Magic on Ludlow

Dear George,

Every year at this time Ludlow Avenue. the street in front of our house, is transformed into a wonderland of hundreds of white and pink flowering trees – magnolias, dogwoods, crabapples, plum and pear trees, and probably others. It’s the highlight of our spring and marks our most pleasing season of the year.  The glorious display lasts a week or maybe two at most, then vanishes virtually overnight. By the time a year has gone by, the white trees have faded from our memory, and then their reappearance is just as new and thrilling as it’s been in previous years – a vivid reminder that we can count on the regular  appearance of beauty in the world.

Love,

Dave

G-mail Comments

-Linda C (4-12-14):  Lovely 

Perks and Perils of Senior Air Travel

Dear George,

I flew down to New Orleans over spring break to visit J, K, and our grandkids.  It wasn’t the best time to fly.  I’d just seen Harrison Ford’s new movie “Non-Stop” about passengers on a transatlantic flight getting murdered every 20 minutes.  And, of course,  the news was completely dominated by the disappearance of Malaysian Flight 370 over the Indian Ocean.  It all makes you a little edgy.  Katja was staying home to take care of our two Old English sheepdogs, and she dropped me off at the airport.

As I entered the security area, I noticed a sign that said that passengers over 75 don’t have to take off their shoes or jackets.  I was pleasantly surprised.  You get all kinds of good stuff when you turn 65.  But up to now I’d never seen a single benefit that comes from being over 75.   While I was happy about it, I wondered if they thought I was too feeble to take my shoes off.  Or am I now in the only age group where they can’t imagine one being a potential terrorist threat?  In any case, I decided to take advantage of my new privileges.  As I approached the first security checkpoint, a uniformed guy politely but firmly instructed me to take off my shoes.  “I’m over 75,” I said.  He squinted his eyes and muttered, “You don’t look over 75.”  I started to get out my wallet to show him proof, but he waved me on.  Then he called out loudly to his colleagues down the row, “This guy’s over 75!  Coming through.  This guy here.  Over 75!”  All the other passengers in the area turned to see what the commotion was about. 

I picked up two plastic bins, put my L.L. Bean knapsack in one, my wallet and pocket contents in another.  A tall woman just ahead of me took my knapsack out of my first bin, saying, “That’s my bin.”  It wasn’t hers, but I didn’t feel like quarrelling so I got another bin.  I got through the body scan X-ray machine successfully after some instructions.  Then another security guard came up and said, “You have your jacket on, so I’m going to have to give you a full patdown.”  I didn’t see the point since I’d already passed my body scan X-ray test, but I raised my arms obediently.  He patted my shoulders, underarms, rib cages, upper and lower back.  Then he said, “Your jacket is zipped up, so I’m going to have to pat down your stomach.”  By that time I concluded that the TSA agents got irritated when people were allowed to keep their jackets on and responded by deliberately hassling them.

My nonstop flight to New Orleans went by quickly.  I’d arranged to meet my son J at curbside under the Delta baggage claim sign.  The Delta sign was mounted on a large concrete pillar, and I was surprised to see a carry-on bag leaning against the pillar though nobody was in the vicinity.  J was running late.  Fifteen minutes went by, and still nobody had come anywhere near the abandoned carry-on bag.  I started thinking about the warning announcements they make about unattended suitcases in airports.  The bag was looking more and more ominous.  There didn’t seem to be enough traffic in the immediate area to attract a mass bomber.  On the other hand, if the pillar came down, it could bring down the whole upper level roadway.  I thought about moving to a new location, but I didn’t want to leave the spot where J planned to pick me up.  Instead I moved to the opposite side of the pillar, hoping that it was strong enough to bear the brunt of an explosion.   It never did explode, and, for all I know, the bag might be still there.

My visit to New Orleans was thoroughly enjoyable: all the major tourist sights, lots of good music and good food, and many family excursions.  Six days later J dropped me off at the airport.   New Orleans had the same sign in the security area:  “People over 75 don’t need to remove their shoes and jacket.”  Now I knew what that meant.  It means: “If you are over 75 and physically infirm, you can leave your shoes and jacket on.  If you are over 75 and not physically infirm, take your shoes and jacket off now.”  I promptly took off my shoes and jacket.  That worked excellently – no questions, no patdowns,  only the same routine harassment that forty- or fifty-year-olds are subjected to.   

