In which idle conversation turns to thoughts of mortality

Today I have for you a disturbing edition of Conversations with Lucy (TM). While we were eating dinner, we had this conversation, which came out of a pretty ordinary and normal dinner-time conversation.

Lucy: Mom, you have lines on your face.
Me: Where?
Lucy: Above your eyes. When you go like that.
Me: You mean like this [making an angry face where there are deep furrows between my eyes]?
Lucy: Yes, but there are lines there. Why are there lines?
Me: Because I'm getting old.
Lucy: Are you going to die?
Me: [turning pale, fumbling] No! I mean, not for a long long time. That's not something you need to worry about.
Lucy: But if you die, we'll have to get a new Mommy.
Me: Oh, but Lucy, I'm not going to die until I'm much, much older, and when you're much, much older -- like when you're a mom of your own kids, or even a grandma. So you don't need to worry about it.
Lucy: But Mom, can we just have this conversation?
Me: [Stunned silence, in complete and utter shock that she has made this suggestion/demand.]
Lucy: If you die, we'll have to get a new Mommy.
Me: OK, but I don't think that's something you need to worry about.

From there, the conversation returned to normalcy, including discussion of what she dreamed about during nap time, whether Grandma likes mice, and whether or not her cousins like chocolate. I'm still recovering. And wondering when I can use the "can we just have this conversation?" ploy on her.

In other news, today was my last day of classes for the semester (hooray!). It was also my first day in my brand new office. Yes, the timing makes me laugh, too, since now that I don't have to meet with students for three months, I finally have a space where I can meet with students. Of course, after two entire semesters without an office, surely I have learned to live without such a luxury, and so have proven such things unnecessary. Well, maybe. But I'm happy to have a space to call my own. Now I just have to unpack all those boxes....once the bookshelves arrive.

There's a Lot to Like about Lowell

Seriously, there's so much to like about Lowell! We're in the middle of a weekend full of awesome Lowell-ness.



Yesterday, we spent some time at the Pollard Library. While we were there, Jake took our knives to be sharpened at Hank & Son's Locksmiths and Knife Sharpeners, where a maybe 60-ish year old man said he'd have his Dad sharpen the knives. Awesome. Then we got Lucy a haircut at Angela Salon.



Today, we went to Open Studios at Western Ave Studios, where they were having their Spring Art Thing.



Then, we went to Larry's Comics, our local (really local) neighborhood comic store, for Free Comic Book Day! We always mean to go there more often, as they are totally awesome.



Tomorrow, we're going to Carter's old school, All Breeds, for a celebration of doggie-ness.

Somerville Studios Saturday

We spent the day in Somerville with Ian & Elizabeth, enjoying their company and browsing through some of the artists studios for Somerville Open Studios.
We got lunch at Formaggio Kitchen's famous Saturday BBQ. It was awesome.

Another Conversation with "The Truth of Everything"

Today at dinner, I was telling a story about running into a former student of mine who plays on the basketball team. I mentioned that he had torn his ACL. Lucy asked for more information, and I explained that he had hurt his knee. Here's what followed (roughly):

Lucy: He has a boo boo on his knee?
Me: yes.
Lucy: The next time you see him and I'm with you can I see the boo-boo?
Me: Well, Lucy, this is the first time I've seen him in two years, so I'm not sure I'll see him again.
Lucy: Well, if we see him, will he play basketball with me? Because I know how to play basketball. And we can play at the Red Sox.

This conversation is dedicated to Uncle Brendan, who will be horrified that already, my daughter's go-to sports reference is the Red Sox, and, moreover, she believes that they play basketball. But on the up side, she knows how to play basketball. So she's got that going for her. That, and being the Truth of Everything (see previous post).

"The Truth of Everything"

The title of the post refers to Lucy's new title. She informed me, after I picked her up at school today, that she is "the Truth of Everything." I asked her what this meant, and she explained that she is good at finding things, so Simba gave her the name "The Truth of Everything." Mind you, Simba is her teddy bear. So her stuffed animal told her that she is "The Truth of Everything."

I pressed her on the whole concept while we were driving home, and she explained that she did not make it up, and that she hadn't heard anyone else use the phrase. I asked how Teddy had heard the phrase, and she told me that Teddy heard it on a song he was listening to on her purple radio. Again, the purple radio is one of the many imaginary items in Lucy's collection, which include, at last count: a pink computer, a blue computer, a green computer, several televisions, a purple radio, and a yellow suitcase. She sang a few bars of the song, which goes, roughly, "the truth of everything....the truth of everything...." and so on. I asked her who sings this new pop sensation. She informed me "the Ringos." Yup, the Ringos.

I think I might believe her. And that perhaps she is going insane. Or I am. The Truth of Everything, indeed.

School Pictures

Here's Lucy's first picture from school. She's wearing a dress I once wore. I'll have to dig up my version of this one.

As long as I'm posting, I'll share a few "Questions from Lucy" (TM) a new feature we'll be having here, hopefully regularly, or at least as regularly as "Conversations with Lucy" (TM).

• When you were a little kid, did you ever meet the Grand High Witch? (we've been listening to Roald Dahl's The Witches).
• Do sea turtles make sea salt?
• Do monkeys have noses?
• Can you get the recipe for Fig Newtons?

(Some) Faith in (some) humanity restored

This afternoon, the doorbell rang, and it was a woman holding my wallet. As you may recall, my wallet was stolen while I was grocery shopping at Hannaford last Thursday evening. As suspected and suggested, the thief ran off with the wallet, grabbed anything worth grabbing (cash, gift cards) and tossed the rest not far from the Hannaford. The kind stranger who showed up at my door had done her best to reassemble it and had managed to collect all the cards and such out of the dirt, and brought them back to me. She even tried to track me down at my office (I wasn't there) so she drove over to our house.

So I have all my cards back, and even my change and T-token. And obviously, the wallet itself. I've already canceled the cards and ordered a new license and University ID, but still, there were a few random things in there that I had forgotten were in there, so it's nice to have it back. It's also nice to know that no one is out there trying to steal my identity (oh, and you know my identity is so coveted!). I was also very very grateful to the woman who drove across town with a stranger's wallet. It was a great kindness. I feel foolish for never asking her name. Thank you, stranger. You have renewed my faith in human decency, at least for some portion of humanity.