Enchanted April: To those who appreciate wisteria and sonshine

To Those who Appreciate Wistaria and Sunshine.
Small mediaeval Italian Castle on the shores
of the Mediterranean to be Let Furnished for
the month of April. Necessary servants remain.
Z, Box 1000, The Times.

I am happily exhausted.

"Enchanted April" is over, my "play" mates scattered.

*Sigh*

But, like the characters who bonded in the lovely ambience at San Salvatore, we're already planning to get together, to see the play when another group performs it in another venue, and one member has invited us all to her lake house later this spring.

This was all an amazing blessing to me:

One of my favorite stories comes along and I get a part just the right size for me at my level of experience, plus, speaking a language I've always loved,and just having fun when I needed a break from nursemaiding dh after his foot surgery.

I see the Lord having made sure I read an article a few years ago about this ten-year-old movie I had missed, "Enchanted April." It sounded delightful.

Some weeks later, Blockbuster had a huge sale of old movies and there it was. I bought it and loved it.

Recently, although I usually read the news online, I picked up a local paper and saw the ad for the audition, and amazingly, got a part. In Italian.

Then, sweet, funny, talented people were chosen to be at San Salvatore with me in cast and crew.

All this falling into place just as when the main character, Lotty, went to London on a different day than usual, and read the ad in the paper at her woman's club--when
Rose, who Lotty wanted as her future traveling companion, happened to be there as well....

In the last scene, the cast crossed the stage slowly in couples or alone as they looked at San Salvatore one last time. I (Costanza, a "necessary servant") stood to the side waving good-bye, and the last time, my tears were real. :' ) I would miss these characters and the awesome people who played them in this imaginary place. And the awesome crew that kept things moving along.

After the closing matinee, we stayed behind to take down the set and clean up the Green Room. Then I went home to meet a daughter and her husband and child, who took us out to dinner.

I also found a surprise from them, a pot with a tall budding wisteria standing in the afternoon sunshine.

My husband planted it for me today.

This was a wonderful experience beyond my comfort zone, but with much more fun than fear. God is so awesome and so good and I look forward to throwing my arms around His neck one day!

If you like, read the online book.