Morels!

Grammy Robin Showed Us How

When I was little, my gram taught me about family; not with words, but with how she lives and loves.  I happen to be her birth grandchild, but that is not why she loves me.  She adopted one of her five children and harbors anyone else who needs her. She calls us all her kids.  Her love is big, unlabeled and unconditional.

Tonight my son's birth family hosted us for a birthday dinner.  Patrick turns 12 next week.  His little siblings, Kylie (5 soon) and Matthew (almost 3) adore him and their big sister, Harper.  

Patrick and Kylie (Kylie calls him "Little Pat" which is funny since he is twice her size!)

 Kylie and Matthew

 Pat and Kylie

 Little Pat, aka, Big Manny and Matthew, aka, Little Manny

 Sisters by any other name...

 Mommy Sherry made Patrick a delicious and beautiful homemade birthday cake.

Not pictured are all of Pat's four parents, 4 of his grandparents and an uncle.  Sherry and Big Pat served a delicious, home-cooked meal.  We make a funny sort of family, all of us together.  We come together regularly because we love our little, growing bigger boy.  But over these almost 12 years, we've come to love each other, too.  I'm humbled that the Barretts have shared their lives with us. Big Daddy Pat is a self-proclaimed redneck who likes to go mudding and Grandpa David is an undeniable academic planning his trip to France and adjusting his solar panel.  Yet everyone is happy to be together, eat good food and get full and chase the little kids and make them laugh.  Together we marvel at this incredible musician/artist/funny-man/kind, good boy who is our son, brother, nephew and grandson.  Some kind of just right luck, mixed with lots of uncertainty, and, to be honest, loss and pain, brought us all together.  I'm so glad.

Family.

Lordy Lordy

I turn 40 on Friday.  It feels a bit surreal.  Turning 40, then starting a new job after nearly 12 years at the same, wonderful place.  Any minute I'm going to have lots of profound things to say about these facts.  But for now each day comes and goes and is filled with busy and mostly happy moments.  The weekend will bring celebration with my best friends and my sweet family. 
Fucking forty.  Wow.

Right Now

With apologies to all of you who have grown tired of winter and snow and such, this blizzard sure was a pretty one.  And there is something extra sweet about the light when the snow finally stops and it is March so the sun hasn't yet set at nearly 6:00PM.  Just lovely outside my doors.

Family Racko in French

I Like Him...I Really Liiiiike Him

Confessions of An Only Child

I wrote this poem about a really happy time I had going out to dinner by myself whilst on a back country ski clinic weekend, away from home, on my own. I'm posting it because I haven't posted much lately and I want to keep my readers engaged. By the way, my new phone takes great photos!

Confessions of An Only Child

Ran
the night bridge from
Burlington to Winooski
over the river
in the
deep wet snow
and just right music light
to papa franks.

Ate Italian
sat with windows steamed
and listened to kids plan what to
do next; sled, drink and get the big guy
to carry the beer.

pasta, red sauce
chianti
cannolli
and a night run back
over the bridge
in the deep wet snow
a tangled medusa
alone and laughing.