We’ve been in Carmel for five days to celebrate my son’s fiftieth birthday.  Everything was perfect.  One daughter-in-law and I enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of Monterey Bay Aquarium.  What a gift to see the attention and love that goes into caring for every creature there.  We designed a toy to entertain an octopus and played a game where we were giant sea bass.  Each bass gets its own food so is trained to go for a red circle or blue square.  

Naturally we enjoyed the beach, the book store, and The Secret Garden, always a given, and the greyhounds were welcome everywhere. 

Another daughter-in-law and my niece had a surfing lesson at 7 in the morning so I explored a beach, solitary except for rocks and sand dollars. I rescued three. I learned that a sand dollar given gently back to the ocean may live another six to ten years.

Since today we’ve had rain and sun, changing so quickly I go from windshield wipers to sunglasses, I wonder how Punxsutawney Phil, the renowned groundhog who’s been predicting when winter will end since 1887, predicts an early spring. 

I would expect a 50-50 change of accuracy but according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “on average, Phil has gotten it right 30% of the time over the past 10 years.” 

Today we celebrate our love of play and joy in noticing the passage of seasons and time.

I was outside last night with the moon and stars, and now this morning the sky was still bright with stars.  Light comes and the birds sing and flit joyfully these late summer days.

This morning I read Garrison Keillor on his experience at the Mayo Clinic. He exclaims over the care he’s receiving and how many of the nurses these days are male, a vocation carefully chosen, appreciated, and enjoyed.   

I remember my mother’s care from a male nurse, and the care I received when I went through radiation treatment.  The male nurse who handed us our gown, always made sure they were newly warmed.  He prayed for us each day.   

Celebrating the dedication of teachers and medical workers, male, female, and evolving choice is a way to deal with challenges in the news.

Today I dance with the words of one of my favorite authors: A.A. Milne:

“What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favourite day,” said Pooh.