windinthemaples

This weekend ended up so nice. :) We got to do some fun things together, to spend plenty of time outside, and to get the office all ready for Daniel's new engineer who is starting today.

Friday morning, I had an appointment to take the car in for its regular 45,000 mile service. Daniel and I both are procrastinators on this kinda thing because a simple oil change for the Volvo takes forever. The car is still under warranty and the mechanics seem to go out of their way to find additional things to fix. I'm alright with it, but spending a few hours trying to entertain Graeme in a waiting room of a dealership is not my idea of fun. Luck was on my side, though, because Graeme was still deeply asleep in bed with Daniel when it was time for me to go. I whispered my goodbyes, told Daniel I'd be back, and got the heck out of Dodge. :D

I've been psyching myself up for Graeme and I's Alaskan cruise this August by laying in a stock of books about some of the places we'll be going and the history of the Yukon gold rush in general. While the mechanics did their thing, I relaxed (without constant toddler interference) and read about half of one of my new books--Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush. It has been incredibly interesting to learn about the gold rush in Alaska and the progressive settlement of that area through the stories of the women who were part of the dance hall and prostitution worlds there. And what the hey! I'm reading! Who knew it could be possible again! I'm reading! :D :D :D

After a day of playing at home, Daniel took Graeme to the playground while I went to see the new exhibit at the Rotofugi Gallery, a designer toy palace in my neighborhood, of Frank Kozik's paintings. I have some of his toy designs in my collection, including what he calls "Happy Labbit", which he signed for me at the event. His most famous toys are these simple white rabbits with five o'clock shadows smoking cigarettes, called "Smorkin' Labbits". Mine is an accessorized labbit that has some interchangeable things you can put in his mouth (instead of a cigarette) ala Mr. Potato Head pegs...in my case a big toothy grin, a party blower, a chocolate ice cream cone, and a leafy carrot. He's pretty damn cheery. :) After the signing, I walked a couple blocks to the park to meet up with Daniel and Graeme and we walked home together hand in hand in hand in the fading sunlight. It was awesome.

Saturday, we were invited to two different parties. Wow, us? :D The first was a housewarming party and grillout for Daniel's high school friend Sean. Sean has a dog, a very sweet and well-behaved, and she immediately approached Graeme and licked his face. He loves dogs, in theory, but has never been licked by one or been on the ground where one so obviously larger than him has approached him. She was speedy, too, darting towards and away from him and trying to get him to play. He was unsure, intimidated, started to cry. We didn't stay long, had some veggie burgers and pretzels, and then packed back into the car for party #2.

A week or more ago, I'd gotten an invitation through a local pagan mailing list I'm on, to attend the first birthday party of a baby who'd come to one of my Chicago Pagan Family meetups--a Mabon potluck. We hadn't talked since that meeting, so I kinda assumed that the mother wasn't intending to invite me. Then I got a second invitation through Facebook, where the mother has me friended, and I kinda had a "Who, me? Did you mean me?" moment of insecurity before accepting. It is the first child birthday party we've gotten invited to, such a fun thing to do with Graeme and even better it was a pagan affair with a blessing ceremony, too.

We had such a wonderful time!

It was a potluck, which was nice, and there was much happy-baby-smashing-cake hilarity and everyone there was an absolute delight. All good. It was a baby-celebrating zone where everyone (me included) was nursing so it was comfortable, too. The best thing, though, was the blessing ceremony.

There was a blessing altar for the birthday girl (Joy, for those here who know her). We were all invited to go to it and write a message or blessing or memory for Joy in a book she'd keep (Air), as well as a sea of white candles we could light with love for her (Fire). There was a bowl of assorted colorful glass beads (Earth) that we were invited to take one or more of as a symbol of a blessing we wished upon her in her life. During the ceremony itself, we all sat in a circle and one by one we announced our blessings and strung our beads together onto a thread that would become a necklace of blessings. (My two blessings were that she'd never lose her natural enthusiasm and curiousity/wonder in the world around her and that she'd always have at least one true blue friend and that she'd know who they were. Daniel's one was serenity in the face of obstacles, others wished things like health and happiness and community for her.) Virginia, Joy's mom, took a bowl of water with a crystal point in it, and passed it around to us to embue with love and blessings while gazing at ourselves in the water and realizing that she is already whole souls, as are we, and that our job as her community was to be that image of wholeness and self-security for her as she grows from whole infant to whole adult. Once it had gone around the circle, Virginia blessed Joy on the forehead with the water and then came around to bless those of us who wished it as well. Finally, we intoned her name, three times, as a witness of her to the Universe. Joyous occasion, as fitting her namesake. :) It felt like authentic, embracing spiritual motherhood/childhood. The community spirit I long for! I was so grateful to be included.

After the party, Graeme fell asleep in the car, so we stopped to buy some baby needs at Toys R Us (me running in while the boys napped in the car) and then stopped at one of my local thrift stores while they napped some more. (I found a big creative activity book for kids, a children's hand drum, and some small animal toys.) We had leftovers for dinner later and then watched a show we'd DVR'd on Daniel's parents' suggestion--Expedition Africa.

Sunday, we had a quiet morning, Graeme and I, while Daniel went to get some things done at the office in preparation for his new hire's arrival. In the afternoon, we went to drop off some more pajama donations for the Pajama Programand then ran around Office Depot while Daniel picked out some additional office chairs for Tom, his new employee. At the office, he put them together with some of Graeme's help (sorta) and many bribes of pretzels. In the evening, long sunlit evening that I love, we walked to a family-friendly Italian place we feel comfortable at and had dinner together. It was still light out at 8pm when we finished, so we walked the neighborhood hand (in hand in hand) and stopped to play for a few minutes at the park. It was so wonderful. Oh! What a weekend. :) I love my family. I love my life. :)