This is the only picture I'll be posting today that I took. The rest were either Rachel's or Vergil's. Most of the kids and grandkids and Glen and I met up at a Mexican restaurant and ate on the porch where they allow dogs. So not only did Xena (aka Large Marge) get to come, so did Sophie. She was a bit overwhelmed by the hugeness of the other puppy and also by all the people.
Hank is generally the person who instigates these gatherings. When we all haven't gotten together in over a month or so, he alerts us that we need to meet up and of course for our family, that involves food, often Mexican food, and I'm so glad Hank has taken on the responsibility of doing this.
Before lunch though, August had a soccer game and Levon had a basketball game. Jessie went to August's game and Vergil went to Levon's and so did Mr. Moon. Levon is sort of tearing it up on the basketball court. I asked Glen how he'd done and he paused for a minute and said, "He's the man."
His team got 24 points today and Levon made ten of those.
Has Glen finally gotten a basketball player? Only time will tell but at this point, the boy is showing promise and is absolutely thrilled to play and practice all he can.
Plus, he already knows how to wear the bling. His sensibility on style is something none of us can quite figure out but he has it. Here's a picture Jessie sent me last week from the FSU basketball game.
Rhinestone anklet with Spider Man crocs and sweat pants. Need I say more?
He really wants a string of pearls. In case you haven't noticed, men are wearing pearls which I'm sure causes many a dowager to clutch her pearls but I absolutely love it.
I'm having a little be-still-my-heart moment.
Oh, Lenny.
And yet, well.
Jason Momoa, anyone? Who's going to tell him that pink pearls make him look like a girl? It would have to be a crazy son of a bitch.
Wait. What was I talking about? For some reason I lost my train of thought there. Oh yes! Levon and jewelry. Even when he was very little he was the one who wanted me to help him make bracelets and necklaces out of beads and he would wear those bracelets and necklaces for a long time. He was and is as casual about wearing jewelry as he is about wearing a shirt, the main difference being, that he doesn't really like to wear shirts.
I am going to find that boy a string of pearls while I'm out thrifting that he can wear.
And now back to our regularly scheduled programming. After the game and before lunch, this happened.
Those boys got their hair cut. Mr. Moon doesn't look real sure about that, does he? Levon, on the other hand, begged his mom to give him a haircut a few days ago. Glen's also trimmed his beard and so my Viking Sea God/Mountain Man is looking less wooly.
I love the way he looks either way.
So yes, we ate lunch. Vergil finds it interesting and amusing that our family gets together and eats and his family gets together and does things like go on fifty-mile bike trips or dig a well, or plant a garden. They are far more constructive than we are, obviously. I think he sort of loves us anyway and we are in complete awe of him and his folks.
Looking at this picture I realize I may have taken it myself, seeing as Rachel is actually IN the photo.
Honestly, that dog is the sweetest.
It's been a bit of a hard day for me today and before I go into some sort of deep dive into the why's and wherefore's, let's just ask who isn't having the hard days right now and I must ask if there will indeed be an end to the hard days.
At least in our lifetimes.
The cruelty and horror know no end, it would seem.
But right here, right now, we're okay. I hope you are too.
Love...Ms. Moon
P.S. Gibson and Maggie were at their friends' house and May and Michael were, of course, working. We missed them.







What a fun day! That dog is enormous but obviously thinks she's a lapdog.
ReplyDeleteI think she lives to cuddle.
DeleteI was not aware of the men-wearing-pearls trend but go right ahead, guys! You do you!
ReplyDeleteWhy the hell not?
DeleteMen in pearls hm? I would like to see. That puppy will be a lapdog when she's 120 lbs. I can see it now. I've known a couple of them.
ReplyDeleteI do love a man who is not afraid to defy tradition. And men definitely used to wear pearls! During the Renaissance men were painted wearing them frequently.
