Look Closer

Dear Daughter,

Here is a picture of a flower that Papa bought recently that you will see when you are back in Antwerp. Look closely in the middle and you will see that there is a second flower starting to emerge from the center of this one!

If we look closer at the things around us, we will always be surprised to see what we might find. I hope that you will never cease to be amazed at the details of Beauty that surround us, even in the smallest things.

I Love You,

Papa

Taggin' The Caddies

Dear Daughter,

Yesterday, on our way out, we went to Cadillac Ranch outside of Amarillo. It is a large public art project from the Ant Farm art group, supported by Stanley Marsh, a local eccentric who has many such projects in and around Amarillo.

We took our spray paints cans and added to the art project, wasn't that fun!

It helps us learn that art can be a living project and that it always better to share the experience.

And, Papa had fun Taggin' the Caddies with you!

I Love You,

Papa

Planes, Planes, Planes

Dear Daughter,

Tonight we are in the Brussels-Zaventem airport hotel, getting ready for our big trip tomorrow to America.

This Time, we will have three planes again, but not in the same order as last Time when we had a Big Plane, a Middle-sized Plane and a Little, Bitty Plane. But, just like last Time, if we take it one plane at a Time, then we can manage the trip better.

Tomorrow we will go on a Medium-sized Plane to London, then a Big Plane to Dallas, and then a Little, Bitty Plane to Amarillo.

So, although we are going to the same place, we'll just go a slightly different way.

I Love You,

Papa

His Name Was Bob

Dear Daughter,

The other day, on the back of the bike, as we were riding to school, for some reason, you said,

“Papa, I’m glad you’re still my Papa. I’m sorry you don’t have a Papa any more. He’s dead. That’s the way Life goes, you’re alive and then you go Dead. His name was Bob.”

Well, not the thing that one expects at 8 am, though it is vintage you, my Daughter. His name was Bob, and one day I will tell you more about him, some good things, some not so good things, just like about your own Papa.

Papas are not perfect and we, like anyone else, are capable of doing things that we are not proud of, but that, my dear Daughter, is for another day.

Thank you for being happy that I am your Papa, faults and all.

I Love You,

Papa

I Feel Funny

Dear Daughter,

The other day, when you were practicing reading, you had on a shirt from Canadian, Texas, where much of our family has lived over the years.

On the shirt, it says, "You Are Here!" and points to an "X" in the panhandle of Texas on a cartoon map where Canadian is.

We read it, and you said, "But, I'm not there, I'm here!"at which we both laughed at because you were being silly.

We can, however, only be in one place at one time, though. Sometimes people try to be in many places all at once in their minds, but the only place you can truly be is, in fact "right here, right now."

Thanks for making Papa laugh though. You are funny.

I Love You,

Papa

Red, Green, or Christmas?

Dear Daughter,

Last evening we were playing UNO together again. Now, although you are not supposed to tell the other players which cards you have, what you did say was pretty funny. And, you wanted me to tell "everyone" who knows about New Mexico what you said.

At one point you said, "Papa, I have all greens and reds, just like Christmas Chiles!"

You laughed very hard at your observation, and I told you that I had had Christmas Chile too in New Mexico last week. When we go in a few weeks, you can order the Christmas sauce for me as well.

I Love You,

Papa

Duck!

Dear Daughter,

Papa is back in Belgium again after being in New Mexico and Texas for a while, so I am happy to be spending time with you again.

We looked through some of the pictures today and you recognized this little fellow right away from the Taos toy store that you played at with Ford last summer. We will go there soon again for your Spring Break, but it was fun to see your reaction to him.

Remember how Papa told you about the Blue Roofs in India when he flew into Mumbai? Well, in New Mexico, it is an old tradition to paint the doorways this beautiful blue color for appeasing the Spirits. Papa tried to find its origin and some people say that it even came from India originally through the Spanish! But, Papa is not sure and will continue to look into this. For now, do you think that the little Duck is related to Ganesha, the Elephant-boy who guards the doorways in India?

I Love You,

Papa