First day of winter

it's the first full day of winter. Last night we passed the Solstice at 6:38 GMT. I went into the back garden with a glass of red wine to share its passing. The sky was rosy, aglow with reflections of London, a mere 35 miles away. I sipped the wine and thought of the immensity of the universe, the vastness of time, the nearness of a new life. Then, almost by instinct, I gently poured some wine onto a spot of bare ground. As I did, I thought of Demeter. Today things begin to be better for her.

Things are good for the beloved daughter and granddaughter in this home. Daria is awash in grandmothers, love and all of her rich heritage. Bab Zina arrived from Moscow this morning. She glowed as she stepped from the car and reached her arms for Daria. This is her first grandchild--the daugher of her only child and daughter, and she waited three weeks for this moment!

She has been her only two hours and already she has Daria bundled up and well cuddled. They are sitting outside at the garden table getting acquainted. I trust Zina is telling her Russian family stories. She has already learned (or begun to) about her Texas mothers as I coo and chat with her. Now she hears tales from a world away! Rich heritage indeed. Loved indeed.

I will continue to cuddle and cradle for two days, trying to give us both a great store of love, and then it's back to the U.S. for me. Happy here and happy to be heading home.

And another week passes

I think it’s been known for a long, long time. The universe has many centers. They are in the homes of newborns and little children. Certainly, that is where ours is at the moment.
I soloed with Dasha again yesterday while her folks ran an errand. She likes to nap and dance. We were in the kitchen doing the Texas-two step—with an occasional dip—to Up on the Housetop-click, click, click. I looked out the window to see the father of the family down the drive playing soccer on a cold bright day with three of his four children. All was merry and bright in the tiny corner of the world.

She will be a lovely international person. When she is not napping and dancing she likes to be read to. At my downstairs post, I am reading the Tales of Beatrix Potter. When she is upstairs in the rocker with her mommy, she hears Pushkin’s Fairy Tales in Russian. I must see about getting her a copy of Song of the South or Uncle Remus. Check Patrick’s blog—address follows.

To put myself in the mood for Miss Potter, I reread Susan Albert’s The Tale of Hilltop Farm. It’s a mystery featuring Beatrix and all her animals. Easy to believe in this English setting.

We are in Jane Austen country. I took a couple of long walks in the community woods down the road. Jane was almost a presence.

We are having sunny weather and good time. Patrick is an excellent blog teacher. Check out Dasha’s at http://pipando.blogspot.com . When I get home, I’ll start putting in pictures. Patrick has some dandies!

One week later

A week has flashed by since my first posting. I'm in England with the lovely Daria (now generally known as Dasha) and her family. All are thriving.

I landed Wednesday morning (1 a.m. in Bainbridge) to chilly weather and a warm welcome! I saw Patrick emerge from the tunnel to the car park, a welcome sight. Then I saw more. Irina pushing a pram. Dasha had come to greet her Bobba (me). She had her first breakfast out in the Costa Coffee Shop just down the way. Think she'll grow up to be a world traveller? With her dual citizenship, who can doubt it?

She is charming. Soon I will learn to post pictures and share the charm. She's 10 days today and it's been an exciting time for her and for me. We soloed together while her strong mommy went to the grocery. Yesterday we all "went to the shops" (visited the mall--many stores the same-Gap, Pizza Hut and Marks and Spencer instead of Macy's) in Blasingstoke. I bought her a bouncy chair for an early Christmas present. Today we went to a nearby outdoor market for fresh air and fresh fruit.

More adventures to come. What a joy to be a part of this lovely and loving family!

Sunday morning

Sometimes we pop out of bed and do something. This Sunday morning I created this blog so that I can post my adventures in England when I go to visit and care for my new granddaughter Daria Pando. I leave on Tuesday.