Transitions, and a bumblebee

This week has been Passover. We didn't host a seder this year, but attended three very different and wonderful seders. The seder plate above is from Alice & Jon's house. You have to admire the amazing sprouting horseradish that Amy pulled out of our garden. It makes the most eye-watering potent ground horseradish you have ever imagined, bringing us very close to the the tears of our ancesters. Second night we were at Debi & Israel's house, joining a wonderfully diverse group some of whom could recite the story from heart and others at their first seder. By last weekend, we were at my brother Eric's house in Buck's County, PA, along with my brother David and my niece Hannah. Eric's place has been undergoing a transformation from run-down old house to Eric's dream house, and it was very special to have an inaugural seder there all together.

Passover is a great holiday - a good story, some debate over the traditions, lots of food, and the wonderful theme of freedom. This year I also was thinking a lot about how much transition happens in the Passover story. There are geographic migrations; passage from plenty to hunger and back; and enormous family changes as Joseph is cast off by his brothers, makes his own life, and years later is reunited with his family.

Why would the theme of transitions catch my attention so much this year? Well ... by the weekend, we were visiting two more colleges (Haverford and Swarthmore) with Sarah. (Sarah reports that she has seen enough for now, and is happy to put the topic away until she makes some decisions in the fall.) While Sarah imagines herself in each college, figuratively "trying it on," we were doing the same (what would visits be like if she went here? Are there fun places to eat around this one? etc.). Life will be very different in a year and a half, as Amy and I embark on our next phase of life together!

It was a glorious weekend at the colleges and then back home on Sunday. I actually took some time to work in the garden (why is there such pleasure in weeding and sweeping the brick walkway to the patio, and so little in cleaning inside the house?). But the busiest bee outside (despite heavy competition from Amy) was .....