Linda Archives - Cindy Goes Beyond

February 6, 2019

Vision Board Party

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My mom, sister Linda and I meet every Tuesday evening, sharing a meal, working our way through the book Liver Rescue, and creating vision boards. It’s been an extended vison board party! As soon as we finish discussing important info about our livers, we clear the table and go into creative mode.

I’ve made vision boards for years. (Check out this one from 2014 and see how my boards have grown with me.) The last few years, the three of us get together and have fun chatting and laughing as we flip through magazines and cut out images and words that appeal to us. The shared experience helps each of us to focus on what we want. And we help each other search for specific pictures or phrases.

In the past, my oldest grandchild, Dayan, joined us and either created a board of his own or sketched while we cut and pasted. This year my youngest grandchild, Aubrey, created her first board.

Join the party!

What is a Vision Board?

These visual keepsakes represent what the creator desires. Writing down hopes and dreams in a journal makes them more likely to manifest. Creating a vision board ups the energy by keeping desires foremost in the mind.

A vision board, or dream board, is a collage of images, words, affirmations and phrases that expresses one’s desires. The board serves as inspiration and motivation and should be kept in a highly visible place so it can be easily seen.

Each board is as unique as its creator. We use magazines, that my mom collects all year, and glue sticks to affix the cut out words and pictures to poster boards. My mom’s hint: visit your local recycling center to see if they have magazines you can have for free.

Vision Board Party

The fun part, creating these boards as a group effort, is that we bounce ideas off each other and help to search for elusive words, phrases or pictures. I typically bring along a travel magazine, for the specific purpose of cutting out images from different countries I intend to visit. This year, I forgot to bring one.

I mentioned aloud that I needed travel images. Moments later Mom found beautiful pictures in the magazine she was flipping through, of various locations around the world. Perfect. Before that night’s party ended, I had also found the words “travel”, “explore” and the phrase “there are adventures to enjoy”. In a non-travel magazine, I even found a man in a kilt.

When looking through magazines, I suggest moving quickly and cutting out any picture, word or phrase that snags your attention. You can sort through clippings before gluing down, and discard any that don’t “bring you joy’. Clarity comes, in making choices. Often one of us will ask the other, “Do you want this?” Every yes or no sharpens focus. When it is time to glue cut outs to the poster board, the things we most desires are collected right there in neat little piles.

Here are our completed boards.

Aubrey’s Vision Board

Aubrey created her vison board on a Saturday afternoon, while spending time with me. She expressed the desire to make a board and I happily obliged. We met at Mom’s and the rest of us worked on our own boards while Aubrey looked through magazines. She asked great questions and knew what she wanted, to represent this year. I cut her board down slightly in size, at her request, so she could complete it in a couple of hours.

Aubrey’s word for 2019 is “Strength”, and her board represent her desire to be a young woman who is strong in all areas of her life. She has a deep love for animals, with dogs being her current favorite. Therefore dogs are prominently displayed on her vision board. In fact, the dog just might be her symbol for the year. These playful animals, descended from wolves, symbolize protection, loyalty, unconditional love and bravery. I love those very qualities that Aubrey possesses.

Aubrey has visual reminders to drink more water and eat healthy meals. Every word, image, phrase and symbol mean something to this bright kid. I love her vision board and that she enjoyed making one. The board tells Aubrey’s story…and the story of who she is becoming. I look forward to seeing future boards from this girl.

Linda’s Vision Board

Linda has this vision board making thing down. She knows what she wants and she finds it. Her word for 2019 is “Change”. I noticed that Linda turns her poster board horizontally, which is perfectly fine. It’s something she does without really thinking about it. I’m sure I could find something symbolic about that!

An interesting feature of Linda’s board is the momma giraffe with her baby. Linda said she doesn’t really know why, but she feels drawn to the giraffe.

Well that’s something I CAN interpret.

The giraffe represents a different perspective on life, and the ability to see surroundings clearly, from a high vantage point. Additionally, the giraffe symbolizes self-acceptance and self-love, important qualities for all of us to have, and perhaps something my sister is consciously or unconsciously drawn to as well. Giraffe reminds us not to waste a moment wishing to be somebody else, and to celebrate our beautiful uniqueness.

