Funny faces, strawberry hearts and fairy houses



I used to hear friends talk about how wonderful it was to have grandchildren. I've always loved babies and children, but I couldn't understand the gift of these children of our children until I had some myself. Our wonderful, smart, happy grandkids -- all eight of them -- have filled me with an ineffable sense of happiness and the goodness of life. They give me the opportunity to get to know this precious flesh of my flesh (and of my husband's flesh), two generations down. They offer the chance to reset mothering mode into that of grandmothering, to do what I can to serve them, these beloved munchkins. Plus -- a BIG plus -- they are so much fun!

One of the very best things the grandkids do is give me "legitimate" entre into a world that, truth be told, I never left after I grew up. Here's how it goes: Mixed up with the French toast and fruit for breakfast is a strawberry that is actually a beautiful red heart. Making funny faces is, well, it's just funny. Gazing into a handheld mirror is the most fascinating thing. Way-too-big crocs are clown shoes, just right for getting a big laugh. And building a fairy house of sticks, shells, sparkly rocks, moss, great big hosta leaves and a little yellow dandelion flower is special, magical fun.

On Friday night Amelia and Isaac spent the night with us so their parents could have a wonderful meal out with friends at Lantern and then a rare leisurely Saturday morning. While Luke and Susannah had a social night out and a relaxing morning, we had the fun, pleasure and busyness of Amelia and Isaac's company. I am a lucky woman indeed.

Back to my blog

After over a year away, I'm starting up the blog again. So much has happened over the past year and a half, lots of change and transformation ... sudden loss of a dear friend, seeing Christy through a tough health year, helping to see my dear friend Becky through her first year of widowhood, supporting Luke's dad through difficult health developments, the recent loss of a friend who was a pillar in our community. Challenges presented and met to the best of my ability. Yet, amid all the hard challenges, there have been lots of blessings. (I suppose one could argue that even the challenges are blessings -- don't they bring us closer together and into a deeper relationship with each other?)

• Christy's health has improved greatly, and she is happy and back at work.
• All eight of our beautiful grandchildren continue growing and bringing so much joy.
• Luke and Susannah now live 8 minutes from us, instead of 4 hours away in Alexandria, Virginia! They were able to move here because Luke can now do his US Patent Office work remotely -- a wonderfully welcome development! This means that all of our children and grandchildren now live pretty close by -- Leila and Hannah and their families live in Apex, about 45 minutes away.
• Mike and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary in May!
• My husband has been an incredible source of support and strength through this challenging year.
• My close friends and singing sisters and I re-formed Pomegranate Rose and sang at the Unity Center of Peace service in early April. Oh, those healing songs!
• Mike's stepdad celebrated his 90th birthday last November.
• The abundant early spring rains have made for a spectacular garden this year.
• We made not one but two trips to our beloved Fort Morgan, Alabama, Gulf beaches -- in October 2010 and February 2011. Many thanks to Bobbie and Buddy for including us!
• I have had lots of fun making and sharing more photos than ever. Taking photos in Amelia's Bluets classes and Isaac's Sweetpeas classes at the North Carolina Botanical Garden was especially fun.

So it's good to be back blogging, a good place to put my thoughts and inspirations. Here is a good thought from Hazrat Inayat Kahn I came across earlier today:

The quality of forgiveness that burns up

all things except beauty is the quality of love.