Gratitude #83 - Sweet Biddies!
11 years ago
Saturday, May 23, 2009
laura (and I think i have told this one before!)
Many years ago we met Laura.
She was 7, as I remember. We were both temporary Texans, they from New York State, to Texas by way of Idaho and Southern California. We straight from Idaho.
Her dad (another of those David’s in my life) was a hospital nutritionist, whose parent company loaned him around a lot. Mom was a nurse. We all became good friends, Grandpa and Grandma, Laura and her brother Scott. He was too young to remember us much.
Laura’s birthday is a few days from mine. I have long forgotten the exact day, which is the way it is, but when it is my birthday I send her an email, via her parents.
“Laura, wherever you are, have a happy Birthday -- Grandpa Dave.” Sometimes mom would answer and tell me where Laura was, sometimes Dad would and sometimes I would get no answer.
Last year I sent the usual message, and months later I was looking through my computer and I had two email addresses for Dad David. Hmm. I think I used the abandoned one, so I resent the message, apologizing for being late.
Mom Corinne wrote this wonderful letter telling me that Laura was married, was due to have a baby very soon, that she was in Michigan at the Seminary with her about to be pastor husband. When he finished at the Seminary they were moving to Florida, where he had a job.
And she sent me Laura’s email address. So I wrote and Laura wrote back and sent pictures when Julian Bridget was born and again later. She was a beautiful baby, and I am not one to swoon over newborns.
I explained to Miriam that Laura’s baby was our first great great grand child, since she called us grandpa when she was 7 and she just had a baby, we were great grandparents.
So, once again. Happy Birthday Laura. Best to you and your little one and your dear husband..
She was 7, as I remember. We were both temporary Texans, they from New York State, to Texas by way of Idaho and Southern California. We straight from Idaho.
Her dad (another of those David’s in my life) was a hospital nutritionist, whose parent company loaned him around a lot. Mom was a nurse. We all became good friends, Grandpa and Grandma, Laura and her brother Scott. He was too young to remember us much.
Laura’s birthday is a few days from mine. I have long forgotten the exact day, which is the way it is, but when it is my birthday I send her an email, via her parents.
“Laura, wherever you are, have a happy Birthday -- Grandpa Dave.” Sometimes mom would answer and tell me where Laura was, sometimes Dad would and sometimes I would get no answer.
Last year I sent the usual message, and months later I was looking through my computer and I had two email addresses for Dad David. Hmm. I think I used the abandoned one, so I resent the message, apologizing for being late.
Mom Corinne wrote this wonderful letter telling me that Laura was married, was due to have a baby very soon, that she was in Michigan at the Seminary with her about to be pastor husband. When he finished at the Seminary they were moving to Florida, where he had a job.
And she sent me Laura’s email address. So I wrote and Laura wrote back and sent pictures when Julian Bridget was born and again later. She was a beautiful baby, and I am not one to swoon over newborns.
I explained to Miriam that Laura’s baby was our first great great grand child, since she called us grandpa when she was 7 and she just had a baby, we were great grandparents.
So, once again. Happy Birthday Laura. Best to you and your little one and your dear husband..
Friday, May 22, 2009
Congratulations Brianna
Sunday Brianna graduates from middle school.
Her school had 4 students, the oldest graduated a few years ago, and she is the only one in her class: she is a home schooler. She has been well taught.
Brianna is one of the chosen ones, She came into our lives not by birth, but by choice, and I am ever so glad she did.
You will do well, Bri.
Congratulations Stefanie
Congratulations Stefanie.
Saturday she graduates from RIT with high honors. I am very impressed.
I met Stef on an Alzheimer's site. She needed a grandpa. I said sure. That was 3 years ago.
I am proud to know her.
These are good ladies.
our ducks
We have a year round stream running through our property.
It is not huge, but any time of year is wider than I could ever jump over. In the summer the water is deeper and wider from irrigation runoff.
