No Matter Where You Go, There They Are!

One of the great things about having five children (and four and one-third grandchildren) someone is always there to love and be loved.  This past week has taken me across the country and back.  And at each phase of this trip there was one of my children there to share life.  They are all grown now, all within their own phases, but for the most part, no matter where you go, or when you return, there is someone there to love.  We are still a pretty strong whole. This week took me from California to Chicago and back home again. I traveled from apple orchards and fire- as- our- only- means- of- heat on some very cold autumn days in the midwest and returned home to a house sprinkled with Northern California autumn.  This post is  about Chicago...

It was so cold there.  And to boot, central air and heat were being installed in Shannon and Isaac's flat so the radiators had recently been torn out.  Day and night we kept a fire burning in the fireplace.  It was a wonderful necessity. Often we snuggled in bed and read books.  Another wonderful necessity.

 

On Friday, when we drove out to the apple orchard to pick apples we loaded the back of the station wagon with a wheelbarrow full of apple wood...which was a fragrant treat.  And after a very cold week, Friday ended with the delight of an autumn warm, sweet, apple wood burning.

 

There were sweet things at the orchard...a crunchy leafed, rich smelling earthen play area, sprinkled with hay bales and wagons  where the children could play.  Plenty of room to run and be children enjoying an Autumn day.

Animals.  Fairy Tale animals.  I particularly loved the Three Little Pig's and their abodes.

 

And of course, pumpkins and apple picking.

 

 

 

 

A huge barn with country cooking and, the gift shop.

And I have to mention the dreadful dangers of this place.  I prayed for gawd to help me stay strong against them...

 

 

Sadly, even with bloodied knees, my prayers went unanswered.  (I don't even have a photo of the moistest, juciest, tastiest fried chicken we had for lunch.)  God Save this Grandma.

And our outing carried on once we returned home, with sacks full of leaves and baskets full of apples.  We did projects.  Busha is known for her projects.  Nature is best for bringing the seasons alive.  That's my story and I'm forever sticking to it.  What gifts we find when exploring the natural world! Beauty abounds and brings our homes alive.  Nature brought inside grounds us and brings us a quiet peace. So Ike and Fiona and I had some great fun making autumn windows, with beeswax and leaves and a few sheets of waxed paper.  Oh, and an iron which Ike was proud to use since he is older...the big brother (once again).  The one who often has to give up so much for the peace and sanity of the whole.  Anyway, he ironed.  And he helped with the cutting.  And he was proud.

 

And on Satuday we were still enjoying our trip to the apple orchard.  Shannon and I put on a big pot of vegetable bean soup and the children stacked apples...again and again.  Making pyramids that turned to castles that turned to mountains.  Fiona found a little oak twig with two leaves in the basket amidst the apples and she and I used some of the corn husks from the soup prep, a sparkley purple pipe cleaner and made a flying apple fairy!  And we peeled our apples and made an apple pie!

 

And the week filled me up.  For awhile anyway.   Filled my heart with those I love and cannot see everyday. Until they come home. 

 But if I had to pick a single moment from this week where I was bursting with awe and pride, it was this one.  People ask me all the time how Shannon does it.  How she has two children, and now is 15 weeks pregnant, in her fourth year of anasthesia residency, is Chief Resident...how does she do it all and keep it all together.  Well, mainly with Isaac, her dedicated husband and father of her children, who has put his own life on hold for seven years, to be a stay-at-home-dad while she did med school and residency.  

But also her.  

This moment, when it has barely cracked dawn, and she prepares a breakfast of hot cereal and tea.

  This moment where her children are cozy in the kitchen with mama by the stove.  Wrapped against the morning cold.  Just waking up.  Loving them.  Seving them.  Notes posted to the kitchen cupboard as she stirs oatmeal and prepares to make a huge presentation at the national anasthesia conference in just a couple of hours when they are off to school, remembering that she was standing by the stove...

 

 

She is a dedicated and passionate human being.  And this thought, this morning vision, will linger in my mama's heart forever.

 

Comments

[Vickie]

Wonderful how you can put that love and pride into words, woman! xoxo

[tracey k in ohio]

Thanks for sharing - I felt like I was there. You are, like, grandmother extraordinaire!! What a beautiful family. :-)

[kim]

What a lovely, blessed family you have! Shannon and Isaac share a profound love.

[Julia]

I love the family fall pictures year after year! How did you do the Autumn Windows? Simply putting the leaves between the wax paper and ironing, or was there more to it! Congratulations to Shannon!

[me]

Yes, Julia, the autumn windows are leaves, waxed paper and grated crayon shavings. The shavings definitely help it to adhere better! xoxo

[Nicole]

Thank u Marianne for bringing me back here to ur
Family and the reminders of these amazing 'busha gifts'.

Yay for Busha Full of Grace!

[naomi dagen bloom]

oh, wow, another inspirational family with grandma adventure. Thanks, Marianne.

[Lisa]

Blissful. I'm so happy you have so much richness and love in your world...and that you bring so much of your own to it.

[Beth]

Lovely post. Did you knit the grey dress on the baby?

[me]

Hi Beth, No, the grey dress was not knitted by me. Cute though, eh???