It’s Saturday morning and I am enjoying a cup of tea and a pumpkin muffin, waiting for the rain to come in. It’s September 23, the autumnal equinox. The first day of fall…my favorite season, next to spring, winter and summer. The sky is overcast, and the temp is 62 degrees. A tropical storm off the coast will bring some rain, and a little wind during the morning and early afternoon. Then it’s supposed to clear. Luckily, here in Charlotte, we are far enough West that we shouldn’t be impacted by the storm too much.

I have been living in the city of Charlotte NC for almost two months. I feel like the country mouse visiting his cousin, the city mouse. Everything around me is foreign. It’s noisy. Busy. Traffic full of crazy drivers. You take your life in your hands to cross the street, even with the Walk sign flashing, telling you to cross. I am not used to so much activity. Or to so many people. Some are friendly and smile as they pass by. Some look right through me. Some don’t even look in my direction. And me…I just want to say “Hey, I hope you have a good day” to everyone.

It is a pretty little city, though, with education and banking being the big draw. There are major and minor league sports teams, from football to football (soccer), hockey to baseball. You’ll find a melting pot of people of all races, colors, genders, languages…students, businessmen and businesswomen, law enforcement, homeless people, rich people and poor people. Having grown up in a small town in Massachusetts, my exposure to so many different kinds of people living in one place has been limited, to say the least. I want to meet some of the folks I pass on my walks. I want to ask some of them where they are from…why they live here…what happened to make them homeless…what brought them to the South… what/whom did they leave behind. But, I’m not sure how that would be received, so I ask the questions to myself and imagine the answers.

I walk every day, at least 3 miles. The tall buildings surrounding me block out the sunrise and the sunset. I have to crane my head back to see the blue sky. And, although the city streets are lined with trees, and there are gardens along the sidewalks, I miss my own garden beds. I miss the bird feeders and the many different kinds of birds that keep me entertained. I miss walking through my woods filled with pine trees, maple trees, oak trees. My two boisterous golden retrievers running ahead of me. Birdsong and the occasional deer watching me pass. I need to feel the crunch of leaves underfoot as I walk along the dirt path lined with soft pine needles that have fallen from the ancient trees. Breathing in the musky scent of summer fading.

Much as I miss these things, there are things I do like about the city. Everything is within walking distance. There is a CVS, a 7Eleven, a grocery store, a hair salon, several restaurants, all withing a few blocks. The campus of Johnson Wales University is right across the street and a great place to walk. In the middle of the city, there are parks and playgrounds. Walking trails, (they call them Greenways down here) filled with lush green grass, trace a path along the creeks that run throughout the city. Some of these greenways start south down in Pineville/Matthews and meander up into the heart of Charlotte.

And, of course, the thing I love most about this city is that my girl, her love, and her baby girl live here. Spending time with them eases any feelings of sadness I may experience when I think of home. I am not sure how long I shall be here, but I am making the best of every moment I can with them. And that feels like home to me.

Tuesday September 12, 2023

Tomorrow my baby girl Mikaela is giving birth to her very own baby girl. It’s been a long pregnancy with a few bumps along the way, and she is actually 4 days past her due date. So, at the doctor’s appointment yesterday, it was decided that they would schedule a C-Section. Tomorrow at 1:30.

I am sitting in my apartment, right across the street from her and Drew, thinking about so many things. I am emotional, ecstatic, sad, lonely, grateful. Wishing Doug was here with me. Wishing my parents could see their newest Great Grandbaby. But mostly I am feeling so blessed that I have had this time with Mikaela to hang out, go shopping, play cards and bond.

To be continued after I hold my very first grandbaby!

Wednesday September 13, 2023

She is here! Indigo Nori Husband!! At 2:15 this afternoon she came into this world weighing 10 lbs even and measuring 21” long! She has lots of very dark hair, a testament to the crazy heartburn Mikaela felt all during the pregnancy. (Not just an old wives’ tale! LOL!)

 I can’t stop looking at her! Watching her breathe reminds me of when I had my babies. How quickly time flies by when you watch a baby sleep. As I hold her and she snuggles into my arms the tears of joy fill my eyes and escape down my cheeks. I have no words to describe how I am feeling. It is all emotion. And so deep it has no end.

Watching her I am just so in love with this precious, amazing being. She has cheeks you just want to pinch (gently, of course) and velvety skin that smells heavenly and is the softest, smoothest, most beautiful thing in the world. Her little mouth looks just like Mikaela’s. And, I do not believe that when an infant smiles it’s just gas. This little girl smiles a genuine smile in her sleep and my heart just bursts with happiness.

They gave her a bath yesterday, which she didn’t really like until they put her little head under the faucet, with a gentle stream of water washing her hair. Then she relaxed and an expression of pure bliss fell over her face and you could tell she was loving every second. Who knew an infant could appreciate the joy of having someone else wash her hair!!

Her name – Indigo Nori – so different and unique, brings to my mind depth, passion, intuition, love and hope. I imagine she will be beautiful, inside and out, with an open, loving, compassionate demeanor. I feel music in her soul. Joy and happiness. Intelligence. Creativity. And a character full of courage and an essence that conquers the world around her with a quiet strength of purpose. Impacting her world with peace and serenity, she is a force with a strong spirit that requires others to feel and hear her with respect. Dignity. And most of all love.

Welcome Indigo Nori Husband. My granddaughter. I love you.