fun day

We had fun celebrating Rodolfo's 35th birthday a few weekends ago. We started our morning with a trip to Cafe Antigua, the local Guatemalan restaurant. Then we came home and made a chocolate cake and celebrated! Later that day we put up Christmas lights and our tree. The weather couldn't have been more picturesque. It was cool, no wind and sunny. I am very thankful that we were able to celebrate his birthday together in such a fun way. God is very gracious. He has been teaching us both about forgiveness. The depth of God's love for us, His children, is profound. And I think this beautiful birthday was a perfect example of it. God was totally in the middle of it all! Thank you Lord for your blessings!

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are blooming everwhere right now. When I think of sunflowers, I am reminded of a moving poem that was read in the movie Calendar Girls. It was read in a way that expressed the husband's true love for his wife. Here it is:

Sunflower Woman by Handsum Hart:

A sunflower must follow the rules of gravity. When its florets ripen with hundreds of edible seeds It must bend its body into the earth's bosom And allow the birds to eat its seeds That are rich in oil. A woman must follow the rules of romance. When her lips ripen With hundreds of edible kisses She must surrender herself into her man's arms And allow him to eat her kisses that are rich in passion A sunflower on a sunny day Will turn its face Towards the sun And with joyful eyes Watch it move across the sky. A woman on her wedding day Will turn her veiled face Towards her husband-to-be And with eyes soaked in matrimonial joy Watch him move across her soul. The nickname for Kansas Is the Sunflower State For it is where every sunflower dreams of living. The nickname for a man's heart should be Kansas For it is where every sunflower woman dreams of living.

St. Rodolfo of Assisi

Monday morning Wally caught a bird and was torturing the poor creature. Rodolfo intervened and rescued him from certain death. He has been nursing the bird (maybe a dove) back to health ever since by feeding him some of my health-food grains (amaranth) and water. That same morning while driving to work Rodolfo also noticed a turtle crossing a busy street. I didn't get to see the turtle because he released it on the grounds of Chesapeake near their little river, but he said it was a nice turtle. I told Rodolfo his super-hero name should be St. Rodolfo of Assisi, inspired by Saint Francis himself, the patron saint of animals. :) Gigi has had a blast helping Rodolfo care for the bird. I think we need to name him. How about Flit?