I grew up in a small town heavily populated with relatives. My neighborhood was composed of my grandfather's house, our house and the houses of my mother's brother's and sister: Dave, Donnie, Dick and Margie. My Uncle Charlie lived in town but not in our neighborhood. My Uncles Orrin and Billy died in their twenties as did my Aunt Anna. Uncle Connie played minor league baseball and travelled with the team. As a result of all this proximity I played daily with anywhere from 12 - 15 first cousins
I so enjoyed this sense of belonging in community that I always aspired to have several children. I recall that in High School I would write down the name of my current boyfriend and then my name if married to him and then number and name at least six children. I so thoroughly enjoyed my rural upbringing that at one point my dream life was to marry a very handsome boyfriend who planned to become a country doctor. We would have a large family, live on a farm and raise our own food and animals. What a far cry from the corporate wife life that I actually did lead!
But, I got my large family.
And it is about them I find myself reflecting today. Yesterday was Lisa's fifty-sixth birthday and she was very much on my mind. We talked recently and made plans for her to come for an extended visit before the hot weather.
Yesterday I had a lovely day celebrating Martha's birthday which was on Feb. 28th this year. She is a leap year child and was technically turning 13.5 years old. We headed out for The Farm for lunch only to discover it closed. Not to be daunted in our pursuit of a good time and good food we went on to the Bluewater Grill Seafood Restaurant on Camelback and 8th St. The food was as good as any I have had in many years of eating out in the Valley. We shared ecstatically silly grins as we savored our way through a great lunch. Then on to Berridge's nursery where the sensory delights were further gratified by the gorgeous array of Spring flowers.
Late today I will be enjoying Amy's company. She is coming by to have dinner with me and to watch American Idol. We will have a simple meal as with my pain level I don't spend too much time on my feet. We will have frozen turkey dinners and a fresh salad of tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion, avacado and walnuts with a choice of dressing. I had made a breadpudding over the weekend and that will be dessert with a dollop of black cherry jam and some whipped cream. She was here on Saturday for a couple of hours. We toured my garden, she put some photos on the computer for me and we played some Farmville.
I have been wanting to see a sports medicine doctor for my knee and Michael helped me get on the inside track because as a Brophy team coach he knows Chris White who is Brophy's sports manager. Chris is a personal friend of Dr. Michael Lee. Dr. Lee is the team doctor for the Cardinals and the Diamondbacks and specializes in knees. He also volunteers as the sports medicine doctor for Brophy teams. He is a Brophy grad and this is his way of giving back. Going through the front office I had been turned down as they aren't taking any new Medicare patients. So I hope I have luck using networking. I really appreciate my Michael's help.
This Friday I will see Christy who is the widow of Johnnie my oldest son. We plan to go out to eat in some nice place where we can have a leisurely meal and catch up. We often do movies together but this week prefer to visit.
Next week I will go to Amy's son Connor's performance in Grease . I will go with Danny who as many of you know lives out in jabip. I enjoy his company so much and we keep up on the phone regulary.
I was so delighted the other day to see a video introducing her new business that Mary has made. She comes across as so knowledgeable, grounded, clear, warm and welcoming. I think she is headed for stardom!
Although we mostly communicate via computer I love following the interesting life of Sara as she travels the country installing a software program that saves her company tons of money. And I admire her energy as she travels regularly to NAU to share her children's lives. Lastly I find the manner in which she manifests her creativity astounding.
Because I came from a generation that saw the men out working in the world and the women manning the home fires I raised my daughters to be able to take care of themselves financially.
I did not learn to do that and I am in awe of how well my daughters have succeeded in providing for themselves.
And so today I find myself graced and grateful that I followed through with my dream and grew my very own special community.
Will include my usual piece of poetry today. This was written in memory of my Uncle Pete. He was married to my Aunt Margie, lived next door to me until I married at twenty and moved away. He was like a second father.
Uncle Pete Remembered
A sweet man with the clean, shiny face of a child
who spent a lfetime, in the old-fashioned way
doing the same task in the crayon factory.
And a lifetime, in the old-fashioned way
of marriage to Marg.
Coloring inside the lines of
work
fatherhood
what it was to be a
husband
friend
and neighbor.
And there was time for me, though niece,
the daughter that he never had.
On school nights I'd slip next door to visit -
Aunt Marg ironing,
Uncle Pete sitting at the kitchen table
pipe smoke drifting to the ceiling.
The kitchen warm with good smells of
dinner just cleared away.
And they'd ask to hear about my day -
my life always a kind of drama,
they, captivated audience.
Many years later I visited them in Florida
in a cheerful, sunlit mobile home
flag flapping on a pole outside the
kitchen window,
bird feeders nourishing a host of
flying friends.
Pete now part deaf, part blind
and crippled from bone disease.
But still that sweet, clean shiny face of
a child.
The same joy in seeing me again.
A last visit at the nursing home
in Maine.
Luncheon out and a stop at my cousin's home
nearby.
Pete's mind now much confused - not always knowing
who we were.
Marg frail, herself not far from death.