My plane was set to take off on schedule.  I was tired and soon nodded off in my seat.  Some time later I was jolted awake when I felt the plane make a sudden sharp righthand turn.  I immediately thought of the Malaysian airliner changing course over the Indian Ocean.  Startled, I opened my eyes and looked around for hijackers.   Seeing none, I glanced out the window.  Surprise -- we were still on the ground!  The pilot had just made a righthand turn onto the runway to prepare for his takeoff.   Aside from a hair in my Diet Coke, the rest of my trip was uneventful,.   Katja and the sheepdogs met me outside baggage claim at the airport.  There were no suspicious carry-on bags at curbside in Cincinnati.  Katja, the dogs, and I had an exciting reunion.  Lots of barking.   I was glad to be home again.

Love,

Dave

Being Five-Point-Five

Dear George,

I’m recently back from a six-day trip to New Orleans, visiting J and K and my grandkids, V and L.  It’s difficult being a long-distance grandparent.  When we’re all together, it’s engrossing and enjoyable, but then it’s another four or five months before we see the kids again.  V and L are now five and a half.  Each time we get together they’re more noticeably grown up – physically, mentally, verbally, socially.  Currently I’d say they are about twenty percent adult.  (Hmm…maybe fifteen percent.)  Things the children and I now share in common include liking dogs and rabbits, ice cream, Mickey Mouse and Batman, Raisin Bran cereal and tacos, hiking in the park, hitting tennis balls, knock knock jokes, and playing checkers and Crazy Eights.  In general, the children are more excitable than the adults, more easily distressed, more curious, more energetic, and more bewildered at times.  They laugh more, cry more, and sleep more deeply.  They’re much more proficient at Spanish (since they go to kindergarten at a 100% Spanish immersion school).  And they’re continually busy learning all sorts of new things. All in all, being five and a half is a remarkable time of life.  Here are some photos of L and V’s activities that I took during my trip.  This is a mere glimpse of what being five and a half is like.

Love,

Dave 

This is V at the age of five

She’s knows how to do many things

You can see that V loves being alive

It’s almost as if her heart sings

L is exactly the same age as V

He can be both serious and funny

All agree that L’s a sweet pea

It’s because his nature’s so sunny

The children love outings to City Park

They hike on the trail to Rock Mountain

Trips to the park are such a lark

Though they don’t let you wade in the fountain

L and V zoomed up in their plane

They traveled for one-point-two miles

They didn’t go all the way to Spain

But they got off with most happy smiles

V’s new bunny is Olivia Rosehop

Her dad built a very strong hutch

Rosehop, I think, is a Mini-Lop

Her fur is so soft to the touch

We went for a hike on Coutourie Trail

V found there a coconut shell

She asked a man if he’d give her his snail

Amazing, that snail didn’t smell

I’d say this rocket could fly to the moon

V and L are all ready to go

The blast-off is scheduled for half past noon

Hey Mom, can you give us some dough?

L and V like to climb up the trees

They’re not even frightened so high

You have to admire such climbers as these

Some day they’ll climb up to the sky

Iko is full of vigor and vim

He races round the yard at top speed

I took many walks round the block with him

On every bush he has peed

Checkers is not so easy to play

But the children are getting quite good

In fact L beat me the other day

Who ever imagined he would?

