It's Good to be Alive

I am sitting in my study with the French windows open having just done an hours gardening: the birds are singing, probably because I've just fed them, or maybe because they know summer is on it's way. The daffodils are basking in the shy sun with buds bursting out everywhere- what more could one ask for. Yesterday, it being Sunday and I'd finished services by 12.30, hubby and I decided to have a trip out to one of our favourite spots just outside of Thornham. We set out in even shyer sunshine with picnic and boots to walk through the bird reserve to the beach and have a walk that we both needed after spending most of the Sundays, in the last few months, by the fire either reading, knitting(me) or watching telly(Hubby) or asleep - either or both. We parked in the usual place, were just getting the boots out when first the rain came down followed very quickly by the mist. We saw one flock of birds, too far away to identify, even with binoculars, ate the picnic, drank the coffee and started back home. Even so, that trip to the Norfolk coast lifted our spirits and made us so grateful that we live so close to the wonders of our coastline and countryside. Excuse me a minute my washing machine is bleeping to say it has done all the hard work and I want to hang the washing on the line for the first time this year instead of leaving it in the machine to be tumble dried...... Do you know, hanging the washing out and seeing it gently blowing in the light breeze is nearly as good as that trip to the coast - although the other half wouldn't agree. A goldfinch has landed on the Niger feeder, oh! his mate has followed him or at least if not his mate it must be his best friend because he hasn't shooed him/her away. Isn't it good to be alive. Just waking in the morning and knowing here is another God given day to enjoy either out and about or simply looking out of the window and seeing the clouds drift by - I do that when I am confined to bed with a wonky back. New life leads me to think of Easter approaching. When asked in school what Easter means to them the younger children always say eggs and bunnies. The eggs are easy to bring the story of Jesus to them because the older children associate Easter Eggs with the empty tomb but bunnies are a little harder. I do my best however: Baby bunnies are born in the spring when new shoots appear in the garden and on the trees and this links in beautifully with new birth and new beginnings. Starting afresh, having been given the grace of forgiveness on Easter Sunday+

Carol Nicholas-Letch