High Holy Days

We are in the silence of Good Friday.  The Holy Thursday Mass last night capped a week of ups and downs. Our Easter celebration may be subdued this year because our kids will be with their grandparents, as I wrote in the post a couple weeks ago. We are still not sure of what our Easter will look like since we are waiting to see how Saturday plays out. 

I have done little preparation for Easter, other than some last minute desperation ordering of a few books and candy to be sent to the older kids. The Easter baskets will not be brimful this year. Honestly, I don't know why I'm buying candy for my 20somethings, but I'll keep doing it. I do little enough for them since they are all far aaway. 

Life doesn't stay still. Doors open, doors close. 

Two weeks ago, we were in Virginia Beach for a track meet and were able to revisit places that have become mythic in our memory. In some ways they have changed, but in others, I was happy to see my memory hadn't changed much, especially in regard to the friends with whom I was able to reconnect, even at the last minute. Some of our friends from that time in life have moved because of jobs or they were military like us; others I have lost track of. But it was wonderful to reconnect with those who are still there. We grabbed pizza with military friends, then walked our old neighborhood while enjoying ice cream cones with a neighbor who was our adopted grandmother. The next day we sat down for coffee with dear friends from my book group, and I was able to take a long walk with another dear friend - one of those walks where you go farther than you thought because you lose track of where you are because the conversation never slows.   Our conversations moved from updates on our families to revisiting memories, to sharing the challenges and hopes we have now.  Again, I am reminded of the goodness of people and of the world. 

I would like to reflect more on this weekend, but despite the day's solemnity, I have to move on to the next thing now, but here are some photos of our few days staying beachside and the homes where we began and grew our family. 

This was the third house we ever lived in, although the first two places were just six months each. We actually only lived in a quarter of this house. It was divided into four apartments, and we had the bottom left as you look at the house. We never really got to know the other people who lived here. Our second child was born here. 

When the owner of that big house decided to sell it, we moved to this house. This time we had a third of the house, the entire first floor.  We stayed longer here, about two years, and knew all the neighbors and loved them. This is where our third child was born, and we have lots of memories - the sloping floors, losing power for days after a hurricane, playing on the sidewalks with the neighbor kids for hours, freezing in the winter because the heat was expensive, gardening, visiting the park, story times, hosting dinners... 

This was our third house in the area, but our 8th address. We bought this house after being gone a few years and then coming back. Our sixth child was born here. More wonderful neighbors. More treasured memories. I planted that camellia that needs a trim. I also had planted a sweet olive tree by the door that must have died. We mowed the lawn with a push mower.  We had a tiny office in the back where I home schooled the kids, supposedly, but most of the work happened at the table or on the couch under that front window where we read and read and read.

The fairy garden in the crook of the tree in front of our neighbors - she and the neighbor kids add to the tableau. The mailman left the little mail truck.

Looking toward where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Chesapeake Bay.

Virginia Beach, north end

Camellias in bloom

The view from the greenbelt behind our fence.

Blue bonnets are early this year. You can see why they are so beloved when they carpet the roadsides and parks.