A Short Update

I haven’t posted in a while, and I thought I would try and give a small update on what has been going on with me. This is by no means an excuse for why I have been slacking on posting, but I want to make a record of events that have been important recently.

Since the end of April, my Mom had surgery to help fix her cubital and carpal tunnel issues on her right arm. She has informed me that I made a pretty great nurse while she was recovering. I was up with her before work, and helped her get all her things together for lunch, and was an assistant to tasks that proved difficult due to her dominant hand being the one that was healing.

The weather has also improved. This meant that my household has been out in the yard working on cleaning up after a Wisconsin winter. Now the gardens are full of color, and the yard has become a gathering space once again. Days like Memorial day were full of yummy food from the grill, and fresh produce that has officially become available in the surrounding area. With the good also comes the bad, so we have had a storm or two. The biggest one of note actually knocked a couple of large branches off our trees in the front yard, and punched a small hole in our roof. The fix was pretty quick and thankfully the only real damage done.

We celebrated my Dad’s birthday as well! My father has always been my superman, and he is the reason that I am a loud and proud geek. He has taught me that being passionate about something is never a bad thing, with a few exceptions obviously. He has always loved superheroes, and has passed that love on to his children. Superman is a favorite of his, so my Mom and I got him a zip up hoodie with the Superman logo on it. At one point he was wearing it over one of his Superman t-shirts and had the zip at just the right spot that it looked like when Clark Kent is changing into his super suit. I got a pretty good giggle out of that, and had to take a picture. My Dad thought it was awesome as well, and proudly posed for the picture.

The live action Lilo and Stitch movie came out in theaters and I went to see it with A. I got crafty and made some Stitch ears for us to wear, along with our Stitch shirts. When I sent a picture of me wearing them to my aunt, she told me that her daughters declared that they both needed a pair as well, due to them also being major Stitch fans. As soon as word got out that I was making Stitch ears, my list of requested pairs only got longer. I ended up making seven pairs of ears, including a pair for A.’s daughter, who recently became obsessed with Stitch.

As for how the movie went, I have to say that I still prefer the original. It is what I grew up with, so there are lots of happy memories attached to it. That said, I do think that they did a good job with the live action. There were moments that pulled on my heart strings, and I think they did a decent job of trying to relate to modern issues without completely messing with the original story.

Lots has been happening lately, and I am going to try my best to post more often. Fingers crossed that I keep my promise.

P.S. Please wish my Grandma and her twin sister L. a very Happy Birthday today!

Cursive: A Right of Passage

In case you didn’t know, I teach my cousin as an English touter. (Turns out to be a perk of having a degree in writing that I didn’t know about.) ;) Recently I was chatting with my younger cousin and found out that due to when he was going through school, he only had one lesson on writing in cursive. According to him, they barely taught him how to write his name and then never talked about it again.

This idea kind of boggled my mind. When I was in 3rd grade I spent countless hours learning how to make each letter stroke for stroke. Writing my name became an art project. I was amazed at how fancy my name looked. Then afterwards, I saw changes in my printing penmanship as well. Letters that used to be nothing but sticks changes and morphed into these round curly shapes. Thankfully it made my hand writing easier to read, and I think that it has maintained a decent pretty quality to this day.

What really made me sad about the phasing out of cursive in school, is that another of my cousins couldn’t read the hand written well wishes written to her and her fiancé on cards at their baby shower. These beautiful messages had to be translated for them as if they were written in a different language.

I am grateful that I learned and can read cursive. That means I get to keep the notes from my elders and reread them whenever I feel the need. I love that I have a box with cards that mark special moments in my life, and that I get to hold those moments closer because of this skill.

Thankfully I am able to teach my cousins enough that they should be able to learn to read those heartfelt messages and be able to treasurer them as well.

Letter to the Future

Recently one of my friends had her second child, and it got me thinking. Maybe, someday, they might need to hear some advice or memories that I have to share. So here is a letter to W. and A., her children, from an honorary auntie.

Dear W. and A.,

Who knows if you will ever actually read this, but I thought I could at least try and leave some form of a note for you in case you need this somewhere down the line. You two were/are my first try at being an adult figure for children. Of course I babysat back in high school but it is different when one of your best friends has kids. With that fact in mind I have a few things that I think you should keep in mind as you explore the world and this crazy thing we call life.

First I want you to know that your mother is one of my favorite people in this world. She has been there for me through quite a bit and has never once complained. You are incredibly lucky to have been blessed to call her your mother. Never forget that you got a good one and that I know for a fact that each day as you grow, she only loves you more and more than the day before. So don’t worry if you have to tell her that you screwed up or that something about you is different than the majority. She will love you just because you are her child. That will never change.

Second, being normal is vastly overrated. Some of the most interesting people I have met in my life are the ones with quirks. They look at the world from a different perspective, and sometimes that is exactly what you need, a fresh set of eyes. Surround yourself with the people who have dance parties while making dinner, and are so passionate about something that they can’t help but share that enthusiasm with the world. Without the type of people who are different from everyone else, we would never have gotten the advancements that make your life easier and more interesting.

Third, create art whenever you can. You may not be hanging in galleries across the country, but you will have a creative spirit. That spark can take you places you only dreamed of. Art is one of the purest forms of self expression, and sharing that with the world is a beautiful thing. Trust me, at least you will be able to decorate your future homes with things that matter to you.

Fourth, know that there is no one right way to do things. If there was only one correct path in life, we would all be the same. Having a world filled with diverse people confirms that there are an infinite amount of ways to move forward with your life. Whatever you attempt, if you get frustrated because it is not working out like you hoped, try another angle. You two are such unique people that there has to be a path that is completely your own.

And lastly, celebrate with your friends. Your mother and I have been there to cheer each other on since high school. I got so excited when she told me that she was expecting you, both times. She was thrilled for me when I had my knee surgery, and then showed her the scars that meant I was healing. When life gives you people that you just connect with, make sure to celebrate their wins and take an interest in more aspects in their lives than just them as a person. It will only show them how invested you are in the friendship and make it that much more rewarding.

You two are incredible and I am honored to be part of your lives. Watching you grow and learn is a true joy. I hope life is easy for you, and that you always know that you have some place to turn should you need it.

Your honorary Auntie,

K. F. Wiltrout