Born in the Month of Poetry

We celebrated Emmy's 27th birthday on a glorious April day. I thought about her mom that day, as white clouds sailed across a cool blue sky and wildflowers bloomed in every corner of the green green earth, and thought, she must have known that she was bringing forth a very special one that day.

April is the cruelest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain.

Morning celebration: Emily and I took the girls for a little coffee date at the Argonaut and a spring walk down to the river. 

To honor her treasured aunt, Lucy wore a little dress that was Emily's as a girl.

Waving at kayakers floating by, Scout is so engaged, curious, passionate, excited by the goings-on of the world. A product of her parents indeed.

A maiden and a mother and a crone, no boundaries on this soul, a woman who can talk to anyone and make them feel important, a born storyteller, art maker, empath, romantic, kitchenwitch, mama.

The girls got semi naked and dipped in toes and feet and hands, threw their pebbles and splashed their sticks. They would've gone for a real swim if I'd let them, even in the iciest water.

We had a little visit from a curious friend. Lucy said she was a mama goose.

Back at the cafe the fiddlers had set up and children were dancing. Lucy had to roll down the hill a few times before we hit the road.

Sweet afternoon post-nap baby snugs, tickles, loves.

And then in the evening we all got together at Jack Russell Brewery for picnic food and blackberry ale, chasing romping babes, and just good togetherness. 

The birthday girl with her own best girl, two little peas in a pod.

I'm so proud that baby brother got such a damn fine family going.

Elsie came straight from working Passport Weekend at Lava Cap, in full regalia, tipsy, with funny stories and sass to beat the band.

living large.

This photo serves as the one and only indication that Lucy would be sick with a fever that next day and then take the whole next week or so to recover. Still, no regrets!

We had the most full and blossoming, wonderful day celebrating Emmy. She is a rare treasure on this earth and I am blessed every day to be her sister and friend. What I love most about her is how she contains multitudes, how she is at once playful and intensely wise, how she knows things almost before you say the words, before the thing itself happens, she is skipping one step ahead in this universe and she is a flying star.