https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z78yLAe9-TM&feature=youtu.be
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Sunday I attended the performance of the Nutcracker Ballet. My grand girl Madeleine was the Snow Queen this year. She is amazing to watch. Tall and willowy, so graceful. She has such stage presence. She gets "lost" in her dancing and looks enraptured.
What is amazing to me, the whole family are so giving. They do most things together. When Karen and Mark took their 30th anniversary cruise--I thought, "How nice to get away. Just the two of them." Then I found out, they took all the kids with them. Now if that was me, I'd want to be alone with my husband, but not them. They love doing everything with their children--ages 30-19.
Maddie can get filthy, dirty cleaning up old tires from vacant lots in the middle of Detroit, and loves it.
Then she can get down and dusty in Guatemala, building houses, and loves it.
Then she can study to be a nurse and work for an elder care business. Take care of an elderly lady during the night, which entails changing the lady's diapers, etc, and loves it.
Then she can strap on her toe shoes and dance like a prima ballerina, and loves it.
She doesn't realize how pretty she is and she is so humble, she doesn't think she is doing anything out of the ordinary.
I am so filled with awe at Karen's family. There is never any discord. I have never seen any of the kids act like "normal" teenagers with all the snottiness and angst. All I can think of, it has to be their faith and their total togetherness. Boogles my mind!
"People" are not supposed to be backstage.
At intermission, her dance instructor saw me through the window in the stage door and came out and got me. Then she went and found Maddie and took this photo.
Usually we only see the dancers afterwards, when they are out of costume.
==============================I had a ball yesterday! Up to the Wal-Mart to get my tons of groceries for the month. Up and down the aisles, I saw so many little, short old ladies, and two in electric buggies, that I could help reach up to the higher shelves and get what they needed. I have never really liked being tall, but now--in my old age, I relish in it. On my way out of the store, I took all my left over change from last month (that I usually throw in my jug) and dropped it in the Red Kettle.
I got a carry out guy to take out my cart and lift the heavy can of kitty litter into the trunk for me and when I got home, John was driving by and stopped and carried in ALL my groceries.
What a great day!!
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Today's schedule is to get my hair cut at 2:30, stop at the post office to mail a Christmas prezzie to my "daughter" Chris in Texas and finish making my Christmas cards.
LIFE IS SO GOOD!!