Time Prioritization

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time" -John Lubbock

Quiet, in black and white

"Remember the quiet wonders. The world has more need of them than it has for warriors."
-Charles de Lint

Welcome, little one

Scarlet Aurora, I'd like to be the first one to tell you in such a webly way that I'm awfully glad you're here.

I don't know what you look like yet. Your daddy tells me that you're pink and healthy and fat and absolutely lovely. I think that's a very good start for a seven pounder. I think that says great things for someone who begins her life at nineteen inches. When you're 14 you'll probably roll your eyes and get embarrassed that your papa ever called you fat, but trust me, this is something wonderful and by the way he says it he means to hold you fast forever.

He'll hold you so tightly in his heart - always, always. From that very first moment he saw you emerge from your mama to the last time his eyes will one day cast their final gaze upon you - he is your father, you see. He will be engulfed with fear and love like he's never ever ever known before. He'll scream at people to protect you. He'll threaten bodily injury to scary people to protect you. And trust me, he's neither a screamer nor a fighter, but he's a good and loving man and now he's your daddy so if he senses a threat against you he will do all he can to protect you, little cub.

You are his from now on, child.

And you don't know this yet, but you'll have years to come to understand it: you are blessed. You are so lucky! The people you will call 'mama' and 'papa' (though probably not in the order they'd like, and surely not as quickly as they'll long to hear it) have anticipated you. They've dreamed about you. They've hoped for you. They've cried for you to be here. Sometimes they felt scared and hopeless; they wondered if they would be able to create you, to make you, to carry you, to birth you. They weren't always sure that things were going according to plan. (Here's a little heads-up for you, little one: your parents, they're much calmer about letting things be what they are than am I. I fiddle with stuff because I get antsy but your mama and papa? They're usually very calm and 'oh, things are good and we're waiting to see how this will turn out'. You'll probably get used to it; it still mystifies me.)

And now you're here! Imagine that!
You're here!

I am not sure you'll like me. I like to burp. Farting is fun too. Tho' the more I think about it, you and I ... we may have quite a few things in common here at least for the first few years of your life. I'm a big fan of naps.

I hope I'll be comfortable for you to snuggle with. If I'm not, you can just give me a little yowl and I'll be glad to wriggle you around until we've found a more comfortable position. I'm not delicate and small like your mama; I hope that'll be okay with you. I'm rather softly padded. Your cousins seem to think its okay thus far. You can compare notes with them later. You'll probably want to meet them all first.

Oh, and your oldest cousin is very excited to meet you. He's 16 years old and though you probably won't be playing together in the traditional sense of the word, he's going to make a GREAT climbing tower for you. He lets Audrey and Charlie climb all over him already, so he'll be well practiced and nearly broken-in by the time you're ready to climb him. He runs your other cousins around and around in circles until they fall over in exhausted panting giggles, and even when he's pooped out, he still plays with them. Because good grown-ups do that. And, well, he's still in training himself, but I'm pretty sure he's going to be a good grown-up when he's all done being a kid. J. is a good cuddler with your baby Theo cousin too, so I'm betting he'll be very quiet and gentle with you when we meet you for the first time this weekend. He just folds Theo over his shoulder, right up there next to his next all safe and snuggly and they hang out together.

I bet you and J. will have some fab hangin' out time.

And one more thing: if you tell him any of your secrets, they'll be kept safe. I know this. He's a very good secret-keeper.

Scarlet, I'm glad you're here.
Thanks for being in my family.
xo

Love,
Auntie

Happy birthday, Sylvia

On the occasion of your 70th birthday, I'd like to offer my unending love and support in thanks for the safety net you provided to me by helping to connect me with others who experienced voices, visions and mood swings.

(and the next time you are in the midwestern U.S., please let's share a meal and conversation again)

When she found the convenience store closed, she consider alternative snack food sources.

I've been munching away at popcorn lately. I prefer mine buttered. Real butter, not the practically-plastic in its chemical composition margarine, thank you. A little salt, a tease of Lowry's seasoning salt. While I'm surely not as straightforward in most of my preferences, consider it a safe bet that for me popcorn will trump dead fly carcasses every single day.

Appropos of mostly nothing, KD and I went to see Kate Clinton who was in town last night. Funny funny woman. And apparently she's new and improved with her bodaciously blonde hair color (it helped her act when she'd sideline herself ... blame it on the new color ... everyone else does). She shared an anecdote about someone confusing the historical term/place Stonewall for a far different locale when he commented about her "Hey, that Kate's one'a them Stonehenge lesbians". SO close! Teehee.