Monday, August 9, 2010

Bubble Baths By The Bay

Before I post this I want to apologize to my friends that have heard me tell
this story 100 times in women's groups!
We have something that you don’t often see.
It is a bathtub that is OUTSIDE the house.
It is an old claw foot that we picked up
while we were remodeling the house.
It weighed too much to put in the upstairs bathroom
- so-
we did what no normal person would do.
We put it on the patio that faces the Bay.
We even piped in hot & cold water...
That can be shut off for winter freezes.
What fun that old tub has turned out to be!
After the kids have rolled in the grass
and played hard in the sunshine
they get to take a bubble bath outside.
We watch the sun set
and the moon rise.
It is an awesome experience
and the conversation
ranges from light hearted and bubbly to
DEEP THOUGHTS.
One balmy and beautiful evening
proved to be conducive
to some deep bonding ~
a time when one generation
reached across an invisible boundary and
touched the soul, and heart of another.
Ria, with her sweet & whispery little voice,
started by counting the stars.
She was amazed that there were more stars
than she could ever count.
She asked me if that was where Heaven was.
I told her I didn’t know exactly where heaven was
but that it was somewhere beyond this Earth.

She asked if I thought the stars were little lights
that guided the Angels.
I told her that they could be just that.
We started naming stars for the people
that we thought might be angels.
Were my Mom & Dad there, she wondered.
I told her they were.
She wondered if her sister, Anna Bella
might be "up there".

I told her I thought so.
Then she asked me why people had to die.
Before I could answer
Lulu jumped in with her perfect logic.
"Ria", she said, "When you get to be as old as Nana
just about everyone you know is dead!
Besides that~if no one in your family ever died
you wouldn’t have enough chairs for people to sit on
when they came over...
and just think about having to buy presents
for everyone at Christmas time if nobody ever died."

"Wow! I thought-
I never looked at it that way before..
but now that you mention it...
That sure sounds like a logical answer to me!
However, to move away from the thoughts
of death and dying,
I pointed to the full and ripe moon that hung low in the sky.
"Look," I said,
"It’s God’s flashlight that he uses".
(I stole that from my brother, by the way)-
(thank you very much Charlie)
Ria softly, and with great wonderment, asked,
"It is?"
"I think so", I replied.
SweetCheeks looked at me with suspicion
darkening her brow....
"Nana," she said, "Sometimes
I think youah isss just imaginataging things!"
And so I am!
I am imagining that someday
these precious and beautiful children
will look back and
remember a warm summer night
in an outdoor bathtub-
being watched over by the moon
and a Nana that loved them.
your photo name

10 comments:

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Such a sweet post and how cool having an outdoor tub. They will certainly treasure these sweet memories.

Bonnie@Creative Decorating said...

Oh Diana! That is just such a wonderful story that it brought tears to my eyes! You have a wonderful relationship with the grandkids!!

What an awesome thing to have that tub outside. Kind of like a hot tub without all the maintenance!! I might have to remember this one for our "retirement" home!!

Thank you for the sweet comments on my laundry room. I spend so much time in there that I think it deserves to be enjoyable!!

You do look at things so long that you start to not see them anymore!

Blue Creek Home said...

You have made me smile, laugh, and almost cry with this sweet, sweet story. I feel sure these babies will indeed always remember this.
They will go on to tell their children too.
Don't you love being able to teach, have fun, and make wonderful memories with them?
Thanks...I needed that!
Rhonda

Pam Kessler said...

That bathtub is such a cute idea. I like Lulu's logic on the topic of death. Makes sense to me. Sorry you are in the category of so old that all your friends are dead though.

Heaven's Walk said...

Hey sweet friend! You tugged at my heart with this one, girl. What a sweet memory and you told it so wonderfully! You are one perfect gramma, for sure. I ADORE the outside tub, too! What a rockin' idea! Now....when I come over THERE, can I take a bubble bath, too....? I promise to bring some wine.....?

xoxo laurie@heavens-walk

NanaDiana said...

Laurie-My tub is your tub~lol~ However, I will NOT be getting in it WITH you-this is still a small town and you know how people are! lol I need to get something rigged up over it. I am thinking maybe a trellis with some curtains-some pots of vines growing up over it to the far back side? The little kids absolutely love it.

Thanks everyone for the wonderful comments. I am sooo blessed to have such hands on with these grandkids. There is another set of grandkids that is missing from our lives (another story for another day) so-the time spent with these 3 and Mimi's liite BabyEEEEFAN is extra special and heartwarming. Yeah...too bad I am SOOOO old that almost everyone I know is dead, huh? lol Funny little monkey-and she was DEAD serious! Diana

Bella's Rose Cottage said...

Hi Diana, A beautiful story:-)
The bathtub outside is a fond desire of mine... We had a in the dowstaris bath, we moved things around and I think I will use a smaller clawfoot tub in the future ao the tub has been sitting in the mudroom all summer waiting.. to sell.. set up outside, my husband finds that idea crazy... I find it crazy luxurious!
The teaset... I wonder about the receipt too... she was a lovely lady and the other dishes were the "real mcCoy" it seemed it was a gift to her mother and had been in the attic a long while... I kinda think she got took, and wonder if she knew it. I didn't stay to ask, I made a mad dash for the car:-))
Bella

Debbie~ said...

OMGoodness, you had me at, just mentioning the bubble bath outside. Then when I saw your grand kiddos, I was so jealous and finally with your beautiful candid talk with those wise ole souls of youth. It totally brought tears to my eyes! I can't even imagine the wonderful memories they're storing away about their times with Nana and her magical outdoor bubble baths! Thanks so much for sharing! Debbie @ Cottage Hann~Me~Downs

maddie/cadesmimi said...

wow, an outdoor tub! I love it! I used to want a tub like that. I loved the conversation that took place while in the tub, too. Good post!

Seawashed said...

thank you for your sweet comment today. I love this outdoor bath idea...I'm gonna have to remember this for my grandchildren...one day when I have some!