Iowa

Iowa

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Thoughts on a Sunday morning

In retrospect, it was a great trip. Put aside the overcrowded planes, the wait in the airports and the rude stafff of United Airlines. There are moments...kids in the back of the van singing at the top of their lungs and each knowing which part they are to sing, three kids sitting with kittens, so gentle with these new beings, Monkeyboy in the restaurant, waving smoke from a cigarette away and speaking loudly, saying..."here it comes again"...waving arms furiously to get rid of the smoke. Can you believe how many of us used to smoke and think nothing of it? We are now a smoke free family, and I am very glad. At the farm there was a family, a two year old named Dylan, his mother, Nina and Nina's parents. They lived in NYC. Grandpa was a very friendly man who enjoyed talking with all of us. Grandma was more quiet, more reserved. Dylan was an outgoing child with an amazing vocabulary. I spoke with Grandma while we were waiting for the hayride one morning. She was the caretaker for Dylan when Nina worked. I mentioned that she would know her grandson in a very special way. She thought for a moment and then said "Yes, but it gets very lonely". She talked about when her children were growing up and all her friends had children so there was a common bond. Now, she explained, her friends had no young children. They went out to lunch, to the theater, shopping...and she sat at home with her grandson. It wasn't all bad, she expained hastily, but it was lonely. Happens a lot now, doesn't it? Both parents working, few stay at home moms, grandparents helping out. My hat (if I wore one) goes off to them. And because of the adult interaction, I thought of what it would be like living in NYC, looking forward to having adult time and being the day to day caretaker of a two year old. In closing, I just finished watching Meet The Press, my Sunday morning ritual while I read the paper. I miss Tim Russert. I liked him. I don't know what his politics were and I don't care. I think he was fair and pressed people for answers when they tried to give the politically correct answer. The show just wasn't the same.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thought you got lost, mia. My mom would never have watched my kids full time. Guess it is necessary for some people. Regarding Russert, never watched him much, but when I saw him on MSNBC for primary coverage, I liked him also. Seemed balanced, somehow.

Anonymous said...

My mom watches my sister's kids and really would like more time to herself, but she doesn't want to say anything for fear of making my sister made. Oh, well, I guess we all make choices. How is the kitten doing?

Anonymous said...

Hey mia, thought we lost you. Kids are great, but not for me right now. I missed Russert today, too. Yeah, let's hear about the kitten. Any pics?

Anonymous said...

Here you are, a picture of Flurrie and friend. The kitten looks so tiny! And she is. She is healthy and happy and not sure of what this big thing next to her is! Thanks to Bean for the pic.

Anonymous said...

That kitten looks so small! Or perhaps it just looks small in comparison. Both are looking a bit wary of one another. Cute picture.

Anonymous said...

I miss Russert also. I enjoyed his questions and not letting people off the hook. But, I do think the tributes went on a little too long! That show will never be the same.

Anonymous said...

I love reading your posts and the pix are so great, too. Can Monkeyboy be my bodyguard? I hate the cigarette smoke, especially when I am having bronchitis and Wacky Girl is dealing with The Asthma. We need more like him around.

Glad you all survived the trip.

Anonymous said...

glad you're back. The picture of the animals is really cute.

Never watched Russert but when I watched some of the tributes to him, I was sorry I missed him. Loved that he was such a fan of his dad, excited that he got to touch JFK's hand and thrilled to meet the Pope. He looked like a real down to earth person with a big heart.

Anonymous said...

How old is that kitten??? It looks so tiny next to the dog. Glad to see the taking of strays. And I'm glad Monkeyboy is attached. I think it is great when kids have pets. Helps to teach them responsibility. Although mine leave all the caretaking to me, maybe I need to rethink that.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the comment, looks like you have some "great" grandkids. I am a stay at home mom and sometimes that can also get lonely since most the other mom's I know work. I understand the other grandmother's position, but also would not give up what I have for the world. Maybe she needs to talk to her daughter to get some part time help some days so grandma can have a life too!