Catching fireflies

The simple summer joy of looking for and catching fireflies- an entirely new experience for this California family.

Homesick

Circa Early 1980’s.

My cousin Mimi recently sent this out in a cousins group text message we have continuously going. I have no recollection of this photo or event. Yet, here I am right smack in the middle roasting marshmallows with cousins and sisters. A glimpse of pure childhood happiness. I miss them dearly and my heart yearns for what I cannot have- they who I spent every childhood day with- as I sit here thousands of miles away. This photo and now memory I hold close.

Exploring the City

I am counting the days until school begins. When I first heard that school began on August 12, I thought well that’s rather early. But now- I’m counting days, hours, minutes. I think part of it is that we are all out of our routines. Nothing is the same and we are all driving each other crazy in this suffocating brick house, in this environment of humidity, bugs and little friendships. In an effort to delay my check-in into the asylum we’ve been using our time to explore our new town. It has helped a little.

This past week, we explored a great part of the city – the Central West End of St. Louis. Imagine a cleaner version of Berkeley, California. Charming streets. An eclectic vibe. Hip, funky, young people of all colors. First stop- Left Bank Books! It was a lovely bookstore with a large downstairs used book section where you could get lost for hours. M found his way there immediately while I, C, and I took our time looking around the upper floor. Eventually, we made our way downstairs too. We wasted a nice two hours there and bought a few used books. We had worked up an appetite and it was definitely time for lunch. Our options were Gringo Tacos or Pi Pizzeria. Being the snobby Mexican diner that I am, we trotted off to Pi Pizzeria.