We are visiting some of my friends from years ago. You know, the kind of friends that you don't see forever and don't even call that often - but the kind of friends that seem like you just talked to them a couple of days ago. We are catching up on gossip and eating quite a bit. John and I drove down to the house where I used to live on the beach and I became surprisingly nostalgic. Lots of stuff happened in my life while I lived in that house. I had a boat at my disposal and learned about baiting traps for blue crabs. I caught and ate blue crabs until I thought I would turn into one! I learned a lot about some things in life that aren't so pleasant but that clarify who you really are and the path that you truly need to take in the future. I probably rocked a thousand miles in the rocking chairs on the back porch of that house. Rock and think, rock and think, check out the dolphin swimming by (!), rock and think....
My friends are older now. We met in 1982 and that seems like so long ago. Our lives have changed but we really haven't. I think I understand where the expression "touching base" came from. I am touching base with Bob and Margaret. I can't stay here - don't want to - but I can check in on them and they can catch up on my happenings, and we can all feel good about it. Great memories and new adventures! Home run!
It's spring! Spring brings flowers and all green things growing in Florida! Every year in early spring I get the urge to buy lots of new plants and flowers and put them everywhere. Then we travel during the summer and the beautiful green things become scraggly brown things. This year I plan to be thoughtful about my plantings....let's see how that works!
My late and wonderful friend, RosaLee, who passed away in 2008 after a very brave battle with cancer absolutely loved camelias. This spring I would love to plant three camelias in memory of RosaLee. Past, present, and future - the future that she won't be seeing. However, wouldn't it be nice if little Abby helps me plant these camelias? She will be so excited, I think. She loves being outside and what child doesn't love to play in the dirt and watch living things grow?
I don't know when I have laughed as much as I did with RL. Those are the best kinds of friends, don't you think?
All of you who know me are aware that I love children. I spent my professional life with children - tons of them. However, I have never had children of my own. I have never known the joy of seeing my very own newborn brought to me seconds after being born. I just haven't been able to understand all the hoopla!
Today I took Erica to her doctor's appointment in Jacksonville - a very early appointment but it's better that way because we don't usually have to wait as long for her to see the doc. Since it was getting close to the arrival of our two little grandsons it is better that she not go alone. Uneventful visit - mention of some small contractions but no big deal. We decided to go on to Gymboree to exchange some items and then have lunch at Ruby Tuesday at the mall. As we walked to the car Erica said, "You know....I feel like I'm leaking." WHAT??? Eeeek! Okay, stay calm, this is not a big deal....
We drove around Jacksonville the looooooong way to avoid the traffic from a terrible accident on I95. I only called John about 6 times to get directions. Seriously. We made it to the hospital about 2 p.m. I dropped her off, parked the car, took a very deep breath, and found the right elevator to the third floor.
Erica was taken immediately back to something they call "triage." Sounds like something from ER to me and made me think of highway pile-ups or tornado victims arriving by the dozens at a hospital while George Clooney scrubbed for surgery. I was told to wait in an area where a sign read "Mothers Only - Visitors Must Wait in the Family Waiting Area." Okay.
John, Jr. arrived and they hustled him back to Erica. What seemed like a short time later several official-looking medical folks in scrubs came scurrying by and I overheard the words "twins" and "operating room" in the same sentence. I jumped up like a shot - not an easy feat, by the way - and went back to the admissions lady. Luckily for me, she was a nice admissions lady and found out that Erica was in the operating room. She sent me down a very empty hallway to wait and said someone would tell me when anything happened. A nurse came by and took me down the hallway even further. She said, "Wait here! They will come by here." At that moment I heard a baby cry - so loud! I said to the nurse, "That is a really loud baby!" She said, "Honey, that is YOUR baby!"
Well, I can't tell you the feeling that came over me at that moment. Standing in that empty hallway, knowing that a precious little boy that belongs to our family had just entered the world - our world - was just overwhelming.
Shortly after that, Baby B was born. Yep, I heard him as well. Double joy!
In what seemed like hours - maybe 20 minutes - the big double doors opened and John was there in his pretty green outfit. Two thumbs up and "Everyone's doing great!" brought tears to my eyes.
Later, when John and I stood glued to the nursery window we watched as the nurses did their important jobs with those precious little boys. So this is what it is all about, I thought.
Happy birthday, Trevor and Zachary! We love you already!
This is the very first post on my very first blog. Welcome to the 21st century, old lady! When I was a youngster I was not motivated at all. The older I get, the more I want to do. Now where is the ENERGY I had when I was that youngster? And the time?
Since retirement, quilting has become a passion. It is fun to take fabric (that is now so expensive!) and make it into something that I love to look at and touch. Right now I have a quilt ready to take to a friend from high school that I will see in April. It will be such fun to give it to her and see her reaction! Sometimes, I love the fabric so much that I don't want to cut it until I have just the right project for it. I pore over quilt magazines the way my lit teachers wanted me to study the great masterpieces from class!
Went to the zoo today and came home in the mood to do something wild! Anybody else feel that way?
