Lake Superior (and lots of dinners)

I am playing single mom again.

But, given my mood, taking advantage of invitations and supports even more than last time.

Monday night I went to my sister's ILs house for dinner (along with my sister and her husband and another friend). Benjamin LOVED it. They have a little dog, which he chased around panting for the first half hour. He loved running loops around their circular floor plan (something that is not a feature of the places he normally spends time). He loved climbing their stairs and playing with their dishwasher buttons. He loved climbing the stairs. He loved the old fashioned high chair he could slide down in (no crotch bar). He loved the food. He loved the porch w the couch he could stand on and look out all the windows. He loved being the center of attention!!

The last two nights, Tuesday and Wednesday, we went out to my parents house and had dinner with my Dad (Mom was working evenings). My parents live 15 minutes "up the shore" from my house (the shore being Lake Superior's northern shore). The fastest way to get there is to hop on the 4-lane freeway that runs 1/4-1/2 mile inland from the shore. The "Scenic Highway" runs right along the shore but is slower. The last two nights I have taken it home, right around sunset. The slightly longer drive is more conducive to Benjamin falling asleep anyways.

Both nights it was beautiful, but two very different kinds of beautiful.

On Tuesday, the lake was glassy calm, silver and reflective, picking up the pink and orange hues from the sky. Very serene. I couldn't resist snapping a picture and sending it to DH.

On Wednesday, it was very windy out. The lake was stormy - steel blue and slate, spitting and snarling, occasional waves crashing against the ice-packed shore. I could not resist stopping at Brighten Beach to take a closer look and listen. Sometimes I have the urge to touch the lake. I don't know why, I have always been like that (my mother can attest to the occasional totally random request to stop and touch the lake...). Unfortunately today I could not actually touch it, because the ice pack on the shore made that unsafe. You really can't tell where the shore ends and the ice begins.... also the drive home wasn't quite long enough for Benjamin to be asleep, so I kept driving. I drove into the city and up the hill (Piedmont), then back across Skyline. Its not a part of town I get to often. When I came up, the view took my breath away. This is not something I say often! I was surprised by how much the view suprised me! LOL. So wide open. I should go up there more often.

Got home and put Benjamin to bed. He has been sleeping ever since.