I got to hold baby alligators in Louisiana when I visited NO with my brother. So freaking cool! Also got to feed some adults marshmallows. I still wonder how that farm faired. I can't recall what it was called, but it was a very simple operation with a crusty old guy who clearly loved them to pieces.
Watching The War. Was talking to my mom. She's gonna watch it to, to see what family names, if not actual people, she knows. One of the towns they draw from is Luverne, MN. It's a small farm town not far from the family farm. She was born in '44, just about everyone knew everyone within 100 miles, and everyone knew which families lost someone, or someone who came back broken.
Also, they've got a couple subjects from Mobile. And woman's accent is exactly like that of my childhood neighbor, Mrs. Miller. She was a retired, widowed schoolteacher from Alabama who had integrated her one room schoolhouse before it was "acceptable." I loved listening to her talk and just visiting with her. I only wish I'd known, in my childhood naivete, to ask her more about her life. And now, it's far too late.
It's funny, I remember visiting her, and Jo next door. They were much older than I am now, but they welcomed this curious neighbor girl, told her stories, just spent time with her. It wasn't as if I didn't have plenty of playmates in the neighborhood, I did. But I also had them. Grownups who welcomed me into their homes.
I don't know if there's a direct line from their welcoming to T spending on average 5 hours a week in my house. But I'd like to think there is, and that they taught me how to do this.
Speaking of which, my insistance that T go introduce herself to my friend at the astronomy night at work yielded results. She got the 25 cent tour, got to see my desk, and L gave her a couple of posters the other kids didn't get! She was thrilled. And so interested that she and her dad bought a small telescope last night. wipes a tear or three.