After Word

Since Heidi's friend and mentor passed away unexpectedly in early August, we have had two babies born to close friends and family. New life is always something to celebrate, but these two little ones also brought bittersweet reminders to appreciate the present, even as we joyfully consider their limitless futures. 

Coincidentally, the first was born on French's birthday, and the second? Shares his first name.

Itsy Bitsy and Me

I admit I was a little alarmed when what I thought was a bit of hair on the shower wall started crawling my way, but I was already turning on the water, and within seconds the stall was in a downpour. And while I didn't mean the spider any harm, I doubted its survival skills in the face of such a deluge. 

But I was wrong. That arachnid found the tiniest overhang between two subway tiles and contracted its tiny body into an even tinier speck. Oh, I could have washed the spider out, but frankly I was impressed by its staying power, and we shared the space without incident as I conducted my shower routine. 

Once the water was turned off, the plucky little attercop popped out and resumed its full size. I used a paper cup and an index card to capture it before it climbed back up the water spout and disappeared into the bathroom, and it stayed there while I toweled off, moisturized, dried my hair, and got dressed. 

Soon enough, though, I released it on the upstairs deck railing, where it immediately spun a drop line and skittered off into the October morning. 

Power of Yet

I was disappointed to read that the team I wrote about the other day didn't find conclusive evidence to finally solve the mystery of Amelia Earhart's final days, but I appreciated the growth mindset in the subject line of the email update. "The search for Amelia continues," it read, and the message ended with an upbeat summary, capped by a quote from Earhart: "Adventure is worthwhile in itself."

The Pear Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

Lately, Heidi has been crazy about pears. After I bought a bag with a half dozen pretty pears, she's been enjoying one every night after dinner, and we're on our 4th bag. Coincidentally, she received what seemed like a spam email message from her late dad, with the subject line "Pear Season." 

It turned out to be an annual reminder that Gary set for himself to start eating pears in September. Her brother still manages their dad's email account, and he forwarded the message with affection. 

"Pears are definitely like that," Heidi laughed. "You never think you want them until you have a good one. I guess my dad didn't want to forget that!"

Local Color

We wanted to walk somewhere new, but we didn't want to drive too far, which is a pretty big challenge when you've lived in the same area since 1989. 

I hemmed and hawed about it all day, until finally, around 4:30, it occurred to me that despite seeing them scores of times while whizzing by in cars, I'd never actually walked around the Marine Corps Monument and the Netherlands Carillon, so off we went. 

I didn't think parking would be a challenge at that time of day, and I was right, but our plan to add a loop through Arlington Cemetery was a no-go since they closed at 5. Even so, we put together a couple of miles, spent some time admiring both landmarks and the view, and enjoying the crisp fall weather. 

And we even got a carillon concert!

The Scoop

I assumed it was clickbait when I saw the social media caption this morning: "Is the Mystery of Amelia Earhart Solved?" Rather than feed that wolf, I opened my browser and searched for myself to see if there was any recent news about the pilot who disappeared nearly 90 years ago. 

To my surprise? There was! 

A joint expedition from Purdue University, Purdue Research Foundation, and the Archaeological Legacy Institute was, at that very moment, aboard a ship anchored off Nikumaroro Atoll in Kiribati to investigate the "Taraia Object." Someone spotted the object in Apple Maps in 2020, and subsequent research has shown images of it in the lagoon of this uninhabited island, on and off, since 1938. According to Purdue News, the team will be ready to announce tomorrow whether it is an airplane. 

My interest was piqued, and further investigation revealed that this atoll has long been considered a likely place where Earhart's round-the-world attempt ended. Over the last nine decades, people have found many artifacts there that can be circumstantially linked to Amelia and her navigator, Fred Noonan, including freckle cream, shoes, a U.S. medicine vial, a 1930s jackknife, glassware, aviation parts, and human bones, but nothing conclusive. 

So, heads up, reader! Tomorrow could be a day like September 1, 1985, when Robert Ballard found the Titanic, and one of the most enduring mysteries of our lifetimes could be solved.

Whatever it Takes

Heidi was home a little early today so that we could take Lucy to the vet. Once our dog got a [relatively] clean bill of health, I suggested going to the gym.

"But what about my baby?" Heidi asked in alarm.

"Lucy will be fine," I shrugged. "We won't be gone that long."

"No!" Heidi said. "What about my other baby?"

I thought for a minute. "Pebbles?" I asked, and she nodded. "I guess we can stop to see her on our way home."

"Fine!" Heidi replied. "But I'm only going because I get to hold the baby after."