Sipping Imagination Through A Crayon

Back and relaxed from heading up to Nisswa for an extended lunch with my brother and his family, down through his grandson.

The drive was like a trip home to my childhood, though I grew up a few counties from there. The plants, weather, lakes, smells - all were familiar.  The drive was only 300 miles round trip, surprising me with how "saddlesore" I'd gotten by the time I was back home. After all, just a few weeks back I'd driver 1800+ miles in three days with no discomfort.

The restaurant, a place called Sherwood Forest, combined charm with a limited but delicious menu. I'd recommend it to anybody. A summer Friday lunch gave us enough of a quiet space that we felt perfectly OK to make it an actual family reunion without any pressure to keep quiet, hold an active 3-year-old to an adult standard of behavior, or eat quickly to clear up a table for others. The weather was perfect for eating out on their deck, so we all relaxed and enjoyed ourselves.

Star of the day, of course, was my grand nephew. While never motionless, he also never whined or had a tantrum. Being actively parented on both sides, he received the perfect combination of having his needs met and keeping his behavior in check. After the meal, the adults were still enjoying the occasion, some of us having not seen each other for 10 years. Little legs needed stretching, so planning ahead, Grandma wisely brought along a new pack of Hot Wheels, and the bench running along the outer rim of the deck provided a perfect racetrack for their use.

Pictures were taken. Of course. By the dozens. With the combinations of ages, geography, and lifestyles, who knew when a repeat might occur? Christmas family grouping shots were set with a forest backdrop. Candid shots were - attempted, at least, hence "candid" - during the meal. The most popular subject often moved from the perfect shot into a different expression, a turned head, a cap or cup in the way, any of a dozen other things to change the shot before the camera caught up with the event. (As they do: another great reason to no longer be limited by the expense of film.)

Returning home, I went through the results, my first step before what are often three levels of culling before saving the good pictures. One in there stood out, a real feat in a day of wonderful memories.

My great nephew had been given paper and crayons to distract him while we waited for food to arrive. We all got our drinks immediately, as usual, with his being fruit juice in a cup with a little spout. The picture shows him having inserted the pointy end of a red crayon in the cup spout, sucking on the other end as if it were a straw. No juice, but a full dose of imagination.