Puppy dog eyes

 

Doing his predecessor proud, Carl has learned that if he slides his head onto grandma's lap while she's sitting at the keyboard, she'll melt and come see what he needs.  Who can resist?

He got me up before 3 a.m., needing to go out and eat some grass, which he later regurgitated.  All better now.  Dogs somehow know when their tummy is upset, this is how to hurry healing along.  We humans can learn from them.  Not that I'm advocating eating grass, but how about some fruits and veggies?

The kids got a later than planned start yesterday, but made it to their first destination about the time that Carl and I sacked out.  They posted about a diner where they stopped for "breakfast for supper" in northwestern Kansas.  Funny story was about a little boy who didn't consider their hybrid to be a truck, exactly.  Then they made it into La Junta, Colorado where they had reservations for the night.  Today their target is Cortez.  This is a part of Colorado that I have never explored, so I'm hoping they have good weather.  Already got a message from them Monday morning that they have mountains in view.

Meanwhile, Carl and Grandma went to the dog park to let some other canines release some of Carl's energy.

In the early afternoon, Carl rode in the car again, with Grandma to go drop off her ballot at the election commission office.  It's a drive-thru drop-box there, so Carl didn't have to get out of the car and behave.

The behavior challenge came later in the afternoon when the cable guy needed access to the yard because the "pedestal" is in the corner of my back yard.  So Carl has had to stay inside and go out on a leash... it's two and a half hours later and the cover is still not back on that little cable periscope thingy, and the truck is still in the neighborhood.  But in between, Carl went out in the yard with me for a bit, and out on the deck once, and came right back with me, no fuss, bother or rebellion.  Proud grandma here.

Meanwhile, the honeymooners are driving through the mountains.  They visited Bishop Castle, and when I played the video with the sound on, Carl recognized his "mommy's" voice narrating.  Then they took a side trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (who'd have thought - Sand Dunes in Colorado!)  Tonight they are aiming to stay in Cortez.  So they were driving through Rio Grande National Forest.  It is mountain driving, and some of her progress posts have been videos of the road being traveled.  Yes, there is snow along the sides of the road, but the pavement looks clear.  And of course there are tunnels!  My dad would have loved it.

The cable guy came back and said there will be folks trouble shooting overnight in my back yard, as they have not been able to figure out just where the issue is.  Bracing myself for a disrupted sleep night, as I know who will hear and go into protect mode.  

Still, Life is good.  Spark on!

Finish Line Syndrome

 Training / eventing goes from "are we there yet" to ... "is that all there is?"  

Seriously, finish line syndrome won't kick in until the happy couple get back from their honeymoon and Carl has survived his week with Grandma (me).  This photo is from the reception:  the groom's side of the family, plus the bride added in.  On somebody else's phone is a similar shot of the bride's side with the groom added.  Both of them added Carl in for good measure.  He was of course a star at the reception, and all of us who've heard names of the other side of the family finally meeting one another in person after three years of pandemic carefulness!

But it does strike me that a bout of finish line syndrome will be appearing soon!

Speaking of the reception, it was a wonderful time.  Most of the time, others were holding Carl's leash or spoiling him with treats and pets.  He was a great hit with the children in attendance and showed off his tricks to acquire treats.

Meanwhile I sought out Grendalbane, a gaming friend of my son's from the era in which he lived in my basement and learned about teamwork and commitment from a massively multiplayer online game (Ever Quest).  I had never met this gent in person, but on Saturday, I sat with him and his plus one... and chatted about their lives on the Eastern edge of Iowa... they had driven about four hours to honor the couple.

And I was in the same room as all three of my sisters for the first time since we lost our brother in 2019.  "Weddings and funerals", right?  One of those sisters and her hubby drove 8 hours to come.  I'm mega jealous of my niece's hair (on the far right hand side of the above photo... see it's down to her waist?)  She usually wears it up, but on Saturday she had it flowing down in all its glory!  It was so nice to have a happy occasion to gather us together!

