Thanksgiving Travels

Thanksgiving this year found us back in Iowa at Aunt Barbs house. We drove through the night to get there and had a wonderful dinner on Thanksgiving day. Naps, Wii, and pinochle were enjoyed and a lively game of spoons let a couple in need of new nails. Friday we got back in the car to head farther West to have Thanksgiving with Grandma Weezie and the McGrail clan. It was another wonderful meal and great chance to catch up with everyone. Finn got to play with some of the same toys that Tom Tom played with when he was Finn's age. Saturday the snow started to fall while we did some antique shopping and it continued through the drive back to Indiana. We are almost back home now, well back to Hawaii anyway, we will be back in Portland at the end of the year. We had a great time seeing everyone and getting some nice fall and winter before heading back to tropics.

Finding Fall

We have left the island to have Thanksgiving in Iowa, catch up with old friends in Ohio, and try and remember why we left Indiana again. We have replaced Tropic breezes with bitter cold and boardies for zipup hoodies. It is really great to experience fall and play in the leaves. To get a Pumpkin Spice Latte and cup it with both hands as the steam warms your face. We went in search of friends and fall and we have found and loved both.

Look at me daddy my daddy

"Look at me, LOOK AT ME HENRY, look at me." Finn says while guiding Henry's face towards his so he can sing to him. Finn likes to look you in the eye when he is talking to you, or singing, or kissing, or doing just about anything with you. He wants to know your listening, know that you can see him and understand him. He seems to be from an earlier time when things like that mattered, when men were judged on the strength of their handshake and the eye contact they maintained. I think Finn would have been as well liked back then as he is now at Aunt Barbs house for Thanksgiving. He is trying to tell the dog something and nose to nose as he looks the dog in the eye. The dog doesn't seem to appreciate the jesture as much as people do. Come to think of it Henry is not such a big fan either. I am a fan though, I love it when he grabs my face and turns me to look at him. Then that little hand lingers on my beard while he explains to me the difference between a tow truck and a tanker truck. I love seeing him try to get eye to eye with another kid to say hi to them or to apologize for taking their toys. I hope that trait sticks with him as he grows. I hope that he can always look people in the eye because he has the confidence and the clean conscience that it takes to do that. We just have to work on firming up that handshake now.