Saturday, December 10, 2011

The Visit


Exhausted bunny...
My daughter C and her one-year-old daughter, the Bean, visited this weekend. C and I ate lots of good food, talked about anything and everything, played Scrabble by candlelight so Bean could sleep in the dark, and got down on the floor with her (often!) to play with her toys. She doesn't call me Mam Mam anymore. When she woke this morning, she took several toddling steps toward me and yelled, "Memere!" plain as plain. C and I looked at each other in amazement and my eyes filled. It's so easy to cry happy tears when you're in love.

C and I watched the Bean's little face light up at her first glimpse of holiday lights, helped her feed corn to some very bouncy goats at a local nursery, and took turns keeping vigil while she napped in the car and we tromped off into the woods, one and then the other, to cut trees for Christmas.

Tiny tree for a tiny cottage...
It was a clear, blustery day. While C tied the tree to the roof of her car for the trip home, hundreds of quonking geese flew overhead to land on the nearby pond. Their concerted voices were like the distant roar of a great crowd. I waved the car down the road (part of my heart always goes with it) and then I walked to where I could see the water. It was covered with dark, bobbing bodies resting serenely on the surface. The great, full Frost moon hovered near the horizon, shedding its pale light on me and geese alike.

10 comments:

Out on the prairie said...

I missed the eclipse last night of that moon.

Brian Miller said...

glad you got those happy tears and had such a wonderful time...cutting down the tree, love that too...your little tree is cute...have a great sunday pauline

Judith said...

Ah! Pure poetry.
I love the quonking geese, it makes me much more amiably disposed toward them.
Big step toward adulthood, the Bean mastering Memere, NOT the easiest sound.

molly said...

Awww! Those little people know how to tug on our heart strings! I'm hoping to break with my "last minute" tradition, be organized and get our tree tomorrow! Hell might freeze over if I actually pull it off! Your little tree is sweet.....

Reya Mellicker said...

What a beautiful post! It is easy to cry tears of joy when in love, definitely. Those are the finest, wettest, most luxurious tears, oh yeah.

Geese quonking (perfect word) sounds like crazy soprano saxophone music. Or should I say "music" ??

Tabor said...

Lovely, just lovely.

Anonymous said...

Warmed my heart envisioning all you described... the Bean's bubbling joy of life, tromping through the woods, your little tree, saying goodbye and that final serene scene. Beautiful! And thank you!

Barbara said...

What a beauty of a little tree! Just perfect for your cottage. Little Bean sounds like a delightful child.

Marion said...

Love this post! I'm so glad you had this super time with your girls...makes me look forward to Christmas hols and family even more! xx

Hilary said...

It sounds like you had a perfect day. I can feel your contentment and joy.