Food, Glorious, Food!

As I sat watching my daughter blow spit bubbles tonight (A lovely trick she learned from Manababies' son), I got to thinking about how much she just adored the rice cereal she ate for dinner and a childhood memory came to mind.

We'd been sailing up in the San Juan Islands and anchored off not far from shore. We took the dinghy in to shore that evening to fulfill our plans of watching a stage production of Oliver Twist. By the time we reached land, night had set in and there wasn't much visible light to guide us up the hillside toward the theatre.

I distinctly remember there being lots and lots of plants and branches and very little glimpse or feel of a noticeable path...if there was a path at all. Using matches to guide us up the hillside, one short flame at a time--right down to the last match, and then finishing our way toward the lights of the theatre best we could on our own. We actually might have had a flashlight to start off with, but maybe the batteries died unexpectedly? I just don't recall using it for very long.

When we reached the top of the steep hill, we rested for awhile. Took in the beautiful scenery of a star filled sky with the light of the moon reflectcing off the water in the inlet as the sailboat bobbed in the distance awaiting our return.

It was in these moments that I saw my first shooting star. Standing there in the quiet of night as nature's own firework danced across the sky--that vision is clear in my mind.

People always say, "I knew you when you were just a twinkle in your momma's eye..."

Maybe on that night, so many years ago, that shooting star was my daughter teasing me with her splendid delight well before her time...

...which now she shares with me daily by blowing spit all over the friggen house. ~grin~