Thanksgiving 2007

I intend to post links to pictures later. We weren’t the most photogenic group on this holiday, to be truthful. The four of us drove over to Bend Wednesday, and the Parsons drove over with Katherine, and Lupe and Luis flew to Redmond and rented a car, to join us. Rodrigo came with us.

The skiing was tough. Bachelor had barely enough snow to open, even with its snowmaking equipment, and I ran over rocks hidden in a thin veneer of snow and fell flat on my face. No damages, just looked dumb, right at the top of the Pine Martens lift. Timmy and Noah skied more than the rest of us, Megan and I got four runs, but our rental skiis were not the easiest and the slopes were dicy. Sabrina skied almost as much as Noah and Timmy, and Luis and Rodrigo skied (well, Luis was on his board, impeccably outfitted, of course).

Meanwhile, back at the lodge, it was sunny and beautiful unless you were Leo, who wasn’t feeling all that great.

We had Thanksgiving dinner at Sunriver Lodge.

Paul and Milena and Eva went to CanCun, and Laura stayed in Eugene.

Photos will be on Amiglia soon, in parsons.amiglia.com and berrys.amiglia.com.

Christopher’s Fourth Birthday

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Originally uploaded by noah.p
This was one of several parties for Christopher, with Leo watching on the right, enthralled. This one took place at Bounce. The pictures were taken by Noah, who uploaded the album at Flickr. These pictures are also on parsons.amiglia.com.

Parsons at the Football Game

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Originally uploaded by noah.p

This is also at the Sept. 15 2007 ducks game against Fresno State. The two boys were particularly happy with the halftime show.

Me and Leo on Leo’s First

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Originally uploaded by noah.p

I don’t know what he’s looking at, but I’m looking at the camera … oh well …

Leo’s First Birthday

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Originally uploaded by noah.p

Who wants to put a caption to this picture. What is Leo’s expression? Resignation?

Me with four grandchildren

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Originally uploaded by noah.p

One of my favorite pictures, taken on July 7 2007 in Shevlin Park, in Bend. Paul and Milena were there for the week of July 4. The rest of the family drove over from Eugene.

A Week in Bend

June 29 through July 8, 2007

With thanks to Paul and Milena for taking the initiative, we had family in Bend. For me it was a really good 10 days, a chance to get to know Eva better and spend time with Paul and Milena too. Paul and Milena and Eva left New York in the wee hours of Friday morning, and I took off from Eugene about midday. Noah and Sabrina and Timmy and Leo came that evening.

Days were a mix of house looking, hiking, the boat park, etc.

The first and second picture here are at Nancy P’s, just down the hill from the Parson’s house, which became the place of record for breakfast and lunch.

10 Days in Bend

	Thanks mainly to Paul and Milena, we were in Bend from June 29 through July 8, 2007, staying mostly at Noah and Sabrina’s house. The Parsons came for both weekends, Vange and Megan came from Tuesday through Sunday, and I was there with them the whole time. It was a really good vacation for me, and I got to know Eva like I hadn’t had a chance to before. We saw some houses for sale, hiked along the Deschutes River.
Click here for the Amiglia album Bend June-July 2007
Click here for the Picasa album Bend June-July 2007

Timmy and Leo with Nana and Grandad

July 11 and 12, 2007 Their daddy and mommy had to go to Salt Lake City so we took Timmy and Leo overnight. They’d been spending a lot of time in our house anyhow, because their house was being painted.
At dinnertime, we took them both to the baseball game, a Palo Alto Software activity at the Emerald’s Stadium. It was a warm, cloudy, summer day, feeling like rain. There was a barbecue on the deck for our group.

Hello Leo

Last month, in Villas del Sol, I met Leo.

You know Leo? My grandson, Noah’s and Sabrina’s son, Timmy’s little brother? I didn’t, I discovered. I loved him but I didn’t know him. He was just a generic baby until that trip.

Now, however, I know Leo as a person, with a personality; like I know Christopher, Timmy, and Eva. I can feel him smile, I can feel him worry sometimes, at least by looking at his face. This is Leo Parsons. There we are in the picture, Leo and me, sharing a moment.

Leo and I shared moments. Several times I kept him company while he slept in the shade of the Palapa on the beach during the heat of the day. He was wrapped in a towel on one chaise and I was reading on the next chaise, both of them pushed together. Leo would wake up and I would see first curiosity in his blue eyes, and then, quite quickly, peaceful recognition. “Oh yes, I’m on the beach, and my granddad is here with me.” He would then drift back to sleep.

Leo frequently smiled in his sleep.

When I fed Leo, he used mouth motions and sparkling eyes to establish a definite line of communication with me. He engaged me as surely as the computer engages the cellphone when they synchronize over a cable. This was not just feeding, this was also communicating. He wanted to watch me smile and react when he opened the mouth to ask me for the next bite. He connects the mouth opening with the eyes sparkling, and he wanted me to see that. He was even showing off, proud of himself. He wanted me to tell him parents how good he was. I could tell that.

Leo was getting less-than-super-healthy Mexican Comercial Mexicana baby food, which he seemed to like. His eyes told me he particularly enjoyed having his own version of junk food, the short-term escape from the law of Sundance. I could tell that.

Leo liked to wander freely around the floor, crawling, standing himself up on things like couches and tables, seeking cables to chew on, and looking for mischief. He clearly liked that much better with company, though. He wanted me not just to watch him but to appreciate him, talk about what he was doing that he wasn’t supposed to be doing. He wanted me to join him in the drama.

How much of this was Sabrina’s doing, how much Noah’s? I’m intrigued with the question. They certainly made it easy to know Leo. Was that just convenience, or were they doing that on purpose? That’s hard to tell, and doesn’t really matter.

Was this quality time or quantity time? I think you need quantity to get quality.

I’m sure this same kind of thing happened with Christopher, Timmy, and Eva, because I have the same sense of love and bonding with all three. But I’m writing now, and I’m more aware of how and when and what, so this is about Leo. Hello Leo.