Visiting

Having a visitor you have not seen for about 20 years can be very special. Especially when you discover in the first 2 minutes (with some relief) that you can reconnect with the old feeling of friendship and camaraderie as if you have only spoken last week!
Since the weather was good, too, it was decided to be a tourist in our own country and show our visitor a couple of our local "attractions". A walk in a narrow stretch of forest along a stream to the waterfall proved to be a very good choice. The "jungle" feeling was an unusual experience for our guest, and the water is always attractive for boys and adults alike.

A visit to a proper local tourist attraction was also extremely successful, and the sunny weather helped a lot:

Yes, this is Blarney Castle

We had not visited in a long time, and enjoyed it more than we had expected. Of course, several tour buses had just emptied, so the castle itself was quite crowded, but the grounds are large and lovely and much less busy. After the castle the boys enjoyed reading about plant dangers in the Poison Garden:

This beautiful Ricinus was one of many poisonous plants

patterns can be found anywhere...

And there were some wonderful trees:

Even though the weather has been very good this year, we found wonderful signs of Autumn being well on it's way:

Sun and red oak leaves - pure gold in my view!

And no, I did not bend backwards (literally! My back would never be the same again, I think) to kiss the stone, though I did see others do so. Missed my chance to become eloquent I suppose, though I am pretty pleased to have produced another post here for someone to enjoy...

Sandra

Growing older

Children, too!

Today my oldest turned 18.

Of course, I still remember the day he was born:

The chat my husband and me tried to keep up to try and distract ourselves.
Trying to read the paper; and keeping it as a reminder of that important day.
The sudden rush in the wheel chair from the ward to the delivery room.

The little face: a bit squashed, but so utterly fascinating that I couldn't stop looking at it.

And then he grew bigger, in little steps at first, then larger steps too: The first tooth, a first word, the first step, first friend, first school day, first sleepover, first rebellion with many more to follow...

And now, considered mostly an adult.
Many days I'm thinking: You sound so grown up!
Asking if I am okay.
Wanting to cook dinner for us all (maybe not the healthiest, but definitely tasty).
Buying school books for himself when he needs them.
Arranging to see his friends at times when it suits me best to do the driving.
Working out how to spend his money wisely (most of the time).

Later this year he'll be doing his final school exams. Then the plans for university; an independent future is beckoning...

I must be getting older at the same rate he is. After all, his years are just as long as mine. But while I have just got a little older, stiffer and with a few more wrinkles and grey hairs, in those 18 years he's is grown and developed from being our small, dependent baby son to being a friendly, independent adult person. He's not just mine any more, he is his own man.

Well, most of the time!