Our bumper cars gave us huge thrills

We crashed into one another

We collided so hard it gave me the chills

But it didn’t scare V or her brother

Each week L and V go to Sunday School

Their teacher’s name is Miss Sue

L and V always follow the rule

Miss Sue tells them just what to do

L and V got into a bucket of slime

It whirled so fast they got dizzy

The children reported they had a great time

It’s because their noodles were frizzy

L shows great promise at tennis

His forehand gets better each week
L might be a tennis menace

He's not yet close to his peak   

On Thursday V tried on a very fine wig

She hoped she would look like a doozy

I’m afraid that her wig was a little too big

Not a doozy though V did look woozy

The kids took a ride on the merry-go-round

They each had a very fine steed

The horses rose very high off the ground

V and L were great riders indeed

On Wednesday L lost his first tooth

A dollar got rid of his pains

Losing a tooth is a highlight of youth

It shows you that losses can be gains 

V and L zoomed down the slide

They went at a high rate of speed

It looked to me like a most scary ride

But these kids are brave sliders indeed

V fell asleep right on her dad’s hat

His head was a good place to rest

She slept as soundly as an Angora cat

Riding home on dad’s head is the best

G-mail Comments

-Terry O-S (4-2):  Soon you need to send this book to your grandchildren.  (A. A. Milne, “Now We Are Six”)

-JML (4-2):  That's wonderful dad. Can't wait to read it to them later today. Muchas gracias!!

The Joys of Spring: A Children's Play in Three Acts

The Players (from left): Harper (age 2), V (age 5), Betsy (age 3), L (age 5)

Dear George,

When I recently visited J and K and kids in New Orleans, the weather was just about perfect, and our grandchildren, V and L, and I decided to put on a play in honor of Spring.  Family friends brought two more budding actresses, Harper and Betsy, to the performance, so they joined in too.  Here is how our play went.

Love,

Dave

The Joys of Spring

Narrator (henceforth N):  Welcome to our play.  We’re so glad you could be here.  This is a three-act play entitled “The Joys of Spring”.  The role of The King of Winter will be played by L.  V will be The Queen of Spring.  Betsy will be The Princess of the Flowers.  And Harper will be The Princess of the Butterflies. 

Act One.  The Children Go to Michigan

N:  Once upon a time, not so long ago, the children took a trip to Michigan to visit Mum-Mum (their grandmother Linda).  It was the middle of January, and the ground was covered in snow.  The children were very excited because they almost never see snow in New Orlean. 

They ran around in the snow, going this way and that.  (Children run around stage.)

Then they picked up the snow and threw it high in the air.  (Children throw snow.)

And they made lots of snowballs.  (Children throw imaginary snowballs.) 

And everyone was very happy and having a good time.  [End of Act One]

Act Two.  The King of Winter Brings a Storm.   

N:  The children ran so far that they found themselves lost in the forest. 

Just then The King of Winter appeared, and he brought with him a great storm.  (L steps forward and flexes his muscles.)

The King summoned great winds.  (Children wave arms back and forth and make whooshing, wind-like noises.)

The ground was so icy that the children slipped and slid.  (Children slip and slide around the stage.)

And then the great snowfall came.  (Children raise their arms up and down with the falling snow, making snowfall sounds: pitter-pitter-pitter….)

Soon the children were very cold.  (Children start to shiver and shake.)

V:  I am so cold – I am freezing.

L:  I am freezing too.

Betsy:  I am freezing too. 

N:  The children wonder what they are going to do.  Then V has an idea.

V:  Let’s get the bunnies.  They will take us to their nest, and we will all be warm.

(The children go to the rear of the stage and bring out porcelain bunnies.  Then they go with the bunnies and all lie down in the bunnies’ nest.)  [End of Act Two]

Act Three.  The Arrival of Spring

N:  The children slept and slept for the rest of the winter.  They slept through all of January, then all of February, and then all of March.  But on April 1^st the Queen of Spring arrived, and all the children woke up.  (V stands up, does a pirouette, and waves her wand.  The other children get up too.) 

N:  The warm sun came out.  (Children make circles over their heads with their arms, then lean from side to side.)

And the trees burst into bloom.  (Children hold arms straight up and open and close their fingers.)

And so did the flowers.  (Children open up their arms like flower petals and wave back and forth.)

V:  Spring is here!

L and Betsy:  Hurray!  Spring is here!

N:  Then the children found their way back to Mum-Mum’s house.  She was very excited to see them.  And everyone lived happily ever after. 

The End of the Play

The players and their parents take a bow

G-mail Comments

-Donna D (3-30):  david, this is so wonderful!  the children probably dont' realize how wonderful their grandpa is to do this with them.

-Linda C (3-29):  Absolutely adorable