Here is Carl showing good manners being petted by Lacey (bride)'s Dad and by his mother.  Since you can't really see her in either of the shots, I offer up two at different angles.  Lacey's grandma lives in a local senior care facility, and they brought her and her power wheelchair over.  So glad to finally meet so many of Lacey's family in person.

The couple had met just as the pandemic was starting up, and so many times plans to get together were thwarted by illness or caution.

On Sunday I got a FB friend request from one of her aunts, whose name I had heard so many times over the past couple of years... families expand!

It was later than originally estimated when they got all packed up and dropped off my visitor.  Both cats are now outdoors, and thankfully the sun has come out and it's warmed up (got down below 30℉ overnight... i.e. a hard freeze).  Carl and I went out to check the perimeter and one of the first things he did was to put his front paws on the ladder to the playhouse.

I stepped up one step to check out what he caught the scent of, and sure enough, was greeted by golden feline eyes.  Rubia has chosen this as her hiding place for the week!

Carl was actually pretty happy to be dropped off.  He seemed to recognize the signs of a road trip in what all was packed into the truck.  He happily bounded into my house, and he's so far been a gentleman for grandma.  We shall see how the night goes and how quickly he settles into Grandma's routine, but so far, so good.

Hugged the kids goodbye and alerted them that they will see snow (Colorado bound), using Paula's report that the weather man in Denver said "off and on through Wednesday"... isn't it great having friends from all over?

At bedtime we'll have the talk about 8 sleeps until mom and dad come back... then tomorrow about 7 sleeps... etc.  

Life is good.  Spark on!

It's legal and everybody's happy!

 

Carl did his job but was a mess of anxiety the whole ceremony.  Doggos can tell when "something's happening", and he's been seeing suitcases come out at home.  We played pass the leash, and shuffle the coats on and off for photos.  Some with the dog, some without.  

The ceremony itself was brief, which was a blessing outdoors as the windchill was in the 30's.  The officiant gave the little speech about talking with the couple about their first date (at a dog park), the couple's willingness to take chances and support one another through life.  

Lacey (the bride) read a poem (I know there was a thing about finding the name of the originator, as it was attributed to someone else... go, Internet!), Jon (the groom) read from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Two Towers, then they exchanged the vows they wrote themselves, which were very touching.  

Carl wanted to get to his people.  So that others might hear, I stepped out of the little grouping to pet him while Rosa (wife of the Best Man) was holding the leash.  He was quiet as long as he was being continuously stroked.  Good boy.

The bride and groom dropped the ringbearer back at home before coming to the "after party" dinner.

The Reverend Amy came to the Wedding Dinner after with us, and the Best Man gave a lovely speech about how he's known the groom for 17 years and this is the happiest he's ever seen him (his mother, who's known the groom for 38 years agrees).  There is so much hope and love around this match!

Saturday it's on to the reception for wider family and friends.  

Clockwise from the top:

Father of the bride, Groom, Bride, Man of Honor, empty chair (Rev Amy took the photo), Mother of the Groom, Best Man, Mrs. Best Man, Mother of the Bride.  The only person who was not at dinner but was there in the shivering cold doing yeoman's work is the photographer whose work we'll see later.  And Carl, of course.  The bride wrote his photo caption, btw.  And no, NOBODY ever outshines a bride!

And Life is Good!  Spark on!

Marathon Monday and the week before the wedding

 

My favorite "memory" photo of myself in Boston was from the 2018 BAA 5K.  Taken by OVERWORKEDJANET, it captures me (white jacket and cap) just after crossing under the Marathon finish arch, and a sunbeam lights me up!  Some folks are just really, really talented photographers and are graced by luck as well as patience.

