Mother's Day

Americans are pretty rare here in Tenerife, but there are a few. I met one by pure chance in Santa Cruz last Fall, and she ended up inviting me to an American luncheon this past December. There were about 12 of us in total, most of which have lived on this island for many many years. In general, they don't hang out with each other, but they do get together around Christmas every year. It was a fun time.

Other than MaryAnne, the first girl I met, I hadn't heard from or seen any of the Americans since... until this past Sunday. Two of the ladies are in the orchestra and have birthday's close to each other. They throw an annual party/picnic for some of their friends and fellow musicians, and, this year, the rest of American ladies were also invited. Four of us and our families were able to join. Since we didn't leave until after the boys took their nap, we arrived a little late, but it was still a good time. Everyone brought food and drinks and the adults chatted while the kids played. There were a couple of other children a little older than the boys, but they all seemed to have fun exploring, playing, and getting really dirty.

After about 3 hours, as the sun was going down, it started to get colder and everyone was tired. So we all said our goodbyes, and headed back home for baths and sleep. Even though it was a multinational group, I almost forgot I was in Spain for a moment...

"Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children." ~ Charles R. Swindoll