royal watching

Prince Charles and his sister (Princess Ann, almost my name if you notice) are pretty much the same age as my brother and I, a fact which my mother commented on occasionally in my growing up year. As I read here and there about the royal wedding coming up I reflect back on my little girl dream that Prince Charles would somehow manage to find me tucked away on the Island. I think it was my mother always commenting on the similarities between her children and the British royal children. All I know is that I harbored a very real dream that somehow fate would find me and I would forever live in grand style, happily ever after. OK, first of all, a title does not a man make as life played out for poor Prince Charles. We each have to make our own little bit of royalty and believe in it for ourselves. I think I lost that vision along the way and substituted something way too common. Life without dreams is barely living and sometimes I think I have walked away from too many dreams. Not dreams that actually can or should become reality, but dreams in the more wonderful grand sense. Dreams make the dull times pass a little more friendly to the soul and dreams do not have to be grounded in reality. That is the wonderful part of dreams. My sweet friend Fred is helping me with one dream....a boat that runs. OK, I did the boat last summer but I didn't do so good on the running part of the equation. Hopefully with his help I did better. Working on this project is almost like working with Lawrence, they are really similar in my mind....with a few years in between. There is so much boy left in Fred and in Lawrence and that is back to the dream thing. They have managed to keep the dream nurtured and alive even when the world has tried to put it out. It is my plan to put them on the boat and send them out to terrorize the salmon population of the Sound. This is the year that the Humpies should be running as they certainly weren't last year! And now I must focus ever so more on the Pita bread I am baking. It takes a lot of fussing to make it turn out right. I have been making humus and pita chips, and making my own pita makes it pretty reasonable in price, it is a fun experiment and I find myself in need of fun these days. Life has gotten way too serious and way to predictable and both are not good for the dreams I am fighting to maintain. If I can't have conversation I can have dreams, and both satisfy the same part of my life.

Blessings

Any time I think things are not going so well all I have to do is look at what I have. I get to watch Carson 5 days a week and we have become very good friends. And on Monday's I have an assistant in Amy who does whatever is needed to help with her little cousin. She is such a little mother. She will fuss over him and do what is needed to make his life more pleasant. And, for the most part, he appreciates her efforts. Sometimes he would just rather see older, more experienced hands, but most of the time he is pleased with her 4 year old hands helping him out. Always makes me wonder if they will have a special bond later in life because of this shared beginning, Sometimes it works that way.

And just in case you think all the beautiful sun sets play themselves out in the summer months I took a picture to prove you wrong. We have some of the most beautiful sun sets in the colder months., Maybe it is because we have more clouds, a reality of life, or maybe because we are more in need of the beauty they provide as compared to the rain they bring. Love rain but I love sun sets even more. I loved the variety of colors in this particular sun set, all the way from yellow to deep reds and purples were there. And then the beautiful reflections in the water to add more depth to things....yah, it was a really good day to be watching my front yard from the warmth of the house.

I loved general conference with the theme of gratitude. I think many of the talks reflected on our expression, or lack of expression, of gratitude. It is like the sun sets, absolutely free, and equally as beautiful. If it is so easy and so beautiful why is it that we do not show more gratitude? Interesting question that reflects so much on our society. I hope I am not one that fails to say thanks and fails to appreciate all that we do have. Yes, there are things I don't have and some of those things are really big, but nothing is as big as the sunset and as big as the things that I do have. Life is as good as we will allow it to be!

Every once in awhile I get to step back a bit and look at my world in a different way. I think that comes when you learn how to look through someone Else's eyes, and this past week I have been allowed to do that. My Cousin Jim and wife Lauri from Nebish are here for a few days. They are staying in Freeland but they are stopping down here a bit too. They are a wonderful couple and he has always been one of my favorites from the beginning. Life always put us together as a team, and I feel much more rich because of that. And his finding Laurie was a true gift, she is remarkable and seems to bring so much pleasure to those around here.

Last night I invited my brother's family down for dinner at the beach. I try to do that several times a year. It isn't much, but it is trying. We all had a good time, or so it seemed. It has never been an easy task to keep them all together with no effort on their side. In the 30 plus years I have been back on Island I have been invited to their place exactly once! When I think about that my 3 or 4 times a year seems like a lot, and it certainly does not hurt me in the least.

Now I will say that Nephew Robert and his family is a totally different deal. We get together frequently and I find them such a fun family. They work when the work is do be done (and sometimes in place of family time, sad to say) and they play equally as hard. Their boys are easy to deal with a I love conversations with them. It is just a wonderful thing to have them close by.