For a number of years we have had a pair of mallard ducks living on that stream. Sometimes there is two pair. I don’t know if they are the same pair or if they are the same two, even. Nature is not quite as clean and comfortable as we might wish.
Any way, each spring the hens lay a nest of eggs. I don’t know where, but they pull it off. Right now the chicks are swimming up and down the stream with Mother’s careful guidance.
The problem is that there are muskrat in the stream. The neighbors all have dogs and we have feral cats. When I mowed the lawn the other day, I found some little feathers. A cat had killed a bird of some sort.
Of course the cats, who look peaceful and even pretty, are a menace to all birds. We used to have a flock of quail that hung around our back acre. Not any more. We have squirrels, and I have never seen the cats and the squirrels go at each other. I am always amazed when the pair pull off the parenting ritual, and they do it every year.
I guess the upside is that we don’t have mice.
It is not huge, but any time of year is wider than I could ever jump over. In the summer the water is deeper and wider from irrigation runoff.
For a number of years we have had a pair of mallard ducks living on that stream. Sometimes there is two pair. I don’t know if they are the same pair or if they are the same two, even. Nature is not quite as clean and comfortable as we might wish.
Any way, each spring the hens lay a nest of eggs. I don’t know where, but they pull it off. Right now the chicks are swimming up and down the stream with Mother’s careful guidance.
The problem is that there are muskrat in the stream. The neighbors all have dogs and we have feral cats. When I mowed the lawn the other day, I found some little feathers. A cat had killed a bird of some sort.
Of course the cats, who look peaceful and even pretty, are a menace to all birds. We used to have a flock of quail that hung around our back acre. Not any more. We have squirrels, and I have never seen the cats and the squirrels go at each other. I am always amazed when the pair pull off the parenting ritual, and they do it every year.
I guess the upside is that we don’t have mice.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
old feeder
This is an intriguing old bird feeder that was in the back yard of Linda's Portland house when she bought it.
Look at the joinery, the colors and the details.
Probably a factory job, but hard to know for sure.
Next time I go to portland I'll take some wood and tools and repair the roof.
the proper thing to do
When we left Portland we did the right thing.
No one would be home for a week and a half, so we cleared out the refer and fruit supply of anything that might spoil during that point.
It seemed the right thing to do, and it was.
But in the freezer, there was close to half a carton a very nice ice cream. Linda does not eat ice cream and if she won’t neither will Emily. Hmm.
So I wrapped the package in a towel and put it in an insulated lunch box we had with us, wrapped the whole thing in my down vest and put it behind the seat of the pickup.
It was a hot day and the pickup was the coolest place. And, in about 2 or 2 ½ hours, we would be at a rest stop. . .
Sure enough, we got to the rest stop, did a bit of rest and I pulled out the lunch box.
Almost perfect. Nice and soft on the edges for me and hard in the middle for Miriam. We keep our vehicles equipped for this kind of thing with a good selection of throw away cutlery.
The rest stop was throughly in the middle of an Eastern Oregon desert and it was pretty warm. (note: much of eastern oregon would be classified as desert).
And, it was pretty sweet too!
No one would be home for a week and a half, so we cleared out the refer and fruit supply of anything that might spoil during that point.
It seemed the right thing to do, and it was.
But in the freezer, there was close to half a carton a very nice ice cream. Linda does not eat ice cream and if she won’t neither will Emily. Hmm.
So I wrapped the package in a towel and put it in an insulated lunch box we had with us, wrapped the whole thing in my down vest and put it behind the seat of the pickup.
It was a hot day and the pickup was the coolest place. And, in about 2 or 2 ½ hours, we would be at a rest stop. . .
Sure enough, we got to the rest stop, did a bit of rest and I pulled out the lunch box.
Almost perfect. Nice and soft on the edges for me and hard in the middle for Miriam. We keep our vehicles equipped for this kind of thing with a good selection of throw away cutlery.
