books, art supplies and something for Harry

Lillian, looking like a junior pirate with her little bird Harry, flashing 9 fingers on her 9th birthday.

Books, art supplies and something for Harry was Lily's 9th birthday wish list. Harry is her pet bird and the most adored budgerigar ever. Lily is a complete bookworm, and she is an arts and crafty kind of girl, so her wish list is total Lily.

On her birthday, I interviewed her bit on her past, present and future.

me:What is the coolest thing that you have ever done?
Lillian: Probably win the science award in the 3rd grade.
me: What is the coolest thing that you ever hope to do?
Lillian: Be a famous bird breeder.
me:What is you favorite book?
Lillian:The Warriors series
me:favorite song?
Lillian:anything by the Beatles
me:What do you want to be when you grow up?
Lillian:a famous bird breeder
me:What is your favorite thing to do?
Lillian:read
me:If you could spend an afternoon with anyone in the world, living or dead, who would it be?
Lillian:Miss Jessica (her godmother) and Harry
me:If you could pick a superpower between being invisible and the ability to fly, which would you choose?
Lillian:could I pick a little bit of both?
me:no
Lillian:invisibility
me:How do you like being 9?
Lillian:It's hard for me to have a strong opinion since I haven't been 9 for very long, but I like it so far.
So there you have it. Lillian newly age 9, lover of The Beatles and books and future famous bird breeder.

Unimaginable.

During the summer of 2004, the Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti, a group of about 15 boys and young men who lived in the St. Joseph's Home for Boys in Port-au-Prince visited our home and gave a dance performance.
They were pure energy and dance talent. They all drummed, danced and sang and laughed their buns off all evening.
Quite simply- they were remarkable.
Karl and I were in awe of the boys and what they accomplished. They were a joyous. They were happy. Karl became friends with Michael Geilenfield the founder of the orphanage and the dance troupe and visited Michael and the boys in Port-au-Prince.
He stayed in guests rooms in their home and was impressed by their family. Michael and the kids were thriving.

This is what their home looks like now. The kids survived. They were outside when the quake hit.

Michael Geilenfield- the founder of St. Joesph's.

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Here are the dancers when they visited in 2004- they seldom stopped singing. My daughter Mary is on the far left.

Our backyard has not hosted so much energy since- these guys rocked the neighborhood!


Here is a recent photo of Michael and the boys.

My heart breaks for Haiti. I have been told that the situation in Haiti right now is worse then any hell that can be imagined.
Unimaginable.
Please give what you can to help Haiti.

Hello Snow!

To the thrill of the school age kiddos, we got our first big snow and a snow day.... and then a delay the following day. It's funny, after all that time off, there were so many grumbles that they didn't get the full day off...as in "I can't believe we only got a delay..." Horrors. Because my little darlings are an extremely high maintenance snow gang- I spent the day at home trying to keep up with their snow equipment and accessories and didn't have time to get out myself. So after they finally went back to school, I bundled up Miss Rosie and took her out to say hello to her first snow and a sled pull around the block. I realized quickly that I was missing a key design feature on the purple sled... a seat-back. You know how when you see photos of those stylish Scandinavian parents pushing or pulling their little Scandinavian babies everyone involved looks safe and comfortable? Not so much us. My no seat-back purple sled was giving her a tough time and she kept falling out the back until she figured out that she needed to lean forward to keep her cute little buns in the sled. Even with this extra challenge, she loved her little snow journey and got mad with me when it was time to go home. My little Ethiopian snow bunny!

My husband is the coolest.

My dear husband posing on a dry lake bed with fellow peace corps pals in Tunisa about 20 years ago. Karl would be the middle Bee Gee look alike in this historic photo. He still occasionally wears that blue raincoat.

...and here last spring with two new wingmen and a new raincoat too. He was trying to grow a mustache for fun and sport. It was not the fullest facial hair ever and Lily and Henry were trying their best to locate it.

Happy Birthday dear husband- you are the best.