Thursday, March 27, 2008

Love Song

March 27, 1993

I became your wife!

l.a.s.n. BB

*sidebar...more to come, it's been a wild day!*

Monday, March 24, 2008

The Adventures in Pooh Corner

I registered Pres for High School today.
My baby boy...
High School...

The place where REALLY big kids
go to school
with seriously younger kids
who think they are big.

In some ways they are-
big.
In other ways-
not so much.

I wanted to leave early this afternoon,
just to be on the safe side.
Pres was giving me stress;
"WHY Mom...WHY do we have to leave so early?!"
When I left school (in a snow storm mind you) today,
I raced home as fast as I dared (in a snow storm mind you),
to get home to him.

He was there.
He was waiting.
He was ( I think) ready and a little bit nervous.
So we took Gaia.
We needed Gaia.

It was a 3 generation registration!
heh.

His closest friends (minus one who goes tomorrow) were there
with their parents
rocking back and forth on their heels.
Murmuring about "Freshman Fridays"
and classes to take.

We agreed on:
Honors English/World History
Biology
Geometry
Spanish I
PE
Guitar I
and computer programming class.

It took 3+ hours.

I didn't cry, although I did gulp a big big gulp when the counselor reviewed the credits necessary for graduation...only 26.
That's the number that will keep my son home, until he is gone, and is a much bigger kid than I'll ever be ready to accept.

Now, sitting at this computer, I am crying.
Now, in the living room, he is playing a vicious game of Uno with his Grandma, little brother and sister.
He laughs.
I cry...
the dichotomy amazes me.

Our safe little world, Pooh Corner, changed tonight.
And...
The Hundred Acre Wood, with this milestone,
became one acre larger.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

whew!

okay-catching up on life at Casa Harrison just might do me in-here goes!

Mom and Dad come on Tuesday for 6 weeks!
Hip
Hip
HOORAY!

We haven't seem them since we left the States last August.
They will be here for 6 wonderful weeks...
They will be here for our 15th anniversary.
They will be here for my 40th birthday.
They will be here for Spring Break in Germany,Austria, and the Alsace (?) region of France...

They will be here for Team Leader's back surgery.

yup.
You read right.

back surgery...serious surgery, but in the hands of a professional and not the burned out military doctors who might not BE trauma surgeons, should be a good thing.

He's having the surgery on the economy (in Heidelberg).
I trust his surgeon, who took the time on Valentine's Day, to walk me through the entire procedure...with pictures. I'm glad that we'll have the support of my parents, physically right here to hand hold, because every little bit helps.

Let's see...other interesting news...
3 friends had babies/became grandparents/or became aunties!
Hugs and Love go out to:

"evansen"
"kameron"
and
"jayden"

ALL BOYS!

What else...
I finished my Switzerland quilt block AND my Poland quilt block.
Yay me!
(Pictures will follow-I swear.)
Next month (b/c we are skipping April due to holidays) we will make France!

Work news...
I rearranged my classroom last Friday-kiddos have NO idea and will walk in tomorrow to the devestation and havoc that only one naughty Leprechaun ("Coughlin McSmiley") can create.
I'm getting ready to wrap their potatoes as soon as I'm finished with this post.

40 issues...
I have all the songs just about ready for my "Lyrical Round" 40th Birthday CD scrapbook collection! (Whoa, mouthful!)
I have the paper, I have the chipboard accents, I have the stickers, I have the mailing box...now I need to put it all together. I don't expect to have it back before the Fall, but the idea of knowing it's out there-
out there being made-
being made by folks who I love
folks who I love and love me back-
I can hardly keep from jumping up and down!

And now, I'm rambling, and I know it!
Happy St Paddy's day-almost-

umarmen und lieben, everyone!
essie

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

For Alex

Touched by An Angel by Maya Angelou

We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.

Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.

Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.

We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave.

And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.

Yet it is only love which sets us free.


Lana, Doug, Erika, Gabby...our family won't forget her.