Self-righteousness

I really need to start keeping a notebook and pen on my bedside table, to write down random night thoughts and those fleeting dreams that sometimes wake me in the night. The details of last night's dream are a bit hazy, but I do know the moral of the story.

It was an important event, a large room was filled with many tables. The guests were seated, and I was to take the microphone, along with a "friend" (I don't know who she was, or who she represented). We had come to share something with the crowd; were to read our parts (I think it was poetry) from a single sheet of paper. My friend began; then, all she could do was stare at the paper, blink, and stammer. I couldn't believe she was having so much trouble reading a simple part, as she looked at me with, "What do I do now?" written all over her face. How could she be having so much trouble? It had gone smoothly in practice. Impatiently, I snatched the paper from her hands; poised to read the whole thing by myself. I was incredulous to see that the writing had turned to scribbles on the page.

Sometime between 10pm and midnight, I had a lesson in humility.

Give Thanks!

First Snow of the Season

I guess this means we'll be eating Thanksgiving dinner
indoors this year. Oh wait, this is Chicago,
we have it indoors EVERY year...

I must admit, it's pretty.

Grandparent Privileges

Grandparenting is different than parenting. That's apparent.

This weekend we celebrated Josiah's first birthday with a Scooby-Doo cake, because Clifford would have involved massive amounts of red dye. Chocolate was a much better choice, don't you think? Hmmmmm....... This got me thinking about choices; things we do or don't do, depending on whether we are the parents or the grandparents. The other thing that made me start thinking about this was the little sock I found under the covers when I made my bed on Sunday morning...

Things I can do as a grandparent that I couldn't always do as a parent:

I can rock a colicky baby without feeling as if every nerve in my body is frayed.
I can remain tender-hearted through the crying.
I can volunteer, or not, to change the poopy diapers.
I can try, but not too hard, to hide my giggle when a grandson mimics my finger wag and "No, no!".
I can take the time, even when I'm busy, to pick up a little one who says, "Up, p'ease!".
I can allow a grandson to sleep, sprawled sideways, between Papi and me when he's visiting and awakens at 3am.

And I think it's safe to expect this list to grow, right along with the grandkids.

To Rake or Not to Rake

It's seventeen degrees out there, and windy. I was hoping this wind, which has been constant for several days, would strip the remaining leaves from the beautiful, but obstinate, maple that adorns our front yard. I was further hoping it would continue its work, and blow every last leaf across the street, or into the neighbors' yards. No such luck, we've still got some stubborn (green!) hangers-on. I think we may be picking them out of the snow... if they ever decide to fall.

Jazz Hands

I just Windexed some tiny handprints from my picture window.
(sigh) I wonder whose they were....

Birthday Fun

These were three of the guests at my birthday party today. What fun!
P.S. Getting older isn't so bad when it pays this kind of dividends.

Grandkid Update

Karina & Reiley
(Sparkled at a recent wedding reception.)








"Peapod" Luke
(Slept through his 1st "trick-or-treating".)






Josiah
(Loves: his grampa; his very own computer mouse & keyboard; books; any kind of fruit.
Will be the birthday boy in less than 2 weeks!)