Still from both the welcoming embrace
the interest in my life,
the sharing of theirs.
Never intimate but in their own way
loving.
Like second parents who healed a lot of hurts.
Making of family a holy word.
Thank you all for being who you are - holy.
I so enjoyed this sense of belonging in community that I always aspired to have several children. I recall that in High School I would write down the name of my current boyfriend and then my name if married to him and then number and name at least six children. I so thoroughly enjoyed my rural upbringing that at one point my dream life was to marry a very handsome boyfriend who planned to become a country doctor. We would have a large family, live on a farm and raise our own food and animals. What a far cry from the corporate wife life that I actually did lead!
But, I got my large family.
And it is about them I find myself reflecting today. Yesterday was Lisa's fifty-sixth birthday and she was very much on my mind. We talked recently and made plans for her to come for an extended visit before the hot weather.
Yesterday I had a lovely day celebrating Martha's birthday which was on Feb. 28th this year. She is a leap year child and was technically turning 13.5 years old. We headed out for The Farm for lunch only to discover it closed. Not to be daunted in our pursuit of a good time and good food we went on to the Bluewater Grill Seafood Restaurant on Camelback and 8th St. The food was as good as any I have had in many years of eating out in the Valley. We shared ecstatically silly grins as we savored our way through a great lunch. Then on to Berridge's nursery where the sensory delights were further gratified by the gorgeous array of Spring flowers.
Late today I will be enjoying Amy's company. She is coming by to have dinner with me and to watch American Idol. We will have a simple meal as with my pain level I don't spend too much time on my feet. We will have frozen turkey dinners and a fresh salad of tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion, avacado and walnuts with a choice of dressing. I had made a breadpudding over the weekend and that will be dessert with a dollop of black cherry jam and some whipped cream. She was here on Saturday for a couple of hours. We toured my garden, she put some photos on the computer for me and we played some Farmville.
I have been wanting to see a sports medicine doctor for my knee and Michael helped me get on the inside track because as a Brophy team coach he knows Chris White who is Brophy's sports manager. Chris is a personal friend of Dr. Michael Lee. Dr. Lee is the team doctor for the Cardinals and the Diamondbacks and specializes in knees. He also volunteers as the sports medicine doctor for Brophy teams. He is a Brophy grad and this is his way of giving back. Going through the front office I had been turned down as they aren't taking any new Medicare patients. So I hope I have luck using networking. I really appreciate my Michael's help.
This Friday I will see Christy who is the widow of Johnnie my oldest son. We plan to go out to eat in some nice place where we can have a leisurely meal and catch up. We often do movies together but this week prefer to visit.
Next week I will go to Amy's son Connor's performance in Grease . I will go with Danny who as many of you know lives out in jabip. I enjoy his company so much and we keep up on the phone regulary.
I was so delighted the other day to see a video introducing her new business that Mary has made. She comes across as so knowledgeable, grounded, clear, warm and welcoming. I think she is headed for stardom!
Although we mostly communicate via computer I love following the interesting life of Sara as she travels the country installing a software program that saves her company tons of money. And I admire her energy as she travels regularly to NAU to share her children's lives. Lastly I find the manner in which she manifests her creativity astounding.
Because I came from a generation that saw the men out working in the world and the women manning the home fires I raised my daughters to be able to take care of themselves financially.
I did not learn to do that and I am in awe of how well my daughters have succeeded in providing for themselves.
And so today I find myself graced and grateful that I followed through with my dream and grew my very own special community.
Will include my usual piece of poetry today. This was written in memory of my Uncle Pete. He was married to my Aunt Margie, lived next door to me until I married at twenty and moved away. He was like a second father.
Uncle Pete Remembered
A sweet man with the clean, shiny face of a child
who spent a lfetime, in the old-fashioned way
doing the same task in the crayon factory.
And a lifetime, in the old-fashioned way
of marriage to Marg.
Coloring inside the lines of
work
fatherhood
what it was to be a
husband
friend
and neighbor.
And there was time for me, though niece,
the daughter that he never had.
On school nights I'd slip next door to visit -
Aunt Marg ironing,
Uncle Pete sitting at the kitchen table
pipe smoke drifting to the ceiling.
The kitchen warm with good smells of
dinner just cleared away.
And they'd ask to hear about my day -
my life always a kind of drama,
they, captivated audience.
Many years later I visited them in Florida
in a cheerful, sunlit mobile home
flag flapping on a pole outside the
kitchen window,
bird feeders nourishing a host of
flying friends.
Pete now part deaf, part blind
and crippled from bone disease.
But still that sweet, clean shiny face of
a child.
The same joy in seeing me again.
A last visit at the nursing home
in Maine.
Luncheon out and a stop at my cousin's home
nearby.
Pete's mind now much confused - not always knowing
who we were.
Marg frail, herself not far from death.
Still from both the welcoming embrace
the interest in my life,
the sharing of theirs.
Never intimate but in their own way
loving.
Like second parents who healed a lot of hurts.
Making of family a holy word.
Thank you all for being who you are - holy.
