The Monday Update

Calvin learned about eyes in church this week. Not only did they make these great opticals, he wowed our whole dinner table with the complete story of Jesus healing the blind man. Seriously, I about started crying when he told it all, without a pause or forgetting any part. “Once there was a man who couldn’t see, and then Jesus came…” He did these little gestures with his hands to show how Jesus made some clay from the dirt, and the man washed in the river. “And as soon as he washed his eyes in the river, he could see again!” When his uncle asked what would happen if we didn’t have eyes, Cal said, “We would always bump into everything.” A.dor.a.ble.

The Shakespeare Company in DC puts on an annual “Free for All” each year in a beautiful amphitheatre downtown and I went with some friends from church on Friday night. The play was Pericles, which I had never realized was by Shakespeare, and it’s a pretty amusing epic story of the Prince of Tyre. It was a beautiful production, the weather was perfect, we shared fruit and cheese and crackers and spinach dip, and I had such a nice time. My favorite part of stage performances is always the staging and set design – I kinda get lost in watching how they create certain effects and how the scenes change so effortlessly, and how did they ever think of that? (For example, the revolving stage in Les Mis – endless wonder to me.) The props and design of Pericles were so simple, but beautiful and clever. I really, really love plays.

The sand box project continues today – “we” are making a lid. Lots of rain, squirrels, birds, pine needles and one neighborhood cat are poised to make the beautiful sandbox dream a nightmare. What I think would be ideal as a cover is something like these bowl covers, only bigger and out of tougher material. Brilliant, huh? Easy on and off, no smashed fingers when the boys try to open it themselves (which they will), and a clever idea to boot. Maybe I should market it. Wonder how rich I could get from the Code Yellow ElastiCover for sandboxes? Wonder if I could fashion a prototype…Nah. I’ll just let the husband go the 1x2 and hardboard route. But no one steal my ElastiCover idea – I’ll get to it someday.

We wanted to go to a “fun” swimming pool (meaning one with a spraying umbrella and small waterslide) today, but the boys are snotty and hacking, so we might just go for a ride on the train to Arlington Cemetery and see all the flags and the changing of the guard. A nice Memorial Day thing to do, I think.

I do want to say thank you to service men and women in every post for your work and your willingness to give it all in the service of your country and the cause of freedom. Political rhetoric aside, I personally feel that I owe the life I live of safety and relative peace in large part to you, and to those before us, who simply did what had to be done to build and protect a nation so that I can worship according to my own desires, I can say what I want to say without retribution, and I can enjoy the bounties and blessings of a great land without fear.