Present and absence

Once again, we have been given a wonderful present. I will be absent and without computer access for more than a week.

I will be with my Beloved and his parents, his older brother and his wife, our children and our Pup in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone in Wyoming. We will have the proverbial road trip there and back. I look forward to sharing photos and our journey with you when we return. I have been blessed with the most wonderful parents-in-law. They are paying for us to have this family vacation with them (a year into unemployment, this would have been impossible for us). We want to create as many memories for our children with their grandparents as possible. Grandpa Tom turns 82 this year. Wyoming here we come!

Dog days of Summer

We have been blessed again by the generosity of family friends. We were able to stay in Chatham (Cape Cod) for four days last week. The little cottage is charming with new cedar siding, hard wood floors with years of salt and sea water sanding the wood in spots and comfortable rooms for us to sleep in at night. It rained in the evenings as we drifted off to sleep with sand in our hair. This week, news reports talk about sharks being sited off the beach we were on. I have a feeling they are attracted to the seals. The seals were prolific while we were there. We saw many at the Fishing Pier when the fishermen came in with their afternoon catch. We also saw them during low tide out on a sandbar. I grew up swimming in waters that held dolphins and sharks. They were the little dog fish sharks, angel sharks and some nurse sharks (in So. Cal). I knew to swim to shore and avoid them for a while. My beloved got to snorkel a lot. He told me of the wonderful underwater world he got to observe. Horseshoe crabs, spotted crabs, starfish, schools of baby eels and minnows, and the sounds he could hear from the surface. We stuffed ourselves with fresh seafood from the Chatham Pier Fish Market. My beloved tenderly cotton swabbed my sunburned back with apple cider vinegar (I'm at the point of peeling shoulders now). There is no TV but, we were able to watch DVDs so, a few evenings we watched Singing In The Rain and North by Northwest.  Cape Cod is busier in the Summer months than in Spring but, there is still a sleepy New England feel to the place. At times, we had the miles of beach to ourselves. As the tide went out, we found hundreds of sea snails in ornate, pink and purple and tan shells. Our children would giggle as the snails would squirt a stream of salt water out, as they retreated into their shells, while being held by little, gritty hands.Mom and Dad (Grandma Sonnie and Grandpa Tom) were with us and in spite of a newly broken rib, Mom did fairly well. I guess we all needed this respite. Mom and Dad enjoyed the get-away and kept chatting about how they could "live in a cottage like this". David needed the time under water and away from the reality of life in the unemployment lane. The children always love road trips and the beach (so do I).  And I enjoyed watching everyone else every lazy day. I also filled my pockets with shells and round, smooth, ancient rocks. Priceless.

the bounty of summer berries

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  Recently, my beloved's parents arrived from the West Coast to spend some time with us and their grand-kids. A few towns over is a wonderful farm. Summer berry picking is a favorite for our family. In season are golden, red, and black raspberries. The farm also has cherry trees and a blueberry field.  We filled our hands and mouths with the sweetest cherries. The children had lips and finger tips stained with berry juice. The bounty was plentiful.Grandpa Tom and Grandma Sonnie were in their element with the children. Instructing them on the secrets of finding the perfect berries, how to pick them off the stem, how to avoid the little thorns on the blackberry bushes. The weather was perfect with N. C. Wyeth clouds in the sky, a slight breeze to dry our sun drenched skin, and the orchard graced with bronze beetles, berry stained children, and electronic bird songs in the blueberry patch (to frighten away the real birds from stealing our blueberries).I am in awe of the colors on a blueberry bush. In the same cluster, I see new berry greens, a blush of pale pink, periwinkle and then the sheen of the ripe blueberry so rich in it's purple hue.

Our trio enjoyed their outing to the orchard. Their bellies full of fruit and minds full of memories just as sweet. Now, we search for ways to eat up all the berries. We've had them in cereals, in yogurt, on whipped cream, and just by the handful. Any suggestions? I think I'll make waffles for breakfast.

Friday ~ last day of school

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  Our oldest son finishes first grade today. He is growing up. We are so blessed to be his parents. We struggled for 10 years to have a baby. Finally, we decided to adopt. From the time we entered the adoption agency to the time we left the hospital with Grant in our arms, was the length of a pregnancy (9 months). We met Grant a month before he was born. His birth mom and dad chose us to be their baby's parents. What a gift of love they gave us! The four of us chose his name. Grant ~ "to bestow a gift or keep a promise". It fits him perfectly. He is a happy, healthy, and active boy. He loves his family, our dog, our cats, science, math, the civil war, sports, chess, and Wii sports. He makes us smile every day.We could not imagine life without this precious son of ours. We thank God every day for him. I am so thankful that his birth mom chose to give him life. I was in the delivery room when Grant was born. I wiped tears falling from her eyes. I wiped my own too.
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  Psalm 126:6 "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy (and lullabies)".

What I Love About the Ocean

I love going to the ocean. I was born near water and have always lived near an ocean. As a child, it was the Pacific Ocean, now it is the Atlantic Ocean.

• I am not the type to sunbathe or surf. I'd rather beachcomb. I love finding sea glass and shells and beautiful ocean rocks that have been polished by years of salt water and movement.

• I love the sound of the waves crashing. I love the low tide when I can walk out into the water and find shells seldom seen. Tide pools inspire me. When we lived in San Diego, the tide pools, near La Jolla,  filled with sea urchins, sea anemones, mussels and tiny shells was a frequent place to explore.  I have fond memories of deep sea fishing with my Father off the Pacific coast in Redondo Beach, California. We would catch fish and place them in gunnysacks. I remember watching Daddy gut and clean the fish. It was a man's job with a sharp knife. That night we'd enjoy our fish feast. Our home smelled of fish. So did the green VW bus we rode in. The memory of the sea between my toes and in my hair and ears washed off at bath time remained in the tub. The ever present sand reminding me of our trip to the sea. As I drifted off to sleep, I could hear the ocean sounds and feel the swaying of the waves.
• Sand castle contests in Ocean Beach, California is fascinating to see. The talent of sand artists is a rarity. We found this sand art on the beach of Ogunquit, Maine. I have experienced the ocean in all seasons. I have bundled up and walked the sand in snow boots. I have had sand in my hair for days. I have tasted salt. I have felt the spray of sea water on my face. I have felt the tug of the sand under my feet pulling me deeper.  I have sung songs around a fire and eaten hotdogs and toasted marshmallows with my friends. I have had my Mother wipe my burned skin with apple cider vinegar to cool my pain. I have years of freckles from sea sun. Now, we are introducing our children to the sea and all it's wonders. They collect broken shells, driftwood, sea glass, smooth stones, and fallen feathers with unruly and separate vanes. They are building their own memories of the sea. We are remembering ours and seeing it fresh again.

green and gold

My beloved surrounded by the quartet and pup-pup. He loved the handmade cards, corned beef and cabbage and potato leek soup. He is finer than gold to me. Our children are green shoots emerging from the winter snow. Spring is upon us. Welcoming us with sunshine and possibilities.