The measure of success

Father's Day has come and gone without a post from me. Unusual, you say? I agree but it was a great day at the Mariner's with a 9th inning win!

I have posted on numerous occasions the importance of a great man in my life, my dad. I will continue to miss him as long as I live.

But yesterday was about another important man in my life, the father of my sons without whom I would not be able to say I have two of the best children in the world.

My husband is quietly a great husband and father. Raising my sons, I would easily have let them get away with anything and that would not have been. While a disciplinarian, my husband was also fair. He simply made sure our sons learned the importance of honesty, hard work and respect for others. He displayed these characteristics in himself and was the ultimate example for them.

We lived fairly modestly with the boys growing up. We didn't lack for the necessities but we didn't have the frills either. I know that sometimes bothered my husband, especially when compared to his brother who was a very "successful" architect. I submit, however, that my husband is the most successful of persons, measured by the sons he raised. The world is better with them and certainly better with my husband.

Happy Father's Day. I love you.

Different but the same

I got off the phone yesterday with my sons who were on a bus traveling to Palermo where they were going to catch a ferry the next day to Sardinia. The conversation was full of excitement in their voices. They has seen amazing places, eaten unforgettable food and recently met some true friends. These are the same things I experienced in my travels over 30 years ago.

I went to school at the Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelm Universitaet in Bonn, Germany 1976-1977. I was there for a full year. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:University-bonn_2005-11-18.jpg. I went to school every day in a castle! I had never experienced the history that permeates Europe like that. That aspect of travel hasn't changed.

Between semesters there are two months. I was lucky enough to have parents who fully supported my travels, emotionally and monetarily and was able to travel during those two months using a Eurail pass to go anywhere I wanted. I was able to go to just about everywhere in Germany and went to Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Amsterdam, Morocco, but I spent most of my time in Italy. That is where my sons are now. They went to Rome and Pompeii as did I. However, their travels have taken them to the amazing world of Sicily. What hasn't changed is the emotional and sometime monetary support of their parents or the rudimentary elements of travel abroad.

When I started out on my two months, I met a woman from Federal Way traveling at the same time. Her name was Dee and she had just gotten off of a Norwegian sailing ship and was spending the money she had made traveling. I ended up traveling the entire two months with her and for many years, we remained very close friends. My sons have met up with some travelers from Texas and in a very short time, they have become very close and likely will be friends for a very long time. This aspect of traveling has not changed.

What has changed is the way in which the travelers, my sons, can communicate their experiences as they have them. When I was away for an entire year there was no email, international cells phones, or cell phones at all, no facebook or blogs. In an entire year, I called home once, on Mother's Day. My communication was old fashioned letter writing. I kept a journal, another out of date tool these days, and about every week, I tore the pages out of that journal and sent it home for my parents to read. I left nothing out of this journal and I can only imagine the horror they felt reading some of my experiences. My parents kept that journal for me and until our dog chewed it up, I was able to read it to reminisce over those experiences. I am able to talk to my sons at will (thanks to the international cell phone I purchased for them) and they can email, comment on blogs and facebook. They will have their blogs for the foreseeable future and no dog will be able to chew them up erasing those thoughts. This is very different than it was for me.

I tell my sons every time I talk to them, email them or comment on their blogs to be careful. My parents did not have that luxury. That has changed. I tell them I love them, miss them, can't wait for them to get home. They know that but I like to tell them anyway. I knew that my parents felt that way too but they weren't able to tell me. How did they do it?

It is so important to have life experiences and I treasure those I had for that year in Europe. In many ways they shaped my life to come and in passing that along to my sons, it will keep on growing in impact on the lives of many people as I am sure they will pass this along in life to whatever families they may have.

Finally, one thing I know that has not changed is the fact that as much amazement, fun, unique experiences they may be having, there is a very large part of my sons anxious to get home to their families and friends and friends and family who feel the same. There truly is no place like home so be safe, my sons, and we will see you soon.

What day is this?

This is the question my son asked me today when I called him at 9:00 am our time, 6:00 pm Italian time. He was navigating from the passenger seat of their Italian Fiat rental car while his brother was driving them. They had camped the night before in Pompeii, visited the amazing ancient city and had spent the day, Friday, traveling along the Amalfi Coast of Italy. At the time I talked to him, they were about to stop at a store to load up on snacks, drinks etc and head on down another coastal highway towards the tip of Italy, spend some time hopefully on some non-tourist beaches and ultimately catch a ferry over to Sardinia.

After I got their assurances that they were successfully avoiding trouble with the crazy Italian drivers they were heading away from cell phone coverage so I told them both I love them and hung up the phone. As the day went on, that question kept hitting me.

Now, anyone and everyone who has to work 40 hour or more work weeks understands the significance of Friday. Of all the days of the week, we would never not know when it was Friday, excuse the double negative. So that got me thinking about two young men just a couple of weeks away from entering that real world of looking for, finding and keeping one of those 40 hour a week or more jobs. Those two young men who have opportunities more than most to experience life in many different ways, places and times separately, are now having unforgettable days together. Right now it is the coast of Italy, after London and Romania. It's not so much the place that matters but the times they have wherever they are. I can just see them driving along in some little rental car, radio blasting whatever they can pick up, not understanding the words but surely absorbing the meaning of it all. The conversations will go full circle I'm sure from the past, to the present an on into the future.

What thrills me the most is that they are able to have the present. Both have had their ups and downs in the past. The future is sure to hold lots of stress in job hunting, paying bills, finding and keeping relationships and simply not knowing. But now, in the present, they are so worry free that they don't know and likely don't care what day it is. I can see their beautiful smiles, enjoying life and that makes me happy.

What day is this? As cliche as it sounds, this is the beginning of the rest of their lives and they are off to a great start!

For the second straight weekend, the weather in Washington has been summer-like and rejuvenating. And, for the second straight weekend, we have worked non-stop in our yard and garden.

I am too old for this! We started with a mountain of soil. The problem: The soil is at the top of our 2.5 acre property and the garden is at the bottom of it. The solution: Susan has to fill wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow and wheel it down to the bottom of the property to go in the garden. The outcome: Our first vegetable garden in 7 years!

It was not all work and no play. It was actually a lot of fun. We took breaks, sitting in the sun and I have to say, my tan is in late summer form already. I may not have that much Indian blood but what I do have serves me well in the tanning department. Every night, we went out to dinner, last night being the most fun going to Porter's Place with my brother and his girlfriend. More on that in a later post. And that much hard work all day lends itself to a great night's sleep!

In addition to the box garden with tomatillos, lettuce, radishes, carrots, beets and swiss chard, we have three pots by the garden with rhubarb, zucchini and cucumbers and two pots up by the house with tomatoes. We still have a bunch of herbs to plant, oregano, cilantro, parsley and of course, catnip.

This is only the beginning, this year. Next year we have even bigger plans. Who knows, we could be a farming household by this time next year.

Enjoy the summer!