Just a Happy Day

"After all, I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one after another softly, like pearls slipping off a string." - Anne Shirley

When I woke up this morning, the skies were blue and the sun was rising over the mountains. After seemingly never ending days of cloudy skies, this change was a welcome one indeed, and the day stayed lovely, a glistening spring day of sunshine on blooming trees and happy dandelions.

For about an hour, I worked on making posters for the baby shower this afternoon - a baby shower for four women!

I had the pleasure of spending much of my day with children, starting with Selma and Cyril. These two are magnificent. Selma is quite likely the most precocious three year-old who has ever graced my presence, and quite decidedly understands and speaks French and English. Even though Cyril's a bit younger, he still understands and speaks both French and English, though with a rather heavy, and extremely endearing, baby accent. Something I adore about these two is how easily they laugh. You'd have to be trying hard to not make them laugh, and you'd have to be trying even harder to not laugh at the sound of their laugh. We made a poster together, we played in the sunshine, we played some games, we read some books, we sang the Sound of Music, altogether fantastic.

After that, I worked a bit more on the posters - an activity I thoroughly enjoy - and then went outside to pick some flowers, also for the baby shower. I was happily joined by a cohort of little girls who picked flowers with me in the sunshine. A merry group of little ladies, frolicking in the sun and filling vases with dandelions and violets and forsythia and other dainty little French spring flowers.

We also blew up a lot of balloons together, and went through several traumatic popping experiences as well.

I ate downright yummy pizza-like things with Mercy and a friend of hers who was over.

With some time to kill before the baby shower, I went outside into the marvelous sunlight and walked up to the cemetery where sat on gravestones, reading some L.M. Montgomery (hence the quote at the beginning of this post) and discovering a plethora of new features on my camera.

The baby shower was nice, with heaps of scrumptious and delectable delicacies. We sat in a circle together, and I was struck by the strength and beauty of this group of women who have sacrificed much for something far more worth anything they could ever sacrifice in this world.

After the shower, Anna Fader and I had a piano lesson, and she successfully completed her Lesson Book that we've been working on since I got here! Such an accomplishment. She has learned so much and come very far in just 3.5 months, and I am so proud of her.

I also had lessons with Ally and Abby - identical twins here at the Centre whose family is going to Togo. We haven't had very many lessons at all, and sadly won't be able to since my departure is looming in the ever nearer future, but they are absolutely delightful young ladies and I am thankful for the time I do get with the two of them.

As soon as we finished, I was off on a little walk to chez Kim (the Kim's house). Dan and Julie Kim are a couple in my class; their family is heading to Mali. I encourage you to read more about them and their mission here. On Sunday, if you'll remember, I had a lengthy discussion with Judson about what it might look like to make Clue a game with real people in a real life setting. Well this afternoon I went to their house to make at least a small fraction of our wild imaginings into a reality, and it was a blast. The Kims have three children, all very sweet, energetic, imaginative, talented little people. We played three different versions of "real life" Clue, plus one round of the board game clue, plus the tickle monster game, plus a haunted house game, and Uno as well.

I had dinner with their family, which was lovely, and Julie is a superb cook, though I must was comfortably full when we started eating from all the baby shower food. It was only my second time at their house, but each time I have felt so welcomed, and with all the mayhem and energy of the three kiddos, it always feels very familiar and home-like to me. I just love their children, and being with them is more refreshing than it is tiring despite the insanity of the games we endeavor to play.

And so I just got back home to my little room, and now I'm listening to the Piano Guys and working on my new favorite verb tense (before it was the Imparfait, but now it is definitely the Conditionnel Passé) and in a bit I'll snuggle up in bed and read some more Anne.

Just a happy day. One more Wednesday left in Albertville.