Late winter hope

We walked around our house and took the late winter hope tour. We found: one hyacinth, a small couple of rows of japanese iris, a beautiful clump of double-bloom daffodils, and a crocus croaking its last until it surprises again next February. But mostly, the beds look scraggly and bare, some already have the pesty weed ground cover springing up; there's lots of work to do before May. But, it's good work in warm wind. What could be better?

We're back on the cul-de-sac. All cats have been accounted for. A heater had been left on in my daughter's room for these past five days. My husband vacuumed already. I already have the green counters messy again with the makings of cream cheese brownies. Life is back to normal in Missouri.

I thought maybe when I returned home, I would feel nostalgic comfort. I feel good about being home but still excited about Alabama. Is God making the departure easy? Will we go? I would definitely miss my friends. We shall see.

I've been really enjoying St. Augustine's confessions, and they have confirmed my earlier confessions to a larger audience. An 'elder' church woman wrote me and felt that perhaps my friend co-speaker and I had shared too many intimate details to a group who may not have been ready for them. She speaks in safe gloss, though, and I have no apologies (even with uneasiness) about speaking plainly about my struggles in the past. If there's not a known contrast, then why bother at all to show the factor of grace.

The regions of the United States awaits to be explored on the living room floor with Cody, so au revoir, my friends!