famdamly

Friend Suzette just sent this great quote:

From the NY Times Sunday Book Review interview with novelist Etgar Keret:

"I...try to avoid...memoirs, since I tend to distrust people who are telling a story they have such a great stake in. As someone who has just released a memoir I must add that unlike others, I'm totally trustworthy when it comes to telling my story."

Me too, Edgar, totally trustworthy - and all my students too!

Suzette also wrote "More baby pictures, not less." How can I deny her? But baby right now is across town.

Yesterday, the team came to Glamma's - babycakes, big brother, Grampa and Mama. Baby slept and the rest of us ate take out sushi in the garden. And then Mama and babe went home, and Eli stayed for a sleepover with his grandparents.

Grandpa, who had spent the day in the sun, went to bed before Eli, who was bouncing until - yes, it was unfortunately true - 11.15 p.m. His weary grandmother just let him bounce, until he was finally still.

This morning at 7 a.m., there he was, bouncing. "I woke up and dere was Mr. Sun!" But he got into bed with me - looking out the window, "We're so HIGH and dere's birds," - and went back to sleep for a bit. The morning with us,

listening to a CD, doing numbers with Grandpa, and a tour of Parliament Street looking for a hat to protect his grandfather's head. Now, off to meet his mother and brother at a First Nations powwow, part of Panamania. Tonight, a barbecue at his mama's with his father and hers, and tomorrow, everyone to Glamma's again for brunch. A busy social life for someone who has just turned 3.

I count my infinite blessings yet again, that this man and I, who loved each other profoundly once and lost that feeling along the way, have found it again. And here he is, a wonderful grandfather, father and friend, staying in the house we bought together in 1986, where our children grew up. Something has come full circle, something has been healed, we are family.

Speaking of family, there's an unusual obituary from the Toronto Star making the rounds. Here's an excerpt:
Pat Stocks, 94, passed away peacefully at her home in bed July 1, 2015... She left behind a hell of a lot of stuff to her daughter and sons who have no idea what to do with it. So if you're looking for 2 extremely large TV's from the 90s, a large ceramic stork (we think) umbrella/cane stand, a toaster oven (slightly used) or even a 2001 Oldsmobile with a spoiler (she loved putting the pedal to the metal), with only 71,000 kilometers and 1,000 tools that we aren't sure what they're used for. You should wait the appropriate amount of time and get in touch. Tomorrow would be fine. 

Here's a link to the whole thing:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?pid=175314461