With its long, graceful neck the giraffe encourages us to not be fearful about “sticking our necks out”. “Go after what you want”, this giraffe seems to say. “Pursue your goals and make your dreams reality.” I think Linda chose a symbol for her year, without being fully aware of why she was choosing it. That’s the power in staying open while creating a vision board.

Mom’s Vision Board

I love that my mother actively participates in so many of my adventures. She inspires me, truly. Thus, it is very fitting that her word for this year is “Inspire”. Mom inspires others through her example and in the way she lives her life. She continually learns and grows. This lady is not sitting by in her golden years, oh no. She continues to try new things. I love her adventurous spirit.

I also love that Mom, Aubrey and I all ended up with the word “queen” on our boards. We are a family of queens who know what we want and we aren’t afraid to go after our dreams. There is great power in casting forth visions and we three queens are doing just that…together. How precious to me this is.

Mom’s board captures her desire to create a haven in her backyard for birds and butterflies. Perhaps unintentionally, Mom’s symbol for this year appears to be the butterfly. The butterfly symbolizes beauty through transformation and a time of growth and expansion in life. Butterflies also represent playfulness, lightness of being and a free spirit. My mother embodies those qualities.

My Vision Board

I say this every year…and I always mean it. I LOVE MY BOARD! They come together beautifully, year after year. As I’ve shared previously, my word for 2019 is “Enchantment”. Try as I might, I could not find the word in any of the magazines I thumbed through. No problem. I created the word by cutting out the individual letters. Remarkably, I was able to accomplish that using two words I found. The rustic look of the word, arcing over a display of flowers, pleases me.

I could not find my symbol, the queen chess piece, either. However, it was easy enough to find the word, and I located a crown as well. Read about queen symbolism, for me, here.

I’m a bit of a vison board snob. All of the poster board must be covered. Gluing down the cut outs becomes a process similar to working a jigsaw puzzle. I lay out the pieces and move them around until they come together and I’m happy with the result. Then I start at the bottom and glue down each cut out.

Travel pictures and words dominate my board, as that is one of my greatest desires at this time. The typewriter represents writing/blogging. My board tells a story. It captures where I am, at this moment, and the direction I am heading.

My vision board is already hanging in my creative studio, where I can look at it frequently throughout the day.

Create Your Own Vision Board

Vision boards are easy and fun to do. A few tips:

Collect magazines, publications or picture books throughout the year. It’s okay too to use markers, coloring pencils or pens to draw designs and write words.
If specific pictures can’t be located, print out photos from the computer.
Add your own photo, if desired. I’ve done this several times. I’ve also added family members to my boards.
Purchase glue sticks during back to school sales. They are incredibly cheap then. Poster boards often end up on sale too. We use 14″x22″ acid free boards, that come in a package of 5. Don’t want to gather all the stuff? Order a Vision Board Kit.
Feel free to add other elements, such as fabric, scrapbook cut outs, buttons, whatever makes your heart sing.
Gather friends or family members and do this as a group project. It’s a fun way to dream together and encourage one another. Create a party atmosphere.
Hang completed vision board up and look at it daily. Feel the emotions attached to the images and words. How we feel about something is as important as what we think.
Most importantly…have fun. This is your board. It is a reflection of you.

I’d love to see your vision board, if you create one. Please share it with me!

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July 12, 2017July 13, 2017

Girls’ Movie Night

I’m posting briefly this evening, and late, because I am at a party…a grandmothers and granddaughters sleepover! The night kicked off with Aubrey and I meeting my sister Linda and her granddaughters, London and Aralyn, for dinner at the mall food court.

After Chick Fil A meals, we settled in with the girls at the nearby theater for a showing of Despicable Me 3.

This third installment in the Despicable Me franchise stars Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Nev Scharrel. The animated adventure film was directed by Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin and Eric Guillon, and has a run time of 1 hour and 30 minutes. Despicable Me 3 carries a PG rating, for action sequences and some rude humor.

