me 'n Big Steve

So... we have our 35th wedding anniversary this fall, and I am glad we have weathered together so long. Can't say every moment is bliss, but as men go, BS is pretty fabulous, and I, of course, and simply a joy to live with. ahem

A few things I want to do this year.
1. Build a little addition onto our back deck.
2. Start exercising again.
2.5 To sit in the rocker on the front porch when I am done exercising.
3. Wash all the windows in the whole house.
3.5 To sit in the rocker on the back porch when I am done washing windows.
4. Take a driving holiday to the north east.
5. Find a book worth reading.
5.5 To sit on the front porch and read the book.
6. See the ocean again.
7. Have The Girls to our place for a month or so.
7.5 To sit with The Girls in rockers on the back porch and talk silly.
8. To sit in the rocker on the front porch and do nothing.

That's all. My dreams are getting smaller but more beautiful.

you tell me

My colleague received an interesting package yesterday. It was from an internet source, and was a baggie with elephant dung (scat) in it. I can verify that it was dung ... dried and crusted in straw, and I imagine it could well be elephant.

My colleague was indignant. He felt insulted and offended. He tossed the baggie into the garbage. When I found out what had happened I dug it out of the garbage. I phoned my kid Vincent and he was ecstatic. What a great thing to have! What a gift!

Clearly, what is one man's treasure is another man's tragedy. But here is the question. Was it an insult? Or a joke? Or a gift of strange measure.

travel prayers

Our son the young professor and his family are en route to Indonesia to begin life there in a new world. Our farewell over the phone was warm and loving, and I realize how much of a gift it is to be in relationship with my kids, all of them.

Ben and Kari - you are in our prayers today with the little ones, traveling with your tons of luggage. I am not the least worried that you won't have the stuff for this adventure. Let us know when you arrive. I pray fifteen angels to watch over you. That is not a waste of angels.

sadness

Really good guy, father, friend, hard worker - had a heart attack and died while riding his bike to work this morning. I am friends with his wife. Makes me want to hug someone I love.

Friday as usual

So... got up this morning feeling logi. Don't know how to spell that (logi) but it means, at least to me, blah, bloated, like you have sand in your veins, like a beached whale, like you don't know how you will make it through the day.

I chose some funky stockings and a skirt with bright shoes, and got to my office where Rob greeted me with a question of my dress. "Today is JEANS day," he said. Now, when I was a kid I went to a neighborhood public school where girls were not allowed to wear pants unless it was "Pants Day". (Says how old I am huh?) Pants Day was our day of freedom. It was the day the little women of Barton High felt emancipated. So, when Rob said it was Jeans Day I had a sinking feeling that I was about to miss all the fun and sit alone in prison all day. Driven by inward passion, I turned around, got into my car, drove home. And this is what happened.

Time being of the essence, I grabbed my new jeans off the shelf and SQUEEZED into them with a hopeful spirit. They are fabulous I must say. But my granny panties, which truly make a granny happy, and I might add, cannot be topped for comfort, were bunched three inches out the top of my jeans. Not a first rate look I thought.

So I tore off the jeans, grabbed a more appropriate under garment, and put myself back together. Grinned at the mirror. Decided the shirt I had on was lousy and threw it on the floor and chose a purple Old Navy long sleeve T with a long black under shirt ... young and foxy. Changed my earings, one fell in half and I had to figure out how to loop it back together. Dang.

Then I heard the cat tormenting the birds. Walter the girl cat is a mighty hunter and although we have trained her to leave the finches alone, sometimes she cannot help herself. They are, after all, a fresh food feline tapas bar. Knowing it would be above zero today I decided to throw Walter outside. I tried to coax her, grab her, and ended up having to chase her over the couch, around through the kitchen and dining room twice, and knocked over two chairs before I had a firm grip on her tail. I dragged her to me and tossed her out the door.

Puffed, I pulled on a little jacket and ran out to the car, racing to work and getting in just three minutes late for a meeting. Grinning. Felt like I had had a big time. Had a huge laugh inside me. It was the most therapeutic 17 minutes of my year so far.

Maybe we are all simply kids inside. Maybe jeans really ARE the magic clothing we thought they were when we were teens. Maybe I just needed to abuse my cat a little. In any case, my day got a lot brighter and these jeans are foxy. Making me happy. And it's Friday. Whoooeee!

(all the above pictures are simply reasonable facsimile ... my ass is much much cuter than this.)

and the little ones shall lead them

You may read a version of this on my daughter's blog if you read it ...but she called and told me this story and I have to tell you all.

Kyra, my fabulous oldest granddaughter, goes to a school at which she is a minority. By minority, I mean like the only white kid in her grade. She doesn't even notice.

Being as February is Black History Month, her class is doing many things, including a big party where everyone is bringing their favorite 'soul food.'

Kyra's teacher talked to her and since she didn't know what soul food was, she was given the option of bringing some food from Canada.

Her best friend, Mayia (pictured above talking to each other using Nintendo DS while they are side by side...) is bringing macaroni and cheese. See how small the differences are? We have macaroni and cheese in Canada! ;-)

This is the girl who, arriving home from school after learning about Rosa Parks said, with passion, "If Rosa Parks didn't do what she did, we would still be sitting at the back of the bus!" I think this is the best education Kyra could have.
There may be hope for the world yet.