Margie returns carrying a buckskin cradle board; Melanie's birthday celebration
Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 4:00AM ;)
So here I am, in the car, driving to airport "arrivals" to pick up Margie. See the smiling Yup'ik face on the vertical stabilizer of the Alaska Airlines jet on the other side of the new terminal building? That is Flight 91, just landed, coming in from Seattle where she changed planes after leaving Phoenix at 7:00 AM. Margie is still on board, waiting for them to open the door to the terminal so she can get out and come to me.
;)
Soon, she is sitting beside me in the car, looking at a card that was sent by my niece Khena and husband Vivek. It has several pictures of their baby, Ada Laksmhi, half-a-year old now, highly intelligent, a full head of thick, black hair and, as you can see in Margie's expression, extremely cute.
She lives in Minneapolis. I hope we get to meet her, soon.
As for Uriah, he is home and has some healing to do, but is on the way to recovery.
;)
I ask Margie if she is hungry, and she is. She has eaten only a bagel since flying out of Phoenix more than seven hours earlier. "Where do you want to go?" I ask. We are headed in the general direction of Melanie's work, because it is her birthday and we want to wish her a happy one. Plus, the engineering firm that she works for was recently bought out by a bigger corporation and she just moved into a new office, which we have not yet seen.
Margie thought about the question for about five minutes. "Taco Bell," she said.
So here we are at Taco Bell by Dimond Center. There is an empty parking space close to the door and these ravens have gathered in it. I make like I am going to park there and Margie scolds me, just like I knew she would. "Don't you dare!" she says. "Look at all those people you will disturb!"
;)
So I parked elsewhere and several ravens came to join us. We went inside. I was not very hungry, so I ordered a cheese quesadilla and a small Pepsi.
Margie ordered a chicken soft taco and a small Diet Pepsi.
The ravens took whatever they could get.
;)
We then went shopping, to buy her some gifts. Melanie loves dark chocolate, so her mother had brought her a box of Godiva chocolates that she had bought in Arizona. We went into Pier 1, which actually has some pretty neat stuff. Margie tends to think practical, so she found some nice, orange, couch pillows that seemed to match the decor of Melanie's living room.
I seldom think practical when buying gifts. I found a decorative pair of birds on a stand. They appeared to be dancing with each other.
We bought both the pillow and the birds.
Now we needed to get them wrapped, but to box and gift-wrap them seemed quite impractical, at this time. So we went to another store, where Margie decided to buy some fancy gift bags to put them. She thought she would be very quick, so I dropped her off and circled the parking lot.
As I came back, I noticed this bear, standing under this word, in front of Sportsman's Warehouse.
Margie did not find any gift bags, but she did find some little white bowls shaped like hearts. She thought Bear Meech and Diamond, Melanie's Anchorage cats, would enjoy them, so she bought them.
;)
Next, we stopped at Melanie's new place of work. We wished her a happy birthday and examined the premises. Melanie told us about a nearby coffee shop that had the name, "cats" in it. She said the coffee was good there. We went looking for it, but never found it. We wound up at a nearby Kaladi Brothers instead.
The coffee was superb.
;)
From there, we did some grocery shopping for Melanie's birthday dinner and then we headed over to Jacob, Lavina and Kalib's. Margie was eager to see Kalib, but he was not there. His dad had picked him up from daycare and they had gone off to do a little shopping themselves.
Lavina was home alone, as she had been all day. She was almost desperate to see people. Margie then gave her the Apache cradle board that her sister, LeeAnn, had made for the new baby-in-waiting. That's white buckskin that you see on the cradle board. The part that Lavina is touching and admiring is made from cholla cactus.
During the time that Margie and LeeAnn had been snowbound and then even afterward, LeeAnn had worked hard and long to finish the cradle board. She completed it the night before Margie left.
She also made the one that Kalib spent his babyhood sleeping in.
All of our own children were packed in such cradles - made by Margie's mom, Rose. If you should ever get a chance to see the February, 1980, issue of National Geographic, I have a three-part story and photo spread on the White Mountain Apache Tribe in there and it includes a picture of Rex in his cradle board, as his grandmother works on others.
A few years back, the Governor of Arizona declared Rose to be an Arizona State Living Treasure for her skill in making cradle boards.
I think LeeAnn is a treasure, too.
Even though I missed this trip, we are all planning to go down for a Sunrise Dance in June, so you will get to meet them all then.
As for the baby who will occupy this cradle board she... well, could be a he, but I have just been feeling that it is she, but I could be completely wrong... is definitely getting ready to be born.
Lavina is experiencing intense contractions again. Of course, this has been going on now for a couple of weeks - intense contractions, followed by light contractions. She visited her doctor today and our new grandchild is right there at the door, ready to exit.
As soon as Lavina's contractions get to be ten minutes apart, she is supposed to go in.
This is the longest labor I have ever known of.
;)
Jacob and Kalib finally arrive. Margie is thrilled to finally see her grandchild again. Kalib reacted the way I used to react when my grandmother's would hug me.
Yes, I still remember.
;)
Soon, everybody had arrived - except for Caleb, who stayed in Wasilla to sleep before heading out to his all-night work shift.
Can you guess whose feet these are?
;)
We gather in the kitchen to get our avocado cucumber sandwiches and our baked potatoes and corn chips.
See the fact at the far right? The one that is just barely into the picture frame? That face is Lisa's face, just as the feet in the previous frame are Lisa's feet.
The arm at the right belongs to Bryce, Lisa's boyfriend.
The others, of course, are Margie, Melanie and Rex.
;)
Kalib rips his sandwich apart and devours it. I suppose one day soon, he will have to start learning some table manners. I don't think the lessons will please him.
