We have just returned from a trip to Saskatoon and area. Somehow, for some reason, that province is home: there's a comfort level there for Bernie and me that we can't quite explain but that visits us as soon as we cross the border. Maybe it's because we were both so young when we lived there, married there, had one of our children there, made some of our closest friends there. There's such a beauty there, too, when you have eyes to see it. It's not the prettiest time of year, right now, with the snow melting and the detritus of winter emerging: mud and clean up time, followed by dust. Yet we enjoyed stopping in some of the small towns; we are looking for a home there, and find smaller venues more and more appealing.

We stayed with my sister and some of her family, and many of our relatives joined us; Grandma & Grandpa, two more of our sisters, several nieces and nephews, plus our son came from Regina to spend time with us (and I gave him the worst haircut I have done on anybody, ever; I'll never live this one down.) Normally I'm not too bad at haircuts, at least for our son, but the scissors slipped (really, they did) and I took a chunk out. The less said about that, the better. Anyway, we had the chance to visit with some good friends, go out for lunch and dinner and a wonderful brunch (thanks, Rita and Wilf), and go to book stores. One book I recommend, still reading but liking it very much, is Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona's Narrative Medicine. I also got a chance to go twice to my most amazing massage therapist, who is a true healer and uses myofascial massage (and a lot of strength and patience) to take very good care of his patients.

We very much enjoyed the Bahá'í Feast the night before we left. My sister created a short devotional program where she took the writing of 'Abdu'l-Baha, during which the chant is raised "Glad Tidings, Glad Tidings" and had the children speak the refrain "Glad Tidings" while distributing flowers to all at the Feast. Two women played drums to announce each "Glad Tidings" and she (my sister) read these verses of joy. After this, my father read a passage about the significance of the Feast (from a marvelous booklet my mother has prepared for Feasts and Holy Days). There were several other readers, and I closed by singing the Healing Prayer, which was directed to several people (both by me and by the gathered friends saying their names aloud) but especially, in my case, to one of my editors at Bahá'í Publishing who is healing from cancer.

The consultative portion of the Feast was longer but really inspiring: one of the youth, recently returned from service in the Holy Land, shared his passion for the writing "These Perspicuous Verses," which Bahá'ís have been enjoined to memorize, and another youth shared an account of going with the Wildfire dance group to the report north of Canada. I was also pleased, during the social portion of the Feast, to chat with a friend who is also a remarkable artist, Lorenzo Dupuis. He currently has a show on with Art Placement; google to see his fascinating people studies. He is also a marvelous landscape artist and Francophone teacher, whose children are from Vietnam and China, respectively, and are adorable.

Well, that is a rather longer description of the Feast than I had intended to share, but it was truly a lovely experience.

The drive each way is a full day, and both ways we had passengers so enjoyed spending time with William and Angelica en route, and Julie and Sarah coming home.

Now I have to mark essays and tests from before the break, and prepare to teach poetry, Shakespeare, and the short story before exam time rolls around in June. At least the days are lighter and lighter, warmer and warmer, and this evening the family is gathering for Easter turkey.

As always, much to be grateful for.