Sunday, July 31, 2011

Old Friends

There's something precious about spending time with people who share your past. People who were there for your "formative" years. People who remember you when, remember your family home, remember your first date, remember the games you played in the neighborhood.

I'm grateful for a recent visit from my oldest friend. Hadn't actually been together for 18 years, but from the minute our visit began, we were exactly the same as when we first met. We spent hours boring our daughters as we laughed, laughed, laughed our way through stories of events big and small from our teen years. We caught up on our current lives and relived our past through pictures. Some of it was sad--actually, kind of a lot of it--but necessary. We remembered little things that have taken on deeper meaning, now that others have passed on. But mostly, we laughed. She has an INCREDIBLE ability to recall names, dates, places. These tiny details flipped switches in my mind that haven't been turned on in DECADES.

It was a really cathartic visit. It was energizing, exhausting, and emotional. And for that I am so grateful. Thanks, my friend.http://youtu.be/BPTOY8FrvNw

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Winning?

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I think I've ended my streak of death and destruction. When it comes to growing things, I have a lllooonnnggg history of taking innocent lives. I am the person who killed the indestructible jade plant in college. I'm the person who grew an unhealthy-looking stick out of an avocado seed. Spider plant cuttings have never taken root under my watch, though actual spiders seem to thrive in my house. And last year, my lone green pepper grew large, with a walnut-sized hole through its center, until the local squirrel made it into his lunch.

But maybe, just maybe, those days are over. I have a blooming--nay, FLOURISHING!--garden!! It's small, yes, but it's STILL ALIVE.  Even though I didn't plant until mid-June, even though I used two-year-old seeds, EVEN THOUGH we're in the midst of the worst heat wave since 1988, MY GARDEN IS GROWING! (Guess I'm in a caps kind of mood this morning). If this continues, I will have 4 kinds of sweet peppers, 4 kinds of summer squash, and lots of herbs to freeze, come fall. This is incredible. Unbelievable. Unprecedented.  I can't wait to eat the fruits of my labor.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Family Connections

I'm excited to see my sister-in-law and my niece this week. It's been several years, though we've seen each other electronically.  I'm sad that my brother can't make the trip, but this will be great.

My niece will be attending college in Chicago in the fall, which means she'll live within driving distance.  My own daughter will also be living in Chicago. While we haven't ever lived physically near them, I marvel at the connection between my girls and my niece and nephew. When I was growing up, I saw all my cousins weekly. We all lived near each other, our parents vacationed together at the family cottage, we were each other's closest friends for most of our childhood. Things are really different for my girls. We've never lived near immediate family, and though they have several sets of cousins, once a year at Christmas is really the only time they see each other.

And yet, my girls feel so close to the two cousins who live the farthest away. I think that's cool. They share a connection that they discovered at a later age, and while they don't write or call or talk to each other at all, when they're all together, it's as if they've never been apart. I don't know what the connection is, but whatever it is, it works. And it's a joy to hear them all giggling together. I'm really looking forward to that sound again this week. And I know my brother and sister-in-law feel better knowing that my daughter will be in Chicago to look out for their daughter.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Red, White, and Blue

RED:  the color of my skin after many hours in the sun this weekend (yes, I use sunblock religiously, but the sun was mega-powerful here).

WHITE: the blank text box for this week's blog post. It glares at me when I have no ideas.

BLUE: the pool liner (considerably faded from years of chemicals), beckoning me to float my cares away for the rest of the summer.
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RED:  my cheeks after my morning Wii workout.

WHITE: the vanilla ice cream calling to me from the freezer.

BLUE:  the blueberries I mixed into my yogurt, in place of the ice cream I really wanted.
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RED: the watermelon that will be devoured by my beautiful daughters and son during tomorrow's festivities.

WHITE:  the color to which I hope my teeth return after a few weeks of Crest White Strips.

BLUE: my mood as I realize that July marks the halfway point of my summer vacation.
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