days of grace

It has been a whirlwind couple of days. We left early Friday for Vermont after one of Matt's baseball games went late Thursday night. I had work events there Friday and Saturday, and Matt had the option of joining us or staying with his cousins that live about an hour and a half away, relatively on our way to Vermont. He chose cousins and had a blast spending day and night #1 with one aunt and uncle and two cousins, day #2 with another aunt and uncle and two cousins, and evening #2 with my parents and another aunt for dinner, swimming and playing cards. (As oldest cousin/grandchild, he is somewhat of a celebrity, and he got to do a lot of fun things, all the while cushioned by a lot of love and affection.)

Meanwhile, Tom and I were on a nice jaunt to the beautiful Green Mountains where we had a great staff dinner with my wonderful colleagues and then after-gathering at a nice place on Lake Bomoseen, called The Lakehouse, where we got to watch the sun set over the water. It was really peaceful and fun. Saturday's weather was perfect for the 30th Anniversary annual picnic of the agency for which I work. I was able to see several of the people I worked with throughout the year and it was a really happy event.

We headed home late Saturday to pick up Matt and head home so that we could celebrate his 14th birthday Sunday in his current style: sleeping late, hanging out, and then heading to a Syracuse Chiefs ball game in the late afternoon with a friend. It was a perfect night for baseball! It was hot, sunny, fading to a nice sunset. Both teams had home runs, but the home team had a much stronger offense and won the game handily. We got to see a rare triple play, and we had fun with ballpark food. I even managed to get Matt's name put on the birthday screen during the game, and he was amused/ if a little embarrassed. Baseball fanatics can read more about the game, here.

After the game, it was peanut butter pie (Matt's favorite that I had made early that morning), using good friend Paula's recipe (she started the trend back in about 2001 when Matt was 3, and he has requested it every year since), followed by a most terrific thunder storm. We were glad to get a perfect evening of baseball in before the rain and storm!

I ended the day as it began... with a little tearful recollection of 14 years ago that day, Tom and I became parents of an amazing baby boy, who has been a wonderful child, and is now growing into a fine person.

I am incredibly grateful. I had posted a similar status like this on Facebook in the morning, and my heart was warmed by the good wishes of family and friends near and far who were remembering with me and wishing a happy birthday to Matt. Grace takes its forms in both the immediate surroundings and in the community of friends near and far. Words just can't touch that.