Bluster and Blubbering

The weather system stayed and did provide some rain.  However it is also providing blustery winds and cold temperatures.  It is supposed to be only 16 C today which is not rare but after the heat of recent days, it feels really cold.  I am in winter layers and I am profoundly grateful that I have plenty of wool at hand.  

I am watching out the windows today and in the ball field across from us, I can see a sheen of water over the red sand infield.  That reminds me of making the water run when I was a kid.  

We used to go out after a rain and help the puddles drain by connecting channels and making the water move down whatever slight slope there was.  It was even better in spring when the melting snow fed the puddles and you could make the water run for a few days in a row.  A stick was your best friend and you connected all the small pools by marking a line in the soft mud to connect them, and connect the next and the next, hundreds of little channels with the water running faster, till you had a big river of flowing water and the pools above were empty.  Sadly in many places, we have manicured the world so kids cannot do this anymore.  We have paved and graveled and smoothed our yards and places to avoid mud, as if mud was something bad and to be avoided. It is inconvenient when kids track mud in or get mud on their shirts and pants, but maybe they should have been in clothes we did not worry about getting dirty, knowing the rest would wash off in the tub.  

I find a sort of joy in kids who are much too busy to focus on the dirt on their knees or the mud on their shoes and their faces.  Perhaps that is because I am a grandmother now and not a mom.  

 I am knitting today, working on Marcus sweater.  I have an inch to do to finish the first sleeve and hope to finish sleeve two today as well.  After that, there is only the pockets and the neckband to go.  Those things will take more fussing time than knitting time, but I look forward to a speedy finish.  

On a sad note, Marcus and Cassie and their family have lost their oldest cat in surgery. Casper has been with them since Cass was a wee thing and has been Marcus' best buddy.  Through the winter, there were days where Marcus would call me everyday after school and say 'Hi Grandma, it's your daily dose of Casper' and he would have poor Casper ready by the phone.  Sometimes Casper would meow and sometimes not but it was a sweet funny thing to do and I have loved being part of it.  Odd as it seems, I am going to miss that kitty.  Farewell Casper.  I was so happy to have spent time with you.