On Marathon Monday in Boston I tuned the TV to the race.  The wheelchairs rolled; the elites ran an exciting race.  There's a hole in my heart, shaped like my brother, that activates on race day.  But it is filled with memories of his three races there and our last visit together.  It is filled with gratitude that I had such a brother in my life.

Tuesday was my regular workout with the trainer. 

Wednesday was the AC check, even though it's cooler weather this week.  Things are starting to bloom which means my sinuses bloom too.  Locally we're in the "green" for Covid, but "moderate" for flu. Just to be safe I wore my mask to greet the AC tech at the door.

 All went smoothly and as expected, since the AC was put in new last Summer.

We're getting chillier weather just in time for the wedding.  That dress I bought will probably not be warm enough, but I can probably stand it for long enough for the photo shoot!  I will take a coat along for after.  We want good photos for good memories for the bride and groom.

Wednesday was also spent hauling hoses to water after the lawn guys cut my weeds.  I'm trying a bit of overseeding and bought a new soaker hose to help with that.  Kid sis Alicia came and took me out to walk after her workday, so I woke kind of stiff and kinked up Thursday morning.

Thursday morning was the other regular workout with the trainer.  I'm taking next week off, as I will have Carl in residence, and I don't leave him alone in the house, or in the car.  He'll exercise me plenty, all by his canine self.

That's about it.  Next check in will be some time after the wedding!

Life is good.  Spark on!

April showers? Please, even it out, Mother Nature!

 

The clouds looks fluffy and playful in the afternoon, but started rumbling later as the front is rolling through.  We are dry in our state, for sure, and even though it's only mid-April, we have had several wildfires, sparked by "dry lightning".  My sense is that normally this happens in July and August.  April is supposed to be storing up rainfall!

A triathlete acquaintance who leads hunting parties posted a Facebook live from near one of the fires.  Prayers for everyone in the path.  So far, the firefighters are doing a good job of containing them, but thousands of acres of land have been burned.

If we're lucky, we'll get some rain out of this front.  Cross your fingers for us.  

Here's hoping that next week it will look better.

Saturday morning:  yes, it did rain overnight.  I heard the rumbles overhead in the night.  It doesn't look drenched or flooded, but there were a few puddles in the grocery parking lot when I went to get a few things.

The temperature has plummeted after having been in the 80's for three days running.  Just in time for the weekend.

Saturday evening was our "faux rehearsal dinner".  The groom and the best man were off on a mini-bachelor party, crawling the downtown bars, including the ax-throwing place (which we all fervently hoped from the dinner they were doing first, before drinking any alcohol).  Plans were in place so that neither would drive "home".  

Meanwhile, at the restaurant, the bride, the man of honor, the parents and an aunt and uncle of the bride joined the mother of the groom (me) for a festive evening meal.  It was crowded and loud (see what happens when you reserve on Saturday evening?)  I had my first margarita (a virgin lime one) and enjoyed the complexity of salt versus the tart of the lime.  Excellent fancy drink for a non-drinker... I will tuck this one into the back of my mind.

The main triangle of conversation for me included the man of honor and the bride.  The acoustics made for smaller group talking.

The man of honor (who is a hoot, by the way) had quesadillas;

the bride had street tacos;

and I enjoyed about a third of what's on this plate, chicken enchiladas mole.  

We lingered for quite a while, and the leftover boxes came out!  

Everybody made it home safe.  I will call it a win.

Monday will be the Boston Marathon day, and plans are being made to track and follow as needed.  This is kind of my personal memorial day for my brother.  I prefer this time of celebration to remember him and his achievements, rather than the anniversary of his passing.  My dentist's husband will be running this year and their entire family is in Boston for the week.  I'm thinking warm thoughts for all the runners, their families, and the home town folks there.

Life is good.

Spark on!

Speaking of old photos

 

A family messenger chat today brought up some heritage connections, and my older sister, who took this photo, shared it.

