Harvest time

Last weekend LeiLei and her friend from the Behai SWI, XingXing, got together for apple picking! Naturally, the families of both girls came along for the fun. We met at an orchard in Sturbridge, almost a halfway stop for both families. The Charleton Orchard was part of a small farm, with a playground, animals, donuts--all the accoutrements of successful apple-picking!

The girls hadn't seen each other since July, and were very happy to be reunited. At one point, Xing Xing hugged LeiLei, who seemed a little embarrassed, but totally happy. LeiLei grabbed her hand, and said "come on!' and they skipped off together, like the "old" friends they are.

Libby had a reunion the previous weekend with some of the girls from our adoption journey. The fifth year anniversary of that trip happened to coincide with the Autumn Moon Festival weekend. Ling Le's mom and dad were the hosts for a wonderful lantern-making party. Libby, Ling Le, Nora, and Lily (and assorted siblings) made real lanterns from red paper, reflective tape and star stickers. They hung the lanterns from sticks, and we set off for Larz Anderson Park to see the full moon, and walk around with the lanterns.

The Harvest moon was spectacular that night! It was huge, and from the top of the hill at the park we seemed so close to the Jade Rabbit and the Lady in the Moon. The girls sang songs (they all seemed to know the MeiMei ones!) and swung their lanterns. Carlo, Ling Le's dad, heroically lit and re-lit candles, as we adults clustered around him, trying to block the evening breeze.

I noticed that this was the first year Libby really entered into the spirit of the reunion. She actually ran out of the car toward LingLe's house, she posed for photographs--she was engaged, and had fun! Whether this is the natural progression of things, or whether she feels more at ease going into social situations with a sidekick, I'm not sure. LeiLei, of course, had no trouble marching into the middle of things, and feeling instantly at home!

These gathering together times remind me of how very lucky I am to have my "littles." Through them I've met all these other families, the members of which have enriched my life so much. Janie and Chuck, and their daughters Maura and Katie; Tina and Carlo, Eileen, Moira, and LingLe, Yuan, Lily, Nora, Helen, and Lily: all warm, funny, and kind people--and Libby and LeiLei made meeting them possible. A very rich harvest indeed, (to paraphrase Marmee in Little Women!)