What a dog!

Sheena, our black lab mix wonderdog died over a year ago, but sometimes as I'm waking up in the morning, I could swear she's next to my bed. I wrote the following at my Writers' Group this week:

To Sheena

Our ritual-
Cold nose nudges my face
as morning intrudes
into my bed
I place my hand
on your soft head
You run for the door
and come back,
tail wagging as I
Rise
from dreams of sand
and twisted shells
I stretch,
pull on my empty pockets
up to my knees
and laugh
Wrong pants!
Quick change
and we’re off
to carve out
our walk
Along the sunflowered paths

-Kathi

Reunion time

What a wonderful few days we've had! Last week, knowing that Kristinn was coming in to town for a few days, I invited some of her high school friends to come over for a belated birthday party/reunion. Kristinn and I were both happily surprised when Luci showed up all the way from Brownsville along with "locals" Ricky, Kelly, Priscilla, and Jennifer, AND Casey from Houston. It was great fun catching up with everyone- you know how it is when you are going to visit with people you haven't seen in years, and when they finally arrive, it's as if time is suspended? That's what it felt like. All of these 30 somethings were my students back in middle school in South San Antonio and all very special to me because not only were they (and still are) amazing people, they were also Kristinn's friends and spent time at our house or on trips. Luci and Ricky went with me to the Y.O. Ranch to present a project we did in our GT class. All of the other presentations there were science projects, but ours was done in an English class- research based. Only a small number were chosen each year from the many applications, and for as long as the program continued, the kids in my little GT class were invited every year. It was especially wonderful to have my oldest daughter home for a few days, though it made me wish she and her family lived here permanently. With Alana moving home, I'm getting greedy! I now have four out of the six here in San Antonio. We'll all have to get working on Kristinn and Tim, Ryan and Vicki!

being bubbe

Is there any greater love than that a grandmother has for her grandchildren? Oh, I know there are many kinds of love, and each of them wonderful, but until I had grandchildren, I didn't realize how amazing it would be. With Gabriel (5 1/2) and Sofia (3) living far away in Virginia, I don't get to spend time with them as often as I'd like, but even talking to them on the phone, my heart fills up as though it could burst from the love inside. I wish they were here. I am fortunate that Rachel stayed in San Antonio, and I get my Bubbe fix through her three: Aden (3), Abram (2), and Khalil (1 week). I've found that I'm a much more relaxed bubbe than I was a mom. The stress is gone, and I can just have fun with the boys. Whenever I see them, they make me feel like a celebrity, "Bubbe! Bubbe's here!" they holler and run to hug me and kiss me hello. Tonight I stopped by and after their usual greeting, they climbed up into my lap. Abram asked me if he could "see my tongue," so I stuck it out at him, and he touched the tip of it, saying, "Ohhh- I touched your tongue- do it again, Bubbe!" This led to a sticking out of the tongue game that Aden quickly joined, and we laughed until I had tears rolling down my face. My daughter and her husband looked at one another and shook their heads, but pretty soon they were laughing too. From there, we had horsey rides on my knee, singing one of my grandfather's songs- "Pony Boy," over and over. As I got ready to leave, Abram grabbed a popsicle stick and said, "I got my sword to fight the skeletons!" and he jumped around swinging his "sword." "Come on Aden," he continued, "let's sword the skeletons!" and off they went to do battle. Khalil slept the entire time we played and laughed. I kissed the boys goodbye, and Aden said, "Don't go, Bubbe," with Abram repeating right behind, "No, don't go, Bubbe," putting his hands out wide to stop me. I scooped them both up and gave them big kisses, telling them I'd be back soon- to come and close and lock the door behind me so that no more skeletons could get in. They happily complied, saying, "I love you, Bubbe, I love you..." It can't get any better than that- well, except having Gabe and Sofia right here, too.