Voices from the Past

I can't believe I've managed to write something every day in September.  I think.  It's blather, but still it's memories.

Still cleaning out the garage and discovered a huge stack of papers that are printed-out emails from and to me in what looks like 1997 through 2003.  I was SO excited about email and was awestruck when Sherry sent me a picture of her cat.  "How do you do that?  Do you scan?  Can you teach me how to send pictures?"  I've come a long way, but managing photos is still out of control to me.

There are irreplaceable messages from Aunt Bettye.  She got me Sherry and Debby's email addresses, and we just talked and talked over those years.  There are things I had certainly forgotten and some things I didn't want to be reminded of, but they were mostly informative and interesting and just a slice of what our lives were back then.  I also wrote to Kathy and Stephanie and my friends Peggy and Shirley and later on some friends we left in Meridian when we moved to Greensboro.

Those were the empty-nest years when we moved a few times and were really enjoying our new cats.  Easy times.

I'll come back today and mention a few of the funny things through the years.  It's raining now and a 90% chance of rain today, so it's going to be a different morning.  Emily goes in early on Tuesday, so I have to get Graysen ready and delivered to school, but after that, Katherine and I have the whole day to ourselves.

We have a little schedule dilemma on Tuesday with Graysen getting out at 3:20 and Katherine's dance class starting at 3:15.  For today anyway, Elise is going to walk over and get Graysen, because on Katherine's first day, I want to ease her into the class before I leave.  She's pretty excited about ballet and tap, so maybe it will be easy.  She was also excited about Rooster Valley but cried again yesterday.  "I cried in the kitchen because my finger hurt."  Sometimes that's just the excuse to get a hug, I think.  It will get better.

Graysen, surprisingly, is just in her element in kindergarten, chatting with friends on the walk home and telling me things she's done.  They had music yesterday!  She had her first dance class yesterday, and I guess it went well.  She brought home a note about tryouts for the Nutcracker.  She was all excited about it, and I was already starting to worry about her not making it since she didn't take dance last year, but she said, "Could I go watch it?  I don't want to be in it.  I just want to watch it."  We told her that she certainly could and that we were going to the big one in Seattle too.  I can't imagine all those rehearsals that would have to take place, and our lives are complicated enough.  So thanks, Gray.

Time to get ready for the Tuesday challenges.
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Drop-off went great.  I brought both girls to the apartment, sent Katherine upstairs with Elise to play and walked across the street and up the hill to the playground.  She was not hesitant a bit and went right in among those big kids to find her class.  I even got a thumbs up and a smile.

I forgot to take my phone, but I can't wait to start taking some pictures of our street.  Kinsey is really, really pretty in fall.  I left there and walked for 20 minutes in the misty rain.

Then a cup of tea.  Debby has found these teacup toppers and has sent a few to us.  The girls usually grab them before we can use them, especially the ones with cats and jewels on them.  I didn't know how much I needed one.