This is a post for LGBT Families Day “a day to raise awareness about LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) families”

I have been holding these photos for awhile because I thought the 1st of June would be an appropriate and magical moment to announce that I will be a grandmother in October or November of this year. My daughter Kristi and her life partner Linda, through the miracle of modern medicine, will become Mommies in October or November. Kristi is pregnant with twins. TWINS! Yes, she has always been the over-achiever and our family could not be more thrilled.

Why choose this particular date that falls exactly between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day to announce the great news on my blog? I chose it because of a grass root swell making this a day to honor mothers and fathers equally. A day to recognize that not all families fit into the traditional structure of one mother and one father.

A few weeks ago, I accompanied Kristi to her doctor’s visit and a 4D sonogram. What an experience to see these two little beauties rocking back and forth in their little cocoons. We were told by the technician that it was still a few days too early to confirm the sex of the twins. Her educated guess was two baby girls. She then cautioned us not to do any shopping based on her speculation, but to wait a few weeks until the next test which would show for certain the sex of the babies.

I stayed with Kristi and Linda that night so that Kristi and I could go maternity clothes shopping the next morning. This started out as fun, then turned to dread as Kristi saw all the frilly and terribly young looking mother-to-be clothing. I knew my daughter who resists anything pink or ruffled, was feeling stressed. She said under her breath, “These make maternity police officer uniforms look good.” This from an officer who hates the maternity uniform! After looking around, we found some slacks and tailored tops that would be satisfactory.

Of course, I am taking photos like crazy every chance I get, and I am putting the photos in an album called Kristi’s Pregnancy and will add to it as time goes by. I have also been writing to my new grandbabies who I fondly call “my little fisheis”. I will use these as posts later and then tuck them away in a book of pre-birth memories.

To all the GLBT families, may you have a wonderful day and may this grass root effort grow in love and acceptance for all. To each of you who support equal rights, thank you and God bless. For more information on June 1st and the celebration of families, go to Mombian: Sustenace for Lesbian Mothers and to know more about the pride of our family, read My Poster Child

We are back after spending a wonderful week-end at the Burbank Hilton with Kristi. She was the treasurer for a large group convention there and busy, but we did have time to have brunch and dinner with her and also to vist with her partner, Linda.

Linda is very busy as she enters into the second half of her time in the Police Academy. It certainly is a test of endurance and one that she is enjoying (inspite of the groans) and one in which, I know she will succeed.

While we were gone our friendly contractor tore up the floors in the kitchen, dining area, and hallway and started laying the new tile. It is going to look great and now I am really looking forward to moving the furniture back and getting the house in order in a few days. Meanwhile, the motor home is out front and we will live in it until most of the work is completed.

My next post on June 1st will be a big announcement so stay tuned . . . .

Over at Holtie’s House it is Peter’s 70th Birthday on Sunday and believe me that’s no bull! It is just a cow. Bulls have a well you know. . . a thing between. . . oh heck. . . trust me. It’s no bull!
Please take a moment if you haven’t all ready to wish him a Happy Birthday.

To My Fellow Book Club Members,

I loved reading this months selection, Death in the Garden by Elizabeth Ironsides. However, my limited British English sometimes got in the way. For example the word ha-ha was a mystery to me, but being an American from the Midwest, I thought when I read the following, “Their walk and viper hunt led them down to the stream below the spinney, then across the expanse of lawn which gave the drawing-room and terrace their fine open view to the ha-ha and the park beyond.” that the author was referring to a privy.

I went to our friend Joyce Lee, who asked about it on Clay Art’s Message Board and boy was I mistaken. It certainly wasn’t the outhouse as I had assumed. If you haven’t researched it or have been as confused as me, here are some definitions she received from helpful friends.

A ha-ha is a garden ‘joke’. When the aristocracy really got into designing vast gardens in which to stroll, it became the fashion to design a place that took the seer by surprise: a little hidden
temple, a sudden drop-off with some kind of visual gem, even ambushing fountains that were triggered by stepping on a certain stone.

A ha-ha is a landscape feature, used as a method of keeping deer etc out of your flower beds but without having to use an unsightly fence or hedge - it is a deep ditch placed at the boundary
of your garden, onto the edge of the paddock, which discourages the deer, sheep etc from wandering in. Because it is usually cleverly placed, from the house and gardens you can’t see anything, so you get an uninterrupted view across the landscape with a herd of deer amongst
the trees in the near distance

Ha-has were introduced to the UK from France by Capability Brown. A ha-ha is a boundary barrier that does not block the view. It was used to keep animals such as sheep and cattle out of the formal garden
without losing the view across the countryside. A ha-ha was usually a ’semi-ditch’ with the garden side a wall.

With all the graduations around this time, I got to thinking of my own college graduation. Not exactly the graduation itself, but a baccalaureate morning ceremony before graduation. It was also a reunion time for the class of 1918 and the front row was filled with elderly people with grey hair and aged faces.

We filed in, in our caps and gowns and were quickly seated and settled down to hear the speaker drone on about syphilis. Can you believe it! He was a retiring professor from the Public Health Department and his speech was entitled “My Swan Song”. I only remember this because frankly the subject seemed so out of place and the title, well I have never looked at swans quite the same way since.

After the ceremony I was to meet friends to go to a special breakfast. So standing by a pillar just outside the auditorium waiting for them to appear, I was deep in thought about all of the historical times the class of 1918 had lived through. Suddenly, this elderly woman peered around the column. She looked me straight in the eye and said, “I imagine you think you will never grow to be this old.” and laughed. It was as if she were reading my mind and I was so surprised that I remained speechless for a time. Hopefully, I managed to say something polite before spotting my friends and dashing down the rest of the stairs to head off to celebrate the day.

All of this came back this evening while I was soaking in the hot tub. So how old was she in 1964 when I graduated. I figure she was probably 68 or 69 at the time and yes, she did seem ancient. Well, here I am 42 years later and guess what? I have lived to be her age or a year or two longer. Something makes me want to say, “Nan ya, nan ya, nan ya,” which seems an absurd response, but one that makes me giggle. Must be my second childhood kicking in.