#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream

The Swimming Lesson In Rain

A steady pelting early morning rain. Soo good for the growing things. The flowers and trees and the milkweed. I feel the lesson will happen today. There will be no thunder. I am right. Before I take him, I work in the gardens for a very wet hour. I don’t mind, it’s kind of pleasant. I have weeding and trimming to do. Can’t seem to get enough time outside. We get to his lesson with one minute to spare. He has a moment of shyness, and then he goes bravely off to his lesson with Owen. Everything Owen does with Wave is what I could do to teach him his strokes, EXCEPT, get him to focus and follow my instructions for a half hour. So, it’s worth it. They do the lesson in a lighter rain. By the end of the lesson he really is raising his arm higher out of the water for a decent crawl. He is happy and we head home. I have lunch with a poetry friend in Concord, mid-day. Stays rainy and cloudy but pleasantly cooler than it has been. I have to rush home as I promised my daughter I’d watch Wave for her afternoon work. He has not changed out of his bathing suit, but he has been out to lunch with Papa. We have errands to prepare for birthday dinner tonight - Frank, and Will. Today is Frank’s birthday. Will’s was earlier in the week. We buy presents and food. And it really is a lovely dinner with the family. Everyone is cheerful and appreciative of the swordfish and dinner. Wave is talkative and sweet. We do our ritual of appreciations for Frank and Will. Presents. Sparklers lit for the ice cream cake. It’s a perfect family birthday dinner.