Arg! April...

There are places on this planet where April is a beautiful reflection of our spiritual rebirth.

The plants are extending themselves from the earth. Little birds are bouncing around. Children are on bicycles.

I remember as a child standing on the playground behind my elementary school holding the ends of my jacket up over my head to make a sail, and letting the April winds push me across the field. I was acutely aware that it was April because my birthday was coming soon and that meant gifts and a party.

Now I am aware that we are in April because it is still snowing. It is snowing on top of the mud. Today I can not see even a hint of the bay out our windows.

I can also tell it is April because our family life is ramping up to match the extended daylight hours. Easter, Vince's birthday, the talent show. Preparations for DeeJay's graduation. Jubilee tryouts. Karate testing. Stone Soup Group activities.

What has been happening this past week in the Greear Family?

We had a large and lovely Easter dinner. The house was full and felt warm. The kids (including Iris) had a blast hunting eggs and going on Mema's special Easter treasure hunt that she sends them on.

Maygen convinced Falcom to get back on the horse and try out for the Jubilee show again. He embraced her recommendation.

I'm not sure I am embracing it, but with Maygen's help I am feeling the necessary 'two degrees of separation' that I need in order for me not to feel the full excitement/anxiety/thrill that my son goes through in his performing life. The life of a performer is no simple life.

Stone Soup Group put on a lovely Epilepsy seminar in Homer that was well attended and informational.

I've been doing nails a couple days a week. I enjoy it...kind of. I'm learning something about myself and my work life that I had never considered before. When I am doing nails people are walking out of the shop with work I have done. They are going to have to look at it every day. When I am advocating or teaching and standing in front of a large group... it's just different. Jerami thinks it's the scrutiny factor. I'm not sure it's that. Teachers are constantly scrutinized and lasts longer than a week or two. While I'm doing nails today I'll think of ways to verbalize it better.

The glorious Mindy H had a birthday this past week and threw a wild girlfriend dinner party to celebrate at Wasabi. It was wild. There was laughing and drinking and the occasional cuss word. We laughed and talked and had a great time.

Sorry Mindy, all the photos I have of you are 'post-mojuito'. Can't have an unpleasant picture of your goddess self on-line!

Jerami came and told me "This is wonderful and remarkable! You women have been able to maintain your friendships even though you all are so diverse. I can feel how much you care for each other." I thought that was a wonderful compliment.

One of the great things to come out of the evening is that I finally learned how to be middle aged and not have to go to Thailand for plastic surgery to take a decent self-portrait. Suzanne also realized the technique also helps our cleavages.

One of the not so great lessons I learned from the evening that a bottle of sparkling water at Wasabi is $9. Oh yea. No joke. What? Are we in Manhattan? I thought I was going to puke!


Vince has been doing some rabbit hunting around the house with the boys. (No, he is the only one holding the gun.) They have gotten a couple and all of them have been having a great time stalking them and ferreting them out. We are having an over abundance of rabbits this year and so there has been a lot hopping around our house. (Yes, everyone is enjoying eating them!)

There are so many rabbits around the house that the eagles have been hanging out. Having eagles around is great for the stereotypical Alaskan experience, but is not good for our little farm or for other wildlife (like the sandhill cranes and their babies that will be here soon). Thus, culling the rabbit population will encourage the eagles to move on.

Although I will say that I have been able to snap some great pictures...

Keep Falcom in your hearts tonight as we give this Jubilee business another go.