2021/11 Ship's Log

In December I will make a change to the structure of my website that will break nearly every existing link. If you’re curious, read reasons to migrate to a digital garden.

Random thought: freedom from spiritual enslavers

We made the mistake of visiting the Kohl Children’s Museum on a weekend. So many people… But we managed to get a few photos that’ll serve as better memories than the press of crowds, the noise of a hundred toddlers, and the price of admission.

Royal in a play car next to another boy in a crowded room. They're staring at one another.
This little boy pushed Royal right after this photo, but he took it well. Life with Graham has built his resiliency.
Graham playing with a wooden train set, the piece that rotates to select a new track.
There were three train tables where Graham spent most of his time. When he gets time to sink into play, he's happily focused.

Amie and I took a date night last Friday at the Botanic Garden’s Lightscape event. Here are a selection of photos. It snowed the entire time, but you could hardly tell. The effect that the snow had on the colors, however, was beyond description. It was the most awesome worship service I’ve attended in a long time.

Amie and Alex below a huge arc tunnel of white lights.
Near the entrance to the event is a light-tunnel. Brilliant!
Amie standing in a courtyard colored like a stained glass window from light cast by a many-colored cube.
A rubic cube kaleidoscope made this astonishing effect in this courtyard. Unlike most pictures, the colors stand out more in the photo than I noticed live!
Light cast upon trees and shrubs turns them into vivid reds and florescent pinks and yellows
This section was like walking through Alice in Wonderland.
Lights turn a set of trees blue, with veins of green and red.
There was so much to see-you wouldn't believe the videos we took-but I don't want to spoil the surprise. You gotta see it for yourself!

Amie had an endoscopy today because she’d had trouble choking awhile back. When the doctor was looking around, however, the doctor didn’t find the customary scarring, just some swelling, and so didn’t do anything. They took a biopsy, but otherwise that’s it. Amie’s been hurting the rest of the evening from bloating caused by the anesthesia. You don’t know till you know, you know?

It was our best Halloween excursion yet! Graham, Royal and I dressed up as old men, Amie and Kati Ray were the photographers. We made it back to the apartment with a stash of candy and loads of compliments. Victory!

Amie painting Graham's face with old-age lines.
Amie did the face paint. Graham wasn't sure about it, but he went through with it after watching her put face paint on Papa.
Amie painting Royal's face with old-age lines. Royal is scowling.
Royal went straight from naptime to face-paint. He stared at Papa for a while with a confused expression not much different than this one.
Graham wearing his old man costume, complete with grey hair, bushy grey moustache and PVC walker.
Graham was the happiest old man of the bunch.
Royal in his old man costume, wearing a red sweater vest, golfer's hat, and pushing a walker
Damn it, got my wheel stuck again!
Alex, Graham and Royal wearing their old man costumes. Graham and Royal are sucking on red suckers.
COVID's aged our family...