Yesterday we had a holiday party for our neighborhood. Hey, that's a pretty big accomplishment for a family of introverts. It was my mom's idea (and my mom who did most of the baking), and it actually turned out to be sort of fun.
The first guest to arrive, E, is 90-some years old and still living on her own. She's the authority on neighborhood history (although we have reason to believe the history is not always "accurate"...). She used to keep house for Mrs. Lindsay, a long-previous owner of our current house. E tells us that "Miz Lindsay was such a strong Democrat that the only way she'd vote for a Republican was if the Democrat was a black man." That little anecdote left us all speechless for a little while.
The next-door neighbors with the twins and the 4 y.o. came over, and some other families in the neighborhood with kids who come to use the swing in our backyard. Most of the kids I'd at least seen before. We had about 20 people come, which is not bad, considering that several of the houses on our block are rented to college students.
The next-door neighbors got a puppy that is going to be a present for their grandma, but they're taking care of it until Christmas. It's a Lhasa Apso, and as much as I'm usually not a fan of little dogs (Broo excepted), all puppies are adorable. This one seems especially cuddly. It doesn't try to squirm out of your arms, it just buries its face and falls asleep. I actually wonder if it's all there, mentally, but my dad pointed out that intelligence is not necessarily the most important feature in a dog (see Buddy, for example).
My trip to Seattle was wonderful. I really enjoyed spending time with my aunt and uncle, and two little cousins. A is 3 years old, and M is about 2 months. M is just getting to the age where he's starting to display some personality. He makes eye contact and smiles (big, toothless smiles), and cries with his whole body: wailing, little fists trembling, tiny eyebrows wrinkling. Am I crazy to think he's even cute when he's crying? Babies are just incredible. Once they're born, genetics has done all it can, and the rest is up to the parents. What a terrifying responsibility. I really enjoyed talking with my aunt about stuff like this. I really admire how she and my uncle are parenting my cousins. They treat their kids respectfully, which not all adults do. Aunt S gives A a choice whenever possible, rather than just issuing commands (for example: "A, would you like to put on your coat first, or put on your shoes first?").
I got to visit my older cousin A in Tacoma while I was in Washington. She's in Jesuit Volunteer Corps this year, and she's working at a L'Arche community. I went to work with A on Friday, and was so impressed with L'Arche. A works with developmentally disabled adults, and the community was wonderful. Apparently, many JVs who have worked with L'Arche for a year as volunteers end up staying at L'Arche as employees. Maybe if I graduate and still don't know what I want to do, I can do JVC? You don't have to be Catholic, but I think you are supposed to be Christian. I don't have a problem with attending Mass and I like talking about spirituality... but I'm pretty much an agnostic. I find my holiness in people. Maybe they would take me anyway. But I wouldn't want to dilute it somehow for people who do believe.
The first guest to arrive, E, is 90-some years old and still living on her own. She's the authority on neighborhood history (although we have reason to believe the history is not always "accurate"...). She used to keep house for Mrs. Lindsay, a long-previous owner of our current house. E tells us that "Miz Lindsay was such a strong Democrat that the only way she'd vote for a Republican was if the Democrat was a black man." That little anecdote left us all speechless for a little while.
The next-door neighbors with the twins and the 4 y.o. came over, and some other families in the neighborhood with kids who come to use the swing in our backyard. Most of the kids I'd at least seen before. We had about 20 people come, which is not bad, considering that several of the houses on our block are rented to college students.
The next-door neighbors got a puppy that is going to be a present for their grandma, but they're taking care of it until Christmas. It's a Lhasa Apso, and as much as I'm usually not a fan of little dogs (Broo excepted), all puppies are adorable. This one seems especially cuddly. It doesn't try to squirm out of your arms, it just buries its face and falls asleep. I actually wonder if it's all there, mentally, but my dad pointed out that intelligence is not necessarily the most important feature in a dog (see Buddy, for example).
My trip to Seattle was wonderful. I really enjoyed spending time with my aunt and uncle, and two little cousins. A is 3 years old, and M is about 2 months. M is just getting to the age where he's starting to display some personality. He makes eye contact and smiles (big, toothless smiles), and cries with his whole body: wailing, little fists trembling, tiny eyebrows wrinkling. Am I crazy to think he's even cute when he's crying? Babies are just incredible. Once they're born, genetics has done all it can, and the rest is up to the parents. What a terrifying responsibility. I really enjoyed talking with my aunt about stuff like this. I really admire how she and my uncle are parenting my cousins. They treat their kids respectfully, which not all adults do. Aunt S gives A a choice whenever possible, rather than just issuing commands (for example: "A, would you like to put on your coat first, or put on your shoes first?").
I got to visit my older cousin A in Tacoma while I was in Washington. She's in Jesuit Volunteer Corps this year, and she's working at a L'Arche community. I went to work with A on Friday, and was so impressed with L'Arche. A works with developmentally disabled adults, and the community was wonderful. Apparently, many JVs who have worked with L'Arche for a year as volunteers end up staying at L'Arche as employees. Maybe if I graduate and still don't know what I want to do, I can do JVC? You don't have to be Catholic, but I think you are supposed to be Christian. I don't have a problem with attending Mass and I like talking about spirituality... but I'm pretty much an agnostic. I find my holiness in people. Maybe they would take me anyway. But I wouldn't want to dilute it somehow for people who do believe.
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