Last monday I spent the day with my niece. Such a special girl, reminds me so much of her father, my brother. I picked her up and we toodled around together. I took her to lunch and we chatted. Embarrassingly this is a first for us. With divorce being a factor in so many lives today, precious parental moments trump extended family time.Although I see my brothers kids it's rarely one on one.
We made Thai salad together for dinner, then I taught her her how to paint bags. She happily created as we talked. During the day I kept feeling more like her grandmother, sad that mom was never alive to see the beautiful five foot eight grand daughter she'd secretly wished for.Although very capable this girl has so much untapped potential! I kept thinking too bad mom wasn't here to teach her how to make pies, how to crochet, sew, share hair secrets.
There is such a family distinction between Pepper and her, both so similar to my mom. Both mature beyond their years, loyal, tender, goodhearted girls, just like mom. Strong, confident, fun loving, resilient young women. Both wired to take initiative in many areas of life, both ladies have been spurned by other girls at one point in time too.Even though there is a huge age gap there's potential for lifetime bond between these cousins.
It was a nice intimate visit just like chatting with my brother is. Her boyfriend came for dinner. surprise surprise looks so similar to my brother when he was young. Ambitious this personable self motivated young man has already done some acting as a child, is a plumber aspiring to be a fireman. He's an incredible guy whose parents and grandparents both met as teens and are happily in long term marriages. I'm so glad my niece has a young man who treats her well. We definitely need more auntie niece time!
There have been people in my world believed to be adults, yet emotionally immature! These adults are dissuaded from their parental role of directing and correcting by ingesting personal insults dealt by juvenile behaviors. Seems unreasonable to expect children to elicit mature perspectives in a verbal skirmish, without guidance or experience.
I look back on my childhood. Dad reasoned. I respected his word hating to disappoint him. Screaming in frustration, Mother flew into a rage, chasing us in the heat of the moment. It wasn’t hard to outwit or outrun her! I ducked many a smack; resulting in broken blood vessels as her hand missed flesh for counters, cupboards and walls!
Nasty things I quipped at thirteen were held against me well into my thirties, never resolved before she died. Unable to recognize my childhood defenses she expected an adult standard from me. Somehow my behavior reduced her to a bantering school mate on the playground. Although wise and responsible in many aspects mom could be emotionally immature.
Many people appear to be adults, unequipped to deal with life and parenting with an emotionally healthy perspective. Sadly roles get muddied and children are the losers. The older I get the more I realize there are distinct rights of passage into adulthood. One is emotional maturity. Putting our own emotional weaknesses aside to counsel and guide our children out of adolescence is the adult thing to do!
Sometimes I wonder if people would parent with more caution and dignity, if they knew everything they did and said would be recorded forever.
There is nothing more rewarding than having a great adult relationship with your children!
This is the birthday card I painstakingly whipped for my friend, as my car acts up again!! Actually I was quite thrilled with it after I figured out how to print it out....still not perfected, I think I'll make a set to send to a printer next, since they don't fit together properly! I needed to use a hole punch and ribbon to adhere the two sides! I forgot to photograph the finished product!
I painted this bag for my chocolate, coffee lovin friend. Surprised that she has been waiting for one! An owner of one of my lame, scant first angels I have tried to coax it away from her to doctor it up! My objective was to have this one match her red purse as a carry all!
Side two of the bag....let's just say Dream goddess is all about flowers!!
Pepper captured this moment, It's not hard to see she was delighted when she sawit! Even before she discovered the Britto coffee mug I secretly bought when we were on a shopping trip together!
As you can see things were hopping along marvelously as our little leap frog gypsy goddess set up the candles for the evening.Dinner sun next to water, a treat when our homes are little sweat boxes during the day!
This photo is Credited to Laura Doolan Goddess in training laughed hysterically at my profuse motor boat spitting noises as I attempted to expel a fly on my lip.One precarious pest awaiting entry to my vocal cavern!!! Since child hood mother would say, "close your mouth Sherrie, your gonna catch a fly"....over fifty years later I almost did with all my friends present!! Not pretty a sight when a big lady flays around making horse sounds!Thankfully the men in white coats weren't in the vicinity!
Celebrating Dream goddesses birthday on the beach! Weather, food, drink (wink wink), company, all exceptional!Thanks to the combined effort of the goddesses!
We even had background music provided by this lovely stranger!
As the sun went down I brought the cake out. Rich with chocolate,
sprinkled with crumbled peanut butter cups and skor bar, served with Special coffee .
Candles beautifully lit around our blanket! Gypsy goddess presented a silver goblet of jujubes, her silver cream pitcher was brilliantly altered into a mother of invention candle holder to stave off wind. We toasted our Dream goddess with a birthday song !Then chatted and chuckled all evening!
The rules are: - you can invite anyone, living or dead - you have a table that seats eight, but as you are one, you can invite seven people - you have to explain why you'd invite them
And for bonus points: - what would you serve them for dinner?
Like the other Idealists, Champions are rather rare, say two or three percent of the population, but even more than the others they consider intense emotional experiences as being vital to a full life. Champions have a wide range and variety of emotions, and a great passion for novelty. They see life as an exciting drama, pregnant with possibilities for both good and evil, and they want to experience all the meaningful events and fascinating people in the world. The most outgoing of the Idealists, Champions often can't wait to tell others of their extraordinary experiences. Champions can be tireless in talking with others, like fountains that bubble and splash, spilling over their own words to get it all out. And usually this is not simple storytelling; Champions often speak (or write) in the hope of revealing some truth about human experience, or of motivating others with their powerful convictions. Their strong drive to speak out on issues and events, along with their boundless enthusiasm and natural talent with language, makes them the most vivacious and inspiring of all the types.
Fiercely individualistic, Champions strive toward a kind of personal authenticity, and this intention always to be themselves is usually quite attractive to others. At the same time, Champions have outstanding intuitive powers and can tell what is going on inside of others, reading hidden emotions and giving special significance to words or actions. In fact, Champions are constantly scanning the social environment, and no intriguing character or silent motive is likely to escape their attention. Far more than the other Idealists, Champions are keen and probing observers of the people around them, and are capable of intense concentration on another individual. Their attention is rarely passive or casual. On the contrary, Champions tend to be extra sensitive and alert, always ready for emergencies, always on the lookout for what's possible.
Champions are good with people and usually have a wide range of personal relationships. They are warm and full of energy with their friends. They are likable and at ease with colleagues, and handle their employees or students with great skill. They are good in public and on the telephone, and are so spontaneous and dramatic that others love to be in their company. Champions are positive, exuberant people, and often their confidence in the goodness of life and of human nature makes good things happen.
Joan Baez, Phil Donahue, Paul Robeson, Bill Moyer, Elizibeth Cady Stanton, Joeseph Campbell, Edith Wharton, Sargent Shriver, Charles Dickens, and Upton Sinclair are examples of Idealist Champions
No harm dreaming this is my new ride! But it's not one bit practical for carting large canvases, big thrift store finds to revamp, or extra luggage. Plus it's expensive to buy and repair,while a threat looms of having the top slashed. Instead I'll imagine myself snug to the road, hugged into black leather seats, kissed by the radio pumping out favorite tunes as vitamin D penetrates my soul, while I bury my ego, and try to do the practical thing! Stick to my budget, be green, find good gas mileage, Cloth seats (bleh), a 4wd, and deviate from my insistence of a black car...or I could keep my 17 year old soul mate, a black renegade companion, that I adore even though it taxes my knee every time I use the clutch!!
