Another glorious day. We relish these. I decided to transfer Abel's nap out of doors today. He snoozed in the stroller as I rolled through Highland Park. As I pushed the stroller up the hill entrance I noticed the cars starting to stack along the road going into the main park area. A packed park atmosphere does not bode well for a napping Abel. I thought about turning around. Then I just trudged on up the hill convinced this glorious day must be spent in a park.

Once I hit the paved trails I was so glad that I chose to stay. Abel was already dozing as I worked my way down the first tulip and daffodil stuffed path. It hit me. There were tons of people all around me, but it was silent. Their were some hushed conversations around but the kind you hear at a funeral. But it was too bright and cheery for a cemetery, it was more like a sanctuary. The perfect kind. The one that God orchestrated himself. What could be more beautiful than solid wood pews and stained glass? Fresh rolling fields of grass dotted with soft huge blossoming trees, that's what. And we were all baffled by it.

We moved around the park with mouths gaping. Everyone..the girl sitting with her dog on the hill, the old couple flirting on the bench, the boyfriend trying too hard to be romantic on a blanket under a cherry tree in a public park, the girlfriend (of a different couple) unsuccessfully attempting to look pleased that she was playing catch with her boyfriend, and the mom laying down for a nap with her baby tucked next to her. And among the crowd were a few homeless people who were happy about the warmer weather for much more practical reasons than the rest of us.

I kept going, amazed by the quiet and the sweet scented air. And the kind of glorious views that you have to just stop and stare at for a minute to make sure your eyes are registering it all correctly. Then you realize, it's perfect. Just when I had thought I had seen the finale I came up over a hill and looked down on 10 or so of the most breathtaking flowering magnolia, cherry, and crab apple trees all clumped together. College students were rolling under them like dogs...but even they were quiet. We were all full of respect for this heaven we discovered on the same spring afternoon.

Magnificent

The magnolia trees all along Oxford Street bust with perfect new flowers for about three days every year. After that time they start to brown and float to the ground. Today is the first day of perfection, so hurry.

back

I forgot how tiring it is to start a new job. Hence, my absence. Sorry to everyone who has emailed or called asking how things are going, the days have flown by one crazy hour after the other. After I get home I spend my time gobbling up every last minute of family time before bed.
I am working on getting used to the very stringent schedule. This is the first job I have had since high school where the supervisor likes to know where I am at all times. It's not too bad though, because that seems to be the only thing she is super strict about. There is a lot of flexibility in how we structure our days. I will be meeting with my probationers on Mondays and Fridays. The rest of the week I will be in court, filing paperwork, and chasing down my warrant laden felon offenders (half kidding.) Yeah, it is a toss up what most days will bring, sure it will include some fun stuff to post!

A Final Farewell

I was actually kind of teary. I have only had that feeling once before when leaving a job, when I left Big Brothers Big Sisters in Nevada. My boss took me out for a nice lunch yesterday and even bought me a gift...so sweet. Then I had to go to the office and actually work for the last few hours I was on the books. It reminded me of my last day at ARI. There I actually stayed late my last day - which was really weird because I never actually worked until 5 on a regular day.

Bye, Girl Scouts.

While talking to a friend last night she reminded me that I haven't done a really good job of explaining my job situation on my blog. That it has been more of a rambling mess. Maybe because I was sort of the same. To sum up... I have taken the Probation Officer job and I start on Monday. That gives me one day of vacation, well, plus the weekend. Whoohoo!
Sorry for all the confusion. I was trying to figure some other stuff out and didn't really want to give up my plans just yet, then I just forgot. Consider yourselves updated!

Screaming Noise

I am sorry to all of the people I irrationally get angry at and have never met. This misdirected and weird anger is happening right now...Abel is fast asleep taking a nap that is days overdue and there are SOTA students screaming outside his window. Now of course they aren't screaming "Abel wake up, your nap is going way too long!!!" But I am still steaming. We live on a very busy city street. This noise has been here since before Abel and is quite predictable. The second Abel is asleep I am attune to it like a cheetah on the hunt. I pick out what each sound is and mentally cut the limbs off the person responsible for it. Car alarm..."Can't the owner hear that? Why don't they DO something!" Screaming teenagers..."I know this is part of some twisted developmental egocentric stage but SHUT UP!" and the worst one I confess is fire trucks/ambulances..."Argh, Why is your siren SO loud!"

This doesn't just happen at home, it's in public too. Abel may be snoozing in his stroller on a walk and I honestly stare at dogs before I pass them thinking they should know there is a sleeping baby around and they should mind their manners..."No sniffing and don't DARE bark at me!"

Have any of these noises ever actually woke him up? Well, that is questionable. There was once I think a fire engine did...oh, and Scott's hacking cough a couple of nights ago. I am sure the real answer is no. I just can't shake it. So, again, sorry people of the world, you didn't really do anything remotely wrong for someone to tell you to hush. I need to shake this, it is very unhealthy.

My last great-grandparent passed on this weekend. She was a wonderful and strong woman and we are all honored to have known her for so long. Among other things...She possessed a fantastic smile and whit. Plus, made the most superb tomato sauce and fig cookies, and she had vintage clothes untouched in her attic. We used to sneak up there during family dinners with our cousins and peak into boxes. She told us she was saving all that stuff, not sure for what...
It is amazing that I got to know three of my great-grandmas quite well in my life.
I was in Buffalo this weekend for a wedding shower, now I have to go back for a funeral.