February 14--My Heart in Many Places

Making a decision to have a child--it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.  --Elizabeth Stone

    This is what inspired the "set of angels" series that started off my blog writings this year. Our two sons moved to Colorado over a decade ago, and the addition of a daughter-in-law and grandson means two more pieces of my heart walking around outside my body. What a great way of describing being a parent!

    Happy Valentine's Day!

        Leta

February 13--The Joy of Children

What can we make of the inexpressible joy of children? It is a kind of gratitude. 
--Annie Dillard

    My 6-month-old grandson is an inexpressible joy to me. I look at his pictures in wonder at this perfect human body formed in about nine months from two tiny seeds. His "big kid" dad is really good at getting smiles out of him with goofy noises and faces. Everything is new and interesting. It is a thing of beauty to explore the world through a child's eyes. 

    Our eight-home court has a mixture of older couples and young families. I love a warm day when the neighbor children get out and play with the latest ball or trike or gadget. It's all just plain fun without a care in the world. Maybe we adults would be better off if we adopted that mode of operation!

        Leta

Little ones at the beach...
does it get any better?

Way to go, Chiefs!!

February 12--Family IS Everything

Family is not an important thing. It's everything.  --Michael J. Fox

    AMEN! many times over. Here's an example. My husband drove ~600 miles to Colorado yesterday, to spend today skiing with our younger son, then he's coming home tomorrow. It's a lot of driving for one day of skiing, but like me golfing with our sons, this is his favorite adventure with them. Oh, and by the way, this includes some alone time for me 😉😉 Alas, I have devoted a big chunk of that alone time to much-needed house cleaning. But it's DONE!!!!! Now I'm all set for...

Super Bowl 57, GO CHIEFS!!!!

    Aren't Roman numerals dumb!?!?!

        Leta

February 11--It's a "Must Have"

Call it a clan, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.  --Jane Howard

    My best friend from high school has been begging me for a couple years to come to our 50th reunion this year in Pennsylvania in August. I have never been to a high school reunion and would like to keep that streak intact. And hallelujah, I just learned recently that there is an event in my area that weekend that I need to attend more than the reunion. Whew!

    I would offer that we need more than one, whatever we call it. I've had several church families, and there's my golfing tribe, my MELT/yoga community, and my 12-step clan. That's all in addition to my family of origin, the family I helped to create, and the large tribe of friends collected along the way. Life is rich because of all these connections. I can't imagine life without all the clans, tribes and family!

        Leta

Family fun in MD last summer

February 10--My Dad

What is a family, after all, except memories?--haphazard and precious as the contents of a catchall drawer in the kitchen.  --Joyce Carol Oates

    We have a couple (several!?!?) catchall drawers in our kitchen/dining area, and I'd say my family is a lot more precious than those contents!

    The thought of memories this morning leads me to my dad. Even though he passed in 2000, I still miss him every day. He spent countless hours teaching me to swim at Whipple Dam State Park in central Pennsylvania. The family business was a sawmill across the road and through the woods from our house. Dad walked to work on a well-worn path, and used it each day to come home for Campbell's soup for lunch. I walked that path many a time. To this day, the smell of sawdust brings tears to my eyes because that was how my dad smelled. My dad drove the truck delivering lumber orders, and when I wasn't in school, I was in the lumber truck with him. Somehow after each delivery we ended up at a favorite ice cream stand. 😉😉 My dad taught me finances and generosity. He tried to teach me tennis (he was an excellent athlete in his youth), but I wasn't very good at that. Once I reached the "doing chores" age, after supper it was me washing the dishes and Dad drying them. We spent many hours at the kitchen sink together. He taught me all I know about football. I remember watching the first few Super Bowls with him. Though my mom was a dedicated church-goer, my dad never went--another way I have become like him 😏 It was devastating to see him slip into stroke-induced dementia. His last amazing act was to transition on the same day Mom did, September 24, 21 years after her. 

    Very precious memories!

        Leta

My photo

Photo from the park's website...
yes, it's that beautiful!!

February 9--Mountains of Love in Return

Give a little love to a child, and you get a great deal back.  --John Ruskin

    The two best and favorite things I did for my sons (and me!) were to read aloud to them every night for years and to teach them to play golf. Both have a love of reading and great curiosity to this day. And my most favorite thing to do is play golf with them. I get much more back than I have ever given. 

    My new grandson, already close to six months old--every single smile is a heart-melter. He is at that glorious age where goofy sounds and funny faces make him light up. I can hardly wait to explore the world with him and see things anew through his eyes!

    On a side note, my first week of tax work is complete (yes, Wednesday = Friday for me). After all these years of working, I finally have a corner office with a window. It's a tiny office, yes, but still my own space with a door. They did not have an Excel license for me on Monday, but I had it Tuesday morning when I arrived. My boss was so happy with all I completed in two days that she has begged me to work more hours. This makes me smile. I said "maybe," that I would consider it after an upcoming trip. I like Wednesday = Friday! I was quite anxious going into this gig, so I'm tickled that this first three days have gone so well. 

    Below is today's Astronomy Picture of the Day, nacreous clouds over Lapland--too beautiful not to share. 

    Life is good!

        Leta

Our Mother is amazing!!!

February 8--Fine Art

The family is one of nature's masterpieces.  --George Santayana

    Just like any piece of art, there are infinite perspectives and opinions. That's why families so often avoid talking about politics or religion--opinions are so likely to differ. 

    My son, his wife, and our new grandson are so fun to watch together. On our recent visit, when we first held Luca and he would see his mom or dad, the pout appeared and the crying soon followed. But as we hung out around him, he soon got used to us, and he even let me hold and play with him for a half hour. Luca knows where the day-to-day love is--mom and dad. The three of them are a beautiful work of nature!

    My brother appears to be recovering from Covid, and I am so relieved. He and I are the last of the "masterpiece" that was our family of origin. It's a little freaky to ponder being the only one left of a family. 

    Right now, all is well,

        Leta

My big bro and me