Babies are amazing

I won't go to Richmond Hill to-day. I had a two hour visit from three  great-grand daughters and my grand-daughter ,their mother Lindsay.

Abigail, the middle sister is going with Aunt Stephanie to Guelph to be in a crowd scene in a movie.

Cheyenne ,  now  a sea cadet, is taking Mickey the dog , home with her .

Emma is eight months old and has grown from really tiny to a round chubby cheerful child.

Her eyes reflect her thought process.

 I am not a familiar face.

Two hours passed before she volunteered a smile.

I wasn't forcing it. I'm content to wait. The intensity of her gaze rarely faltered while she focussed and stored  information for future reference.

 'Tis said a child learns more in the first three years than the rest of life.

It's a phenomenal learning curve and  fascinating to  watch.

The path between house and car was iced over. Cheyenne had slipped on the way in,they said.

The wind whipped up  during the visit.

I remembered  another winter's night and a strong wind . I lost control of the car on Yonge, just south of Major Mack and drove into a  snow bank.

The same night, a Volkswagen, traveling north was blown across Yonge Street into the path of oncoming traffic.

A young Aurora mother, alone in the car ,was killed instantly.

I attended the Funeral Mass  at Our Lady of Grace.

I didn't tell the story.

When  you live  a long time, in the same place, it's  hard to separate from memory.

The Mayor and Councillors Abel and Gallo find  it difficult to conceal exasperation.

We all have idiosyncrasies to be sure  and burdens.

It may be  time for me to focus energy in a different direction.