I Call This Picture...

Jackie O'My-Gosh-She-Would-Look-Too-Old-If-Not-For-That-Snake-Bracelet

Random Thoughts from 24 Hours in Maine

I flew out Friday morning from Norfolk alone and flew out this morning from Portland with my daughter. It feels right and good to have her with me again. I think I fared well during the separation and she had a fabulous time with her grandparents.

I had lots of random thoughts over the past couple of days.

* A conversation between children is a long game of Telephone. The message that gets across is rarely the message intended. Fin was relaying a conversation she had with a young boy at the campground. He told her, "God died. I saw it in my church. People stuck nails in him until he died." Fin, having never heard the story from that particular, violent direction identified it as a tale of horror and thus countered him with, "Zombies will eat your brains. They live in old buildings, but they are scared of fire." I called my mom to inquire about the background of this little boy. She didn't know him, but rightly pointed out that his parents were probably much more alarmed by the information he returned home with than I was.

* Central Park viewed from the air is a wonder. The fact that anyone had the foresight to preserve that much green space in a flourishing city and subsequent generations protected it even with what I am sure were tempting offers, is astounding.

* I love to travel with Fin. She is a superb traveler and doesn't need entertaining, goes with the flow whenever schedules or plans change, and she enjoys staying at hotels and flying on airplanes. She actually behaves better when we travel than she does at home. I particularly like to fly with her. As soon as she settles in, she always pulls out the safety card and carefully looks over every picture. She practices the safety stance of head down, bracing against the seat in front of you. She inquires about the location of our oxygen masks. Then, she generally proceeds to take a nap. I love that. Kind of acknowledging we might crash, but we certainly need our rest. She usually wakes up for the refreshment cart, though. You don't know how long you will be drifting along using your seat cushion as a flotation device and you wouldn't want to get hungry.

* There are people who enjoy taking pictures of lighthouses and people who don't. I am one of the latter. I find lighthouse life fascinating and the wrecks they fail to prevent are, with the distance of time, entertaining. There was a man at the Portland Head Light selling photos he had taken in varying seasons and types of light and certain backgrounds of sail boats or foregrounds of blooming flowers. He seemed perfectly delighted to discuss what led up to each photographic experience. I think I would have been morosely driving over to the lighthouse droning like the Dunkin Donuts guy, "Time to shoot the lighthouse."

* Did you know you can fly with a cello if you pay for another passenger ticket? You can even fall asleep snuggling with it. No extra charge.

* I have often said that I was so lucky to get the perfect daughter for me. She fits me, but not so well that I am not daily challenged. It is nice to see that my parents seem to have gotten the perfect granddaughter for them. She shares interests with them both, she entertains them, she makes them proud, and, yes, she challenges them a bit, too.

While in Maine

Fin...

swam


walked the cat


saw the sights


ate ice cream


played putt putt


worked on charming the grands




went to the horse races


made new friends


see-sawed


went for walks with Grandpa


journeyed to the far East


rang a lighthouse bell


danced with Mommy


danced with Grandpa


staged a lobster battle


wrote a story about giraffes


and then stayed in Maine. I miss my beautiful girl.


I go get her in nine days. But who's counting?

Life's a Beach

Today we met Aunt Kate and her grandchildren at the beach. Fin is in love with her grandson Q.

Q is not exactly feelin' it.


Bummer.


She clung to the back of his chair for awhile and finally asked him to go swimming with her.


He agreed.

Then got stung by a jellyfish.

Bummer.

So, she ate strawberries.


And she made beach soup.


Until the paparazzi and rain showers both became too annoying.


And now we're home.

Her 4th 4th

Today Fin celebrated her fourth Fourth of July. We went over to the beach to listen to some music and watch the fireworks. It was lovely. The weather had cooled and a breeze was blowing. It smelled like cigars and watermelon. People walked by dripping from a swim, or decked out in their to-be-seen dresses. The young men behind us were doing backflips and the old men beside us were grilling hotdogs. Can't beat a Fourth of July at the beach.









And then...




We returned home where ice cream pie waited for us, a belated birthday celebration for Emmy.



Great day.