Grandma for Four Wonderful Days

Saturday:  I'm sitting in the living room listening to Jeff and Susan and Dan chat in the kitchen about bridge and chess and computer games.  The topics are of little interest to me, but I am enjoying their chatter anyway.

I took a very early flight Thursday morning non-stop from South Bend to Newark and then New Jersey Transit trains to Princeton where Susan picked me up.  Thursday evening I was able to observe Katie's dance classes and listen to both Katie and James sing in their Winter Concert at Princeton University Chapel.  The setting was beautiful and so was the music.

Dan came on Friday from Brooklyn and we shared a rental car for a ride to Gladwyne in time to admire Laura and Michael  as they left for a holiday party, Laura in the red maternity dress I gave her for Christmas.  Dan and I took care of Sam, Jasper, and Ruth.   I read stories to Ruth and rocked her as she instructed me in detail for her bedtime routine.  I listened to Jasper's latest enthusiasm--the ages of the oldest people ever as recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. 

It's all great.  And there's more family time to come.  I am blessed.
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Sunday: There were 14 of us at our family Christmas party Saturday evening with Dan's friend Raven joining us as well.    We were missing Jim who had just finished giving exams at Notre Dame. Susan and Jeff put out a great buffet including the traditional fudge and Susan's mints.  There were many gifts and I was delighted that the "wellies" I got for Ruth and the lite brite lego sets for the little boys were a hit.  Again, it was wonderful to see how much everyone enjoyed each other's company.  Little Ruth said, "I love Katie," and  James and Michael were so good with their younger cousins.

It was a joy to worship with Laura and Jasper at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church  this morning and to hear Jasper sing along on "Gentle Mary Had  a Child" and "Joy to the World."   
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  Laura had tickets for The Nutcracker with the Philadelphia Ballet at 5 pm.  Ruth sat with me for the first half and Sam for the second.  Laura was a few rows back with the others.  Ruth was enthralled and Sam was very focused on watching.  It was fun to see it through their eyes. Meeting up with Michael in the mini-van afterwards was a challenge due to protests and street closings in the city.

Monday: Getting home today was also a bit of a challenge when my United flight from Philly was delayed for 90 minutes thus causing me to miss any connection in Chicago.  But United called my name and switched me to a Delta flight  and I was actually in South Bend five whole minutes before my originally scheduled time.

Tuesday:  After  such a wonderful trip, I woke up with a nightmare.  I was carrying a small child who was heavy and I could not find our home.  I kept asking people to help me find the way.  I never did get home in my dream.  I woke up.  Guess it doesn't take too much thinking to interpret my dream!