Gru (Carell) is back in this humorous adventure, now a devoted family man with a crime fighting wife Lucy (Wiig), and adopted daughters Margo (Cosgrove), Edith (Gaier) and Agnes (Scharrel). While adjusting to marriage and parenthood, Gru and Lucy suddenly lose their secret agent jobs.

As they consider career options, Gru receives a surprising summons from an unexpected source. Gru learns that he has a twin brother Dru (Carell), and that the boys were separated as infants when their parents divorced.

Dru is a mirror twin to his long lost brother, with opposing characteristics. He is cheerful, optimistic, emotionally expressive…and he has a full head of hair! Not all is at it seems, however. Gru discovers the family secret, and he and his brother set off on a wild escapade against an evil foe named Balthazar (Parker), who is definitely stuck in the past!

We all enjoyed this charming and hilarious film, featuring familiar characters, a new villain and those oh so lovable yellow minions. Since this was a girls’ night out, I asked everyone what they enjoyed most about Despicable Me 3.

London (age 7): I liked the part where Gru and Dru stole the diamond from Balthazar.

Aubrey (age 8): The whole movie was fun…and I liked the last diamond scene too.

Aralyn (age 3): I liked the big robot who said, “I’ve been a bad boy!”

Gigi (Linda): I liked when Gru lost his clothes and ended up wearing pink bubble gum and he floated by the birthday party where everyone was singing.

Yaya (Cindy): I enjoyed the family relationships as stronger connections were formed…Gru and Lucy as a couple, Lucy learning to be a mom to the girls, and especially Dru and Gru as they forged a brotherly bond.

As fun as Despicable Me 3 was, that was just the beginning of our girls’ night. Snacks were secured and pjs donned. Gigi and Aralyn have gone to bed. As I write, Aubrey and London are curled up on an inflatable mattress in the living room, whispering together and watching a DVD. A Dog’s Purpose has just started. I’ll watch the movie with them. Mostly though, I’ll enjoy watching these two cousins interact with each other as they discuss the movie, giggle and chat.

It is definitely a girls’ movie night!

April 22, 2017April 22, 2017

Earth Day 2017

Today was Earth Day, and although it was rainy and unseasonably cool, it was the perfect morning to get out. I picked up my Mom and sister Linda and we headed to the Webb City Farmer’s Market for the first time this year.

I love the farmer’s market. What a great place to gather with hundreds of other people to celebrate the earth’s bounty. The colorful displays of fresh veggies and fruits, in their seasons, the tantalizing aroma of herbs and veggies and meals for sale bubbling in pots at the end of the pavilion, the cheerful chatter of vendors and shoppers, all create an exotic atmosphere that makes me smile.

The weather did not hamper shoppers today as they filled the market. Due to the chilly temps, the sides were lowered on the pavilion so that there was a cozy, cheerful warmth within. Mom, Linda and I followed the tradition of starting at one end of the market and walking the whole thing before deciding which vendors to shop with.

In honor of Earth Day, trees were given away at one booth, while at another table children were encouraged to plant seeds in cups that they could then take home. I appreciated the smiling faces and the noisy bustle at the market. And everywhere there were tables piled with vegetables, herbs, plants and goodies.

I am very proud of my mom and sister. Mom has been plant based for almost as long as I have, willing to walk with me in this healing journey to improve her health. And Linda completes the 28 Day Cleanse Monday. (Read about the 28 Day Cleanse HERE) They are taking responsibility for their health by eliminating meat, dairy, sugar, gluten, gmo produce and eggs from their diets and consuming lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and rice. It is totally up to them whether this will be a long term lifestyle. However, both attest to feeling better.

We talked to vendors and asked questions, sampled buckwheat sprouts and purchased winter and early spring veggies and herbs. We also bought plants to tuck into the ground at home, on a drier day.

On the way back to Mom’s we stopped by Aldi’s Market to finish our shopping. Look at the basket in the picture below! It is full of fresh fruits and veggies. What a beautiful sight and promise of healthy, delicious meals to come.

