Gomez, Cat of COG

I was reading in front of the fire and Gomez, Cat of COG was curled in a ball sleeping by my side. Suddenly, he put his head up, stood and jumped onto the green chest. I kept reading until I heard a noise. When I looked I saw that he had jumped into the top of the bookcase.

He waited long enough for me to get a picture, then jumped down. Oh what a proud, mysterious cat. Did you ever hear of a thing like that?

Halloween is taken seriously around here

We're close to Salem, where witchcraft is a cottage industry and Halloween means Haunted Happenings one of the major tourist events of the year.

I have a distaste for this aspect of Salem. My ancestors were around at the time of the witch trials, on the side of the accused, and it wasn't such a fun-filled event for them.

Don't get me wrong - I like Halloween, costumes and candy are always fun. There's just a terrible irony that Salem's tourist industry is based on witchcraft. And what now is billed as good clean family fun was one of the darkest chapters in the history of our country. Innocent people's lives were damaged forever by the Salem witch trials. Some died horribly.

I try to be a good sport about this, but every year at this time I think about the tragic consequences of religious intolerance and superstition. And I wonder how far we have come since then. That's how the dead are with me on All Hallow's Even.

Four Generations of Women

Our particular spur of mtDNA has made it another generation.

We are among the clan of Helena (Greek for light): 'by far the largest and most successful of the seven native clans with 41% of Europeans belonging to one of its many branches. It began 20,000 years ago with the birth of Helena somewhere in the valleys of the Dordogne and the Vezere, in south-central France. The clan is widespread throughout all parts of Europe, but reaches its highest frequency among the Basque people of northern Spain and southern France.'from Oxford Ancestry: the European clans

Which is pretty incredible, when you think about it.

More Adorable Baby Pictures

Are you sensing a theme here? These have never been seen by mortal eyes - hot off the Scandisk.

New Picture, just in

Tavie in her 3d week, taken by her first cousin, once removed (the Bride's family likes to keep exact track of relationships)

Tavie with Her Mom

Favorite pictures of Tavie from the first 2 weeks.

A near-smile, an intent gaze, a sweet almost awake face.

Day 5 Home at Last

Home at last, but Tavie wasn't as excited as everyone else. She took it in stride. This position - one hand by her head and one under her chin - is a favorite and captured in utero by ultrasound pictures.

Day 4, Waiting

On Day 4, everyone sat around and waited until Day 5, when Tavie could come home.

Youngest Red Sox Fan?

Also, Day 3, Tavie was introduced to her Mom and Uncle's favorite team. Just in time, too, because the good karma from her hat-wearing made them win the game that night.

Tavie Day 3

On Day 3, Tavie was moved from the special care nursery to her parents room, much to her parents relief and pleasure. Here she is with her Dad, The Son-In-Law of COG.

Tavie, Day 2

This picture was taken the day following Tavie's birth, in her mother's arms in the special care nursery. The little hats are knit by volunteers and were gifts to the babies and their families.

Welcome, wee Tavie

A first picture of our new granddaughter, Octavia Mary McCambridge - called 'Tavie'. 7 lbs 4 oz, 20 inches long. This was taken Oct 5, 2008 just a few minutes after her birth. She was very alert, responding to sound, looking intently at faces that spoke to her, and clearly trying to figure things out. I was very grateful to be able to spend a couple of hours with her right after she was born. My own babies were whisked away from me and not returned until hours later. The picture was taken with my phone, so it's not the greatest quality but it captures that smooshed face newborn-ness and the intensity of her alertness.