Fanciful Quilts

Every year, my sister & I undertake the yearly trip to visit our parents five hundred miles away. Most times we drive (actually, I drive as my sister does not). The first half of the trip ends in spending the night in a motel - and then I drive us the rest of the way in the morning. This trip usually takes place in October, mainly to take advantage of decent weather (they live in Oshkosh, WI - have you EVER experienced their winters...!?!?!?!???) and to get a "freebie" federal holiday. Working for the federal government, I try to take advantage of those holidays and work time off around at least two of them a year. To save a little on postage, we take our Christmas gifts with us - and leave them with the folks to distribute to each other and to our brother & his wife on Christmas morning. So, this afternoon I spent three hours shopping with my sister in preparation for our October trip. Christmas shopping is a very serious endeavor. One either finds THE perfect gift ...

Today I'm spending the evening with our grandson. He's almost 2 years old - and one of the smartest young men I've ever met. What a joy it is to watch him examine everything! Now I wonder - did I appreciate the moments when our children were small? I hope so - and I hope they remember good times. The relationship between grandchildren and grandparents is extraordinary. As a grandparent, you have all the flexibility in the world. You can choose to be wonderfully foolish. You now have the time to cuddle, get on the floor and play with legos, and listen with 100% attention to every word spoken by the grandchild. Simply - I love it. The closer I get to retirement, the more I will love having that extra time. And I pray that I have the chance to spend a lot of it with our grandson or granddaughter. I hope they look back and remember the grand times they had with their grandma and grandpa. Thanks God for proving two wonderful children - two wonderful soul mates for the both...

10 September 2006 Tomorrow marks five years. There will never be a time that the world does not picture destruction, chaos and anger when "nine-one-one" is spoken. I was on my way to the Dayton International Airport with our son. He had joined the Air Force Reserves and that day was his departure to San Antonio, home of the famed "Basic Training". His dad was going to join us at the airport to see him off. We were about halfway there when the phone rang. Our daughter had been watching the news - and the rest is history. Our son's departure was delayed - and the world became so very different. And still today I hear we shouldn't be over there. I just don't get it. What is it that it not understood? The land we claim to love was attacked - thousands of Americans died just by going to work and doing their job - and we shouldn't be over there? I woke up with these thoughts this morning - on a Sunday morning, barely 6:30am. I would much prefer to wake up ...