Day 862: Mother's Day 2014

It was a sunny, warm and happy Mother's Day.  This is generally NOT a favorite day since our mothers long ago passed away and our kids don't live nearby.  But today was delightful.  I finished mowing all of the lawn which was important since it's going to rain the rest of the week.  Then we mulched three of the small gardens!

The day began with a productive session at Penelope where we had great discussions on work by Sara, Carol B. and Linda.  An editor had sent Sara an evaluation of one of the poems she had submitted for publication.  Instead of an outright rejection, the editor suggested that she revisit a few lines.  We spent an hour analyzing the comments and then trying to determine how she could best address the issues.  This was difficult because Sara does not like her poems wrapped up neatly or too specific.  She prefers to infuse them with uncertainty and mystery.

Linda had made significant changes to her short story.  Since it is based on true events, she needed to conceal the true location and characters.   Carol's beautifully crafted essay reflected on her experiences teaching English in China many years ago.  She has such a rich collection of stories that we recommended that she assemble them into a book or submit them individually.

All of my sons called and visited for a half hour.  All I ever wanted was for them to be happy, healthy, employed and insured!  Now they are!  Colin's second performance with the Upright Citizen's Brigade went very well.  He plans to take another course, so we will not miss that final show.  April is on her way to London for the week.  Such a busy young woman!  Evan was bubbling over with excitement over his new job.  Justin was out for a walk looking for breakfast...at noon.  That's what New Yorkers do on Sunday.

Are we ready for Quest?  Very close, but not quite.  We put all the photos into the frames, but now we need help identifying a few of the kids so we can match photos to certificates.  There's also a bit of uncertainty about the supply truck crew which has to be resolved.  Tomorrow, we pack up the cook kits and load the vehicles with supplies and food.  Then, I need to do a serious re-examination of my gear.  I think I'll be taking two raincoats and an extra fleece again this year.

The dogwood garden

Steve is very tense and nervous, especially about the extreme weather that's on its way from the west.  I don't mind hiking in the rain, but I really want the kids to have a great time.  The cool temperatures will probably keep them from swimming and the heavy rain may limit our games.  That's the fun part of the expedition that they shouldn't miss.