too cool . . .

we had a visitor last night and i'm still trying to figure out how he got here.  we took down the tree his relatives used to gain access to a lower roof and then the pool cage.  maybe he has super powers of flight.  maybe its Rocky Raccoon in our very own back yard!!!!

kidlet got bored.  when i returned home from our camera club meeting, she showed me some shots she'd taken.

and this is what you get when you decide to sail a flotilla of paper boats across the pool at night with the underwater lights on.  too cool!!!!!

changes . . .

i wish i could say i was back but a general malaise seems to have dropped over me and the things i used to get the most enjoyment from are no longer tickling my fancy.  not a big deal, my mojo will come back.  it just took a walk somewhere.

so instead, i'm going to tell tales on my favorite munchkin . . . kidlet.  she'd been doing so much better.  the world is finally looking a little rosy.  finally she understands that some of her feelings are exactly as they should be.  that they are normal feelings and not manifestations of depression.  point in case, we took my granddaughter to Tampa two weekends ago to the USF open house.  After attending presentations, seminars and doing a campus tour but before heading for Five Guys for some mega fries, i drove over to the northwest corner of the campus and said a final goodbye/prayer to Moffitt.

it didn't take long and we were all soon munching happily and popping peanuts in our chubby little cheeks.  suddenly, i noticed that kidlet was being awfully quiet and when she asked for the keys to the car, i let her go.  when the rest of us finished lunch, we headed to the car and there she was with huge gulping sobs racking her tiny frame.  hooray for kidlet!  does that sound odd?  shouldn't.  this was the very first time that she had an appropriate response to a overwhelming emotion.  she didn't try to suppress it.  she didn't shirk from it, she let it flow.  good healthy tears for her dad.  kidlet, you rock!!!!

and she's still doing well in the kitchen.  she made Friday's beef stew from start to finish. before when we've cooked together, she's always handed the chopping to me.  with her familial tremor, she and knives are not always the best combo but this time she forged on while i went on the pool deck to let pip play for a bit.  when i wandered back in, there she was, tears streaming down her face.  rut roh, what now?  but she looked me squarely in the eyes, and asked if THIS was a normal reaction to cutting onions.  i burst into laughter.  yes, kidlet, perfectly normal. you are now a cook!!!!  it's the small victories that taste the sweetest.

tonight, she was supposed to have her regular tuesday swordfish but instead, she had a Relay for Life meeting.  yup, she is back volunteering for them . . . another fine blessing.  tired of swordfish, i had made a big mess of chili.  when she returned home it was too late to grill.  but surprisingly, she asked for some chili.  i guess here is where i explain that kidlet is not fond of beans.  or peas.  or lentils.  actually, i was surprised she asked for the chili at all.  but then i watched her grab a small ramekin from a cabinet and just knew what she was going to use it for.  somethings in life never change.