August 17

Luv Bug's stay with Grandpa went very well, but Grandpa was a bit tired after 54 hours of grand parenting.  We played piano, sang, read, went to the parks several times, rode the tricycle, went for walks, and even got in a few hours of sleep.  Actually, Luvisa has long afternoon naps so I had a chance to meditate, contemplate, and snooze on the deck in the afternoon.  Luv doesn't really eat.  She grazes.  She also spreads food throughout the house and much like a squirrel, she finishes food that she has stashed around the house...mostly from her stashes on the floor.  I used a snow shovel then a vacuum cleaner after she left on Wednesday.  On Tuesday, we had a potential disaster.  We had been at the park in the morning and when I put Luv down for her afternoon nap, Pink Bear was missing.  Apparently, Pink Bear had fallen out of the stroller on the way home from the park so I extracted Luv from her play pen, loaded her in the stroller and went on a bear hunt.  We retraced our route home from the park and the prospects were looking bleak.  We were almost back home and...no bear.  Then a miracle.  Luvisa usually prattles on repeating herself multiple times.  I try really hard to listen carefully, but I am guilty of tuning her out from time to time.  Fortunately, I did pay attention when she said, "Grandpa, there's Pink Bear!"  Someone had picked up Pink Bear and placed the bear on a fire hydrant.  Luvisa's sharp eyes spotted the bear that Grandpa's dull eyes had missed.  Crisis averted, bear and kidlet inserted into playpen, and nap time began.  

On Sunday, we celebrated Judy's 65th birthday.  Haley brought shepherd's pie and a pot pie, Mary supplied the salad, and I supplied the dessert and the Pina Coladas.  We had a picture of "Grandma Judy" on the table.  Even at Luv's tender age, we remind her of the precious lady whose name she shares.  We reminisce about the Judy birthdays when Judy was with us in body.  We recall how Queen Eva would arrive with Grampy in the old Dodge Raider.  The Queen would be served her glass of wine and Grampy would take the kids downstairs to play while the adults visited.  Things have come full circle.  Now I am downstairs playing dolls with Luvisa while the adults visit on the deck.  Life is as good as we make it.