WO, B1, and a Shade Guide

This week I had a couple of super long work days, but it was fun to see my last patients, my sister and brother-in-law, for some minor things. Since it was after hours, I had them play dental assistant. Despite his skills and my enjoyment working with him, I think my BIL should continue with his day job in law. I do a lot of oral surgery in this clinic. Unfortunately, due to neglect and bad habits, many of my patients leave the clinic sans teeth. So, it was great to see their beautiful smiles as they left. I'm sure that the smiles and the exiting the dental office were not related!

Getting Saucy

Is there a scent which instantly takes you back to a memory, the moment you smell it? My granny's canning recipe for chili sauce takes me back. It is a memory of coming home from school, opening the front door, and a savory wave of spices, tomatoes and onions hitting me. It would almost bring tears to my eyes! My backpack was as big as I was and I could barely see over the kitchen counter top. I definitely did not appreciate the art of canning at the time. Now I am lucky enough to read from my granny's handwriting, spend time with my mom, and learn this culinary art passed down through the generations.

History

I remember asking my parents and grandparents about when JFK was shot. They always knew where and when they found out. Their perspective made the event seem more real to me than any history book. It had been embossed into their memory. I remember sitting in my elementary classroom watching the exciting event of a teacher about to go up in space. Challenger didn't make it and I will always remember my teacher's horrified faces as they quickly turned off the television.
This weekend is not complete without commenting on the anniversary of 9/11, an event that changed so much of our perspectives and many moments which were burned into our memory. Here is my very inconsequential story that I will tell my children:

At eight that morning, I was in the basement of the medical school looking at histology slides. They were liver samples. Someone announced that the Trade Center was "blown up"; I did not understand the reality and tragedy of it yet, not at all. No one did really. The details were fuzzy since it was early in the morning. I remember visiting these buildings as a teenager; at that time, I had not seen them as places of work for real people, just tourist spots. We were told the university was shutting down (we were close enough to N.Y. to warrant this). We walked to a general seating area full of people just standing and watching the overhead TV . Some where calling east coast family members on their cells. Newscasters were frazzled. Clips were awful. No one quite knew what was going on at that point. Then the newscaster saw another plane coming. A plane hitting a building. "A plane hit the tower!" Later helicopters hovering and people were jumping out of flaming windows. I remember thinking, "Why aren't the helicopters getting them! Where are the ropes, the ladders, the rescue!" It was too hot, too dangerous, too quick. It was a desperate helpless feeling. Everyone was quiet and glued to the television. Then, we heard about the Pentagon being hit. We stood and watched without realizing over an hour had passed. The first tower began to fall. My heart fell with it. "Run!", I thought as the dust billowed over the filming camera. It was so raw. I left then, wanting to be with my husband. A large helicopter was flying low around the campus. No one knew what would come next. I was scared about what would happen next to the country, to us. I got home and waited for my husband (we didn't have cell phones at the time). I called my mom and talked about it, grateful they were safe and far from the world turning upside down on the east coast.

No Quite Ready...

...to give up summer yet. I need just one more month this year. I usually embrace autumn with arms held out wide, ready for the crunch of leaves underfoot, the crisp morning air and the scholastic feeling swirling around. I don't know why this year is different; maybe it is because I'm getting farther and farther away from those "School Days" (one would think 20 years of it would be enough) or that I'm able to do more activities than I did at the first of the summer or maybe it is because PeaPod finally fits into all her summer clothes or maybe I'm just trying to stretch out PeaPod's treasured babyhood. Truly, I'm not quite for sure. But the sunflowers are nodding and the pumpkins are on the vine. I'll just have to embrace every day and accept the passage of time.

Summer Update: For the Birds

You may have noticed I like birds (wild ones, not pet ones). As a kid, my sisters and I saved a burrowing owl with a broken wing - for a long while you could see Hooter at the Hogle Zoo. As a teen, I fed an orphan fledgling through a dropper till it was old enough to fly away. Since I was ten, I have loved the Tracy Aviary. A tall stork took a liking to me and followed me around the park. He was just as tall as I was then and could look me in the eye. Looking back, I realize that incident could have led to a serious case of ornithophobia. Luckily, I thought it was just neat, not creepy.
Nana, Peapod and I took an afternoon to appreciate our feathered friends. We were amazed by the condor with his huge wings outspread. Watching a flock of parrots flying back and forth in their large enclosure reminded me of doing ladder exercises in basketball practices. We got up close and personal with an adorable miniature owl. My personal favorite was seeing a baby flamingo try to mimic his mother's one legged stance! Those little ones sure watch us closely, don't they!?!

Pinky the Poodle...

...backpack is worth every precious penny for preserving precocious princesses.