Red Tail Dog: 24 HOURS

To(o) SLO (the internet, that is!)

2/15/2013

Pretty amazing experience today getting ready to get out the door to take a weekend off with the family plus a few extra days on my own too! So many friends checked in with me, phone and email. I was beginning to feel like royalty, even got a call from England! If I was superstitious I'd wonder if it was farewell!

Not this trip, tempted though I am, especially with my traveling companion Jonathan. He came home with me Thursday night. It was super tough for Jonathan to come to our house without grandpa. He said goodbye to Rich just 6 months ago. Tonight Jonathan and I sat on the recliner together, lit a candle and held on to one another. We sorted through Rich's watches and Jonathan picked out one.

Took off Friday morning to San Luis Obispo. Jonathan as a 4th Grader is studying California Missions, so we stopped at San Juan Baptista Mission. The best part of the visit was meeting a local merchant selling rock candy from a shop next door to her home. She had lots of interesting things in the shop that drew Jonathan's attention and curiosity. She was so taken by his interest she gave him a bag full of cool rocks, a tile, 1st edition stamped envelope, a CD of local music, as well of the name of the local archeologist that works on restoring the missions across the country.

In SLO, Jonathan laid claim to the sun room as his own when we walked into the guest home. I didn't consider that room because it was too cold to sit out there in December when I was here last. We met up with his brothers, and Crista, Mike and Annika. The boys got some energy out of their system with a good swim. Now I've got the three boys and they are all sound asleep so I have a little peace. Hike tomorrow!

2/16/2013

Hiked Mt Madonna with the boys and Crista. Rich and I had hiked it before he got sick. February 16th a year ago he received the cancer diagnosis. The boys were a pain in the can getting up the hill. Anthony had spark and he took off out of site, while Jonathan lagged behind complaining. Christopher was somewhere in the middle driving us nuts. Hikers on the trail tracked Anthony down and held him still till Cris caught up. Jonathan finally got to the top. The boys continued to the tippy top, as Cris and I watched.

Jonathan knew I had the mini urn. We talked about Rich, the hike Rich and I did, and how much he loved SLO. When the twins and Crista took off we hung back under a beautiful Oak tree. I told Jonathan the quote* about the Oak and Cypress and left a bit of Rich's ashes under the tree. That small gesture took my breath away. Our hearts hurt.

We had ice-cream, then went to the pool. Though I'd never give up Mima~hood for anything, I do question my sanity having the three boys together. After a time out for each of them for the usual boy chaos, I thought the coast was clear. Not to be. A howling scream and blood flowing from Anthony's mouth after a collision with hard head Christopher (the one with stitches in his head after colliding with a set of teeth, last week). Anthony still has a tongue, wounded as it is, and the pool has more DNA.

I can't think of a better way to start the new year than with these young power energy forces.

*“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.”

― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet