The crazy, busy week is over and now I’m exhausted. Just in time for more to come. Last week we had Mother’s Day on Sunday, our wedding anniversary on Thursday, and my wife’s birthday on Saturday. Lots of gifts to plan for and buy. Cards and gift bags and coordination. Sprinkled in between our daughter had a concert to play in and a big audition. Then there is her testing at school and our work issues. Busy, busy, busy. But fun, too. Right? Coming up? Memorial Day weekend and a day in Smithfield and a food and wine fest day at Busch Gardens. A Jerry Seinfeld show and Brian Adams concert. Harborfest. Kid recitals. The end of school and a trip up north for boardwalk fun and a U2 concert. Summer!
I mentioned the kid’s big audition. She is trying to move up in Bay Youth Orchestra from the String Orchestra to the Concert Orchestra. Her audition was last Saturday. She practiced a lot for it and felt pretty good when it was done. We haven’t heard anything yet, though. If she doesn’t get in then her Bay Youth career is over for now. She can try again next year, but can’t stay in Strings due to aging out. The kid has also had standardized testing this week at school – so nerves are shot.

At our house we have a nice wrap around porch. It is one of our favorite features of the house. We are always out there – for drinks, for celebrations, with company, to read. When we bought the house we also bought these two wooden rocking chairs for the porch from the previous owners. When our daughter was little we were given as a gift a small rocking chair for her, but for some reason never went out to find and buy a third chair. When guests were over we always ran out of chairs, leaving some us to sit on the steps or stand. As our daughter got too big for her chair, we always would fight over who got to sit in the two chairs. Then one day a month or so ago we stumbled across the same type rocking chairs as ours for sale at a concrete statue place – just 2 miles from our house! We had been there before looking for a tiki god statue and noticed they had chairs, but thought they just had fake wood colorful non rocking chairs. The beach style that leans all back. This time we noticed they had some rocking chairs and when we dug further found wooden ones, just like ours. Now things feel complete.

Last Saturday when we were out at an art show this lady walked by with this boy. The boy was blind and had his cane in full use. I heard her say to the boy as she walked by – Let me know if you want to stop to look at something.
That reminds me of a joke. A blind man walks into a store with a seeing eye dog. He stops in the middle of the room and starts spinning his dog around and around on his leash. The dog is airborne as a salesperson runs up and asks the man if he needs any help. The man responds. Nope. Just looking around.
Here’s one more thing. Check out this book. Especially the audible version. You won’t be disappointed. Really.