At home, preparing a fresh juice for lunch, I thought about Earth Day. It is intended to raise our awareness about the health of this planet we call home. It encourages us to take actions to care for the earth, the environment, the flora and fauna of this world, as well as humankind. These actions are all crucial to ensure that we continue to have a place to live.

I thought about the connection between caring for our planet and caring for myself.

It is crucial that we care for ourselves too, nurturing our bodies, feeding them well for optimal health, eliminating the foods and products that are making us so sick. Because our bodies are where our amazing, shining selves reside. A healthy body equals somewhere to live. It’s home.

Happy Earth Day.

March 5, 2017

Happy Birthday Linda

Today is my younger sister’s birthday. Linda’s birth created the bond of sisterhood that has sustained and nurtured us, and later included our baby sister Debbie, throughout our lives. We all have our own families and our circles of friends…and yet my sisters and I have a “got your back and I’ll walk with you through it” kind of love for each other that is fierce.

I looked up my sister’s birth name, Lindel, a name she shared with my paternal grandmother.

“Lindel, you are a wonderful person, generous and loyal. You tend to over-think things and sometimes worry too much, but you are thoughtful and extremely loving. An original thinker, you are always coming up with brilliant new ideas which others don’t quite understand. Your thoughts can appear to be vague, but this is a misconception. You are usually just off on another plane of thought. You are highly intelligent and articulate, with a gift for communication. You have an intuitive nature and the arts, drama or sciences may draw your interests.

You want to enjoy life, have fun, go places and do things. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive fairness and honesty from other people. Look to your own personal growth, and live a big beautiful life, and others will be drawn to you.”

I see the truth in these words about Linda. She is wonderful, loyal and generous, with what she has and with her time. She cares about others, human kind and animal kind. And she is one of the most loving people that I know.

Just watch her with her loved ones…her large extended family and her children and grandchildren. She is a supportive and giving mom to her sons Scott and Eric, and her daughter-in-law Nicole, and a wildly fun Gigi to her grandson and three granddaughters.

I appreciate Linda’s ability to think big and come up with fresh ideas. She is a free thinker and loves a lively discussion. An encourager and an includer, my sister excels at walking alongside another, offering a listening ear or a sincere hug.

I especially love the very last sentence in the description about Linda, urging attention to personal growth.

Linda has just experienced her biggest year yet of personal growth. It is her story to share. However, I am so intensely proud of my sister. She has learned about her heart this past year, and how to focus on what she can offer. Linda found hope in pain and uncovered her own self worth, discovering that the only person she can change is herself.

From this place of strength and tenderness, Linda is exploring who she is. It will be an exciting journey for her. And one that will indeed draw others to her.

Thank you Linda, for being my cheerleader, my confidante and my fellow traveler. I am so looking forward to journeying with you to Ireland, Scotland and England this fall, and through life. Thank you for displaying hope and courage in challenging circumstances and knowing how to have fun. Thank you for sharing your heart and your love so freely.

Happiest of birthdays Linda, and many more as you live your big, beautiful life. I love you!

March 22, 2016

Surrender 82: Boneheads in Bentonville Arkansas

I had the opportunity today to try a restaurant for the first time, an experience I always enjoy. I joined Greg and his cousins, Pam and Linda, at Boneheads in Bentonville, AR, for an early dinner.

I was intrigued. This franchise, with 14 locations scattered primarily throughout the South, features grilled fish and something called piri piri chicken.

Piri piri is a small pepper that grows in Angola, Uganda, Malawi, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, the tropical forests of South Sudan and the highlands of Ethiopia. It was brought to India by the Portuguese.

This spicy pepper is the foundational ingredient in piri piri sauce, which also contains lemon juice, vinegar, oil, citrus peel, onion and a variety of herbs and spices. Boneheads marinates chicken in the sauce, and uses it as a base for other sauces.

There was another piece of fish on this plate and more fries. I forgot to take a pic before I started eating.

I ordered the fish and chips, getting perfectly seasoned sweet potato fries rather than regular fries. We had several choices among the bottles of piri piri sauce on the table. I sampled the medium heat sauce. It was a delicious accompaniment to the tasty fish! Greg also had fish and chips, while Pam and Linda tried the shrimp and chicken.

