There’s a reason why they call middle America the heartland. And it has more than a little to do with the outpouring of warmth, support and welcome that is extended by those who call this area of the country ‘Home.’
We spent this Labour Day weekend in Ohio with the other half of Calvin’s family and many family friends. It was four days of highlights, just a few of which I’ll share here. For one, Calvin got to meet his cousins for the very first time. He’s lucky guy, because they are gentle and fun playmates, enjoying getting him to laugh and encouraging his attempts to crawl. Jay set up this wonderful image, it is, as they say, “a keeper.” (Jay has put together an online photo album of our visit. Click here to see the images.)
This one on the right was not a keeper, though. I mean the tiny blue gill fish that Calvin’s Pop caught. This was one of quite a few, which were all returned to sender in perfect working order into the pond in the background.
But not before a certain curious little boy got to experience the slick, sticky, fishiness. Where some infants are scared, our little one was only extremely curious. And yes, he tried to taste the sticky residue on his hands!
Speaking of curious, Calvin was more than mildly so about the dozens of spectacular trotting racehourses we got to see at a friend’s family farm. These large creatures didn’t daunt the little guy at all, although we made sure his little hands didn’t get into harm’s way. He took in the farrier, stables and grooming with great interest. (And if you’re wondering how to tame your mane similarly, try giving the horse in your life a regular vaccuming. No joke.)
And what better way to end each day than a home away from home? That would be Grammy’s home, complete with a crib and accoutrements, fun toys and a throne-like high chair. It was a haven for the little guy, his folks and Bobo too, and spacious enough that we all got t have our own bedrooms without displacing a soul. Wow. Calvin was thrilled with a new discovery — wall-to-wall carpeting. It makes learning to crawl and sit up a much more pleasant experience.
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“Hey cuz…”
Calvin with cousins this summer. It’s amazing the difference a year can make. See him with a smaller subset of the same cousins in a photo taken last here from the original posting: Tales from the heartland….