This cute little swishy face

belongs to my Godson Jude.

When he and his folks moved to Chicago a couple of summers ago, he was a little guy. One of his favorite people is Biss. He enjoys playing soccer and kind of follows his own groove. He is an extremely bright light and a very creative soul. His mom and dad enjoy him so much. Their family is a beautiful experience to behold.

One of my nicest memories is a fun walk we took one time to Spanish Banks. His mama and I strolled ahead down to the point and when we came back we found he and his dad dancing and drumming amongst the tiki torches. They were having such a fun time. We stayed and enjoyed the warm night till it got too chilly and then headed back to my place for some hot cocoa. Jude fell asleep while we played guitar and told stories.

The Happiest News of 2006 is that Jude's family will be moving back to Canada in just a few weeks! I looking forward to some lazy summer walks to come, and the joy of meeting his baby sister Esme.

FAMILIA FRANCISCO, EST. 1967

Easter; 22 years ago

Churchyard, Chilliwack, BC ; circa 1984

My papa just sent this picture. It hung above our piano for most of my growing up years. In it, Mom, Jeff, Pam and Matt look like they're sharing a chuckle while my Dad & I look like we either missed the punchline "Huh?...". or a more likely explanation could be that we're just coming down from the Cad-bury EasterCreme-Eggs!/Jellybean-Hunt- Induced SUGAR HIGH, that Matthew would annually shake us out of our peaceful slumbers for, generally a few hours before the crack of dawn! :)

In either case, we had just moved from Ontario, land of toboggans and snowforts to a mysterious new land where Cougar Boots were no longer required. I think at this point I was still getting comfortable in my new footwear; the standard jr. high dresscode: stirrup pants and pastel jellybean sparkle sandals, not quite yet, (shall we say) "me".

Anyway, A Blessed Easter/Pascha! to all, whether you've just come through your celebrations, or you're in the homestretch this week. I'll be with the Motet's in Victoria for Easter this coming weekend and will look forward to add a few Romanian customs to my season!