Thursday June 21, 2007

Yup, it’s official.  My new baby is here.  And I love him.  But before I tell you about him, I must catch you up on the other babies in my life.  You see, for the past week I’ve been in the land of:

“Oh, Canada.  My home and…phlegmatic…land.” 

And speaking of phlegmatics, I headed to Toronto for three days this week to visit the poster-child himself (Paul).  The fact that Beth and baby Aidan were there didn’t hurt either!    We spent 48 hours catching up, and I do mean C-A-T-C-H-I-N-G U-P!!  It had been two loooong years, after all.  Aidan, their daughter Averil’s baby, is the most charming child you’ll ever meet, and his grandparents are clearly smitten.  Who could blame them??  The next five pictures are for the former Storch babes who remember Baul and Peth.  They haven’t changed one iota, ladies, and you’d love them as much today (as grandparents!) as you did when they were your dorm parents.

Then came my too-brief visit with Marie, a friend of 25 (ew) years who graduated from BFA when I did.  She’s the proud new mom of the teensiest preemie I’ve ever held (just over 5 pounds…and born in May).  Benjamin is, as the French would say, “Craquant”…which pretty much means “smashingly endearing.”  You might wonder why I’m smiling so broadly in the picture below.  It’s because there was a fourth-of-July fireworks extravaganza going on inside his tiny little diaper and the fumes were–how shall I say this diplomatically–they were intoxicating (such a nicer word than “nauseating”).  He’s a cutie.

I wonder how many of today’s BFA students will still be in touch with each other in 25 years?!  There’s something indescribable about a friendship that spans a quarter of a century.  And the common background and struggles Marie and I have shared make our twoness (to coin a creative writing term) all the more profound and unique.

One other baby I saw during my Toronto excursion:

His mistress told me his ears will come down when his skin stretches enough to accomodate his skull.  I almost hope they don’t!

But now about MY OWN baby, long anticipated and miraculously delivered.  It’s worth a fortune–brand new, 10.1 MP, gorgeous.  And I got it for just $150.  The gods of Ebay and coincidence were on my side this time (finally!) and so was the God of answered prayer.  Here he is:  my very own Clark.  And following him are a few examples of what he’s been up to in the week I’ve had him.

It’s hard to believe that graduation happened nearly two weeks ago–harder yet to believe how far we’ve all traveled in the interim.  Prayers–prayers are what keep us not only connected, but involved in each other’s lives.  Much more than any numbe
r of hours spent on the Internet in a vain attempt to recreate something that is no longer!  My prayers are with you, my loved ones, and you are precious to me.

For those of you returning to BFA in the fall–and for those of you I’ll see this summer–can’t wait for Clark and me to be able to make YOU one of our favorite subjects!  (Be forewarned, Creative Writing Class and High School Choir, it’s going to be a photo-friendly year!)