Wednesday, November 9, 2011

non-Monumental Issues










One of Margaret’s shoes is missing. They are just thrift store flats, but they're cute, comfy, and they go with her dress for the big night.

The prime suspect is our dog Shadow, because although she does not chew shoes, she does have a weird habit of carrying a shoe in her mouth each time she goes out to pee. The leaves have fallen and the chances of finding a little shoe in the yard are nil, so I hope it’s in the house somewhere. Now you may wonder why I’m concerned that Margaret have this particular shoe for her adventure. Let’s just say you do not want her to be unhappy with her footwear or to get a blister on the big trip. Nope.

Reminds me of our trip to the Washington Monument this past August. I suggested Margaret wear sneakers and socks, an idea that was met with much scorn. She wore flip flops. After a pleasant trip to the top of the monument, Tim had the audacity to think that at ages 10 and 12, our kids (or I) could handle more than one landmark per DC outing. Silly man.

Against my better judgment, we started walking to the World War II Memorial which was right down the hill, and Margaret started freaking out about the heat, her aching legs, her feet, her… BLISTER! I got pissed, not at her, but at Tim for breaking my “one landmark” rule, and because I’d promised all of us Rocket Popsicles, which were clearly in the opposite direction.

Tim’s neck started to bulge and he yelled at Margaret and me, “Aaaargh! You’re both such... such…” The kids, wide-eyed, implored him to tell them what the next word was going to be, but Tim did not divulge. We were pretty sure it wasn’t a good one.

We hobbled to the memorial, the women-folk definitely not showing the reverence it was due, unless glaring and whining were proper protocol. Tim and Jack ended up walking all the way back to the car on the other side of the mall and picking us up, after Margaret and I had cooled off by the water’s edge.

Tim later told me Jack was great at talking him off the ledge on their long walk to the car. It was a good bonding experience for them as they commiserated, whether with or without words, about the lunacy of their female counterparts. Now lest the boys get off scot-free, I could mention Jack's "My coke is too small mania" in Jamestown last year or Tim's "You are such...such..." outburst in Washington, D.C. Oh yeah, I already did.

Margaret's problem that day was a blister on her foot. My issues are usually the heat, the cold, the humidity level, my bladder, or perhaps blood sugar. Margaret and I liked to think we were doing our part to help prepare Jack for the world of women. The car pulled up, we got in, and all was right in the world. Sans the Rocket Pops, of course. Good times.

Man, I really hope we find that shoe.

38 comments:

Mabel and Edgars Early Goods said...

love your blog...God bless you and your family

Alexandra said...

Life is made up of so many moments. Please keep writing them here, it immortalizes them.

Thank you.

Julie said...

I hope you find the shoe too. As I say to myself on an hourly basis: can't ANYTHING be simple anymore?

Bless you my friend. Though we have never met.

Anonymous said...

Dee from Tennessee

Oh yes, to quote The Empress...it does indeed "immortalizes the moments and the memories. Write, write, write...for those memories are beyond priceless.And may you feel the evidence of God's love for you abundantly and beyond today and in the days ahead. Thanks for sharing the pics of that day.

Anonymous said...

hugs from Australia.

xoxox

Varda said...

Every woman knows: the right shoes are everything. And I have yet to meet a (straight) man who understands that.

Good Luck!

(and thanks for another lovely Jack tale, for keeping him alive in all our minds)

Ellen aka Ellie said...

Filling in the blank, "Popsicle loving, monument avoiding wussess?" Yeah, I'm sure that's what he was going to say.

Last summer I went to Baton Rouge to see Mac for his birthday. August in Baton Rouge, eep.

I wore my Teva flips the whole time, and my husband admonished me from home to sneaker it up. I DID get a blister, but only after about four hours of site seeing (yes there is THAT much to see in BR). I put my feet in a fountain, and on the last of our walk, a blister formed because of that, NOT my flips.

;)

The dog taking shoes is pretty funny, because they aren't my shoes.

Oh and Varda needs to meet my husband, son, and exhusband who love shoes. The right shoes.

Anonymous said...

I can totally relate to THAT story. I feel like my daughter and I could have been the same woman folk in that adventure. August...so you may have been one of the last groups in the monument before the earthquake! that's monumental.
hope you find that shoe!

Anonymous said...