DeleteYou are so right about Xena/Marge
Right here, right now, I am happy too. My "dead" kindle is resurrected! I thought it gone forever when it wouldn't turn on and wouldn't charge up, I even tried the "hold the power switch for longer" and that didn't work either. But that was yesterday. Tried again today and it turned on! I have it charging up right now, so happy I haven't lost the 410 books on it after all. Oh, and my family are all well too.
ReplyDeleteHurray for your Kindle! Let's hope that was just a anomaly.
DeleteAnd I'm glad to hear about your family too, of course.
P.S. love all the happy faces here today and of course men wear pearls and other bling.
ReplyDeleteIn this country, at least, pearls have been almost 100% worn by women. At least in recent history. So it's rather groundbreaking for them to start wearing them now.
DeleteGood luck on your pearl hunt! That lovely boy deserves all the baubles you can find for him. And the barber shop picture is priceless - barber shops used to smell wonderful when my grandpap would taket me along with him as I recall, but no one was allowed to trim my curls so I just got brushed with a soft brush and a dab of something magical smelling. That particular memory has been hiding for many years, thanks for waking it up!
ReplyDeleteCeci
Oh, what a lovely memory! I bet your grandpap adored you and loved showing you off.
DeleteBless Hank for making sure not much time passes. If I had your family, I’d do the same. Lenny and Jason.... um... what were you saying?
ReplyDeleteYou are correct on Hank!
DeleteAs for Lenny and Jason- well. No words necessary.
Hank is wise for making sure these family gatherings do indeed happen. I really enjoyed all of the photos, especially of the dogs. Dogs are just the best in my opinion! I am with you in that we are living in some very hard days right now. I hope I live long enough to see the sun come shining through again and the people who are responsible for this get their comeuppance.
ReplyDeleteOh, Michael! Me too!
DeleteWhenever I see dogs being loved in my family, I think of you and your beloveds, especially your recent rescue who is now one of the luckiest dogs in the world.
Every family needs a Hank. We do need savor the joy. It is what gives us the strength to push through the hard stuff.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, yes!
DeleteYour family always looks so happy together!
ReplyDeleteWell, we mostly are. We all really like each other.
DeleteBoth Jessie's and Virgil's boys are completely at ease with who they are and what they want to wear. Then again so was/is Owen. Must be in the genes. I have to give Virgil credit for letting those boys be instead of trying to mold them into some sort of preconceived version of manhood. And Jason too. I suppose the total acceptance of the whole family is part of it as well. So well done Moon clan.
ReplyDeleteHad not heard about men wearing pearls but go for it. It's only in the last hundred years or so that men weren't peacocks anyway.
Ellen, I just found a picture yesterday of August wearing a dress I made him when he was such a little boy. He looked so happy in it. And now he wears pink and unicorns and doesn't even give a thought as to what boys "should wear." Obviously, Levon doesn't either. None of my kids are concerned in the least about sticking to any sort of gender norms. And Vergil, being an incredible daddy and human being, is all about letting his kids be exactly who they are.
DeleteYou're right about the peacock thing.
So glad always to see families gathering for meals…wish I lived closer to mine. Feeling a bit of cabin fever already with this being iced in. But it may get above freezing with more rain this afternoon. If the sidewalk is clear I might go start the car, which is my go-to if the elec. fails. But the car is covered with ice right now so isn’t very promising.
ReplyDeleteI think it's one thing to stay home because you simply want to and another to stay home because you sort of have to.
DeleteIf there was a lot of ice around, I surely would not risk it. But I have no experience with such things.
Bless Hank. He is the glue that brings family members together for a festive meal. Every family should be so lucky to have a Hank. Ability to include Sophie and Large Marge makes things ideal.
ReplyDeleteI did not know about the latest pearl necklace trend. Style trends always mystify me, and I'll leave that to the trend setters.
It does seem Levon has found his sport. Scoring 10 points is tremendous.
Hank is someone who cares deeply about many things and family is probably the main one. He has been my teacher since his birth and he has been a fantastic teacher and role model for all of us.
DeleteI guess it is trendy for men to wear pearls now but I just love it that someone woke up one day and said, "I feel like wearing my grandmother's pearls and so I shall!"
Levon's hot on the court, for real.