Just Thinkin'

Today was a difficult day. I can't explain why. My classes went well. I made specialty waffles for breakfast which seemed appreciated, but it was still a difficult day.
The time with my grandchildren is going so quickly, and I'm having difficulty processing it all. They were all quite tired tonight and ready to go to bed.
The rain let up long enough for the sun to warm the water a little. The two younger and I swam and baked goodies while the older and my husband took off for a youth meeting. She said she enjoyed it. They exhausted themselves and me with water volleyball, diving tricks and pranks. The tent I had set up in the back yard to dry from last weekend's campout dried today and I was able to get most of the gear put up.
The camping trip went okay. We went to Albert Pike State Park and hiked down to a awesome mile long boulder field on the Little Missouri River called 'The Winding Stair'. We only played in about a quarter mile of it-a quarter mile filled with deep pools, fast steep shoots, small water falls and huge boulders to jump from. The kids seemed to love it, at least for a time. But we didn't have an over abundance of time at the 'Winding Stair' anyway. On Monday we had planned to hike a little, swim a little and then go to the falls to play- another lovely natural water park. It rained on Monday so we waited, ate lunch in the Suburban and finally walked to the falls in the rain. Consequently, I didn't get pictures of the falls. You're not supposed to carry anything out of a wilderness or a state park, but no one told the chiggers.
Yesterday I began a painting with each of the girls. I think they didn't understand how it would play out and were a little reluctant to accept what I was telling them. Today, they both made good progress and I think they liked the results. One is almost finished, the other has a bit to do yet.
Something that happened today reminded me of Shel Silverstien's book "The Missing Piece." For the first time, I realized that the book is terribly one sided. It only tells the tale from the perspective of the wheel. I wondered how the wedge felt about the whole thing. What was its story sitting there unable to move, alone, searching passers by and hoping for that part that would allow it to be complete, to see the world, to join in. Then after a short period of acceptance and purpose, it was again cast aside to a lonely existence, perhaps forever! Sheeze Donna, it was just a story with a point to make.
The picture is from the Little Mo near Mena, Arkansas.