Anna, another way you've inspired me: i now take more pictures! you have such great pictures and so many that it's a testimony that you (more often than me) treasure moments in life, even the "everyday moments". So, now I also take pictures of everyday moments and tell myself "hey, this is an important moment too...wake up an pay attention". The kids may prentend it's a drag sometimes and they don't always smile, but it's also telling them that I'm placing importance on the time I'm spending with them, even if we're just playing Wii or reading or raking leaves. THANK YOU for that, Anna!!

Unknown said...

So nice of You and Margaret to offer to prepare Jack for his future with women! Any mother/sister who doesn't, is certainly not doing the young man in their lives any favors. I was pretty fortunate to marry someone who was prepared!

Love reading your blog. Hugs to you from the Griffins.

The offer is always open for you to come see us up here in Lancaster.

Rach said...

May the shoe be simply hiding under a bed and NOT under a pile of leaves.

Please continue to share your sweet Jack with us. I love learning more and more about him.

Hugs and prayers!
Rach

Lisa said...

I love reading your blogs, this one made me smile. I pray for you, Tim and Margaret everyday and I am always thinking of Jack. I hope you find the shoe.

TheLab said...

Your account of the DC trip was hilarious - and how special that Jack could take him down from the ledge. Thank goodness Tim had years of Jack training him how to handle women :) Now Tim just have to remember everything until he gets to heaven so he can totally unload on Jack all of the lunacy he endured.

I do pray for Tim, and his broken heart. I am so sorry.

I do like that God is now going to be flooded with requests to: find a small shoe in Virginia.

Kate Coveny Hood said...

I can bring the twins over to search the front yard for you. And I remember my own days as a girl, wearing blister inducing shoes. So I understand Margaret's decision to suffer for fashion. Love the pictures and memories...

Anonymous said...

Anna - I love your words, your insight and your unfailing love for Jack and Margaret. Thank you for continuing to share these moments...and from one mom of a girl to another....you MUST find that glass slipper! I'm still celebrating the trip with you!

Love you friend!

Kelley

Anonymous said...

thinking of you often. what a lovely boy and family. May God keep you close during this time; my son Sam and I pray for Jack each night.

ella said...

I often think of Tim and how all this must be affecting him. It's just not fair. I hope he knows we're all praying for him daily as well.

Hey shoe, they've got enough heartache and don't need to be worrying about you. Throw 'em a bone, will ya?

L said...

So hoping that shoe will turn up soon!! I also love the bit of bonus time Tim got with Jack while you and M waiting for your chariot. Love you!

Anonymous said...

Such good writing. Always.

Thanks for sharing this slice of your family's life from August. I need to file that "one DC monument per outing" rule away. I'm sure it will come in handy.

I know that shoe will turn up.

love,
jbhat

Yankee, Transferred said...

Your stories keep Jack alive. Your children are beautiful. And last but certainly not least, I HOPE YOU FIND THE SHOE!

Ann Imig said...

Not to worry--Bieber Fever will provide temporary immunity from even the most uncomfortable footwear.

Annnnd now I want a rocket pop.

:)

Kim @ A Brush of Whimsy said...

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that shoe!!!

Leah C said...

Some of those "issues" sound all-too familiar:) Good Luck with the shoe! Hugs & prayers...

Meredith Self said...

Calling all Margareteers to find that shoe! LOL Hope it is under a blanket or clothes somewhere.

I love the one monument/landmark rule; savor rather than pack-it-all-in-to-exhaustion!

Picturing Tim & Jack male bonding while you and Margaret female bond. That's another adjustment now, eh.

Big hug, bottomless love and a rocketpop on top.

Victoria said...

I've just started reading your blog - one of the lovely ladies in my bible study is a friend of yours and told me about it. I can only read a few posts at a time. I've been thinking and praying for you daily. Such sadness mixed with such joy that, even at the age of 12, you have no doubt as to where he has flown home to. My grandmother was killed in front of my mother just over a year ago and she is just beginning to be able to grieve. Here is her latest blog post http://www.ministriesbydesign.org/2011/11/10/375/ I hope you can bring some comfort to each other. Your rawness and realness is something I long for for my mother.

Annie said...

Invite the neighbors over for a shoe-finding fest in the yard. The one who finds the shoe gets extra dextra marshmallows in his/her hot chocolate afterward.

Might start a new tradition!

Anonymous said...

