Reeling in the years.

Howdy, Interneters. How goes it in your bits and pieces of Earth? Hope this Mother's Day finds you enjoying some sunshine and taking time to thank a mom, yours or someone else's, for her contribution to this world. In church this morning, Michael said something to the effect that we wouldn't be the same without mothers. Truth is, we wouldn't BE without mothers so kudos to you all. One proud day, I hope to be fortunate (and crazy!) enough to join your ranks.

I've spent a relaxing Sunday home in Exeter with my parents. We went to church this morning then shared a delicious lunch with my grandparents. Mom and Dad are taking naps, making for a good time to catch up with email and blogging.

So it's been a couple of weeks with no Internet and only a few complaints from the homefront. I miss regularing seeing The Office and Grey's Anatomy, but both shows are online so I can catch up sometime. It was also tough to adjust to not having instant access to whatever information I wanted -- tables on Craigslist, yard sale addresses and directions, the complete filmography of that one actress in that one movie I just watched. But talk about more time -- I've finished several books and movies and spend a lot more time on my patio. If a day off falls on a weekday, it is a beautiful simple pleasure to sit out on the breezy balcony with a crossword while Giada stares down bugs, listening to birds' songs mingling with children's laughter from the school a block away. It makes me feel at home and connected to a community, moreso than I've felt anywhere since I lived in Exeter. I don't always miss the smalltown life, but I will always cherish a smalltown feel.

A highlight of the past couple of weeks was last Thursday: My college roommate, Ginger, came to visit. (She lives in NYC and was home in Modesto for a week.) We had a wonderful afternoon at my store, drinking coffee, doing the crossword, and catching up. Seems like only yesterday we were getting locked out of the laundry room with clothes in the washer or rolling with laughter on the floor of our hallway or yelling for each other's help through the walls whiling writing a paper. Alas, those days are behind us, but I'm grateful to have a friend that, regardless of time and distance we spend apart, will always feel like home when we're together again.

A couple of the movies I've watched have had thought-provoking themes. One, Forgiving Dr. Mengele, follows the story of Eva Kor, who, along with her twin sister, was subjected to horrific medical experiments at Auschwitz but has forgiven the Nazi doctor who ordered them. It's an inspiring story but also made me ponder the nature and meaning of forgiveness. Does the perpetrator of an offense need to express remorse for you to be able to forgive him?

I also recently watched The Big Chill, a well-made movie from the 1980s dealing with several college friends reunited after a suicide. The more interesting part for me was the funeral because it made me think of my own. Granted, I will have no interest in my funeral when it rolls around because I plan to be dancing on streets of gold, but if those left on Earth really want to honor my "wishes," it will be perhaps unusual. No fancy coffin (waste of money!), no fresh flowers (waste of money!), good music and dancing (enjoy yourselves!), no open casket (no one needs to see me lying there looking asleep), and absolutely NO throwing off dirt on my coffin at the graveside by family members. There might have been significance in that a century ago, but now, gravediggers are being paid to put my body in the ground; no need to torture yourselves with the sound of falling sod over and over again.

Anyway. On to something less macabre, perhaps? Work has been good. Business is still booming, in so many words. I've been trained to teach Starbucks training classes for newly-hired baristas and my store is currently hosting a newly hired manager for her first four weeks of training. We're being noticed for good things -- always encouraging.

Next weekend, Abbey and Matt and Travis and Veronica will be in town for a little family reunion of sorts. It's the first time all three kids and their respective significant others will be home together (which means I have a week to find me a significant other! :) Takers?) . Mom is super excited, as are we all. Hopefully the weather will stay as cool as it has been for May. The next blog should have pictures of our BBQ so stay tuned.

In the meantime, how about some random pics?

A worn but supercomfy chair I found at a yard sale, which Giada loves and uses to look out the bedroom window:


My new glasses:


Giada enjoying the beachy weather:


Look, my black thumb, that killed a cactus in Cleveland, is growing something!!!


The cozy patio: