Month: July 2017

I call women like this “Sunshine Women,” because their radiant spirits shine, they emote love and tolerance and generosity, even when the world seems dark sometimes. Maria and I got up early to give my daughter Emma  a chance to rest, I am reminded how exhausting having a baby is.

I made a fine country breakfast – fresh farm eggs, farm bread, apple bacon thinly cut, coffee – but before that, Maria and I took turns sitting with Robin and playing with her. She loves to dance, and has begun to chat. We sang to one another and said “uh-oh” a few hundred times.

My heart did sing a bit when I saw Maria and Robin having so much fun together, Maria is the most nurturing person I know, although she does not know it. I just loved seeing these two beautiful Sunshine Women together.  I welcome Robin into this radiant community.

I am lucky to have two such wonderful women in my family, in my home.

It was a family operation out in the pasture. Red kept the sheep away from us, Fate assisted him, Gus hung out with his new pal Fanny, and Maria and I were introducing Robin to the donkeys.  She reached out to touch both Lulu and Fanny several and they stood patiently by while she started and and reached out to them.

For good measure, the chickens were also on hand. We had a short sweet visit with Robin. She is affable and curious and beginning to crawl and stand up. I’m sure she has her moments, but we haven’t seen any of them.

This morning, Maria and I got up early to let Emma sleep a bit. We played on the floor, fed her cheerios, yoghurt and bananas and gave her a tour of the farm. I think she be interested in the donkeys as she gets older. She sat on the floor playing with Gus, mostly tug of war with his toys. He was loving and gentle with  her. So was Fate.

They left fairly early Saturday morning, off to Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall Of Fame where Jay is promoting his new book. It was a lovely visit and I think it’s my turn to go see Robin in New York over the next month or so. She’s a neat kid, quick to smile and full of the joy of discovery.

Mawulidi Diodone Majaliwa is a refugee, a wood carver from Central Africa who has been in the United States one year. All I know about him is what Brother Francis Sengabo, the director of RISSE, the refugee and immigrant center in Albany, told me last week.

Francis kept telling me about this beautiful carving, he had and I finally got to see it.

Francis showed me this carving that Mawulidi cave him, its sits in the RISSE office. Brother Francis told me that Mawulidi lost all of his tools when he came to the United States. I’d like to get his story, and if appropriate,  try and get him some new tools. I don’t know any more than that, but I am anxious to meet him, and, if I can,  to help him.

It seems to me he ought to be carving things out of wood. I’m pricing wood carving kits, they are not expensive.

I’ve never known a border collie who loves people as much as Fate loves people, especially kids and babies. Fate climbed up on a footstool so she could give Robin a lick right on the nose. Two kindred sweet spirits.

Robin and Emma and Jay arrived Friday night, around dinnertime she was in a great and beaming mood, as usual, dancing and singing and standing up a bit. Fate and Gus were beside themselves climbing over her and greeting and loving her. They are leaving early tomorrow, Jay (Jaffe) has a new book out – The Cooperstown Casebook – and he is signing it and talking about it at the Baseball Hall Of Fame In Cooperstown, N.Y., two hours from here.

It will be a short visit (no videos from me), we brought in some pizza from the Round House Cafe, and fresh corn from the Moses Farm Stand and Apple Walnut pie from Yushak’s Deli in Shushan, N.Y.

Everybody is wiped, Robin is already in bed, I’m heading there soon. I’ve been getting up at 4 a.m. to work on my book.