I See What You Meme

With all this talk about Kiddo lately, you might be wondering where Charlotte has been in all this.  Of course, we needed to tell Kiddo about Charlotte even before her first visit to our home. I think the plethora of pictures might have been a quick giveaway.  Part of my card, complete with the "butterfly life cycle". The little egg on the leaf turns into a CJ butterfly. Kiddo handled Charlotte's story really well. She asked a lot of questions at first. We share stories about her but definitely follow Kiddo's lead in how much we talk about her. Kiddo has also sweetly mentioned Charlotte in her "prayers" and even drew a "CJ" butterfly on my Mother's Day card.   When Charlotte first died, I had a difficult time understanding how anyone with kids could function while grieving another child.  I was completely self-absorbed and was sometimes actually grateful that I could get lost in my grief without having to worry about tying someone'...

As you may have guessed, the wonder of parenthood is a busy blur of meetings, activities, chauffeuring, entertaining, meal preparation, and more! All continues to go well and I know some of you have had the opportunity to meet Kiddo "in person".  We have really enjoyed introducing her to some of our favorite things.  Friday included a trip to Comedy Sportz , where she instantly captured the hearts of some of our fellow playerz. Also on the agenda was an Easter Egg Hunt with friends, church, and a fabulous family dinner.  On Saturday, I finally  found some time to do some gardening.  I only pretend to have a green thumb, relying every season on my stepfather, the Master Gardener, to direct my planting, trimming, and fertilizing decisions.  After a cold winter, it felt so good to dig in the dirt and add some color to the yard. The Butterfly Bush at its first planting It was during my time in the garden that I thought a great deal about both Charl...

At the beginning of chapter 3 of Four Seasons for Charlotte , I wrote: "If someone had walked up to me on the day that Roger and I meet and said, 'This is the man you are going to marry,' I would  have questioned that person's sanity." Readers who haven't known Roger and I for the decade and a half (plus!) that we have been together have remarked amusingly on this comment.  In fact, they have demanded photographic proof of the "hip graduate student majoring in Jazz Studies with long hair, a dangly earring, and wild clothes."   Ladies and gentlemen, I offer you photographic evidence: Exhibit A:The college ID, circa mid 90s.  Yes, Roger had hair.   Exhibit B: The fashion choices.  This was during a trip to Key West in 1995.  Note the stylish weightlifting pants and funky hat. Also note that Roger was not a weightlifter. I think he felt a deep fashion bond with the car we found along Duval Street.     This was our first...

Dear Sweet Charlotte, Time plays tricks on us.  It does strange things.   It seems like just yesterday that you left us.  Yesterday, though, marked two years since we planted your butterfly bush.  It was Easter 2010.  When you died, we had your body cremated. We chose a special urn that functioned as a biodegradable planter. A good friend gave us a beautiful butterfly bush. We spent our Easter morning planting that tiny seedling in the ground, using your ashes as part of the fertilizer.  In the two years since you have been gone, that butterfly bush has grown.  It has attracted many butterflies each summer.  We love tending your garden. We have added purple echinacea on either side of the bush. This year, I added four more purple tinted flowering perennials.  Sometimes people leave anonymous butterfly-themed gifts near the garden.  We love them. Your dad takes time every day to look at the garden. No matter the season, we feel y...

I think almost everyone collects something.    My mother collects angels. Roger collects banks. My brother collects unusual percussion instruments from all over the world.  I have friends that collect items as varied as Disney memorabilia, teapots, shoes, Superman collectibles, and rare coins.   I used to collect pigs. The fascination with pigs started sometime in elementary school. I can't remember whether I was in fourth or fifth grade. I do remember that it all started with a "pig week" at school, sponsored by our media center. There were events throughout the week around pigs in literature. Somewhere along the line, I decided that I liked pigs because they were adorable, unique, intelligent, and incredibly misunderstood. Hmmm...has anyone done a study on the connection between the characteristics of a person's chosen totem and their personality?  Most of what remains of the pig collection Anyway, as the years went on, I acquired all kinds of pig-re...