RAMBLINGS

We have just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary.  Our children had suggested various ways we should celebrate the event.  One suggestion was a cruise.  Another suggestion was to have a romantic pre-anniversary dinner at a great downtown restaurant and then to spend the night downtown.  Great ideas, but we just didn’t get it scheduled.  Life is so very busy with work, classes, and FAMILY.  As it turned out, we stayed home.

Staying home turned out to be the best thing we could have done.  An air conditioning issue brought two grandsons and their mother to our home for the night, and they spent our anniversary with us. As the day of our anniversary was starting, I was greeted by the three-year-old grandson saying, “Hap nerverse!”  Of course, I needed help translating that into “Happy Anniversary.”  So the first person other than my wife to wish me a happy anniversary was the oldest grandson.  What a great way to start the day.

The fun filled, if not romantic, day ended with Grandpa grilling hamburgers (or as the three-year-old grandson would say “berbers”) for the six of us.  What celebration is complete without a cake? The three-year-old grandson believes all cakes should have candles.  Our daughter rounded up some CANDLES, and produced a mathematical presentation of 40

candles 80/2

which was placed on a round pound cake.  Once the three-year-old grandson blew out the candles, we all enjoyed the desert.

Years ago, I didn’t give much thought to vacations.  We either worked around the house or traveled to visit family.  Now we travel to have fun.  Yes, we can have fun at home, and frequently we have a great deal of fun.

By traveling, we eliminate the potential to stop the fun to do some work (one of those four letter words).  Now when we travel, we usually travel with grandchildren.  We have even taken a weekend trip with grandchildren (and their parents of course).

Spring of 2009, we had a weekend trip to Myrtle Beach, SC with grandchildren.  The younger of the two grandchildren became a major attraction for other travelers.  Everyone seemed to want to comment on the cuteness or beauty of the baby.  While we were at the swimming pool, taking turns holding the baby, others at the pool were drawn to the baby.

The older grandchild had a blast in the pool.  He doesn’t swim yet, but his swimsuit includes a flotation vest, allowing him to have a lot of freedom moving around the pool.