My Grandson

It's a BOY!

The daughter will have a son in February, and my heart is already bursting with grandmotherly love.

Nine Things

In honor of this unique day, 09/09/09, nine random things:

1. I have THE biggest sweet tooth ever...in fact, I think I have all sweet teeth.

We have a swanky market in town called The Fresh Market, and sometimes, we go and get the oddest completely unnecessary things like an enormous sucker (a cavity waiting to happen), fresh ground cashew butter (who doesn't need that?), gummy bears (sweet teeth, I tell you), mix & match beer (which I do not even drink), and random Indian seasonings.

2. I love the beach in winter most especially.

Windy, cold, a sweater pulled around me...the freezing sand on my bare feet...the crashing of the waves and the cry of the gulls...it speaks to me like nothing else...invigorating and real...waking me up from the slumber of daily life.

3. Vincent van Gogh's birthday is March 30.

My very best friend in the whole wide world, Sally, and I have celebrated on this day with dinner, a drink of two, cards, and cake...just like any birthday! (Perhaps we will do it again this coming year!) What could be better than your best friend, a wonderful meal, and a dead painter? Well, for someone who gave the world his Sunflowers and Starry Night...nothing!

4. I love this little girl's feet.

Tiny toes, chipped polish, tickle spots, and flip flops...these feet carry her everywhere in her busy world...I am standing on the sidelines watching them grow...watching her grow...watching her move through this world...in awe of her abilities and talents...

5. I treat my cats like children.

Maybe that should make me ashamed...I am not sure. But, I can not help it. Look at these three, snuggling in front of the fire place. We had five at one time, but Horatio (the middle gray cat) died last January. Sometimes, I miss him more than I could express. I have a sorrowful longing inside my heart that will not fill up with anything else. However, the other four keep me smiling and laughing and snuggling. At least, they share the house with us.

6. Speaking of cats...this is Norton...on my favorite red sheets...in my bed.

One luxury that I love (regardless of the budget) is wonderfully soft sheets...the higher the thread count, the better...the more vibrant the color, the best! After the husband washes these and puts them on our bed, I could rest there forever and be happy...pure bliss!

7. I wish I lived somewhere wonderfully cold and snowy.

Maybe I would get tired of the work of it...but there is something so moving to my soul about snow. I love looking at it, being in it, and experiencing it so completely. We so rarely get snow here that things actually shut down and the city comes to a screeching halt. If I lived somewhere that had snow more often, it would be such a wonderful thing. Real winter!

8. I will be a grandmother in February.

No matter how many times I say it, it still surprises me. We have come to accept this as an exciting fact, and are looking forward to this day as a wonderful experience for our family. My parents will know their great-grand child! As a very young mother myself, this is not what I wanted for my daughter, but she is not nearly as young as I was thankfully. She is much more mature and capable of raising a child than I could have been at 17. We will find out whether it is a girl or a boy next week. I am going with her to watch the sonogram and be amazed and cry like a grandmother should!

9. Today, I am 38 years old.

Hope you are having a great week, and today brought you something special.