Another rainy Thursday with another stunning sunset... Go look now Vienna 5:03pm!! It is divine for sure. Thank you Jack!

for a different kind of girl said...

It's out there. I believe it. It's out there, and you'll find it. I'm glad your men had their time together in that situation, and that you shared this with us. Jack, all of you, are never far from my thoughts and always in my prayers.

Lindsay said...

here's hoping and praying you find that shoe!
aw..what a sweet example in Jack talking Tim off his ledge. please keep sharing stories of Jack with us.
Praying you all can get some rest and be at peace this Thursday evening. Hugs all around.

Anonymous said...

Walking to the grocery store last night, the moon was full and bright and beautiful against the dark. The gray clouds lingering in front of it formed knowing eyes and a wide smile. I've never seen anything like it. Jack smiling down, for sure. It was truely brilliant. I think of you often and am always trying to send love and peace as much as I can.

Melanie in NC said...

Thanks for sharing the photos and sweet memories...See...to stop and enjoy a popsicle amidst history...now that is to be present..to appreciate..to absorb:)You may never find the shoe....perhaps Jack is in the process of summoning a Prince for Miss Margaret...I think he is perfect one to find her suitor...too soon perhaps...but nice to think of none the less..God Bless...Daily Lifting You and Yours Up...Melanie in NC

Anonymous said...

Oh, missing shoe drama! It starts young and it doesn't get ANY EASIER as you get older! I recently lost TWO pairs of shoes while I was out for the night (lesson for LA/NYC/any large city: The bigger the city/more places you go, the more chance of losing shoes) How I lost two pairs? I had my uncomfortable-yet-sexy stilettos on, my medium-kinda-annoying heels in my bag, and my flats in my gym bag. I also had sneakers, but they weren't key players. Somehow, in the great shoe switch, I left two behind.

The lesson? Carry a big purse with lots of shoes!

On a serious note, thank you for sharing your stories. I love reading about Jack and I am so grateful I'm getting to know him and your family here, on this blog. It's such a gift to read and you have so much grace. You truly do inspire me.

Also, I'd love to hear of anything I can do to keep Jack's memory alive. I loved you sharing the Samaritan's Purse story and inviting others to do it, too. What a great tradition, and it's a nice way to feel close to a family you've never met and do something good.

xo,

another Anna (single, 28-year-old NYC girl who uses her oven for—yep—shoe storage space)

A Speckled Trout said...

When you don't post for a few days, I get worried. Is this loss crushing you? Are your friends/family/neighbors there to hold you up? Do you need a break for awhile?

Then you post something that blows me away.

I hope Margaret's shoe comes out from The Witness Protection Program, and I think those kids of yours look like the most content, happy, loved kids ever.

Nell said...

Anna, I believe we met once at my daughter Claire Plante's home. She called me the day after Jack's accident took him from you and I have been with you ever since in thought and prayer. Your blog is amazing and I read it often. It is so incredible that you share your grief with all of us. I came across this poem by John O'Donohue and thought it may offer some comfort to you and your family.

Beannacht

On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.

And when your eyes
freeze behind
the gray window
and the ghost of loss
gets in to you
may a flock of colors,
indigo, red, and green
and azure blue
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
in the curach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours.
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours, may the protection of the ancestors be yours.

And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.

God bless you and yours..Nell Bonaventura

Kate said...

If the shoe doesn't turn up soon, Sarah, Abby and I would LOVE to come rake your leaves in hopes of finding it. My dear, sweet husband decided that this year he would like to hire someone to "take care of our leaves." The girls and I LOVE to rake. It's the bagging that is AWFUL - allergies, sneezing, etc. Sarah raked a pile to jump in earlier this week. Unfortatly she didn't get around to bagging them. The next morning she and Chris were out bagging leaves at 7am - on a school morning. I'm told that if you leave a pile of leaves it kills the grass. (I'm pretty sure the wind just blows them away).

At any rate, it would be a joy to help look for "the shoe" if it hasn't already turned up.

Aveganseden said...

I hope you find the shoe,
I hope you have a special evening
I truly do

Heidi said...

Oh, I hope you find the shoe! Did you find the shoe since I am coming to this post late?
Hope you have an A-MAZING time on Margaret's adventure!

prenni5 said...

I am late commenting on this one. I hope that shoe turned up!! Praying every day. -Annie P.