Family takes time and investment, but the pay off is massive. I really enjoy my family, those close genetically and those a little further away too. Heck, I even enjoy those that don't enjoy me all that much!

Carson has arrived.....

Linda certainly hangs on to her pregnancies as long as is prudent, and then a little longer. But when she decides she is done, well....believe, she is done! She had a terribly elongated labor, maybe 45 minutes and then we had a handsome young Carson Lawrence Kincaid. He was just shy of 8 pounds and almost 22 inches in length. He is not a tiny boy, more favoring Logan than James I would say. He came out hungry and got right to task, took a nap and went right back to the eating routine. If his beginning is any precursor to his personality he will be a very easy to please and happy kind of kid. Needless to say, Linda is doing great, she will get more rest in the hospital than she has in months I suspect. They are talking about keeping Carson 48 hours and will keep Linda there too (and hopefully not in a chair like they did to Nancy).

Emily took Linda up this morning at 7:00 a.m. for check-in and stayed to assist and entertain. It is a pretty powerful experience to do that, I know, I have had several opportunities to do same. Both Mother and Aunt fared well this day, but I think both are kind of tired. Emily presently has Logan and James for dinner. Larry was watching James but he was at her house so James is blended in with her kids. Logan has been my side kick most of the day but ended up in Emily's care too. Larry will bring the boys to the cabin after dinner for some play, and then they head off to their own beds where he has offered to spend the night with them. Tomorrow the boys will be mine for the most part, and James will be able to meet his new little brother. Logan had that opportunity today and was almost pleasant. Children do not comprehend hospitals and are pretty Leary of interaction.

Here's Hank....

Meet the newest Campbell...this is Hank, one bonenified Russian Terrier puppy. He isn't new to the family but a new Campbell. Curtis purchased hank when he was a couple of months old, but his life style didn't work out for the long run and he gave Hank to Emily and James. I think he is something like 7 months old and definitely still growing. He has beautiful black curls but has been clipped short as his hair was totally matted. He is handsome young lad but all puppy, all very big puppy. Daisy says we should send him back to where ever he came from, but she tolerates him kind of. He can not make sense of the snipped little white dust-mop on the floor but is so curious that he puts his gentle nose down and Daisy snaps at him. He bows to her geriatric demands and all is well for a time, and then he forgets and tries again!

And while meeting the newest Campbell we are also hoping to meet the newest Kincaid. Little Carson is way past due and Linda has an appointment today to see what is next, we are thinking induction is next and, believe me, Linda is more than on board with that thought!

So life is complicated but it sure is good too. And we might even have a sunny day to thaw out my cold little Daisy. I don't think building a fire is called for when you know the cabin will heat up with solar energy eventually....and it isn't all that cold really. I think the cabin is 62 degrees at present, the day is in the low 50 range, but it is still early and the sun is already out there doing what it does.

What a cute set of cousins we do have in our family. How similar and how different. Amy has those amazing turquoise eyes and Logan has green. Both very unique in coloring and neither showing well in the picture but I know they are amazing even if the picture does not confirm the fact! Amy loves to look out after Logan and he is not so sure he wants to deal with his older cousin as a care-giver. They are just so cute when they interact.

The rewards....

My friend Gloria came over for a short lesson this afternoon. You know, there is a reason that I do what I do. It is hearing someone like Gloria play that makes all of it worthwhile. You spend so many hours with children that do not have adequate support to succeed, adequate interest to suceed and many others area that fall short. But in life there are those that come along with all their ducks in a row and they are the reason we teachers do what we do. Gloria sat down and played the 1st Excursion for Piano by Samuel Barber. What an experience to listen to her play that. I have played it and it was a pivotal piece in my life, it taught me there was music that didn't follow the rules established by Bach but that was still wonderful music. What a joy to hear her play and to know that I had a real part in this journey. I listen to her today for free but there is a day coming all too soon when I will not be able to afford the tickets to hear this young lady. She plays my recital on the 4Th of June and Benaroya on the 5Th for big money. Yah, this one is going places and I will enjoy every step of the way knowing that she will succeed because she has family support and willingness to invest her considerable talent.

And the other side of the recital, we have lots and lots of beginners playing this year. It is always good to have beginners and most are from Emily. She does a great job with introducing students to the piano and I think the recital will show that. And the other positive side.....having the recital done means I have yet one more chunk of time open up for summer kind of things. Yah, it is a good thing.