;)
As he always does at anybody's birthday party, Kalib came dashing over to help blow out the candles. He puffed so hard that he nearly blew Melanie away.
;)
She quickly recovered to blow out the remaining candles.
;)
Next, she opened her gifts. I will not list them all, but I will note that this one is from Charlie and he did the raven painting himself. You can see how he docorated the package.
;)
Afterward, Kalib rolled a big ball down the stairs several times.
;)
Is my beautiful, sweet, baby girl, who I love so dearly, so sweetly, who I cherish more than I cherish the sun that shines each day, the earth that spins, my own life, the little girl who, when she was small, would automatically appear in my lap whenever I sat down, really 29 now?
She really is.
;)
How beautiful she is, from the first moment onward.
I wrote up an extensive journal entry about her birth, which started in excitement, turned frightening, and ended wonderfully. I was going to transcribe it into this post and I actually began to, but then, just as happens every time I read it, I began to weep. Twenty-nine years has passed, but I sat here at my computer and I cried, as they say, "like a baby."
I had to pull back.
Reader Comments (21)
Well said Dad.
Happy Birthday Melanie!
Happy Birthday Melanie, great pictures
So many things upon which to comment! Happy Birthday to Melanie first of all. And the cradle board is awesome! And sometimes I'd like to eat just as Kalib does!
I was wondering if you were going to tell us about the cradleboard which was in the photo yesterday. Beautiful! And Charlie's painting is beautiful -- talented people in and around your family, Bill. Thank you for sharing your family with us. One day perhaps you can share the day when Melanie was born. So grateful for all of you that it turned out wonderfully, and that Melanie has been such a blessing in your life.
I love those last two pictures! Absolutely love that cradle board too. That is exquisite!!
Happy Birthday Melanie!!!
Happy Belated Birthday Melanie.
Did not know about the significance of Ravens in Native American culture. Found a little information on the net. You have posted many Raven photos, could you write a short informative story about them?
Looking forward to seeing the buckskin cradle board in use. Are they passed on from generation to generation?
Not the first time my eyes tear up reading your post. You have such a sweet family. Happy Birthday Melanie.
Thank-you for sharing your photography and your family. I read your blog everyday. We too are awaiting the imminent arrival of a new grandchild - #12:) And I understand and appreciate the trips for good coffee and see why you photograph every plane that flys overhead. We had a Piper Cherokee 160 ( it has now gone to Wings of Hope, so I think it is still flying in a good way:), and I still dream that I am taking off and landing. A pilot is always a pilot:)
So many things to talk about!
First, the cradle board is amazing! I love hand work that turns into something so amazing and beautiful.. wow.. !!
Kalib! Always adorable!
Happy Birthday Melanie.. SUCH a cute baby!!!
Happy Birthday Melanie.. that's a beautiful gift from Charlie..
The end of this post was so touching..
So much to say! I love the look on Margie's face as she looks at the pictures in the car. She looks like a woman reaping the benefits of a life spent loving well. I love the look on your face as you sit beside her...as if your life is complete again. I love Charlie's painting. I was shocked. I thought that it was a photograph. I clicked on it to enlarge it, and still could not believe that it was a painting. Neither could Tim. Finally, I have to say, every birthday, I find myself scarcely able to believe that these babies are now men and women full grown. I always cry a little too, at the thought of it, but not for long, because it is terribly exciting to witness what they have become.
Hello Bill!
I would still like to have that story of Melanie's birth read or typed out on the blog at some time as well. I just wanted to let you know that the gift I gave Melanie is a picture that I took of a Raven that most likely would not have been taken without my inspiration that you have given me. Thanks again for a fun day on the blog! I like to see the raven photos you post as well!
Excited....
Just bought February, 1980, issue of National Geographic, on Ebay. They have quite a few issues for sale if anyone else is interested.
Your blog has become a bright spot in my day! The love you express for your wife and family in your blog is such a joy to read. I really love reading about your family and town. thanks!
Of all the pictures in this post, the one that made me catch my breath was of Melanie's little feet through the incubator opening. So very tiny and fragile and new - it's one of those that tells the whole story, whether there are words to go with it or not.
Welcome home, Margie - what a beautiful cradle board!
especially wonderful and dramatic post, bill. it's got everything - the return of margie, the expectant mother, the one-of-a-kind cradle-board made esp. for the long-awaited babe, ravens settled and in flight, and the feet of the newborn. like other readers, your blog is always the highlight of my day. i finish my work so i can relax and be with you and your family.
Time, which passes so quickly but which bestows upon us such great joy and pain. Happy Birthday to your Melanie and thanks for the thousandth time for sharing your life.
I heard from Bruce that I missed the "Bill Hess" sighting at the MacHaus on Wednesday. Perhaps on one of my days there I will actually get to meet you and shake your hand.
For now, I'm going to look up the February 1980 Geo article and peruse the cradle pictures.
Happy Birthday Melanie AND to you, Bill! It's tradition in my family (maybe not exactly an Alaska Native tradition) to always say Happy Birthday to the parents when a child turns a year older. Why not? It's your Birthday too =)
Thanks for sharing a little of your daughter's epic journey so far......I was extremely moved when I saw the last two photos.
I appreciate all the good comments.
As to specific questions: I think most people like to pass cradle boards on, but also sometimes like to get a new cradle board for a new baby. Probably, were it not for the fact that we have master cradle board makers in the family, the new baby would use the same one that Kalib did - except, of course, if we did not have master cradle board makers in the family that one would never have been made.
Funny Face - One day, when I have a picture or few that seem right to me, and the time, I will try to do just that.
Charlie - Next time you come out, remind me and I will read it to you. One day, I will also do just what you suggest. It sure did look like a painting. Must have been the paper and ink. Maybe I should have wore my reading glasses.