Truett and I are off to Charlotte, NC tomorrow for the Stained Glass Association summer conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the past I have loved those conferences because they were held in the eastern part of the US, then the middle, then the western part. For over 30 years our family traveled to the SGAA summer conferences...and we took our children as long as they were willing to participate happily. I think about age 14 the kids stopped wanting to go because of friends, or with the anticipation of meeting a boyfriend, girlfriend, or the opportunity to do unexpected extiting, undercover things. (You have to ask Merry Jennifer and Clay about that.)
Anyway, Truett and our family have traveled all over the United States for the past 30+ years. Memorable sites include NAPA Valley in California, Yosemite National Park, Grand Canyon, Washington DC, Louisville, Jackson Hole, Jacksonville, Kansas City , Columbus, Milwaukee, Corning, New York, Arizona, New Mexico ...and even Toronto where my daughter drank champagne for breakfast in a castle of the High Mayor of Toronto. Nevertheless, the list goes on.
We have fond memories of Clay chasing elk at Yosemite, Clay "doing rabbit-ears" on a magnificent English tapestry in Toronto, eating pounds of cherries in California, eating a an original logger's camp in Oregon, sending our children away on city busses for the day to a zoo or an aquarium, unchaperoned. (How terrible of us. We'd certainly not do that in today's world). However; I must tell you that going these places without our "young children" is not nearly as exciting as it was.
Mothers, if you are reading this, cherish those moments of bickering in the backseat, whining about, "Are we there yet?" I know young mothers and fathers today have their children riding in the back seats plugged up to cd's or dvd's; but I'm telling you now, COMMUNICATION with your children about what they're seeing on trips, what they're learning on trips is far more important and makes memorable motments for mothers and fathers and (eventually grandmothers and grandfathers).
I'll be gone for a week and I will miss the following blogs: "Just a little somehing", "Nothing is Ordinary", "Underwater Rays of Light", "On the Road and Staring at Buddah". These are my family's blogs.
Goodnight.
If you have access to computer, take us with you. I've never been to Charlotte. Amen to the comment about unplugging the kids and having them share the trips with you. There are lots of game to be played in the car...the map is a great tool.
Posted by: sherry | June 18, 2007 at 03:04 PM