Family perspectives
Last Friday Night I did Shabbat at my home, I do it every couple of months as the rest of the time my folks do it in their home and the kids sleep over at them. When I need the kids to sleep over at home it is easier to just do it here so I don't have to deal with the hysteria of dragging the kids out of camp Ruth, where the four-legged camp counselors JJ and Cindi reside. OK they have cable TV too. Home just does not come close to Grandma and Grandpa's house and that's the way it should be.
Josh invited his dad and step-mom, it was a lovely evening. Les and I had spent the day before helping clear out her mom's basement. Les's mother, Muriel is 93, one of the most remarkable women I have ever met. She is a small woman who is filled with sunshine, nothing is too much trouble, every meal is the best. she finds delight in everything. There is nothing she cannot make or do whether its an evening bag for her daughter or a stone sculpture. Muriel learned to roller skate when she was 83. She is a hard woman to track down as she volunteers at a few different places taking care of infants, when she does not have a million plans on the go she is off travelling to visit friends, family or different places. She was an interior decorator and has the most interesting collection of goodies one can imagine. Moving out was an interesting event, moving from a two story, 4 bedroom home, jam packed with treasures was really something. Unfortunately she left everything for the last minute and so much stuff had to be thrown away, not just stuff but treasure, so sad really. I loaded my car to the brim with rolls of fabric, trim, art work, gorgeous pieces that no-one could take, no-one's home was big enough to accomodate all that she had to give away when she down sized to an apartment. The garbage men, delighted in the treasures they took away, a friend of theirs arrived with a U-haul sized truck to load up with so many goodies that would have been compacted. She was devastated, we all were. She gave me a portfolio of unframed pictures, dozens of them from an artist friend of hers who was all the rage in the 1930's-1960's but has since lost favour. What a treat, Josh and I looked over the pictures, each one more exquisite then the next. Working out which ones to frame first. Treasures saved for another generation to enjoy. How sad to watch ones life reduced to stuff.
Saturday morning Nikki started dance class, one of the most amazing things is watching Nikki with her buddies from her pre-K group, there is a cosmic connection between them that holds them. What a fabulous bunch of kids, unfortunately they are all in different school districts and don't have the pleasure of seeing each other every day. My schedule does not allow me to make playdates out of our district as the bus drops them off at the other kids home. Nikki has two of her buddies in her class and they could not keep their hands off each other, the poor teacher had the damndest time trying to keep them focussed, her gym teacher suffers the same fate on a Thursady when she does gymnastics with two of her best buddies in the whole world. In fact it sounds a lot like soccer where she can't pull herself away from her favourite pal, Sydney who calls her Nikki Noodles and towers over Nikki, Nikki was the smallest in her class and Syd the tallest, both of them are bonded beyond bonded but they won't be in school together until the 6th grade.
After dance on Saturday her buddy Isabel, Isabel's sister Ava, my friend Loren's daughter Cami, Isabel's mom and I went for pizza to one of the yummiest pizza joints I have been to in a while. They had a grand time and I must say it was great to see her surrounded by the world she had created.
After I dropped her at my folks (Ry had slept over the night before), I dropped Cami at her home as Loren had surprised her hubby Jeff with a surprise party on Thursday night at an amazing place called the Chalet (we had a great time, meeting their friends who were all our kind of people) the next morning she whisked Jeff away to The Mohegan Sun to be pampered and taken care of, they both deserved the break and I was happy they could swing it.
After dropping Cami I met my friend Lisa to tie dye clothes - we had such a great time although I must admit the dye did not take so well (if you have any pointers feel free to leave them in the comments. We had a fabulous time chatting and turning our hands blue.
Saturday Night we met our friends Beth and Eric, whom she calls Big Dawg for some reason she will not divulge. he is the midst of a messy divorce and she is over marriage number 2. They are the perfect match, neither of them have grown up, they bought motorcycles, their kids have all left home and life is an adventure. They just bought a gorgeous house together in Long Beach, right on the water, they are so happy together and its great to see a relationship that really works (not that I am implying anything about anyone else).
Sunday started the birthday party/soccer shuffle Josh off in one direction and me in another. Nikki and I got home at 1:30 after our round. Josh called me to say his dad, step mom and two cousins visiting from Israel may stop by sometime in the afternoon. At 1:45 he called to say his dad just called and they will all be at us for lunch. Now I wish I could order in, I really do it just not me, you see I have those Ruth genes that mean you have to make everything, or in my case almost everything. We sprung into action, Nikki set the table while I chopped up the roast chicken we had in the fridge, threw a curry together, made rice and viola rice was done, half a dozen side dishes and no-one could even move, sheesh I think we set a new record!!!!
