Being Thankful

For these:

Us:

Scenes like this:

And all the other stuff out there that makes me laugh and cry at the same time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Moors of Kansas City

The Highland? With the rolling green hills, the wind, and the rock - for a moment I thought I was back in Scotland. Maybe even Brada Head. Ahh, to be there again looking over the Irish Sea. I could almost FEEL the spray on my face.



Actually, we just "discovered" the "other" side of the sculpture garden at the Nelson Atkins. How did we never know it was there? When we told Jeff about it later, HE was surprised - and he GREW UP here.












They ran, rolled down the hills, found nature and commanded squirrels to "come down here and eat this acorn!" Still they wanted to know what every sculpture and tree sign said, and were so respectful to each piece of art. They squabble and yet are true friends. I'm going to miss my Rome when he goes to school next year, and I'm sure Sable will miss her big brother.

School Thanksgiving Feast

She "did NOT want to be a Native American". So when they drew papers to see who would be what, she "was SO happy! Because being a Pilgrim is so much cuter."



I think she's right, she does make an awfully cute pilgrim.

Happy Thought

The world is so full of a number of things,
I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.

-Robert Louis Stevenson

Thank You Uncle Josh!

While Mama's Away

Daddy and the littles will play.

To D.C. and Home Again

I took a super short trip to D.C. last week. The organization I work for, the Kuwait America Foundation (KAF), is based there and I needed to raid their files.

I was NOT excited about going, even for only 2 days and 1 night. I just don't enjoy leaving my kids. But I was able to spend nearly the entire time with my brother Josh who goes to law school at George Washington University and who I hadn't seen since last Christmas. He spent quite a lot of time helping me make hundreds of photo copies, and fixing my computer so I could actually work on another project for KAF. Then for a couple of hours after the work was done, and before I had to head back to the airport - we went to the Mall and visited a couple of monuments.

I hadn't been back to DC since I was married 8 years ago, so it was more than surreal to be there. I felt like it was an old friend who'd changed a lot but who's soul was mostly the same.

Looking over the tidal basin is the most beautiful place in all of DC. But my favorite spot to sit is now blocked by gates. Darn stupid people who probably messed around there and fell in.




We visited with Tommy J. who I love and adore. I admire him in so many ways, but mostly as a writer. His words always leave tears in my eyes.



The World War II memorial was built after I moved, so I hadn't ever seen it. It's impressive and beautiful but odd to see stuck in between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. It sits in a serious place of honor, and it deserves as much, but still. . . it was hard to see such massive changes.





And then it was back to the airport.

All this time away from DC I wondered if when I did go back how I would feel. Would I feel like I was home again? Turned out I didn't feel that way till I touched ground back in KC and was walking through the airport. I'll always feel a closeness to the east coast, it's a huge part of who I am. But I'm proud to call Missouri my home.