Month: September 2008

Plane ride down was uneventful, other than a 1 hr 15 minute delay that was easily passed with Grace watching the Flintstones and Word Girl on my old iphone. She did ask if it was “her ipod” now and I said no. I then heard about how Chloe has her own ipod and her own phone. Excellent.

Other than finding the no-electronic-devices-during-takeoff-and-landing rule onerous (no videos! no leapster!) Grace enjoyed the flight. She could not stop talking, though, about how it’s tomorrow’s flight that she is really excited about – that’s the flight that will earn her her official Big Girl stripes, I think. She even (queen manipulator, this one) asked me if she did well on the flight (what’s the definition of well on the flight?) she could watch Hannah Montana because then she would be a big girl for sure.

In Delaware sitting at the kitchen table while Margaret sleeps next to me. Hilary and Hannah are napping upstairs, and Grace is watching Corduroy in the guest room. Very peaceful.

I feel very sad about Paul Newman’s death. The man was extraordinary actor but what he did with his Newman’s Own products is far more impressive to me. He was a philanthropist of the highest order, and his loss is a deep one.

Growing flippers here in Cambridge today. Downpour.

In other news, Gracie and I are headed down at the crack of dawn to meet Margaret and to visit with Hilary and Hannah. The most exciting part of the trip (other than all 5 Mead girls of 2 generations being together) is that Grace is flying home alone. She is flying unaccompanied minor between Philadelphia and Boston. Wish her luck!

Back from Italy. It was a whirlwind trip but a wonderful one. Being with Kara, Quincy, Charlotte, Courtney, Lacy, and others is a reminder of who I am. With a couple of important exceptions these are the people who know me best and whose attention, love, and wisdom grounds me.

Quincy, Dave, Sage and I spent Saturday in Assisi which was absolutely lovely; I’ve been there before (with my family a long time ago) and once again found it both beautiful and tremendously moving. Quincy noted that Dave had had the pleasure of a day with “two of her” (this in a one-more-person-to-nag-me tone!) – she commented that we are very much alike and I find this to be a huge compliment. I can share with Quincy things that are bothering me and she has the deep reserve of experience as well as the long-distance perspective to offer extraordinary insight. This kind of friendship is a balm.

The Crawfords put on a glorious celebration. Lacy was aglow. There were personal details at every turn: a runner with love quotations written on it, eloquent toasts, and beautiful poems excerpted in the program. The party was also just plain FUN: at the end of the evening I wound up in the tent with Courtney and Charlotte, laughing and watching fireworks. I was 18 again, a nervous and intimidated freshman, and these beautiful, brilliant women impressed me now as much as they did then. We reminisced and laughed and commented that though we talk rarely when we are together we slip back instantly into the same comfortable, familiar grooves.

I went on from Italy to a work meeting and had an extraordinarily wonderful two days by myself. Some of the best ever, actually. For the women I have loved since 1992, and for the days in Europe alone, I am deeply grateful.