Nove 9, 2016 A Day We Won't Soon Forget

Last week my grandson Dylan and I made plans for him to spend the night on Tuesday night. Wednesday was his day off of work and we planned to go to ACC and get paper work done for college. YAY! Tuesday evening I was planning on a quiet celebration of the victory of Hillary Clinton's Presidential win. As the evening progressed, it became apparent that wasn't going to happen. I woke up Wednesday in shock. My country was in shock. Nonetheless, Dylan had plans to go to ACC to plan his future. Spending the day with him, making plans for his future was a God send, just as he was a God send into my life the day he was born.

Dylan Ethridge at Austin Community College

The rest of my week was filled with talk of another kind of college. The electoral college. Clinton garnered more popular votes than her opponent but lost the election because of the archaic electoral college. WTF? Seriously. None of the major newspaper endorsed him. None of the living president endorsed him. Hollywood didn't endorse him. His hometown of NYC hates him. How could he have still bought the election?

I have cried more this week than I have cried in years. Grief and fear consumed me. I woke up crying from a dream on Thursday morning that was a repeat of the Spanish conquerer Cortez in the take over of Mexico from the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma.

Cortez  and Emperor Moctezuma

A steady steam of heightened bigotry, racist graffiti and hate crimes in the streets filtering into my peaceful life. A hateful patients at doctors offices telling a Spanish office manager to go back to his country because he had a slight Spanish accent. He wasn't even from Mexico, he was from Spain. An American sou chef in Dallas being told to speak English when a customer heard him speaking Spanish to his grandmother.This isn't just about an election. This is about living in the land of the free, a diverse America. One where religion, skin color or sexual orientation or place of birth aren’t liabilities or deficiencies or moral defects. It is about inclusion and connection. It's about building bridges, not walls. But darkness won. The person who ran a campaign of fear and exclusion and isolation won.A very selective America won. One that is largely white, straight and Christian.

In the past few days safety pins have taken on a new meaning in the country. Some Americans are wearing safety pins as a symbol of solidarity with victims of racism, homophobia and religious discrimination. People have spoken out on Twitter to say that their safety pins show that they are an ally to marginalized groups. #SafetyPin shows I will protect those who feel in danger because of gender, sexuality, race, disability and religion. You are safe with me!

Meanwhile, I have been praying for a miracle. Not being specific about what kind of miracle because I have no idea what is in store. Just a miracle to give me hope and the courage to carry on.

Dylan's Summer Vacation in Dallas

My dear friend Danny Roy Young used to say that if he'd known being a grandfather was going to be so much fun, he would have done that first. I have to agree. My adorable 16 yr old grandson Dylan went to Dallas this week to hang out. The biggest draw was a ticket to go to the Ranger's game with Richard. It has been a blast. He took 30 photos at the game. I think he loved it!

It was a first time experiment with the MegaBus and there was definitely a learning curve observed by all. You have to purchase your tickets online because there is no bus station. In most cities there are tents set up on a street corner. In Dallas, the Dart Transfer Center on Olive Street downtown is used. If you purchase your ticket early, you can get it for as little as a dollar, full price is $25. The buses are nice, double decker with WiFi. Again, no bus stations so bring food and drinks with you and tag you luggage before you leave home. 

So the night after the Ranger's game, Kathy came by and we went to Torchy's Tacos and then for a late night ride around Dallas. She showed us all the buildings and places that meant something to her in her childhood as well as the new stuff in Dallas. What fun! 

Yesterday we spent the day at the Arboretum, walking around in the 102 degree heat.... it was lovely. Absolutely the most amazing gardens I have ever seen, however I think that maybe a stroll around the gardens in October might be a little more pleasant. We cooled down with a smoothie that was more like a slushy.... nice! 

It has been a fun summer vacation. We made lots of memories. We had Hypnotic Donuts, went to White Rock Lake, Dylan and Richard saw a Ranger's game, Dylan ate sushi twice, we made our obligatory trip to several athletic stores to find the perfect Ranger's jersey, we ate Torchy's Tacos, we drove around Dallas at night, we spent 3 hours walking around the Arboretum in the 104 degree weather looking at flowers, took a trip to the Army Store and a LONG Saturday afternoon drive by the location where "Gas Monkey" is filmed.... and fun was had by all making memories.

You're my buddy, my pal, my friend

I feel so incredibly fortunate when I am hanging out with my grandsons and working in my studio.  This week is going to be a busy one preparing for the "Dia de los Muertos" show on Saturday. Fortunately, Dylan spent the weekend with me this past week and helped me get some of my polymer clay pieces made. He is a worker. He always does his best and never complains. When I grow up I want to marry someone just like my grandson! LOL. Seriously, there is always a sense of peace and fulfillment when I am just hanging out with Dylan. I am hoping that when I am long gone that he will be able to share great memories with his children and grandchildren of the days we spent in my studio, in my garden and in the kitchen creating. It warms my heart to know that he feels the same about me. He has lived 40 miles away since he was in the second grade so most of our conversations are on the phone but it seems that when I do go pick him up in New Braunfels, as soon as he throws his backpack in the back seat and jumps in the car, he has profound questions that he appears to save up between visits. I used to think "How cool is that that he saves them for me?" Now I realize he is just that relaxed and cool all the time. At any rate, I am happy to do my part, I openly share all my tricks of the trade and knowledge from the school of hard knocks. I even email him info that I wish someone had shared with me as a teenager.

Today my lesson for my children and grandchildren is from Steve Jobs.
Seven Rules of Success by Steve Jobs

So there are those practical lessons that Steve Jobs shared and then there are those lessons that you can only learn in your grandma's art studio, kitchen and garden. And as much as I have taught my grandsons... they teach me so much more and I feel so blessed that they are my own personal little angels.

Here is my musician grandson, Andrew playing my bass when he was 2 years old. He is now 4 years old and awaiting a new brother or sister.... I am so blessed.

Here's the lyrics to a song by Willie Nelson that I would like to dedicate to my grandsons.

I've Loved YOU All Over the  World

You're my buddy, my pal, my friend
It will be that way until the end
And wherever you go, I want you to know
You're my buddy, my pal, my friend

And I've loved you all over the world
You are my sunshine
You keep my life in a whirl
And you love me sometimes

I'll always follow my heart
Wherever it takes me
And until death do us part
I'll love you all over the world

I'll always follow my heart
Wherever it takes me
And until death do us part
I'll love you all over the world

~ Willie Nelson