Sam Horne and Carmen Wren Beckett spent the last two days with me. They are University of Maryland students who live in Takoma Park, MD just NE of Washington. D.C. They plan to be married in August, and I'm excited to be planning to attend their wedding, which will be a Quaker service.
I've known Carmen since she was about two years old. She was a very independent little girl and had a mind of her own. Her mother wisely home-schooled her and she proved to be a natural learner with definite likes and dislikes. She and her parents moved away to Elkton MD when she was about 6 or so. But they continued to come for visits as Carmen's mother, Leslie, who I had met as a girlfriend of my son, Alan's, and I had grown to be very close friends. Leaving me very disappointed and Alan heart-broken (for awhile) Leslie married someone else, Spencer.
Eventually, Spencer became welcome at Castle Yonder too, and either or both parents would bring Carmen to visit. One of her favorite things to do was to go to the comic book store in downtown Bristol. She was a fan of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.
Mimi and Carmen, close friends already, at the comic book store.
And then she discovered the Jonesborough Storytelling Festival and came several years in a row to attend it with me. I remember she loved Patrick Bell and Carmen Deedy. She's about 14-15 here. Before she left that year, she asked if I'd be her Grandmother.
So I now refer to her as my "foster granddaughter."
I've known Carmen since she was about two years old. She was a very independent little girl and had a mind of her own. Her mother wisely home-schooled her and she proved to be a natural learner with definite likes and dislikes. She and her parents moved away to Elkton MD when she was about 6 or so. But they continued to come for visits as Carmen's mother, Leslie, who I had met as a girlfriend of my son, Alan's, and I had grown to be very close friends. Leaving me very disappointed and Alan heart-broken (for awhile) Leslie married someone else, Spencer.
Eventually, Spencer became welcome at Castle Yonder too, and either or both parents would bring Carmen to visit. One of her favorite things to do was to go to the comic book store in downtown Bristol. She was a fan of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.
Mimi and Carmen, close friends already, at the comic book store.
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| On this most recent visit, Carmen said, "Why did my parents let me go out looking like that?" I thought she looked cute (and I still do). She's a young teenager here. |
So I now refer to her as my "foster granddaughter."
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| And here Carmen is on this visit. A sight for nostalgic eyes. |
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| She is now 23 years old, is making wise career decisions, and still knows what she likes and dislikes. Thankfully, she still likes me. |
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| This weekend, we spent time knitting. Carmen is an amazing knitter. When I saw her web page, I said to myself, "I've been knitting for 50 years, and I can't knit like that!" Yesterday, she gave me a lesson in using a circular needle! |
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| Sam is in his late 20's and will enter graduate school in the fall to get his teaching certification. He plans to teach Middle School and is passionate about history, especially the Civil War. With this generation, the computers come along on trips. |
Friday, Sam and Carmen went on a hike while I made brownies. We ate out at a Japanese restaurant, then watched The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo on BlueRay. Note Sam's scarf above knitted by Carmen. She's an expert on sox, too!
And here we are this morning, Foster GrandMimi and Granddaughter, she in her traveling clothes and me still in my bathrobe. Big hugs and kisses and looking forward to a beautiful wedding on August 20.
