I still have to pack, but my toes are painted, fake tan is applied, kids’ hair is cut, the single plant that we do have is watered, and the fridge is empty. Continue reading →
May, 2010
6
May 10
Trail Guide
“I’m afraid that whatever I write will make this worse.” That was the start of Jenny’s assignment today. Yesterday afternoon, the counselor called to set up an appointment for a Friday session with Mark and the kids. She asked that we agree to have Mark pick the kids up and take them to the appointment. Continue reading →
5
May 10
Hiking in Narcissism Country
It’s a bad idea to walk through rattlesnake habitat in flip flops. It isn’t advisable to hike through grizzly territory with bacon tucked in your back pocket. Children should never be left unattended in mountain lion country. Continue reading →
4
May 10
Update on the Counseling Process
We haven’t heard a word from Mark.
The kids and I talked over the weekend and came up with a proposal. We wanted to suggest a visitation schedule that we could live with. Mark has indicated that he would like to see them more frequently. The kids say, “Absolutely Not.” We think we’ve come up with something to appease Mark. We hope that he will see that a few visits are better than nothing at all. Continue reading →
3
May 10
Do It
He was walking and pacing, too agitated to sit still and get involved in the conversation. Every once in awhile, he’d check on the kids to make sure they weren’t getting out of hand. He’d try to sit down and join in, but he’d last for about 5 minutes, before getting up and walking to the other end of the house. Continue reading →
1
May 10
A May Day Surprise
We’re sending you a May Day Surprise. Since it’s a ‘virtual’ gift we can put in whatever we want – even if it’s not in season.
We’ve created a parchment cone with a twine handle. The parchment is a golden, brownish sort of sepia color and it’s relatively sturdy so that it can hold up to the twine that is looped through the holes on either side. The cones aren’t perfect, but they are full of love and sweetness. Some of the points of the cones are a little dented, and there might be too much twine hanging loosely where it’s knotted at the sides.
We’ve tucked in snipped twigs of the most fragrant, plump blossoms of lilacs. The colors range from the lightest shade of lavender to a deep, almost burgundy shade of purple. Here and there, Jenny poked in a few daisies, and Will tucked in some Italian Flat Leaf Parsley.
We’ve just hung this cone at your door.
This is Will’s favorite part… we’ll ring the bell and run. You’re not really supposed to know that the surprise is from us.
You’ll set down your coffee, and you’ll be wondering, “Who could be stopping by today?”
You’ll open your door and be pleasantly surprised to see this funny little paper cone full of flowers. You’ll scoop up the cone and wonder, “Who left this here? There must be some kind of mistake. Who would bring me fresh lilacs?”
__________
Then you’ll remember that it’s the first day of May. You’ll remember being a child, in grade school, when the sun was starting to warm the playground. The teacher had told you about how kids used to dance around a ‘May Pole‘. At recess, you stood in the sun to warm your shoulders, discovered the tether ball pole, and tried to picture what it would be like to dance around a May Pole.
__________
With your flowers in hand, you’ll walk back into the house, and sit down at the kitchen table. You’ll breathe in the deep scent of the lilacs, and you’ll think to grab a vase to put the bouquet in, only you don’t want to disturb the pretty arrangement in the paper cone.
Then you’ll discover the note card. On the envelope it says, “For You”.
You can hardly wait to open the envelope. Inside you’ll find a pretty little card that simply says, “Someone is thinking of you today.”
