Bon Voyage!

Grad Student Gillian has made many moves
in the past six years.
She has her summertime-lifestyle-packing
honed to a fine skill.
She can even see out the back window of her car!

She's off on her next adventure:

Maritime Museum of San Diego


Bon voyage!

Claire Hilary

Twenty-three years ago on this morning, I gave birth to our second child, our second daughter.

I am not sure exactly what I had pictured in my prenatal mind as to what this wee babe would look like. I do know that I had never imagined such big, blue, Cindy Lou Who eyes and such dark hair. In fact, moments after she arrived, I looked at her full head of black hair and thought to myself, "My stars, I've given birth to an Eskimo child."

Early on, an artist and lover of nature...

...of fashion...

She has certainly ALWAYS expressed the joie de vivre!

...exuberance...

Quite the sportswoman...

Lover of beauty and beasts...

What a joy...

Happy birthday, Hilary.

Graham's Daffodils

The College Boy, Graham, took this photo just this morning.
It's a daffodil farm about 30 miles south of Western Washington University, where Graham studies.

The Weekend

This week was "Daughters' Visits" at our house: Gillian came home from KU grad school, and Claire came home from Virginia. They spent a huge amount of hours cleaning This Old House and helping me with my Lenten project. Grazi, daughters.

Tonight we were expecting 5-6 collegiate cyclists to arrive on our doorstep, but yesterday evening we got an email stating that the collegiate races had been canceled.

That's a BIG BOO. A) Collegiate homestays are always so fun for us. We love them - and have been doing them in some way, shape and form for 20+ years. B) I had gone grocery shopping for the weekend athletes, purchasing odds and ends which denote a high-carb diet for racing cyclists: pancake mix, pasta, pasta, pasta, grits, and lots of bananas.

So. Well. That Spouse o' Mine and the daughters and I had our own tiny little pasta party this evening. Maybe someone will make pancakes in the morning. Bananas? Smoothies and bread coming our way...

Tonight that Spouse o' Mine and I took a quick bike ride. 40º and windy, windy. It was remindful of those skiing days where the sub-freezing winds will freeze-dry our eyes, and numb our cheeks. Our smiles will be stuck in smile-mode for the day.

Tonight we are having chocolate chip cookies. Two days ago, it was pound cake. Tomorrow, we are having lemon cupcakes topped with fresh berries: the request of the Birthday Girl, Miss Gillian Louise.

Amazing! 24 years ago, I gave birth to a healthy 9 lb 13 oz bouncing baby girl. She was and is beautiful.

les Tours

This is Claire Armstrong.
She placed 2nd in the first stage of the Tour of Lawrence.

Hilary!!!!!!!

People always seem to look startled when I call daughter Claire by her middle name. Maybe they are panicked, thinking, "On no! All this time I thought her name was Claire!"

It started eons ago up in Michigan. Our backyard backed up to 5 other neighbors' backyards, and we were most fortunate that some of these neighbors had kids our kids' ages. So there was a lot of neighborhood activity on any given day.

If any of us Moms wanted any of the kids, we could just yell out the door: "Gillian!" "Jocelyn!"

For some reason, when I yelled Claire's name, it always sounded like some shrew was screaming at her hapless kid: "Claaaaaaaaaaire!" No. That didn't sound nice at all. But if I called out "Hilary!", I sounded like the June Cleaver mother that I actually am. It adds a lilt to one's voice! And besides, I LIKE her middle name. I like it as much as I like her first name, so why not enjoy both names?

And that's how it came about. She's Claire, she's Hilary.

Royal Recollection

OK, cute kid story from years ago. Indulge me, please....

In Michigan, little daughter Gillian and I were digging in the garden and planting things. I stuck the shovel down, and noticed lots and lots of ants. And there was an acrid odor. (I don't know WHY I know this, I just do...) I mentioned to Gill, "I think we have an ant colony here. We might be able to see the queen ant."

And Gill, earnest as ever, replied," Will she have a crown?"

Lovely memory!