"If you wish to drown, do not torture yourself with shallow water."--Bulgarian proverb

I feel (spoken in the words of a True 4)...as if Someone has handed me MY ABUNDANT LIFE on a shiny brownie platter(please see the dancers of a particular 4 hand reel who wanted to win the brownie platter at the feis--it has particular meaning)laden with Spirit and strawberries and Dreams and brownies and Love and coffee and Joy and mashed potatoes with butter and Community and tortellini and Compost and spinach from the garden and Bonfires and Healthy Pup running around with elderberry blossoms stuck on his butt while he is trying to look all macho and protective in front of those damn baiting squirrels in our backyard.

Last night, I had the honor and pleasure of attending a birthday soiree for a 90 year young dear, dear man. I currently teach in the same school as one of his darling daughters.I call her friend. I have had the pleasure of being schoolteacher and dance teacher for two of his granddaughters. And catechetical support for them as well through three of their sacraments. He is a former detective with the New York Police Dept. and a Navy intelligence officer and honorable veteran of WWII. He also blessed me, the class, and countless children with his presence as a classroom volunteer for the years I taught at the same school that I attended as a child with all my sibs. Twice a week, in came Mr. M and I would prepare his cup of Irish tea and he would listen to the children read, help them with their prayers, hold their hands, hug as needed, scold and guide certain recess ragamuffins (in his old school New York accent and piercing Irish eyes), and watch me. At one point, years ago, he told me that it was too bad that there was a 58 year difference in our ages--he would marry me if I let him:). When I was there last night, the first person to say hello was someone I did not know. She said,"OH! You're THE Ms. Raney." I said I was and waited. I hear this a lot. She said, "I am the third." I waited some more. "The third in the position since you left. You started the tradition in second grade. When I was hired, I was shown the classroom and where to find the curriculum materials, and told about Mr. M and that he came with the job." I raise my cup of tea, facing west(our ancestors) and to the east (Brooklyn, NY), in honor of Mr. M. The Bible tells us there are angels among us. There are Irish saints, too.