We had a leisurely dinner with these pretty girls, catching up on news and families. Linda lives in Illinois, so it is great to connect when she’s in Arkansas for a visit. Although I see Pam more often, it’s always wonderful to see her too! They graciously allowed their picture to be taken, to capture the moment. It’s a good thing the restaurant wasn’t busy with their dinner crowd yet, as we got the giggles during the impromptu photo shoot.

I highly recommend Boneheads, with their bright and clean interior and festive atmosphere. I look forward to sampling their grilled mahi mahi or the piri piri chicken on another visit. And I look forward to another cheery meal with Pam and Linda. Let’s get together again soon.

March 5, 2016

Surrender 65: Happy Birthday Linda

This year I surrendered to an idea to celebrate each member of my family, on the day of his or her birth. Whether there’s a party on the big day, or I see them another time, or I simply send a happy birthday text, I want to take the time to express my appreciation for who that person is. Today is my sister Linda’s birthday.

I’ve known my sister since her birth, and oh, the stories I could tell! That is, perhaps, a post for another time. Instead, as I have with other family members, I’ll focus of the past year, since Linda’s last birthday. And what a fun year it’s been.

Linda continues to accompany me on many of my adventures. And invites me on some of her own. In the past year we’ve enjoyed watching The Phantom of the Opera musical from front row seats, attended parties and a wedding, and said good bye to a cousin, an uncle and two aunts. She journeyed alongside me as Greg’s dad also stepped into eternity last summer, offering encouragement and quiet help.

We enjoyed the annual Halloween party, hosted by our younger sister, niece and nephew. And got lost in our first corn maze with Mom and our granddaughters, Aubrey and London. We made new vision boards, while having deep discussions and impromptu sing alongs with Dayan and Mom. In fact, we gathered to have fun for any reason whatsoever. That’s one of Linda’s greatest gifts that she offers to others, the ability to have fun and make an ordinary event extraordinary.

She continues be an advocate for animals, her heart tender toward those who are homeless, abused or neglected. And Linda’s heart is just as tender toward people, especially those who are overlooked, under appreciated or who have lost their way. She is a champion for the one who lacks confidence in himself and a cheerleader for the one who has a difficult time seeing her own value. It’s important for me to remember that sometimes Linda also appreciates being championed and cheered for as well.

Linda’s greatest gift is how fiercely and deeply she cares for her family. She offers that love to all of us, parents, siblings, nieces, nephews and all the “grands” in the family. However, as Mom to her two sons and their brides, and Gigi to her four grandchildren, she shines. She is selfless in her devotion, dividing her time between her Tulsa clan and her Joplin clan. She is a witness to their lives, present for celebrations and achievements. London, Aralyn, Weston and Lola are too young yet to realize what an amazing grandmother they have. They just know she’s there for them and she’s fun and she loves them very much.

May the next year bring continued joys and blessings to my sister Linda. May she know boundless grace, deep peace and experience an abundance of wealth, fun, health and vitality. I look forward to many more adventures together. Happy birthday, Linda. I love you!

February 3, 2016

Surrender 34: Completed Vision Boards

This evening my sister Linda, my mom, and my grandson Dayan gathered with me to complete our vision boards. Or in Dayan’s case, his drawing.

And just like last week, we enjoyed a time of creativity and lively conversation, as we began the task of gluing images, words and phrases onto the white poster boards. Dayan deftly sketched Egyptian landmarks, artifacts and symbols while contributing to the topic of the moment. We had so much fun, chatting and laughing, that Dayan opted to stay with us this time, rather than going to his youth group.

I love that three generations of my family can have so much fun together. Somehow the conversation shifted to music. Dayan used his iPhone to play a couple of his current favorites, one of which was Pink’s version of Bohemian Rhapsody. Of course, we sang along. Adele’s widely popular song “Hello” was discussed and a funny video watched. When Linda requested the actual song, well, we put our hearts and souls into that sing-along, and perhaps a few hand motions. Adele would have approved, I’m sure.

