~~The Gayla Pink Apple~~
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Ladies, do a self-exam monthly and get a mammogram!
My house, that is! To have my daughter, Blair, visiting this week has been a gift for my heart and soul.
It's a little comical to watch her father and me compete for her attention. We both smother her with conversation geared towards our personal topic of choice. He likes to talk with her about TV shows. I love to ask her questions about her life in NYC. I like for her to share stories from the hotel! It seems to never be a dull moment working in the hospitality industry - specifically, in a hotel. Tourists, in particular, are quite entertaining. Especially international tourists and some of their ridiculous questions and requests. I like for her to share with me her latest thoughts on her wine studies - the exam questions on the advanced wine course exam, she took recently, etc. Which grapes she likes and which country of wines she recently studied, etc.
Blair warms my heart and lights up my being. We usually started our mornings off with coffee, sitting in the backyard garden, if it wasn't raining, watching to see if my little chipmunks - Alvin, Simon and / or Theodore - are going to show up and scamper all over the backyard.
We had a full schedule this week --- appointments, shopping, celebrations, lunches, outings, etc; but, managed to find a little time to run at the big dam bridge, and swing in the backyard while the sun goes down, taking in the light wind breeze on our faces.
My house a mess - my tidy house - where everything is most often in its' place. All of a sudden it looks - well, it looks like a family lives here. Stuff - just stuff - piled on the table. Water bottles, coffee cups, and goodies. Items (not food) from dinners I haven't removed from the table yet, because I didn't want to miss any of her conversation. Most of the 'things' piled here and there are mine, not necessarily Blair's!!! :-)
My strategically placed sofa pillows tossed to the side and replaced with a nice soft bed pillow. No complaints, though! That's the joy of it. My house, once again, a mess. It was so nice to have my house in shambles again.
We had a full schedule this week --- appointments, shopping, celebrations, lunches, outings, etc; but, managed to find a little time to run at the big dam bridge, and swing in the backyard while the sun goes down, taking in the light wind breeze on our faces.
My house a mess - my tidy house - where everything is most often in its' place. All of a sudden it looks - well, it looks like a family lives here. Stuff - just stuff - piled on the table. Water bottles, coffee cups, and goodies. Items (not food) from dinners I haven't removed from the table yet, because I didn't want to miss any of her conversation. Most of the 'things' piled here and there are mine, not necessarily Blair's!!! :-)
My strategically placed sofa pillows tossed to the side and replaced with a nice soft bed pillow. No complaints, though! That's the joy of it. My house, once again, a mess. It was so nice to have my house in shambles again.
As I age, an odd kind of feeling - somewhat melancholy - creeps into my being. Thoughts reminiscing of my life, thus far; and wondering what's ahead, if anything, for me. My child is grown --- I am not a fan of parents living their own lives totally through their adult children. I think it is critical adult children have space and freedom to live and enjoy their own adult lives without daily input (nagging) and advice (interfering) from parents. I think it's important to find that balance of being a part of their lives - afterall, that's my child - while, at the same time not controlling her destination and decisions.
Yet, some days my life can seem empty and it would be so much fun to give her my unsolicited input and advice. The words "input" and "advice" are the correct descriptions, right? It's not nagging and interfering, huh? Doesn't matter which word you use - it all depends on how it's done and how it's perceived.
So, for me, it's really about absorbing every opportunity I have with her. Striving for a nice balance - while she is enjoying her young adult years - as I am observing and loving her regardless of where she lives. It doesn't matter if she is in NYC , South Carolina, Colorado, or California. We always find a way to spend time together. We talk often and text almost daily. In the meantime, I lunch with friends, facebook, blog, a little gardening, run, and even do a tad bit of cooking, ugh, to the cooking! :) All while planning the next time I will see Blair.
Time to get my house back in order. Going from shambles to tidy again.
Gayla
So, for me, it's really about absorbing every opportunity I have with her. Striving for a nice balance - while she is enjoying her young adult years - as I am observing and loving her regardless of where she lives. It doesn't matter if she is in NYC , South Carolina, Colorado, or California. We always find a way to spend time together. We talk often and text almost daily. In the meantime, I lunch with friends, facebook, blog, a little gardening, run, and even do a tad bit of cooking, ugh, to the cooking! :) All while planning the next time I will see Blair.
Time to get my house back in order. Going from shambles to tidy again.
Gayla
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