Mudpies

I don't kid myself that, as his Nonna, I'm going to be the biggest influence on G/Son's life. Heck, I'd be ecstatic if I wind up being half as big an influence as Batman and Spiderman. But one thing I'm determined to do is to help him to be out in nature, even when that means out in the wading pool in my back yard, floating mint leaves in the water. (His 'rents are even better at this than I am. Hiking is one of their main family activities, and they kayak whenever they're down at DiL's folks' place on the river. I wasn't good about getting Son outside. Their love of nature is, I guess, like playing the balalikya -- a gift.)

I do think that JMG is right; the "good times" as we've defined them, based upon cheap energy, are likely not coming back. I worry about what G/Son's future will be. But if, along with the difficulties that change will bring, people can re-engage with nature, maybe it won't be all bad. My goal for my time w/ G/Son is to gently invite him into that communication, to introduce him to all that I know of the Divine.