The younger people in the photo are my mom, my brother, and myself.  My sister is behind the camera.  In the bed is my mother's father's father's mother, i.e. my great-great grandmother.  This photo was taken on the one and only trip in which we met.  She had been four years old when Abraham Lincoln was shot. She regaled us with stories of the black borders around the newspapers in her home state of Illinois following that event.

My sister brought up that her parents had been married in England and immigrated to the US with three children.  This young lady was one of six children born to them on these shores.

She was 101 in this photo.  I was not yet ten, which would make my brother not yet seven.  The camera wielding sister was going on 12.

This was an amazing trip.  One highlight for me was visiting a home that Abraham Lincoln's family had resided in at some point in his life (probably when he was a state senator?) and feeling the horsehair upholstery on one of the chairs.  Impressed that they let us touch it!

Great great gram passed away the following April, shortly after her 102nd birthday.

My brother's daughter had started the chat with a question about whether the sister behind the camera and I had been alive when Kennedy was shot, and every time that sister and I think about Kennedy's assassination, we also think of Great-great-Grandma, who died just half a year before that event, and how we connected the historical dots with our own family tree.

Trying to get the story saved off before everybody who remembers it is gone, as of the four people in this photo, I'm the only one left breathing at this point (and the sister behind the camera, of course).  Glad she re-shared it today.

Life is good.  It is good to remember that history is made up of family stories, our own and others', and we're all just humans, trying to live our lives, raise our children, and hopefully help one another along the way.

Happy Easter from the Prisoner

 

"How does this selfie thing work?"

The pages of the calendar keep on flying.  The news cycle keeps on flipping.  I read or listen and then change the channel simply because no matter how I feel about it there's not a whole lot I can do about it.  I hate the giddiness of those whose issues seem to be going their way, and the cockiness of those who want to spin the bejesus out of things that are NOT going theirs.  Pick your issue.  Whatever happened to quiet, intelligent conversation?  Apparently that does not generate clicks and eyeballs.

Meanwhile I escape into fictional tales, including Kiefer Sullivan's latest, "Rabbit Hole".  I'm still following each new episode of Picard as it comes out.  I am loving how the characters from three separate Star Trek series get woven together in this one.  Prime has started airing a new series called "Power" about young girls developing a new organ (that generates electricity) and learning how to use it.  If you are of a philosophical bent, you can see themes of use of power to hurt or to heal arising.  We shall see how it develops.

On Good Friday morning I got a phone call from the mythical son, as he had a hole in his schedule.  I'll take the calls as they come.  Partly he was letting me know his dad RSVP'd no to coming out for the wedding, not feeling up to the trip.  It is a heck of a haul, to be sure, from upstate NY, and his dad is not a flyer.  I am sad for my son, who would have liked to have his dad present, but as we both know, this was not particularly surprising.  At least he and his bride to be did get out to meet him last Spring.

Now that my son is provisionally credentialed, he has an actual office space, and a case load, as that's what a social worker or therapist has.  He informs me that they have loaded him up mostly with angry teenaged boys.  To be honest, he is among those best suited to help them, having lived through that stage of his life, and come out on the other side in one piece.  Sometimes it helps a kid to have proof that challenges are survivable.  

From a mom's perspective, I remember those days.  They were scary.  I feel for the moms of these angry adolescent males.  Son said he can easily see how he might have wound up in the position his clients are in today (a truancy case, for example), and I reminded him of the lengths his father and I went through to make sure he was spared that particular experience.  One always second guesses whether they did the right thing during difficult times.  I am grateful that the end result in this case is a strong, capable, and compassionate man.  Hopefully his experience can help others.

Because of the nature of his case load, though... it still gives him a schedule that's heavy on the after school hours, leaning toward a "2nd shift" kind of working life.  

Two weeks to the Wedding, then I get Carl for a week while the bride and groom head off to their honeymoon.

Life is Good.  Spark on.  And Happy Easter, Passover, or Ramadan... whichever you happen to observe.