Today I’m waking up to a different view out my window. The sky is denim blue. God hasn’t rubbed his white pastels across his sky canvas. The sun is bright and clear and warm. I hear a bird symphony out the double doors. I’m ensconced on a tall antique bed. Had to have a little stool to step on to get in the bed. I’m surrounded by beautiful covers and enjoying all the collections of treasures in my bedroom. My friend and her pup are still sleeping so maybe I should sneak a few of her bird figurines into my birthday present bag. Already have four of them in there. I admired them and she promptly took them off the shelf and put them in my hands.

I have a small porch off my bedroom and I’m watching the squirrels playing tag in the magnolias in the back yard. My friend has a bird feeder in her front yard. It’s new and the birds have not found it yet. Bet the squirrels will beat the birds to the feeder. I can hear a beautiful bird symphony but can’t see the birds. I’ve seen a few crows, but I hear no caws in the music. I don’t hear any wind chimes. That’s a gift I need to give her.

I drove back to a Roanoke under a blue sky with some thin white cloud stripes. Just another beautiful day! Only saw vultures enjoying road kill for their Palm Sunday dinner. Bet lots of kids enjoyed egg hunts today after church services. The first Easter basket I can remember was a blue metal sand bucket full of Easter grass and candy and at the bottom of the bucket there was a bathing suit. I was thrilled to find the bathing suit. The last Easter basket I remember, ironically, was a metal sand bucket again, where I found a birthstone ring nestled in basket grass in a black velvet box.

When I was a little girl an older couple up the street hosted an egg hunt each year with a golden prize egg and real baby chicks as favors. We always had to wear our Sunday clothes and were escorted through their beautiful home to the back yard. I always pined after the golden egg. Never found it and I can’t remember bringing a baby chicken home. But I remember walking through their house and down the back steps to the party. I was always so excited holding my mother’s hand and walking up the street to the egg hunt.

They were the sweetest couple. Never had children of their own but were so generous to host lots of their nieces and nephews in the summers who were my playmates. I spent many afternoons in their pool up at their farm. The pool was in the middle of a hay field and we always went on snake patrol before we jumped in. They would have spend the night parties at their home on the farm and we’d have delicious suppers on a picnic table on a huge screened in porch. Sometimes I’d spend the night with their nieces at their home up the street. They were such wonderful hosts and these are joyous carefree summer memories. I’m reminded again of my idyllic childhood in a small town.

When I got home this afternoon, I went up to the farm to take baby brother’s little grandson a prize I bought him yesterday. This baby tugs at my heart strings. He is just adorable and so expressive. Leaving baby brother’s I rode over to middle brother’s home on the farm and visited them. I rode home with a beautiful sunset ahead and a happy heart full of new memories.

“Having somewhere to go is home. Having someone to love is family. And having both is a blessing.” I am truly blessed!