Chasing Kites.

Picture does the kite no justice.

I am currently visiting family who live on the East Coast. On Sunday my cousin took me to Rhode Island for a day visit. My Gorgeous cousin (who will be now referred to as just Gorgeous) has equally gorgeous and adorable little ones. Adorabalicious is 2 years old and CutiePatootie is 1.

A well choreographed ballet.

As our day was ending and we were driving around the waterfront we saw these amazing colorful kites been flown. We stopped and watched as the three kites performed a flawless ballet routine. It was breathtaking.

As soon as they were unbuckled from their car seats Adorabalicious starting running around with a fierce intent on completing his mission. To catch the kites tail.

Adorabalicious chasing the kites

As one of the kites swooped down the tail touched Adorabalicious and he couldn't contain his delight. When I look at the following picture I can hear all over again his immense joy and giggles.

I love this kid.

It takes a two year old to remind us that sometimes we just need to relax, stop taking life so seriously and go chase kites . There is no greater gift we can give ourselves than a good old, doubled over, knee slapping, hiccup inducing, belly laugh.

21 Years Ago Today.

My life changed. T was born at 4:15am, weighing 4lbs 9 oz and was 18 inches long.

First time I got to see my baby.

T, you are an amazing young man.

Your kindness and compassion sets you apart from so many others your age. I love how you question everything, okay maybe not when I am telling you to do something and you want to know the benefit of said chore.

You have an intuition that I wish I had at your age and your knowledge on the most random stuff is quite mind blowing.

Go take on the world. Live your life to the fullest every day. Yes, there will be hiccups along the way and I know that you will get through them with your attitude and tenacity.

Follow your dreams, take chances and risks, but remember to have clean underwear on when you do.

Thank you for teaching me so much these past 21 years. We have got through some tough times together and when they got unbearable you were there to say "I love you Mom"

I love how you still give me great big hugs and a kiss after dinner each night to say thank you, but then you do the eye roll when I point to the dishwasher and that is when I love being your Mom the most.

Happy, happy birthday T. Now let's get ready to visit Rogue and have a beer.

With love,
Always
Mom

Life is Good.

You know that all is right with the world when you walk into your happy place aka Left Coast Cellars and you are given this...

Left Coast Cellars 2011 White Pinot Noir

Ivy, Molly, Carolynn and Judy ~ Thank you so much for this very thoughtful gift to help me progress through my recovery of surgery. This beats a bouquet of flowers any day. Your kindness is one of the reasons you make Left Coast Cellars my happy place. ~

Best Friends.

Boschendal 1988

As I was taking my morning hike two older ladies slowly walked towards me. They had an aura around them and as they talked and laughed there was no doubt that they were the best of friends.  I had to look away as tears filled my eyes as seeing them together made me miss my best friend, Milla, terribly.

Milla and I have been friends since we were 5 years old and no matter where we are in the world we have always stayed connected. Our friendship is rare as I haven't met many people who have been friends as long as we have. We don't speak on a daily basis, but whenever we do there has been no lapse in our conversation or friendship.

We survived ballet classes and itchy tutu's. We built a tree house together which resulted in me having a black eye and her with torn knickers.  We hid under the curtain to the bookcase and played 'glassy glassy' and freaked ourselves out when the glass moved. We were not allowed to sit next to each other during Mass as just by looking at each other would send us over the suppressed laughter edge. We both survived Catholic school with minimal scarring. We always did have the best shoes in town and when someone asked where we got them, they were of course the last pair in the shop. We giggled our way through primary school and had our hearts broken in high school. We borrowed each other's clothes and threw lavish dinner parties.  We did many crazy things together, the whipped cream incident being the top craziest. We have both sobbed and held each other as we mourned love and lives lost. We supported each other through marriage and divorce no matter how far the distance. 42 Years later we can still both recall that very first day in primary school where we were assigned to share a desk.

One day Milla and I will be the two older ladies taking the walk and there will be a younger woman walking towards them who will be thinking to herself "They truly are the best of friends."

 

“We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet.
Even longer,' Pooh answered."
  
A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Listening.

Idaho Bunny hiding on the path. He was listening. 

The phone rings and it's a friend calling to see how you are doing, they know you are trying to find a job and are overwhelmed by the lack of response or rejection. As you begin with your monologue you are interrupted mid-sentence with "That's great, so I was..." and your monologue has come to an end. You listen to the talking, the rhetorical questions peppered with more talking.

It is then one begins to wonder if anyone listens, truly listens anymore. Are we so absorbed by our thoughts and what we want to say that we forget to listen? How well do you listen?

I am learning to listen. I am learning to absorb the sounds of the morning as I go on my walk, the birds singing to each other, the bus trundling down the hill and the neighborhood dogs barking as I walk by their castle. I am learning to focus on conversations without having my mind wonder to what my monologue will consist of. I am learning that everyone has a need to vent and to process things as they talk.

I have learned that by listening more I don't have to remove my foot from my mouth that often.