Things I Wish I Had Pictures Of

Church Ladies: I am a member of a singing group at church called the "Church Ladies" (we toyed with the idea of calling ourselves the "Holy Cows" but thought this might offend some members of the group). Not only are we about music, we are also about wardrobe. Our wardrobe mistress, Gwynn, recently returned to the group after undergoing chemotherapy. Her hair is back, and her wardrobe aplomb was never gone. For this holiday performance last Sunday, she suggested that we wear Christmas-ball earrings. I said, sure, I'll wear those, thinking they would be actual earrings. But oh no, they were actual Christmas balls, of the kind that would be at home on a full-size tree. Red, silver, green, gold - each church lady took ornament hooks and threaded them through her ears and hung a pair of matching ornaments on them. If you moved your head too fast, you got a bit of whiplash. But we were festive. Yes we were. And the singing wasn't bad either.

Scenes from the Park: When it was nice weather - really, up until this week - I went for a daily walk with Audrey. Typically, we walked across the street to the park and looked at the ducks (a big hit), or smelled the roses (she didn't get it) or looked at the dogs in the dog park (very exciting). I don't take anything with me, just my keys, and Audrey in the carrier. So I've missed a few photo opportunities. Including

• Meeting another baby named Audrey - she was 8 months old and playing at the playground with her parents and older sister.


• Walking away from the dog park and seeing a woman coming toward it with her dog - I said to Audrey, "Look, a dog!" and as the women passed me, she said to the dog, "Look, a baby!" in the same tone of voice.


• Audrey on the baby swing - which is HUGE for her, but she leans up against the front and it must feel like the carrier (it hits her in about the same spot on the chest). I squat in front of the swing and hold her hands and push her back and pull her forward, and she just smiles real big!