As we finished, we took turns holding our boards up so I could take pictures. Mom started the trend of peeking over or around the edge. Her board features her word for 2016, “Kindness”, and an emphasis on health, fitness, finances and a trip to Ireland.

Linda’s board has her word for the year, “Courageous “, at the top. She is focusing on fitness, organization, better habits, a trip to Seattle…and her love life apparently!

My board is pictured below. I am hence forth referring to this yearly practice as creating an awareness board. I’ve realized that I’m capturing who I am, at this moment in my journey, on my board. This is an accurate snapshot of who I am, right now, and what I enjoy, what I dream about.

My symbol is there, in the middle of a collage of words, quotes and images. My word, “Surrender”, is captured in a couple of quotes. Creativity, writing, coloring, and gardening are all represented. My family is there. And almost half of my board is devoted to travel, with Scotland and Italy pictured as destinations. Rivendell made the board, along with a playful nod to an upcoming adventure in which Dayan and I will meet David Tennant and Billie Piper, from Doctor Who.

I appreciate my family joining in, in the creative exercise, the conversations and the singing. They created awesome boards and Dayan’s drawing is amazing. I like the way my Awareness Board turned out. It’s a great collage, representing a great journey. Life is great!

January 11, 2016

Surrender 11: Vision as Art

Tonight I began working on my 2016 vision board. I met Linda, my sister, at our mom’s house. Mom not only joined in the process of creating a board, she fed us too! We each enjoyed a stack of pancakes with warm maple syrup before clearing the table and hauling out the magazines.

I love creating a yearly vision board, which is a collage of pictures and words that captures my dreams and goals for the upcoming months. I include my word and symbol for the year. And I search through magazines for those pictures and phrases that represent the vision I am casting.

My sister and mom began creating boards with me a couple of years ago. I cherish these evenings of companionably browsing through a variety of publications, chatting about what we are searching for, sharing our life journeys. We laugh, and tell stories, and help each other find specific words or images.

Kindness is my mom’s word for 2016 and she located it quickly, adding the cutout to her stash. Linda hasn’t found her word, Courageous, yet. And I’m still searching for Surrender. I may have to print my word out after typing it on my computer. We giggled when Mom happily exclaimed over the word Gorgeous as she cut around it. Of course it will go on her board! My mother is a gorgeous woman, inside and out.

We did not finish our boards this evening. It will take at least one more evening together and maybe two. The surrender for me is allowing it to take as long as it takes. There was a time when I felt I had to complete my vision board before the new year started. It became one more task to squeeze into the last week of December and I often rushed to complete the board.

Now I enjoy the process and let the board come together as it will. If it takes the whole month of January, that’s fine. If the creation of it takes longer than that, it’s still not a problem. The board will be on view in my studio all year.

I have images to print out that I collected as I worked through The Artist’s Way. These will be added to my board and I marvel at the perfect timing of doing those chapters as the new year approached. I’m very aware that my board is shifting, as I am shifting. I’m playing around with calling it by another name. But for now, a vision board it is.

I recognize that vision is art as well, a way of seeing beyond what is currently in front of me. I am making the invisible, visible.

October 9, 2015

Journey 282: Annabelle’s Fun Farm

What a fun adventure I had this evening, shared with my mom, my sister Linda, her granddaughter London and my granddaughter Aubrey. We joined Grace Baptist Church for an outing to Annabelle’s Fun Farm, located in Welch, OK. Anytime the little girls can hang out together is a great event for them. Tonight’s journey, however, included some firsts for all of us.

Here is our evening, captured in pics:

The girls loved that we got to travel by bus to the farm. I have to say it was nice for the adults too. We didn’t have to drive and could sit back and enjoy the ride.

It was the perfect fall evening for being outdoors. Annabelle’s was a beautiful, colorful farm with all kinds of activities for families.

First stop, The Barnyard.

Cute barn-style swing and slide set. Note the giant minion in the background, made from large round bales of hay.

