Thursday, January 27, 2005

An Unexpected Visit.

  On my way home from work yesterday, Mandy called ... she said that she was coming over. She has been home a lot on weekends, but on a Wednesday? This was an unexpected surprise!

     After raiding the fridge, she wanted to talk about meal planning, yep ... meal planning. Imagine my surprise when she told me that she wanted me to tell her everything I know about cooking, right now!

     "Write Your Own Cookbook" (I've started one for both of my girls) and pen in hand it was clear to see that she meant business. I was thinking to my self "Ahhh, Hello ... where have you been for the last 18 years?" lol

     We started with the basics, I talked and she took notes. She wrote in recipes and made lists of easy meal options. She had no interest in gourmet cookbooks, just the basics. You know ... the everyday stuff she has grown up on. We did this for over 2 hours.

      At 7:00 she went out for a while with a friend and I was off to my Photoshop Class, we both were home by 10:30. Somehow she was able to persuade me to take a late night drive to the beach just like we've done all of her life. We call it aimlessly wandering, driving with nowhere in particular to go. I think this is one of the things Angie and Joey miss most about being home. (have I mentioned lately that I miss Angie and Joey)?

     There's a lot of give and take in the music department when we are on these journeys, we're talking hard-core rap and hip-hop ... OK! I learned a long time ago that a little compromise goes a long way in allowing me extra one on one time with this girl while she was growing up. I think it allowed me to connect on a level that is normally reserved only for your friends and other liked minded people, I highly recommend it.

     In return she is usually game for turning the radio off so we can sing old songs that my friends wrote years ago, as loud as we can. I've been singing these songs real loud with my kids in the car for 21 years now:-)

     We did take a walk on the docks in Pompano, that's where we took the photo above. It was very late when we got home and maybe I did loose a little sleep last night but it was worth it. I spent the evening doing one of the things I love doing most ... nothing with Mandy!

     I'm sure that moments like these will be fewer and farther between as both of our lives begin to move in different directions but as for last night ... all was as it should be.

                                         *** Coy ***  

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Coy - that was precious!  It's hard letting them go!  Hugs!

Anonymous said...

what a perfect evening...it sounds like it was so fun....i enjoy doing one on one nights with my daughter also...they are times i will never forget...thanks for sharing the evening with us :-)

linda
http://journals.aol.com/lindainspokane/LifewithLinny
http://journals.aol.com/lindainspokane/LinnysLuciousLickings

Anonymous said...

doesn't it make you feel good when your grown kids hang out with you just because they want to!
Marti

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a nice day with Mandy.  So cool to drive to the beach late a night.  Can't do that here!
Sonya

Anonymous said...

that sounds soooo great.  you are one lucky mom, especially to have a girl.....that's the one thing i miss not having.  :(  

have a nice weekend!   phinney

Anonymous said...

I was the eldest of a large family and being a girl can have it's disadvantages. The advantage though was having a mum who made up for the lack of a sister (I was 14 when she was born and already had 3 brothers). As I grew into my teens we would share clothes and confidences. it was nice.
Sylvia
http://journals.aol.co.uk/sylviam4000/JottingsfromtheSticks/

Anonymous said...

This is an awesome entry, Coy! I think that the older Mandy gets the -more time- you will spend with each other. I love the idea of aimlessly wandering & singing really loud! Thanks for making me smile this morning!!! ~Ann : D

PS- Love the pics!!! : )

Anonymous said...

what a great way to spend some time together...treasure those moments Coy :-)

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful entry!  I try so hard to cherish the time I've got with my girls - it seems they grow up way too fast.  And what an awesome compliment - to want a slam dunk cooking lesson from mom!  (mine would NEVER come to me for that, even in desperation)

Thanks for sharing this...
=) kris
http://journals.aol.com/kristeenaelise/thedailypurge

Anonymous said...

Mandy is a very pretty girl. :)
it sounds like a lovely time, it's funny when you think your all grown up and ready to attack the world and leave all those things that remind you of childhood behind.  only to find, after a few months of being gone....that it's all you want sometimes.  I remember going through what mandy was going through, except I lived in Okinawa Japan, I couldn't go home.  so glad she's close enough to home, to come back and fill up when she needs too, so glad for you too.  :D

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful evening with your beautiful daughter.  My children and I often did things like that.  I miss those days, BADLY.  Enjoy them while you can. :-)

Monica
http://journals.aol.com/sonensmilinmon/SmilinMonsAdventures/

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a great night. Funny...I learned what NOT to do in the kitchen from my mom. LOL

Anonymous said...

Coy...Sounds like a wonderful day!
V

Anonymous said...

It sounds like you had a great time. It is evenings like this that are priceless. I too live in Florida but I live in Kendall(Miami). Have a great weekend.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a wonderful day spent with your daughter.  Its snowing outside right.  Wish I were in Florida!

Anonymous said...

I am happy for you. judi

Anonymous said...

What a good day.

Anonymous said...

These are the times to treasure....our children slip away much quicker than we expect.  I think it's always a little surprising when they come back and "touch base".  I certainly look forward to the times when I get to connect with my oldest.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a great day!
Love ya!
Connie

Anonymous said...

My brother and I did the same thing with our Mom.  All the wonderful comfort foods we had grown up with and Mom never had written the recipes down.  We wanted them so we made her cook all the different dishes and wrote down everything she did.  We all need to be able to make those comfort foods and enjoy the memories they bring back to mind.

Anonymous said...

Oh I would like to visit Florida but my only chance would be connected to the Super Bowl and I don't want to go!

Anonymous said...

It's a little different at my house. My daughter taught me to make a great chicken marsala, lol. Mine learned to cook at about age 12 from watching me, and she was always interested. It's something that seems to calm her. We don't have an ocean, so we do the same thing at the mall. However, I am the one who turns on the hip hop and the rap. Luckily, she likes it too :)
I also will always cherish these visits.
xoxo

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a blast.  Nothing better than being with those you love and doing absolutely nothing!  Have fun.

dave
http://journals.aol.com/ibspiccoli4life/RandomThoughtsfromaProgressiveMi

Anonymous said...

Hi Coy, nice to meet you.  Thanks for stopping by my journal, I may return next time for a recipe to add to your stash.  I enjoy Photoshop as well and think that your photos are nice.  

Anonymous said...

Nothing I love better then those "do nothing with the one you love" days....

Just gotta have them~!!

Great entry.. great photos~~

~the dancing wolf

Anonymous said...

How lovely for you. An unexpected visit from my grown son when we do things we enjoy is always a treat. Nelle

Anonymous said...

That is so neat. To have that type of relationshiop with yoru daughter. I hope tohave that one day with mine. Thanks for sharing that beautiful moment.
Jen
http://journals.aol.com/jjsilcocks/ADayInTheLife/