81. I Love ... when my grandbabes come running to me.

That is such a

true joy

that I wish I could capture it and 

bring it out at will.

It's such a short, short time

in their lives -

just between getting their running legs

and when they become too mature

to run with unbridled enthusiasm.

Minutes it seems.

Puppies.

That's what they are.

If they had a tail, it would be wagging.

"Hi Nana! Hi Nana!! HI NANA!!!"

Legs running, arms outstretched ...

such a tiny moment in time.

Such a blessed moment in time.

Last summer,

such a moment is frozen in my memory

and in my heart forever.
I so wish I had a video,
I'd play it over & over & over.

My 'Salt & Pepper' team -

running together,

trying to outdo each other;

both yelling it at the top of their lungs...

'Hi Nana! Hi Nana!!! HI NANA!!!'

Then the youngest,

not even three yet,

has the creativity to up the ante with

'Here I am, Nana! HERE I AM!!!'

That tickled me so much.

Her confident knowledge

with the truth ...

it is a bigger joy for 

ME to see THEM

than

them to see me.

80. I Love ... Laughter

Some people do it so easily,

so readily;

so out and out

joyfully.

I love to see that;

to hear that,

to be part of it.

I love the

lightness,

the silliness

that can cause

that laughter.

That uncontrollable,

spasmatic

overflow of nonsense

that makes you gasp for air;

makes your belly hurt.

It cannot be manufactured.

It cannot be canned,

made-up, forced.

It is real and pure and so refreshing.

A good laugh and a long sleep.

are the two best cures.

Amen.

79. I Love ... Drifting Off.

I sometimes think about

how many nights in my life that I have 

fallen asleep.

Every night at some point.

Thousands of them.

And so few,

so very few

am I aware 

of that moment 

when sleep overcomes me.

I am awake; then awake again.

Somewhere between those points

I have slept.

And dreamt.

There are rare days though,

that I can feel myself

suspended,

between those two worlds.

Caught.

Not quite awake.

Not quite asleep.

The drifting.

It's delicious.

There is no control over it.

It happens or it doesn't.

Precarious.

The smallest thing

jolts me back

into this world.

I think I don't let go enough.

I seem to be always hanging on

way too tight.

Hanging on

to the day, to consciousness.

78. I Love ... my Dad's hat.

I have it -

my Dad's hat.

He wore it to church.

That's probably about the only place

because he didn't go anywhere else

fancy.

Funny that I love that hat

so much when it really 

wasn't him.

It really wasn't who he was.

A work hat.

A driving helmet.

That's who he really was.

The man never went bare headed.

The last thing on out the door -

the first thing off in the door ...

a hat.

I see him with this hat ...

running around the rim with his fngers,

flipping it on his head with such ease.

I see me grabbing it with a giggle,

off his head and onto mine,

it falling over my eyes;

his patient laughter.

I see me in the backseat of the car at nighttime -

me in the middle.

Sister asleep on one side,

brother on the other,

mother's head against the window.

Me, awake - keeping vigil.

Staring at the image of my Dad

in his hat.

Knowing,

even way back then

that I had to carefully file that moment.

Knowing 

that it wouldn't last.

77. I Love ... Staying Home.

I am so content

in my home.

Farm home, sea home;

each is a nest.

Each surrounds me

in comfort

with all the things

I value -

family - neighbours - friends;

treasures

that I have collected

over a Lifeime.

Stuff

that holds

the energy and the memories

of times and people

past.

Places to sit - 

lots of them.

To sit alone

and think and write and dream and plan;

to sit with folks

and do the same.

I am content

at home.

There is so little need or reason to

leave it.

76. I Love ... Going Somewhere

I love

the Planning of it;

the Visualizing;

the Unknown

or 

the Familiar.

It's really not even all that important

Where

I go.

Or How

I go.

Plane. Train. Automobile.

Bicycle.

Feet.

I just love to

Go

Somewhere,

Anywhere.

And

I love 

to Stay.

75. I Love ... Ireland

I'm Irish Heritage

all the way.

Maternal, Paternal ...

all four sides.

When I learned that

Ireland

is much like

Newfoundland,

I had to go.

And now,

I yearn to go back.

The beauty,

the history,

the people ...

breathtaking.

It was like my heart and soul

caught up to somewhere

I really needed to be.

As I landed that day

I thought about the fact that I was the first

in my family line ...

great grandparents,grandparents, parents, siblings

that stepped foot

back upon Homeland Soil.

The first to return

after generations.

Why so long?

I thought of my ancestors

leaving their home;

waiting at the wharf

for the ship to come to take them to the 

Unknown.

And those left behind,

never seeing their loved ones again.

There are people there

with my blood,

my ancestral heritage,

but I don't know them,

they don't know me.

We have Family in common.

And Ireland.