I am house and pet sitting for my sister while she is on a cruise. She has two small dogs and an old cat. All of them need various medications and foods. Last night was my first night staying. I have never stayed alone at her house before, so it is kind of strange. The animals have all been great. Last night the dogs slept with me. Not cuddled up like they do with my sister, but, on the bed and close to me.
Every day or so I think of something to write about. Then a few days go past and I have either forgotten, or don't feel like writing about whatever it was that seemed so great.
I spend a lot of time on Facebook. Some would say too much time. Never mind that right now. I was telling Nick the other day that I thought it was so cool all of the connections my various friends have with each other without even knowing it.
In one Facebook conversation, I was "talking" with someone who was a La Leche Leader in Guangzhou,China. Of course we were there 24 years ago, and she was there more recently, but we had that special connection. I asked her if she knew a friend of mine who has become a Lactation Consultant in Hong Kong. Yes, they do both know each other. Then, another LLL Leader joined in the conversation and when she learned when we were in China she asked if I knew her sister in law. Well, yes, she was at the US Consulate in Guangzhou when we were there.
I cannot remember what another conversation I was in was about. But I was "talking" with friends in Beijing, China, a friend in Paris, France, another in New Zealand and more in places I cannot recall.
For the last few days I have been on the Norwegian Genealogy Facebook page. I posted pictures of church and cemetery where my grandfather is buried- near Farsund, Norway. Someone said that her great grandparents are in the same cemetery. And another person on the group, a man who lives in Norway knows the family farm and house that my grandfather was born in. There are still members of the Kjorrefjord family living in that house
All of this makes me want to travel so much! I feel like I have people I want to meet face to face all over the world. Mainly from LLL, and the Facebook Groups.
On Tuesday I attended the weekly Breastfeeding Cafe' at Starbucks. There was a good turn out which surprised me because it was so cold. It was so nice to just listen to the moms talking to each other. Sharing wisdom and information that they have learned from me and shared with each other. I think they all know how special our Cafe' is. There is a constant change in faces as moms go back to work, or at the babies become toddlers and moms are not comfortable with the little ones running around and getting into things. Most of the time, the moms have been to our regular LLL meeting, or saw it online. A few moms have stopped to talk as they are getting their coffee and they end up staying.
It is such a great joy when a mom I have visited a month ago in her home, is now a very confident and comfortable nursing mom giving support to other, newer moms. Every now and then I am asked for advice or information, and I am usually able to pull out a book with the answers.
One of the little babies I got to hold on Tuesday was 9 week old Noah. He had that kind of "making eye contact with everything but me" kind of expression. Little babies space out and stare at who knows what. But then, Noah caught my gaze and he looked into my eyes and gave me the biggest,drooley, toothless grin. Not just with his mouth. His eyes smiled and his whole body wriggled with joy. I don't believe that I wriggled, but I know I smiled with joy.
I don't have any grandchildren, and don't know if I ever will. But I get to help moms with babies. I get to hold and smile at babies, I loved breastfeeding my own children and is was such a joy to me that I am passionate about helping other women. And I feel like a bit of a surrogate grandmother!
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