Travels with Heart By Annie Bowler, Vol 14 June 2, 2024
We’ve had a fun but slightly wild May. We didn’t travel far this month, but we’ve
certainly had lots going on!
Mother’s Day Reflections
I am well aware that we moms carry a large load; we are often our family’s chef
cook and bottle washer, not to mention appointment-maker, taxi driver, nurse, and
counselor. No matter what roll you play in the care of your children, young and
old, I hope you are surrounded by love this Mother’s Day!
I was lucky to have had the mom I did; she was calm, loving, and a good listener.
She laughed a lot and tried to bring some fun into each and every day. Though she
was a devout Catholic, when I became curious about the philosopher Krishnamurti
and wanted to hear him speak, she not only supported me, she asked if she could
go with me. Funny thing was, she understood Krishnamurti’s thoughts far better
than I did at 14.
My mom was a woman ahead of her time. She read at least 2 books a month; one
was always a play because she liked to imagine all the scenes in her head and the
other was a book of philosophy that were sometimes written by Catholics but more
often were by a wide range of thinkers as she was curious about all types of
spiritual and philosophical thought.
When I was determined to get married at a young age, at first, may mom argued,
then she cried, but finally, she agreed to support my decision if I promised I would
graduate from college and have a career. I stuck to my promise.
My mom died when I was 25; it broke my heart to lose her when I was so young,
and I have missed her every day since. I’ve especially missed her unwavering love
for me and for so many others. I often wonder what she would think of today’s
crazy world.
For those of you who have lost your mom, I hope your memories of her bring you
much joy!
Spring Musings
Each spring, my grandkids and I watch butterflies go through their life cycle. The
whole process is fascinating, but the highlight is watching them fly for the first
time. It’s a sight that never gets old.
Batter’s Up!
John and I attended lots of our grandkids’ baseball games this month and I’ll
admit, some games were slow and a bit tiresome with many errors, strikeouts, and
batters hit by a pitch. But as the season progressed, it’s been delightful to watch the
skills of our grandkids and their teammates grow. I truly appreciate how patient
their coaches have been even when players make big mistakes!
There were a few especially fine baseball days. One day the weather was perfect,
but our grandson Mateo‘s team, the Tigers, started out poorly; the score was 0 to 8
by the third inning and not one player had gotten a hit. It looked like it was going
to be long game. But then Mateo and his teammates rallied and almost every kid
got a hit; they stole bases like pros. The Tigers ended up winning, 11 to 10. Now
that was a fine game!
After the game, I heard Mateo‘s coach talking to his team saying that they didn’t
give up, rather they continued to try to do their best which was what led to their
win. What a great life lesson for those Tigers.
(Use all the Photos from Facebook post with captions)
At Elena’s end of season parties, our first-grade granddaughter, Elena, was honored
as her team’s most improved player. Elena chose to play baseball, not softball, and
was one of only two girls on her team. We’re all proud of how hard Elena worked
and how much she improved during this season.
Full Spring Days
We were all delighted that Jake and his fiancé, Fatima, showed up unexpectedly,
we so enjoyed a wonderful gathering with dear, longtime friends, there was yet
more baseball and all kinds of end of the year celebrations. We celebrated our
oldest Grandson Howi’s 17th birthday from afar. And oh, there might be a new
puppy on the horizon. Phew!
With all this hecticness, I felt lucky to spend a quiet afternoon with my sweet
grandson JT. We scootered/walked down the street, visited with a dear friend, and
her adorable pups, then explored the trails behind our house. JT made sure no one
took his scooter while we were gone and then we headed to his favorite spot that
we often visit after winter storms. It an amazing spot after as these photos show,
but now that the grass is tall and dry, you’ll definitely encounter many stickers and
possibly a rattlesnake, of which there have been too many recently. After a long
discussion, JT agreed that we should play it safe.
This granite slab is normally dry, but after a big storm, it's filled with water
The grass is thick and brown making the path to the waterfall unwelcoming
School Year’s a Wrap
John has been teaching art in JT and Camdyn’s 2nd grade class all year and
become a bit of a local hero. His last class was this week. Safe to say, his visits
were greatly anticipated by the kids but I’m not sure who enjoyed these weekly art
lessons more. It was a fun but bittersweet day for all.
The kids covered John's sketchbook
with self designed stickers
John's "rules"for while he taught
We made it up to our cabin at the end of May, just in time to see spring coming into
its own. Our cabin is at Serene Lakes near Donner Summit, so it’s the last place to
warm up. The patchy snow and lots of water made hiking a bit challenging but it
was lovely to watch the magic of spring unfolding.
Closing Thought
I love this piece of art and what it symbolizes for each of us.
This drawing is by Anja Rozen, a 13 year old primary school student in Slovenia. She was chosen from 600,000 children around the world to create a piece of art to show what peace looks like. She is the winner of the international Plakat Miru competition.
“My drawing represents the land that binds us and unites us.” Humans are woven together. If someone gives up, others fall. We are all connected to our planet and to each other, but unfortunately we are little aware of it. We are woven together. Other people weave alongside me my own story; and I weave theirs," said the young designer.
Comments