The Corn Shed. This playhouse filled with dried corn kernels was a clever idea. The girls returned to play inside over and over again.

The train ride wound through part of the property, offering views across farmland.

Giant rocking chair!

The must-have bounce house. The girls love these air filled fun houses.

Called The Hayride, I was grateful the bales of hay traditionally used for seating had been replaced with wooden benches and stairs led into the trailer for easy access.

Love spending time with these girls!

Everyone on The Hayride got to select a pumpkin from the Pumpkin Patch. My favorite pic of the evening!

Stunning sunset. The girls marveled at the sunflowers.

The corn maze beckoned. I’ve always wanted to do a corn maze. I was determined to walk it with my little group. A first experience for all of us!

This was so fun! We wandered around for quite a while, trying different paths, laughing as we looped past previous spots. We got lost. We found our way out at last, by exiting through the entrance…but at least we got out! The girls began to think we’d be in the maze until next Thursday.

We finished up our evening by roasting hotdogs and making S’mores. What a grand time we had. The bus ride home was much quieter than the trip to the farm. We had two very happy and very tired little girls and three happy and tired adults. I’m so glad my mom invited us to join her on this adventure. Annabelle’s Fun Farm is exactly that, fun. I can check “Walk through a corn maze” off my list. And I’m thankful for London and Aubrey, who are always willing to experience new things. Those young ladies are amazing!

September 13, 2015

Journey 256: A Mouse, a Nature Walk and a Dance

Today presented an opportunity to get my granddaughter Aubrey and my sister’s granddaughter London together for an afternoon of playing. These two little girls don’t get to spend near as much time together as they would like. However, when schedules align, they enjoy every moment that they are given.

The majority of their play date took place at one of the girls’ favorite hang outs… Chuck E Cheese Pizza. Today they were joined by cousins Weston and Lola, who entered into the spirit of fun whole-heartedly…just keep that big mouse who lurks about away! This is a noisy, kid friendly restaurant. Linda, Nicole and I didn’t mind the rowdy atmosphere though. The kids had space to run and slide, ride rides and plug tokens into whirring, clanging machines.

Aubrey and London have been enjoying Chuck E Cheese since their toddler days, when Gigi and I had to boost them up the platforms, to the top of the playground enclosure. I watched today, with both amusement and tenderness, as the girls helped young Weston climb to the top, taking turns pulling on his arms from above and lifting from below. They made a great little team and Weston loved looking out over the restaurant from his vantage point. What better place to keep an eye out for that overgrown mouse roaming about!

Pretty little Lola, who will be a year old in late November, was bright eyed and interested in all the activity swirling about her. She and Gigi drove a car and she loved the bright green train ride that jostled her a bit too much after her bottle at lunch. She’s a good-natured, happy baby who smiles easily and already allows her curiosity to lead her.

After Nicole headed home with her two sleepy babies, the girls finished up their afternoon together at Gigi’s house. These BFF/cousins are at an age where they need very little supervision. Linda and I sit nearby, visiting and keeping an ear turned toward the girls. It’s amusing and revealing, listening to them engage. Their life experiences pop up to color their conversations and play. And maybe that’s not a bad way, in the midst of make-believe, to sort out their little lives.

We took time for a walk in the neighborhood. The girls carried plastic zip-lock bags for collecting treasures. I love that they fully expected to find such items. Into the baggies went interesting twigs and rocks, seeds, acorns and walnuts, and shiny bits of ribbon from some celebration. These children reminded me today that on our journeys, we find what we expect to find. I want to be a seeker of treasures as well.

London and Aubrey ended their afternoon of fun with a little ritual that has become a tradition for them…The Dance. Sometimes they dress up in costumes. Today they donned leotards. And then they danced their little hearts out for their Yaya and Gigi. We enjoyed their performance and laughed at their antics this afternoon, as they let their little wild and creative spirits peep through. It was good fun. And more than that, it allowed them to move, their bodies and their energies. Rather than clinging sadly to each other, wondering when they will get together next, they instead parted company on a high and hilarious note. Wise beyond years, these two. Old souls who love and enjoy each other. I learn so much from them.