Max and Hannah fished all weekend, catching several sunfish and Max has had his first “one that got away…” story involving a very large Bass and an eye witness (more than most folks have…)
B, our friend’s husband, was incredibly generous with his time and skill in showing Max fishing tips and adding a new dimension to both kids’ love of tossing hooks into lakes.
I tried to repay a tiny bit by setting up a webpage for Myrna with a link to her book, Stahman’s Shawls & Scarves, and contact information.
Gerry’s dad, Sydney, who died when Max was 2, was a great fisherman. He used to go out on Long Island Sound and fish all day, layered with years of burn/tan/burn. I can see Max moving in the same direction, and he never seemed more like Sydney than he did this weekend.
Hannah also loves fishing, but was less involved than she has been in the past. She’s disconnecting herself from certain childhood passions, whether as a function of being a pre-teen or for a deeper reason, I’m not sure. I think it has a lot to do with the amount of homework she’s handling, and her passion for the Breakthrough program.
She’s beginning to look at her physical self more critically than she has before – which is something every woman goes through and few are able to conquer. I want to ease her through this in a better way than I was offered.
As much emphasis as there is on body image, I also feel there’s been no better time to be an ‘unusually’ or ‘unconventionally’ beautiful girl. I feel like I paid for decades for my awkward early-teen transition, but I know it doesn’t have to be that way.
Having parents who see her beauty, and tell her, is a good start. She’s also building some good friendships (with both girls and boys) and has a clear sense of her importance in our family. Much beyond that I feel like we’re just improvising as things come up, which may be the best way to handle the upcoming years.
But I’m hoping she wants to fish again soon.
Max loves fishing so much that it’s time for Gerry and/or I to get licenses so we can take the kids more often. We just sat and watched this weekend, but when kids loves something in such a strong way, it’s only right to encourage them.
I received an email that a Kiva loan I’d made was paid off this morning, which also made me think of fishing;
Give me a fish and I’ll eat for a day, teach me to fish and I’ll eat for a lifetime.
I love working through Kiva because I think of it as encouraging folks to “fish” through micro-loans (for all kinds of businesses, not just fishing…) and, in turn, that helps the overall local economy. Which helps the borrower’s country’s economy; etc. etc. One fish at a time.
Here’s the text from Kiva’s website about my recent loan:
I just made a loan to an entrepreneur named Tita Charles in Dominican Republic. They still need another $325.00 to complete their loan request of $750.00 (you can loan as little as $25.00!). Help me get this entrepreneur off the ground by clicking on this link to make a loan to Tita Charles too.
It’s finally easy to actually do something about poverty – using Kiva I know exactly who my money is loaned to and what they’re using it for. And most of all, I know that I’m helping them build a sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after my loan is paid back.
Join me in changing the world – one loan at a time.
I can’t think of a better use for $25 (which I will get back).
Foot Thanks
Thanks to everyone with your excellent advice about the stretching and ice and shoes. I’ve been doing the excercises, icing when I can (the coke bottle thing is a great tip!) and am now wearing my Keens around the house as well as outside. If you know me, or have taken a class with me, you’ll know how awkward it feels to me to have my shoes on all the time (I enjoy being barefoot…)
This seemed to have cropped up VERY quickly, while I was at TNNA, and after a full day of wearing my birks. So, as wonderful as they may be for many folks, I think in this case it was a perfect storm of hard concrete floors, lots of walking, hard concrete sidewalks back to my hotel and the wrong shoes for my foot.
I just ordered another pair of Keens from Eddie Bauer, where they’re on sale, and I’ll talk to my doctor tomorrow about either getting inserts or seeing a podiatrist.