Earl's Gone.

Today, I said goodbye to The Duke of Earl Morley. Fitting for all sad goodbyes, it was cloudy skies and rain.

Oh Earl, you were a good friend, sticking with me through thick and thin, although your all wheel drive capabilities had us laughing at those stuck in the mostly thick. How could you ever forget losing your ear, being kidnapped...and then returned a little beat up? Oh, I sigh at all of the [mis]adventures we have had together. I hope you have as much love given to you in your new home of alien landing pads.

Give my regards to the Camrys. I mean family.

The last straw.

Hell has officially frozen over.

Open Letter

Dear Grandma,

It's Easter Sunday today. I woke up early and as I was lying in bed, I felt this deep sadness inside of me, a hole. I don't know what it is about Easter, but today I really miss you.

Maybe it's because while I was in University, Easter fell right before final exams. I couldn't always make it home, so we'd often have Easter dinner together. Remember those hot-crossed buns you used to bake? I have to admit, I never really liked them when you were around. Ju-jubes? Yech. But it's a funny thing how now, as soon as I see them in the grocery store before Easter, I am one of the first to buy a tray. They never taste like yours, but they remind me of you just the same.

Easter lilies also remind me of you. I have one sitting in my kitchen, and every time I walk past and breathe in a waft of that beautiful scent, I think of you. I think of your tiny apartment and how you used to have all of those plants lined up by your balcony window - the window out of which you'd watch me come home from school every day. It was both irritating and comforting to know you were always there, watching me. :-) Did you know I collect plants now? I have lots of them and they do quite well. I think you'd like them.

I think about how much my life has changed since you've gone. New home, new career, how I've grown deeper in my love for God, and now how I'm growing to love a very special person. I wish you could have met him. I know you would really like him.

It feels good to write this. Some people talk to their loved ones who are gone all the time. Me? Not so much. I don't know how it works in heaven; if you could see this or not, but maybe this is more for my sake. I feel much better now.

I guess I just needed to remember you this morning.

I miss you, and I love you,

Jacelyn.

good friday.

He was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man,

though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:7-8

So blessed.

Warning: May be a little sappy. Okay, it's sappy as heck. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I got an Easter card today.

I don't remember the last time someone gave me an Easter card...maybe never. Or perhaps it was when I was a kid and the cards held less appeal than the delectable bunny. Mmmm.....bunnies.

I digress.

It was completely unexpected. I never give anyone presents or cards at Easter....it's just not on my list of gift giving holidays. But today, My Farmer came over, and rather sheepishly handed me a large gift bag in addition to a divine-smelling Easter lily plant.

"What is this?!" I exclaimed.

Being a girl, I feel the need to be one-up on these things. I never like being caught off guard in the gift occasion department. I didn't see it coming. [But that's what I like about The Cowboy: his ability to surprise me.]

I peeked inside, and there was a box with a large, gold-foil wrapped Lindt bunny dressed very dapper-like with a red ribbon tied around its neck and a tiny little bell. There were also four or five little baby gold-foil wrapped Lindt bunnies in the box.* This makes me wonder what exactly they were up to inside there......?

But I digress again.

The card.

In the bag was an envelope with "Happy Easter, Jace!" written on it. I opened the envelope and pulled out a card with a picture of some beautiful tulips.

Tulips!

However, what really blessed me was what he wrote on the inside of the card:

"On this day 2000 years ago, Christ gave his life for all of us and 2000 years later he has blessed my life with you. This is a very wonderful Easter."

Indeed, it is.

==

*When I saw the family of bunnies in the bag, the conversation went something like this:

[Both parties tongue in cheek, smirk on face.]

"You know, you're going to have to help me eat these....."

"I don't know about that..."

"Well.....you really don't want me eating all of these!"

"You're right. Come to think of it, instead of the bunnies, I should have just given you a carrot or something."

maybe i'm doing something right. [alternate title: "WAHOO!!!"]

Excerpt from an email I sent to my mentor last week:

All of my bands performed at the Cold Lake Music Festival last week. Band 8 performed Bryce Canyon Overture and Marching Grenadiers on Monday and received a mark of Honors. NDHS played Three Folk Miniatures and Barnum and Bailey's Favorite (a circus march!) on Monday afternoon and received Distinction. On Tuesday morning, I brought the grade 7 Dr. B Band out to Cold Lake to play Magna Carta March and Expedition and they also received Distinction.

I was so proud of all of the students; they were phenomenal not only in their performances, but in their comportment (is that a word in English?!) and in showing respect to all of the bands, adjudicator, in the restaurant, on the bus. They were super!

Imagine my surprise when yesterday afternoon a representative of the festival's awards committee called and informed me the adjudicator had selected Dr. B's Band 7 as the recipient of the William Graham Memorial Award for Best Overall Band and requested us to play at Friday night's award concert!! NDHS also recieved recognition in a Certificate of Excellence and prize money for the Best School Concert Band and will be performing Friday night as well...

Newest Addition (oops!)

I am pleased to announce the arrival of a bouncing baby girl who arrived today, sometime during the morning, weighing in at 80 lbs.

I named her "Daisy".

Residents have been very welcoming and accepting.

as is.

what is it that makes one feel "safe" in a relationship?

i think it's in knowing, deep down, in your gut, that whatever you do, whatever you say, you are okay.
you won't be rejected; punted; abandoned.
you are accepted for who you are;
not your false self, but your true, inner self.

no major [or minor] misdemeanor is great enough to shake your standing in the heart of one who loves you.

as is.
it's in accepting whole heartedly flaws, quirks, weaknesses.
the whole.
everything.
it's in knowing that when you mess up,
you don't have to hide.

5 Things I Learned At The Farm and Ranch Show

1. All farmers drive big-ass trucks.
[As evidenced by the sea of them in the parking lot.]

2. Wranglers and Plaid are normal, and actually have purpose.
Current fashion trends don't exist in the farm world.
Function is far more important.

3. A combine is the biggest machine I have ever seen in my life.
It's kind of like a tree fort, really.
A $300,000.00 tree fort.
[Yes, you read that amount of zeros correctly.]

No wonder farmers never have any money.

4. There's big pride in showing off cows.
Did you know people actually groom the cows to show them? They look all shiny and purdy, and they even trim their leg hairs with this special trimmer thing and brush them and hairspray their hair [fur?] so they look all uniform and stuff. It's kind of like a dog show, except the dogs weigh 1,000 lbs.

5. I must really like this guy.
'Nuff said.