Grandpa

We went to Texas for GYC after Christmas and I was determined to go see my grandfather who lives just a few hours away. He has not really been a part of my life and I haven't seen him for about 19 years I think. I was just a little thing when we visited his house once, yet I have distinct memories about the sights and smells of those few hours. 

My Dad's dad is in his late 80's now and I don't really know how much time I might have left. I figured this might be as close as I will get in the near future, so I grabbed the opportunity. It also happened to be 3 days after the passing of my Mom’s dad—the only grandfather I have even known, and for this reason it meant so much more.

I arrived near midnight and felt bad that they had to come and get me so late, but they didn't want me in a bus station alone. They said they were afraid they wouldn't recognize me, but as soon as I stepped off the bus, there was no mistaking the family resemblance. 

The next day I spent a few hours with my grandfather and his sweet wife. He recounting war stories and she filling in histories about their families. I enjoyed their company and all the old family pictures. The hours flew by too quickly and all too soon it was time to leave. 

I got some photos of and with my grandfather despite his protests that it would break my camera. However, somewhere between then and when I next checked, the memory card got lost, so all I have are a couple cellphone pics. 

When I left, Grandpa hugged and kissed me repeatedly and asked that I come again soon. It wasn't just a check on my bucket list that day, it was the repairing of a breach. 

 A drawing my grandfather made when he was young

A family photo

Common Ground

Last fall I went home to attend the Common Ground Fair with my mom. This was one of the last things I did with her when I was still at home and we had so much fun, that I just had to come home and go again with her. It is a fabulous place with intriguing people and so much to see. There are demonstrations by blacksmiths and bakers, fiddling and shaker style singing, canoe carving lessons and line dancing. There are contests and races, fresh produce and flowers. 

We had fun sampling maple candy and various foods, and I was in my element among the books and photography exhibits. There were so many cute handicrafts and amazing works of art. So many reasons to love the Common Ground Fair!

Gipfeltreff

In February I had the opportunity to go to Switzerland and Austria for ten days of snowboarding and hockey. It was a wonderful week with great friends, amazing food, terrific views, and uplifting messages every evening. A fantastic week to be sure, and I just can't get enough of those Alps!