Easter 2008

The women of the Tripp-Spy went to church on Easter Sunday. The men did not. Pierre was sick with the flu, and prepared dinner, then staggered off to bed. Julian stayed in Vermont, but called in with Easter greetings.

Can we generalize from this that the Tripp-Spy women are more spiritually evolved than the men? Probably not. More likely they just like to get dressed up more than the guys.

Not to imply there was no spiritual dimension to our Easter Sunday:

Uplifting moment: Playing catch with Leilei and Libby, who had gotten little baseball gloves and balls from E.B. Libby got tired of it quickly, but Leilei stuck with it for awhile, and shows real promise! Maybe I should sign her up for T-ball!!!

Humbling moment: At Mass, the priest, a white-haired old gent, announced that he had turned 50 years old this year! ouch.

Spiritual insight of the day: Leilei and I were talking in bed in the early morning--post E.B, but still early enough that we were sleepy and in our pajamas.

Leilei: When was I in your tummy?

(We have talked about all this stuff many times, and she of all my children knows she did not grow in my tummy!)

Me: You weren't. Remember, you were born in China!

Leilei: I didn't grow in your tummy? I wish I did.

Me: I wish you did too. (flash of inspiration, as I remember some adoption advice book) But I'll tell you where you did grow--right in my heart.

The insight is that it wasn't just a placating thing to say, but true. I chose her for my daughter, and I dreamed her into this family. I didn't give birth to her, but I gave her a new life. Through the grace of God, obviously.

Speaking of grace, if you didn't get the chance to see Obama's speech on race, view it or read it online. Never have I heard any political figure talk about race in such an open, honest, rational, yet compassionate way.

Happy Easter, and Happy Spring!

A New Title for the Blog!

Recently I was SHOCKED! to be told that the title "Liver Lover" was less than appealing. After my initial indignation, I realized that while Liver Lover was perfectly appropriate when I began this project, because it served as a link between me and the fantastic people who supported me in my Marathon run for the American Liver Foundation, it is not perhaps as meaningful to the posts I'm writing these days.



Therefore, as an elderly mom who thinks and writes a lot about parenting, adoption, China, books, movies, sledding, and all sorts of other stuff, I am calling the blog "Home Stretch". One reason: because I'm getting old! and another, because I feel I've been chasing an idea of home all my life, and as I age, I feel I'm getting closer and closer to that spot, or state of being: Home.



So, it's all good. I'm still a liver lover!

Chapter a week Challenge . . .

Libby and her first diarama (or as Julian used to call them by the time he had reached 6th grade and was totally sick of them, diarrhea) Of course, what Libby does, Leilei must do, even if on a smaller scale.

I am helping my Chinese teacher write a book--he's writing, I'm proof-reading and cheering him on--and I suggested he think of it as a baby and give himself nine months to write it, a chapter a week, resulting in 36 chapters. I think. As most of you know, math is my Achilles heel.

Why 36? Well, Hongchen said it is a meaningful number to him. I didn't ask why. But I will definitely ask him sometime.

Anyway, it occurred to me that I could try to keep up with him, and so I'm challenging myself to do the same thing. I'll use this blog to embarrass myself into actually doing it. Expect the same kind of whining and self-chastisement that was featured in my pre-Marathon posts.