Saturday Sublime

So far, so great.

* I woke up at 7:35 to the wet licks and fuzzy, flashing tail of Maya. Daniel had brought her upstairs to our bed where she proceeded to wiggle us awake; we got what Daniel loving refers to as "a Maya call". (Get it? Not a wake-up call, but ...)

My eyelids had a light coating of wine-induced sandpaper on the inside when I awoke as I'd been wined and dined by a dear friend of mine: Costa Rican food on the menu from soup to dessert, except for the two glasses of red wine. Not much in life compares to a three hour meandering conversation with a kindred spirit over a well-prepared meal. Here's to many more!

* Unfortunately, Steve had a fender-bender yesterday on the way home from work. Fortunately, no one was hurt. He took the car to the body shop this morning, joined me and the kids in the minivan afterwards, and together we went to a local dive for breakfast. With coffee, bagels, and fruit smoothies in our tummies, we made our way home.

* Because Steve had to take Daniel to his baseball game, Kristiana and I set out for a walk to the library. All along the way, we talked, laughed, planned the wardrobe I will take along when Steve and I head for Costa Rica on Thursday, and, like true North Carolinians, greeted everybody we passed.

* On our way home, we stopped at CVS for water bottles, and who should we meet at the cash register but Steve??? He was picking up a few things for his mother in between inning of the baseball game. As I approached him at the counter, he was about to slide his credit card through the machine, but I stopped him and said, "Wait, pay for our stuff too." The cashier and another customer gasped in surprise. I laughed and said, "You guys must think I'm pretty bold. He's my husband." An audible sigh of relief went up as did a few hearty chuckles.

Steve's perfectly coiffed hair, carefully constructed golf-worthy outfit, and straight-laced appearance are quite a contrast to my wildly curly dreadlocs, black polka-dotted skirt, and matching lime green tee-shirt. I forget just how diametrically opposed we must appear to the uninitiated. We declined his offer to drive us home; we were thoroughly enjoying our walk.

* As we ambled through our development, we stopped at two ponds along the way and watched turtles swimming lazily, a family of two adult geese and six adolescent sized goslings paddling close to the shore, and birds foraging through the grassy hill adjacent to the pond. Kristiana said, "We wouldn't have seen any of this if we had driven to the library." So right, my dear.

* The only time I regretted the choice to walk was when we crossed paths with a hideous black snake. Kristiana said, "Look at the snake." I asked, no I shrieked, "Where?" There it was about 30 yards ahead of us on the street. I insisted that we cross to the other side and shielded my eyes as we passed it. I can't even look at them without having my skin crawl. Even as I type this, I feel nausea rise within me.

* At the moment, Kristiana is sitting out on the deck with Maya. Daniel is probably still playing baseball. Steve is sitting on the sidelines of the game, no doubt eating sunflower seeds, and I'm at the computer pontificating about my Super Saturday. I think I'll go join the girls outside.

After all, it's a sublime Saturday in South Charlotte.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there.
Happy Mother's Day to all the Dads out there;
if it weren't for you, we wouldn't be mothers.
So thanks for your input, as it were.