2013 Musings

Post- February 18, 2013

We say the trip was all about Ruby's first birthday. But really it was about everything: seeing Ruby, hugging Ruby, making Ruby laugh. It was about visiting mom and dad, testing out wheelchair service in the airports, filling Kathryn's house with a party and texting conversations that made it seem as though Emma just hadn't yet arrived to join us. It was getting together as a family and adjusting to find a new balance in the midst of changing physical abilities. It was about mobility: getting to Rochester, watching Ruby transition from crawling to walking, watching Greg navigate with his new Rodeo cane, seeing dad with his Cadillac walker and marveling that mom is moving faster than ever and yet her walker still sits in the doorway, just in case. It was about celebrating Chinese New Year's at Cantonese House, marveling at the magic of Ruby's cake decorated with the cover of her favorite book, Hugs, searching for take-out Chinese dumplings on a Sunday morning in Sodus, and relaxing into the evening with wine, beer, chicken wings and pizza. We spent the weekend moving among three home bases and at times I felt like Ruby. Every moment was for the moment; to be enjoyed and savored. Ruby turned one and we all knew exactly where we were a year ago.




March 3, 2013

When my college roommate, Elisabeth, took psych 101 she tested the appeal of blue as a food color. She wondered why m&m's did not come in blue. Kathryn has become the expert in the family on smoothies and juicing and I am discovering that a good juice in the morning is a good start to the day. Whether or not it makes me healthier, I feel like I am treating my body well by starting with a concoction of stuff that promises to make me healthier. That is, of course, after my morning dose of coffee. What I am also discovering, however, is that color makes a difference. I have created some of the most questionable liquids that were it not that I actually know what's in it, I would be a fool to even taste it. The shades of green, brown and mud are not quite the color of the berry blast I like to buy at Juice Generation. It is proof perhaps that the human mind can be disciplined to do things that go against nature unlike any other animal that depends heavily on color to determine what is good to eat and what is to be avoided. This morning I drank a mix of acai juice, banana, coconut water and kale. A delicious mix that mimicked slimy mud.