Memory days, and gifts

We went to visit DH's grandmother for Memorial Day weekend, and I was sitting on the back porch in gorgeous 75-degree sunshine on Sunday afternoon, holding KT baby for a few minutes of peace and quiet. Enjoying her cooing – she’s really picked up the back and forth of conversation, and loves to answer me when I go, “Ooo,” or “Mmm,” – and staring into her pretty little blue eyes, I just kept telling myself, “Remember this. Remember it.” Because I know that I sat staring at AJ and cooing with him in the same way, 3 and a half years ago, I know it… but it’s hard to recall the exact moment. The way the sky looked. What outfit he was wearing.

I can remember ONE time, and I’d better write it down now before it slips away again: it was the day before I went back to work. I have pictures of it, even, so I DO know what he was wearing – a little green onesie. We sat on OUR back porch that time, and it was fall, and I guess we talked and laughed and blew raspberries in the same way, but that part’s fuzzy.

Anyway, KT and I sat there “bbbb”ing at each other in rhythm, one after the other, and she had on the adorable orange gingham outfit from Aunt Jane that says “Love” on the knee. My legs were propped up on the chair in front of me, and she lay on my legs. I’d alternate between pulling her up to sitting, and letting her rest on her back. We stayed out there for about 20 minutes. I kissed her soft cheeks every other minute. She is so smiley.

Remember this.

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I had a nice morning today. Well, nice, and a little funny/frustrating. I’d intended to work from home. Got everyone dressed and out the door, got the first load of laundry in and my coffee poured. Opened Firefox…. Nothing. No Internet. I should have known, since Comcast cable was out this morning, too. Bother. I decided I’d better call to see what the deal was, and Comcast’s automated lady told me there was an outage in my neighborhood but technicians were working on it.

So I decided I’d go for a walk. Actually I wanted to do an aerobic workout On Demand but, whoops! No On Demand without cable! So, a walk it shall be. I had planned to do this anyway today. Got my shoes on and out the door… without my key. THAT made me say “Frak!” Luckily my neighbor has a key and I did have my cell phone with me, so I called him. Took my 20-minute walk. UP and DOWN the big hills in my neighborhood – my heart got pumping! Felt great. AND it was my favorite kind of morning – really cool, damp even, and cloudy. I call those kind “Walden mornings,” because the week when I first read Walden, the weather was like that and I loved to read it out on my balcony. And it seems to me the weather at Walden Pond must have been like that a lot, too.

Anyway, that’s all. I finished my walk, got my spare key from the neighbor, went in and got dressed. Oh, during the walk I found the 4 Comcast trucks in the neighborhood. “You guys have an ETA or should I go into the office today?” “Ummm…. I’d go in to the office.” “Okay, thanks.” Heh. Traffic wasn’t too bad since I didn’t leave until 9:00.

It was just… nice. A little gift.