Welsh pater is an anagram of the title.

But I digress.

As Mississippi experienced its fleeting Spring, I found a startling amount of free-flowing creativity around water. There's a small body of water near campus that I was able to stop at and get 15 minutes of writing a few days a week. Provided I dropped Baby at my parents' house and left earlier than usual.

Then, two weeks ago, I took off work for a day and went out to a lake in the wilderness. Watched Canada Geese and ducks and lily pads and bass and turtles. Watched loggers fell a dying tree that encroached on the road. I wrote a few pages. I also brainstormed plot arcs. Discarded a few. Melded some others. Cross-pollinated.

Maybe it's got something to do with ions. Or energies. Or seeing God in the world.

I love a lake.

If there's anything I learned from Beowulf, it's the value of hospitality. Consider yourself invited to virtually experience Easter lunch at the Nagel home. Unfortunately, I'll need to leave shortly to get to work on time, but I want to see you all. Seating is tight and all the corporeal guests have place cards, but feel free to squeeze in where you can. We brought the dining room table into the kitchen/living room and added two leaves. So we've got a bit more room than usual.



What are we having? My older brother and his wife brought the green bean casserole and the ham. My sister-in-law, her roommate and my cousin-in-law(?) brought the corn and cranberry sauce. Mom and Dad brought the sweet potatoes and fresh broccoli. Em and Baby and I contributed the rolls, the turkey roast, the dressing, the gravy and desserts: pumpkin pie, peanut butter-fudge bars and cherry cobbler with ice cream.

For drinks, we have water and sweet tea, with optional milk with dessert. We would have served coffee but were unsure of demand.

This is my view of the Easter table right before we dig in: my beautiful wife, my gorgeous baby and everyone drooling in anticipation. Hooray for redemption, hope and family. I wish you all the best in the new church year.



There's a bit of a lull in the conversation right now because everyone is concentrating on the glorious, scratch-made bounty and the best way to get it into their mouths.
Nom nom nom



ps. I am the little hostess responsible for the the place cards, the dessert plates and forks, the crystal bowls . . .

Check it out.

Upper left corner is my sketchy-sketch that I did during the sermon one week. Main figure is a 'drawring' by one of my student workers, Albert. If you can make out the pixelated writing, I've noted that the overall effect is too much mummy, but it'll work for now.

I've set SK (Skirtling Boy) on a back burner for now. But it's still bubbling away. As any good Southerner knows, that's where the good stuff gets cooked.

^ Not an April Fool's joke.