Love on the Wing
I love nature. I relish being outside, and when I can't, I enjoy being where I have a really good view. It's one of the reasons I love my house so much, because not only does it sit in a beautiful rural setting, but it also has floor to ceiling windows all along the back so I can enjoy that setting when I'm inside, too. Even though I have about a 50 minute (sometimes an hour with traffic) commute to Emmie's house to watch the kids, I don't really mind the drive because I've found a route that takes me on back-roads with beautiful countryside, and I often have a wonderful view of the sun rising as I drive. The rolling pastures filled with horses and cattle fly by my window and it's...
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
I sat around the table from my old friends last night, after quite a long while since seeing them. Too long. Some of these friends have been in my life for 40 years, but all have been a part of it for over 35. We did the craziness of high school together, and then followed it up with the craziness of life. After I spilled my own news, catching everyone up on the big stuff, I sat over my dinner and listened to theirs. In my mind's eye we all look the same as we did, but I stepped back last night and allowed myself to see the years, and life experiences, etched in our faces. Two of us are grandmothers with a third to follow this summer. The youngest of our children is 16. We are all...
Perspective
I've mentioned before that I'm a history and documentary buff. Because I think it's important, I periodically re-watch Ken Burns' THE WAR, which is one of the most excellent bodies of work on WWII that I've ever seen. Just prior to the invasion at Normandy, Eisenhower issued a letter to all troops. There was a line in there that particularly struck me: "The eyes of the world are upon you." And certainly they were. But what I found interesting is that this statement, now, today, is PROFOUNDLY accurate. We've never been more exposed to the world. Our comings and goings, our work and family life, even what we had for dinner, are broadcast, literally, around the world through umpteen social...
My People
I typically have Brody on Mondays, and Lilli after school, but since school was out yesterday (but not for Emmie), I had them both. I thought it would be fun to take them to the aquarium, and Rain Forest Cafe, both located in a big mall near her town, so we loaded up and headed out. They loved the aquarium, even though it was quite crowded because apparently everyone else thought it would be fun, too. They oohed and ahhed over the beautiful "Dorys" and "Nemos," screamed a little over the sharks, and were mesmerized by the stingrays and jelly fish. There was a cool play area, too, where they ran a lot of their energy out before we headed to the restaurant. By the time we got there,...
Safe Haven
My daughter is a no-nonsense disciplinarian. Because she was an envelope-pusher herself, as a child, she can read her kids like a book and knows just what they're thinking, typically shutting the problem right down. We had Kevin's family over on Saturday, and while they were playing with their cousin, Collin, there was an altercation between Lilli and Brody. Kevin and I were in the kitchen, getting the final prep done for lunch, when we heard Emmie handling the situation. He started a conversation that went something like this: "Wow, she is really doesn't let them get away with anything. I don't ever remember being that strict." "You're kidding, right?! Her discipline style is...