New houses are being built at the end of my street.
They will be at the end of my street and across the road.
Across the road and on bucolic, open land.
Open land that had steer, which often came to the fence and looked at me on my walk.

My walk has been a bit shorter after my knee issue last spring.
I am gradually getting my distance and speed up to where it was before.
So much has changed in the landscape during that time.
I am sure the houses will be lovely, complete with a walking trail, but I miss the old view.

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I got a text from my oldest daughter who is watching her two nieces this weekend.
It was a picture of my four year old granddaughter with a craft in front of her.
It was something she made all by herself.
She wanted Grandma to see it.

Of course, my response was effusive praise.
How beautiful!
I’m so proud of you!
What an artist you are!

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I am not a fan of skylights.
It is an odd thing to say when we have two sets of skylights in our house.
One set of skylights is in our family room.
The other set is in our bathroom upstairs.

If truth be told, I do enjoy the bathroom skylights at night.
I am quite partial to the moon and can follow its waxing and waning in those skylights.
I can notice when the moon is hidden by the clouds for a bit.
I can see the stars.

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We are not made for the dark.
Children will do their best to prolong bedtime so that the lights do not have to be turned off.
We scramble for flashlights if the power goes out during a storm.
Things look vastly different when they are not seen in the light.

My husband teases me and tells me that I must have “cat eyes.”
He does not understand how I am able to see in the dark.
He doesn’t know that I count steps and can maneuver in that way.
He doesn’t seem to understand when I say, just look for the light.

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My oldest daughter had a teddy bear she simply called, Teddy.
Teddy was very loved and went everywhere with her.
Teddy’s long arms and legs made him look more like a monkey.
His stuffing was flattened from many nights of cuddling.

His nose was barely visible and the red heart that was on his chest had fallen off.
My daughter sucked her thumb as a toddler and would hold Teddy close to her face.
The point of his foot was held precariously close to her nose as her thumb was in her mouth.
Teddy fell on the grass, sat in the mulch, and was put in a bike basket.

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They came upstairs from the basement.
Two of my granddaughters were giggling as they came into the family room.
We’re going to have a puppet show, they said excitedly.
My oldest daughter had the puppet on her hand.

This is not an ordinary hand puppet.
This is the kind of puppet that has a metal rod attached to one of its hands.
My daughter positioned herself behind the loveseat.
My granddaughters sat near the fireplace to get a bird’s eye view.

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My son, daughter-in-love, and two granddaughters were here for the weekend.
They came a few days before Easter.
It was lovely to have the extra time with all of them.
My oldest granddaughter came through the back kitchen door with a wide smile on her face.

Hi, Grandma, she said happily after knocking on the door, which is too heavy for her to open.
I’m sleeping over at your house! She said joyfully.
You are, I agreed.
I’m so excited about that! I said and I meant it.

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We have had two of our granddaughters here for a long weekend.
It has been delightfully busy.
It has been so enjoyable to read books, play together, and sing songs.
They are wonderful activities for a 3 1/2 year old and an 8 month old.

Television is not a go-to activity.
However, it is delightful to sit together and watch something short and sweet.
The other day, my granddaughter asked if she could watch Winnie the Pooh.
Since we do not have the channel that has all those movies, renting it was in order.

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I enjoy lighting the candle in my kitchen.
There is one candle fragrance I choose all the time.
It seems to be my home’s signature smell.
The scent is simply called, Country Store.

To imagine what it smells like, you have to imagine walking into a country store.
Scents will greet you as soon as you open the door.
The description says: a tangy blend of rose hips, oranges, apples, cinnamon, and spices.
It is a scent that feels like home.

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You could say it was the last hurrah of summer.
It was a lovely evening when being outside just made sense.
Two of my daughters planned the evening, with three of my grandchildren.
I was invited, which was an easy, yes.

My youngest daughter was going to be there as well with her husband and some friends.
It was an outdoor concert, which I knew would mean many people sitting on the lawn.
Since restaurants are nearby, we could choose how to have dinner.
We could eat inside, we could eat outside (cafe style), or we could have a picnic on the lawn.

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