Flotsam or Jetsam?

Just a sample of the many strange and wondrous things that washed ashore while we were at the beach....

community

there are times when it feels that we barely make it through the routine of the day. there is always more labor required than is possible. not that we have it bad. but dishes, cooking, laundry, dusting (not that i do that), structural repairs, work, childcare, shopping -- you get the idea -- take a lot of time. this is not lost on anyone. we live in a capitalist society that is highly structured. both reproductive and productive labor are constant. but there is something else that happens in society. there is community. not that community does away with the system. but it also transforms it. we have two family-friends. both have 2 kids. both have serious constraints this week on their abilities to manage. we did our best to help today by providing some child pick up and food, a few phone calls. more importantly, we felt their anxieties and tried to soothe them, tried to encourage share empathy. tried to help get over the bumps and potholes that are part of the terrain. we did ok. our lives (and home) remain messy. but the kind of labor where you help your friends, talk to your neighbors, try beyond your capacity, that stretches and changes you a little.

summer weekends -- long, sticky, and jam-packed

weekends do tend to go quickly, as do the weeks. in the summer, there is never enough time to do everything. time slows in some ways. it is not just day after day of the same routine, but everything that does not get done in the fall, winter, and spring happens in the summer. so all of the things -- home fixing, gardening, cleaning, organizing, doctor visits, birthdays, school prep, working out, and relaxing -- happen in the summer take time and scheduling.

this weekend, we started with our last afternoon with liz. k an i came home to r and liz making molecules with a kit that she gave him as a present. ever thoughtful, she has presents and cards for all of us. no one wanted her to go and there were many "last" rounds of hide and go seek before she drove away. several of us had tears in our eyes as she left but there are promises of visits when she pops back to minneapolis for visits. slightly glum, we ate our dinner of ravioli and then played some uno until bath time. the grown-ups also take advantage of the summer weekend, staying up late hanging out with each other.

everyone woke up happy saturday and we began our busy morning. k had a birthday party to attend. so i took the kids to the baseball themed party, swimming class, and grocery shopping, while dad worked on taming some verdant flora. when we all returned grumpy and a little worn out, we recuperated with lots of liquid, AC, and snacks all around. dad stayed with the kids as they took some down time doing computer games (reading and math), while i cooked. it was nice to get to the veggies and make yummy fresh food. we ate an early dinner (in stages) and got ready to go to the BASEBALL GAME! with masee and uncle tom, we all watched the minor league Saint Paul Saints play the Sioux City Pheasants. It was quite an American experience. while the kids enjoyed the specific action of the moment, they did not follow the logic or rules of the game. Nevertheless, it was quite entertaining. Each 1/2 inning was punctuated by some silly stunts by the multiple mascots and goofy contests. the setting was nice as it is a small stadium next to the train tracks. every time a train went by, everyone would say "train" and wave (including the announcers). there were mini-donuts and popcorn consumed by little hands and mouths. all in all, everyone was quite entertained. the game itself was fun and we stayed until the 8th inning to see the saints lead (and then win) 5-2. there were some great plays and it was a beautiful night. everyone enjoyed the event.

k has a cold. sniffles and runny nose. let's hope that it gets nipped in the bud after a night of sleep.

after another late night hanging out, everyone woke up happy and hungry the next morning. dad made bacon and mom made pancakes. both kids played their imaginative space travel-animal rescue games for a while. after brunch things started to slip out of control and got snippy and crabby. sensing it was cabin fever, mom and dad tried to come up with a plan. but we too were crabby so it took a while. finally we decided to use our groupon for wheel fun and go to the lake. we rented a double pedal boat and spent the next few hours making dad really sweaty. the kids did fairly well considering they were in a boat for 2 hours. we pedaled from lake calhoun to lake of the isles through the channel to cedar lake. a pretty slow but pleasant haul. we did manage to see dragonflies, otters, fish, ducks, and turtles. pretty cool for an urban outing. upon return, we ate at the tin fish, a little joint next to lake calhoun's dock. at home, it was some quick math, veggie soup, and shower time. then reading and straight to bed. there are a few sniffles coming out of k so we shall see what the night holds. mostly a great weekend. some chores done, lots of fun experiences, time with friends and family, and a tired household. we are darn fortunate and we know it.

** note, it is not that we prefer to be called mom and dad. but we are trying to keep identifying names out of the blog. so we are opting for mom and dad (or perhaps j and ru in other cases).