Unfolding

"God is the experience of looking at a tree and saying, "Ah!"
- Joseph Campbell

The ravine behind our house is green. I've been watching the trees bud for a couple of weeks now but this morning I woke up and the leaves have unfolded. I love the colour of leaves when they first unfurl. They are vibrant - more lime than emerald. The leaves don't stay that colour so I'm savouring these days. The sun is bright, the stream behind our house is running and the foliage is still sparse enough that I can see the animals running through the ravine.

If I was a painter, I would have taken my paints and brushes out this afternoon and tried to capture the hope and beauty of the changing landscape, but the painting gene didn't get to me. So instead I took out my beads and pearls today and worked at creating a painting with stones. A couple of months ago I bought some lovely freshwater pearls that happen to be the colour of the leaves in the ravine. Today they became a twisted four-strand necklace. I also made some pink pearl earrings and a pair of taupe teardrop pearl earrings. I have a couple of silent auction commitments coming up. I made a three-strand necklace in crystal, black onyx and white freshwater pearls for Willow's Eat-to-the-Beat. I will donate some other pieces for the event as well but I'm not sure which as yet. I've also promised a piece for a silent auction at a fundraiser for C.A.R.D. That event is coming up in the next couple of months so I need to figure out what I'm doing for them fairly soon.

Tomorrow, Merv and I will travel in separate cars to pick up Jacob from school. I can't figure out how he acquired so much stuff that we need two cars to get it home but I'm more than happy to accommodate. In the next few days, all the kids will be headed home. John got back on the weekend. Jonathan gets home on Thursday. Sasha's and Wen Hao's arrivals are imminent. It will be great to have the kids home but there will be challenges too. I'm sure I will have to remind myself that Jacob is an adult now and has had no need to be accountable for his whereabouts since last fall so probably isn't going to want to be accountable now. While I am thrilled about having all the kids back, I will be advising them that the Clarinda Drive Hotel no longer comes with maid service. I'm happy to feed them but the time has come for them to clean up after themselves. Seems like a fair trade off to me.