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| Author: | April |
| E-mail: | not available |
| Date: | 3/16/2007 7:10:49 PM |
| Subject: | Re: Happy Birthday April ! |
| Message: | Hi everyone -- Thanks for all your bday wishes here on the front and back porches as well as via email and myspace. It seems like its been ages since my last gathering (I've only been to two so far!), but yes I remember stuffing all those bags Erik, in Susan and Mamie's room. And Ginny being in the hospital seems like so long ago. Hard to imagine it's been that long now since my first post here on the 'porch' -- so much water under the bridge as they say -- but since we're in the business of building bridges instead of walls, according to Mickey's 'suggestion', life's journey continues... one bridge at a time... I for one hope to return to a gathering sometime eventually in the near future. At the moment the timing just hasn't worked out with my school schedule and summer trips back to the States to visit family. But in the meantime I'm glad some folks have been able to continue to enjoy the sweet potato wine I send so I can at least be there 'in spirit'. My birthday found me surrounded by sixty five-year-olds singing at the top of their lungs in the middle of the playground holding a huge bunch of balloons the drama teacher had brought in on her scooter after finding out it was my birthday at lunch time. When they started the chant 'Are ya one, are ya two...' I decided to see how high they could count and let them go all the way...lol...they loved it and then surrounded me with big hugs with the older students wishing me bday greetings from afar around the periphery of this island of hugs. Then after my 1st grade class later that afternoon, as I came out of the room, the drama teacher walked down the hall with a bonfire donut lit up with forty five candles... You could barely see the donut amidst the wax and flames and if the kids hadn't been there to help me blow it out I don't think I coulda done it on my own! And in the morning during the 4th grade class where I have been introducing the koto (japanese string instrument I just started learning myself last summer), the kids decided they wanted to figure out how to play happy bday on the koto, which wasn't tuned to the right scale. So I got a kind of pentatonic plucking twanged away for me from the heart. And in the midst of their frantic figurings, they 'secretly' passed around a hand-made card they all signed and drew music notes on and presented to me at the end of class. Then there was the pink tulip cut fresh from one students' garden that his mom had sent in for me and the pink animal balloon he had made for me. And the kitty chopstick holder another student gave me (her mom told me she bought with her own money) among other little tidbits. Somehow in this day and age it's these seemingly small gestures that mean so much -- especially when it comes from kids with such pure hearts and uncomplicated love and caring. I hold each and every one of you dear in my heart. And appreciate more than you may know how nice it is to have this porch to come to, to rock on. Even though I don't get to visit as often as I used to, sometimes its just nice to quietly slip into my chair and rockaway while listening to the conversation around. You all (or should that be y'all!) are always only a warm thought away. And especially those going through difficult times I hold you close to my heart. Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts too. Love from the Land of the Rising Sun, April |
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Happy Birthday April ! by Joey L.  at 3/15/2007 7:31:00 PM |
 Re: Happy Birthday April ! by Karen R at 3/15/2007 7:47:59 PM |
| Re: Happy Birthday April ! by Texas Granny at 3/15/2007 8:56:06 PM |
| Re: Happy Birthday April ! by Lib at 3/15/2007 9:37:10 PM |
| Re: Happy Birthday April ! by Mamie at 3/16/2007 12:39:20 AM |
| Re: Happy Birthday April ! by Joe Z at 3/16/2007 8:19:25 AM |
| Re: Happy Birthday April ! by erik "the dane" at 3/16/2007 8:43:28 AM |
| Re: Happy Birthday April ! by Ginny G. at 3/16/2007 9:46:57 AM |
 Re: Happy Birthday April ! by April at 3/16/2007 7:10:49 PM |
| Re: Happy Birthday April ! by texasroyce at 3/17/2007 11:11:44 AM |
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