a saturday morning.


and bellingham promises to be sunny and either 57 degrees or 63 degrees today, depending on who you pay attention to. i'm going with weather.com. huzzah!

plus, it's easter tomorrow, which is my favorite holiday. (i say that about every holiday, but this time i mean it.) i can't wait to celebrate communion and sing joyful songs to our God together with our church family.

He is (almost) risen!

ode to felicia

i sold the focus this week. felicia the focus is now happily settled one block away with one of our friends from small group. the money is nice. and we don't need the extra car. but i still feel like a bit of a traitor.

i get ridiculously attached to vehicles. for me, they are much more than a mode of transportation. it probably doesn't help that i name my cars. but to me, they are like family. they hold so many memories.

so, here goes my ode.

black and shiny
with a hole in the roof
saucy lil' spoiler
and attitude to boot

you've taken me places
i never thought i'd go
montana
(makin' friends)
washington
(makin' amends)

singing birthday tunes to mark
each thousand miles as we went
(that one time i forgot and
your tranny bit cement!)

driving 'round the country
when the silence rang true
my loyal companion when
others couldn't follow through

carried us away once we'd tied the knot
covered in messages
that would quickly rot
more quickly than the

black and shiny focus
with a hole in the roof
saucy lil' spoiler
and an attitude to boot

we've had our ups
we've had our downs
(darn all that lost money
for funny little sounds!)

you've carried kids
you've carried friends
just to name a few

philip, paul, and lauralee
nick and lari, too
dad, mom, allison, and bepa
and nephews (only two)

in my black and shiny focus
with a hole in the roof
saucy lil' spoiler
and the attitude to boot

the attitude she'll never lose
though she's gone away
i may receive a phone call
(today might be the day!)

that the shiny little focus
with the hole in the roof
and her saucy lil' spoiler
has too much attitude for you

felicia
88K - 150K
run in peace (not pieces)

i got way too much joy out of writing this. forgive the odd rhymes, the inconsistencies, and the pun-i-ness...i mean it from my heart.

adieu, old friend!

raindrops keep falling on my head

last week was a long week. between philip beginning school, me wading through piles of papers to be graded just to get to my desk, beginning a new unit with my 8th graders, waiting anxiously for spring break, and an unexpected death in our church, it was a long week. not only were we busy, we were emotionally drained by the time it was done. 

i only had one or two conversations with the woman who passed away, but i think i got a pretty good picture of who she was. she was a lynden christian school board member and encouraged me last summer as i was applying for jobs. she also was part of the committee that interviewed me for my job. i remember being in the interview and feeling encouraged by her constant smile. she was the type of person who could converse with anyone and make them feel as though they knew her. along with everyone else, i'm asking why. 

i'm glad to have spring break to relax a bit. technically, i'm on jury duty this week and next, but i didn't have to go in today. let's hope the pattern continues. i'd like to spend time with my teacher friends tomorrow, bring the car in for a much-needed oil change, and read books on the couch. today i was pretty productive: i was up at 6 (watching a movie), i went to the bank, grocery shopping, returned an item, did some laundry, and got my hair cut. (i think i finally found my stylist. she actually didn't try to sell me hair products or convince me that i wasn't putting enough effort into my looks. plus, we know some of the same people. yay, connections.)

it's also been cold and rainy for a whole week. rainier than usual. i miss sunshine and warmth. ophy and i are cuddling with each other to stay warm. cuddle, cuddle, cuddle.

not much intentionality in this post. i wanted to honor cheryl's memory and ask for prayers for her family (husband and three kids--two in college, one in 9th grade). she was a special woman who will be missed by all the communities she touched.