To be able to roll with the punches is a skill. And the parents of my grandkids would love to help their children develop that skill. If you are resilient you wont bat an eye when something goes wrong or if you don't get what you expect. You don't complain, you don't gripe. I'm really supportive of this idea of staying flexible and finding the good in even poor outcomes. Really supportive. And of course, the way to instill something in kids is to model it yourself.
So today, I cancelled the up north cabin reservation and put aside thoughts of how beautiful it would be to witness a sunset on the lake each evening. Instead, I said to Ed -- let's do a sunset picnic tonight. Immediately he jumped on board. How about we take some food to Observatory Hill, over by Paoli?
It's a sweet and special spot: when he and I were just beginning our life together, way back in 2005, he took me on a first motorcycle ride there, just because he thought the views were so beautiful. It's about as romantic as the guy gets. So yes, a new plan is hatched. A picnic it shall be.
Earlier, I thought about a cafe breakfast -- something that I consider to be an exquisite part of being away. Couldn't I do something that's not oatmeal here as well? How about whipping up some of our very favorite best ever blueberry muffins for breakfast?
It's a sparkling day outside. Sunshine, a breeze, warm but not hot.
Perfect late summer or early fall weather.
I don't weed because I have some catch up work to do on the computer (so on the porch). No matter. I'm due for plenty of movement this afternoon. A second set of grandparents is coming up for a visit with the grandkids and so instead of bringing Snowdrop to the farmette, I am to deposit her at her own house. Now this is actually brilliant because the girl has wanted to try being one of the after school walkers instead of car-pickup-ers. It's a different exit door and one of her friends comes out there and she's curious about how it all works.
The walk from school to her house is long: more than half an hour, and that's at an adult pace. I suggested we speed it up some by me bringing her scooter. I packed the scooter and helmet into the car Thursday and today she can scoot home!
Famous last words.
I thought I'd park somewhere at the half point, but, there was an accident and therefore a traffic jam on the highway and so I got there just before the school doors were opened. So I parked the car just a five minute stroll from school.
And there I was, with the pick up parents and there she was, running out those special doors.
Freedom!
Snowdrop is super hungry after school and so I'd brought a blueberry muffin and a Door County peach. She wanted to pause for it ASAP. We did.
Revived, she trotted alongside me until we reached the car. With the scooter. The wrong scooter. Sparrow's scooter. I did think it was a little short but who am I to judge...
Looking on the bright side, the girl got to exit through the exciting "first grade walkers" school door and we had a picnic.
We drove to her house and she took out the real scooter and proceeded to do a half dozen downhill scoots near her house, terrifying this grandma, but only just a little. After all, she was wearing a helmet. (Expression she makes when she gets awfully close to the tree down the hill...)
(Back at the farmette -- the beautiful late afternoon light...)
And in the evening, Ed and I drove to our local taqueria (Tapatios Cocina Mexicana) where we picked up our picnic supper, to eat on Observatory Hill.
(Along the road to it, the beautiful landscape that we know and love. The mists aren't swirling around a lake, but they are swirling, deep in the farm valleys...)
It was a magnificent evening and we weren't the only ones there.
We were both students at UW and we took ballroom dancing. Twenty years ago. We try to do this every night...
Sunsets... Alfalfa fields on one side, soy fields on the other. Small farms dotting the landscape. A sliver of a moon. Is this less romantic than a lake sunset?
No, it is not. Is the moon rising high any less beautiful here, as seen on Observatory Hill? No it is not.
Yeah, I found my thrill, on Observatory Hill,
On Observatory Hill,
When I found you.
The moon stood still
On Observatory Hill
And lingered until
My dream came true...
