HELD BY JUST A STRING

I sit on the edge of everything.

There is nothing sudden.

Everything is slow.

We stretch like taffy.

And then you’re gone.

So silent I hear just your footsteps.

Dragging around my heart.

Letting handlebars go.

Flying off stonewalls.

Meeting people I may never know.

I am the red balloon.

I made this.
I made this moment.
I am the queen of small wild girls.

Held by just a string.

e.e. cumings

”let it go

the smashed word broken open vow or the oath cracked length wise

let it go it was sworn to go let them go

the truthful liars and the false fair friends and the boths and neithers

you must let them go they were born to go let all go

the big small middling tall bigger really the biggest and all things

let all go dear so comes love.”

-e.e. cummings

back-to-school

'tis the season...and the girls were ready!

back-to-school night

back-to-school night

day #1

cutting it up

the girls had their annual "back-to-school" haircuts again this summer...wren decided to go short (gasp! me, not her) and linnea just went to her shoulders.  they look adorable!  a wee bit sassy, too!

little eyes are watching...

...their momma who has decorated parts of our home with "stickers" and words...

so, i could not be upset when i found these renderings on her wall, down by the baseboard...

(she wrote our last name, too, but i have blurred/x'd it out)

still makes me chuckle.

My Girls

amazing young ladies.

that's these two.

they are finishing up the school year.

and it has been a very, very good year!

both were Top Readers each (& every) month for their respective classes.  

that means that they each read, or were read to, the most.

this is nothing new at our home.

we have always read to they girls.

both The Daddy and me.

and I love that they love to read!

linnea reached 150 days of "Walking Club"! 

wren was disappointed that she was 2 days short.

next week they have their year-end celebrations and classroom awards.

i am so proud of these two!

and i cannot wait to spend the summer with them!

You Don't Know Jack. . .

. . . but you soon will.

This is Jack.

His full name is "Jack Dempsey".  Not sure if he is named after the boxer from early 1900's...but we have given him numerous nicknames:

jackaroo

jick-jack

lil buddy boy

jacky-mcjackerton

He is an 8-yr-old Jack Russell terrier and so far is getting along quite well with Alice and Puddy McFluffkins.  It did take Jack a bit to get used to his new kennel...at his previous home he had a doggy-door and huge fenced yard.  And Alice was/is a bit jealous, but both are super cute together!  Jack was quite curious of the cat, but that has worn off for the most part.  Not saying Puds doesn't get chased, he does occasionally, but he can at least come onto the floor some now.  And the girls?  Oh my are they smitten!  I know Jack was not used to this much attention but he ADORES the girls.  And their belly rubs.  And that are treat-givers.  He enjoys storytime, too.

Jack moved in with us in mid-February.  He moved to Omaha from western Nebraska because his owner, my Dad, came to Omaha.  Part of my Dad coming to Omaha was that Jack would be able to come, too.  And while my Dad was in a hospital I was able to take Jack up and visit a few times.  Jack sure enjoyed those visits!  He was very well-mannered and I think Dad appreciated seeing his lil buddy, too!  Unfortunately Dad's move to Omaha was short-term...we had him transported to a hospital in Omaha so my siblings & I were able to spend more time with him close to all of us.  

My Dad was in the end stages of COPD and on April 5th died peacefully with all of his children surrounding him.  It was not the ideal ending - would have preferred a miracle cure.  But it was the best we could do for him in his last few weeks:  close to where we kids live so we were able to visit daily and spend time with him.  Had he stayed where he was, over 4 hours away, it would not have been possible to be there (not that some of us did not try...numerous trips during January & February were made)...and it would have been quite lonely for him.  So while there were some expenses with having him transported here, it was all worth it.  I could tell numerous stories about the entire "situation" - some funny, some not so much.

LAWRENCE A. ANDERSON

"grandpapa pancho"

06/22/37 - 04/05/12

(Grandpapa Pancho & Linnea - 2007)