The rest stop was throughly in the middle of an Eastern Oregon desert and it was pretty warm. (note: much of eastern oregon would be classified as desert).
And, it was pretty sweet too!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
ahh
Yesterday we drove 400 miles and I was beat.
When we lived in Texas it took 3 -- 600 mile days to make the trip. Our car did not have AC nor cruise.
To do 600 miles in a day you have to be actually driving, not counting stops, for almost 12 hours. We would try to be on the road by 5 in the morning with a lunch and hope to arrive at our goal town by 7 or 8 in the evening. Get up the next day and do it again, 3 days in a row.
We made that run about a dozen times. Once we flew to Linda's college graduation, it took 4 hours.
That was 20 plus years ago. I know I could not do it now, AC, cruise or fab stereo.
But it is good to be home, no matter where that home is!
And, we don’t have a garbage disposal, WHEW.
Just knee high dandelions!
When we lived in Texas it took 3 -- 600 mile days to make the trip. Our car did not have AC nor cruise.
To do 600 miles in a day you have to be actually driving, not counting stops, for almost 12 hours. We would try to be on the road by 5 in the morning with a lunch and hope to arrive at our goal town by 7 or 8 in the evening. Get up the next day and do it again, 3 days in a row.
We made that run about a dozen times. Once we flew to Linda's college graduation, it took 4 hours.
That was 20 plus years ago. I know I could not do it now, AC, cruise or fab stereo.
But it is good to be home, no matter where that home is!
And, we don’t have a garbage disposal, WHEW.
Just knee high dandelions!
Monday, May 18, 2009
travel time
All good things come to an end and since this is the end it must have been good.
I used that line on students at the end of a semester of my tutelage.
But this was really good. Emily will agree and so will Grandpa. Even Grandma had a good time, though she was confused a good bit too.
Would I travel a long way to spend time with her again? In a heart beat. Would I do it for any of my other grand kids, same answer. Life is short, I will spend all the time I can with any grandkid I can find!
So today is a travel day. Half way home is another cache of grand kids. We won’t stay there long, but we stop and rest, and there will be more hugs.
Ahh, but we will be back there to celebrate with Brianna. She graduates from the 8th grade next weekend. We will be home only for 5 nights then we load up the teardrop and return for more grand kid time!
Lucky Grandpa.
But for now: Home, here we come.
. . . . . . . . . . .
We took her to where she is staying and left her cases, then drove her on to school
Big hugs and we drove off.
Grown men don't cry (often) but I almost did. I will miss this lady.
We will scurry down the highway and I will get another grandpa fix!!
I used that line on students at the end of a semester of my tutelage.
But this was really good. Emily will agree and so will Grandpa. Even Grandma had a good time, though she was confused a good bit too.
Would I travel a long way to spend time with her again? In a heart beat. Would I do it for any of my other grand kids, same answer. Life is short, I will spend all the time I can with any grandkid I can find!
So today is a travel day. Half way home is another cache of grand kids. We won’t stay there long, but we stop and rest, and there will be more hugs.
Ahh, but we will be back there to celebrate with Brianna. She graduates from the 8th grade next weekend. We will be home only for 5 nights then we load up the teardrop and return for more grand kid time!
Lucky Grandpa.
But for now: Home, here we come.
. . . . . . . . . . .
We took her to where she is staying and left her cases, then drove her on to school
Big hugs and we drove off.
Grown men don't cry (often) but I almost did. I will miss this lady.
We will scurry down the highway and I will get another grandpa fix!!
Leo is coming home with us
Miriam has fussed a lot about Leo. How come we didn't have him last month; When we would get him back, if ever.
He is a decent little dog, but Emily's two cats hate him for good reason.
But he likes to travel!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
happy
Happy Birthday David
Friend, confidant, advisor and rascal.
He moved 450 miles away, but it was not about him or me.
Have a happy birthday.
Tick tick tick.
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