Josh invited his dad and step-mom, it was a lovely evening. Les and I had spent the day before helping clear out her mom's basement. Les's mother, Muriel is 93, one of the most remarkable women I have ever met. She is a small woman who is filled with sunshine, nothing is too much trouble, every meal is the best. she finds delight in everything. There is nothing she cannot make or do whether its an evening bag for her daughter or a stone sculpture. Muriel learned to roller skate when she was 83. She is a hard woman to track down as she volunteers at a few different places taking care of infants, when she does not have a million plans on the go she is off travelling to visit friends, family or different places. She was an interior decorator and has the most interesting collection of goodies one can imagine. Moving out was an interesting event, moving from a two story, 4 bedroom home, jam packed with treasures was really something. Unfortunately she left everything for the last minute and so much stuff had to be thrown away, not just stuff but treasure, so sad really. I loaded my car to the brim with rolls of fabric, trim, art work, gorgeous pieces that no-one could take, no-one's home was big enough to accomodate all that she had to give away when she down sized to an apartment. The garbage men, delighted in the treasures they took away, a friend of theirs arrived with a U-haul sized truck to load up with so many goodies that would have been compacted. She was devastated, we all were. She gave me a portfolio of unframed pictures, dozens of them from an artist friend of hers who was all the rage in the 1930's-1960's but has since lost favour. What a treat, Josh and I looked over the pictures, each one more exquisite then the next. Working out which ones to frame first. Treasures saved for another generation to enjoy. How sad to watch ones life reduced to stuff.
Saturday morning Nikki started dance class, one of the most amazing things is watching Nikki with her buddies from her pre-K group, there is a cosmic connection between them that holds them. What a fabulous bunch of kids, unfortunately they are all in different school districts and don't have the pleasure of seeing each other every day. My schedule does not allow me to make playdates out of our district as the bus drops them off at the other kids home. Nikki has two of her buddies in her class and they could not keep their hands off each other, the poor teacher had the damndest time trying to keep them focussed, her gym teacher suffers the same fate on a Thursady when she does gymnastics with two of her best buddies in the whole world. In fact it sounds a lot like soccer where she can't pull herself away from her favourite pal, Sydney who calls her Nikki Noodles and towers over Nikki, Nikki was the smallest in her class and Syd the tallest, both of them are bonded beyond bonded but they won't be in school together until the 6th grade.
After dance on Saturday her buddy Isabel, Isabel's sister Ava, my friend Loren's daughter Cami, Isabel's mom and I went for pizza to one of the yummiest pizza joints I have been to in a while. They had a grand time and I must say it was great to see her surrounded by the world she had created.
After I dropped her at my folks (Ry had slept over the night before), I dropped Cami at her home as Loren had surprised her hubby Jeff with a surprise party on Thursday night at an amazing place called the Chalet (we had a great time, meeting their friends who were all our kind of people) the next morning she whisked Jeff away to The Mohegan Sun to be pampered and taken care of, they both deserved the break and I was happy they could swing it.
After dropping Cami I met my friend Lisa to tie dye clothes - we had such a great time although I must admit the dye did not take so well (if you have any pointers feel free to leave them in the comments. We had a fabulous time chatting and turning our hands blue.
Saturday Night we met our friends Beth and Eric, whom she calls Big Dawg for some reason she will not divulge. he is the midst of a messy divorce and she is over marriage number 2. They are the perfect match, neither of them have grown up, they bought motorcycles, their kids have all left home and life is an adventure. They just bought a gorgeous house together in Long Beach, right on the water, they are so happy together and its great to see a relationship that really works (not that I am implying anything about anyone else).
Sunday started the birthday party/soccer shuffle Josh off in one direction and me in another. Nikki and I got home at 1:30 after our round. Josh called me to say his dad, step mom and two cousins visiting from Israel may stop by sometime in the afternoon. At 1:45 he called to say his dad just called and they will all be at us for lunch. Now I wish I could order in, I really do it just not me, you see I have those Ruth genes that mean you have to make everything, or in my case almost everything. We sprung into action, Nikki set the table while I chopped up the roast chicken we had in the fridge, threw a curry together, made rice and viola rice was done, half a dozen side dishes and no-one could even move, sheesh I think we set a new record!!!!
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