Well we’ve had another lovely Easter. Lucky one, as last week was grey and gusty, and we were a little concerned that the hunt would have to be called for rain. But the weekend was stunningly beautiful and warm, so all went according to plan. Mum’s coffee rolls came out great and Lena’s ricotta pies were gone in a flash. Boy I love Easter treats!
Our friends had definitely been practicing looking for things, because they were efficient hunters! I’m feeling confident we won’t find too many eggs lurking in the garden in the months to come. There’s usually a couple though, which always makes me think we should bump up our home insurance policy at this time of year.
Have a look at this unbearably lovely daffodil that Joan gave us – it’s a tiny little plant in the coolest twiggy base… it looks like something out of a fairy tale. Stunning. We had a wonderful time visiting with everyone, and couldn’t believe how fortunate we were with the weather.
Now it’s the 14th, and it’s our friend Anne Marie’s birthday. For those of you who don’t know her, Anne Marie is one of our most remarkable friends. She’s generous, endlessly kind and smart as the dickens. She remembers everything you tell her, and is insanely well read, so consequently she can have an informed conversation on pretty much any topic you can fire her way. If she wasn’t so kindhearted she’d be really intimidating.
The major bummer is that Anne Marie has MS, and can’t move below her neck, which means she needs a lot of assistance. (Good thing we have such a great healthcare system in this country, right?) Things have been really tough for her this past year. You may have heard that California has had a slight bit of trouble managing its allowance, and consequently Anne Marie has lost a major chunk of funding for her care. She also lost income from other sources, so things are always right on the edge of scary for her.
This makes me really mad. It makes me mad because even if she weren’t brilliant and funny and thoughtful, she would still deserve better. It makes me mad that her energy and experience are not being shared with the world as they should be, but are being drained by worry and the scramble to make ends meet. It infuriates me that this woman can speak something like six different languages, and can’t scratch her own nose if it’s itchy. Have you ever had a really itchy nose? Can you imagine having to wait for hours for someone to come to your apartment to scratch it for you? I can’t. It makes me all prickly just to think of it, and that’s got to be the least of her discomforts.
I belong to a group of volunteers who originally formed to help Anne Marie out by feeding her dinner on the weekends. That volunteer group is now really a fan club as well, and we try to help out by holding one major fundraiser each year, although we’ve begun adding more since one doesn’t cover the need anymore. If you’re local, and you’re around on April 25, we’re hosting a dinner fundraiser – I’d be delighted to hand on details. But even more importantly, if anyone out there has any tips or ideas or suggestions on raising money for individuals with serious illnesses, please leave me a comment! I’m convinced that someone out there has the know-how to help Anne Marie out. I just have to find out who.
Happy Birthday, Anne Marie! And Happy Spring, everybody. Have some lollies.
