getting taller

On our way home from getting water-ice ( wildberry for me, chocolate for her) I asked Ruby to stand next to me to see how she is growing up. The top of her head came to the bottom of my chest. She remarked, "Wow, I'm up to your privates."

the stars need to be polished

Today, like most days, Ruby and I see trash which is recycleable on the streets when we go to church or school. If I don't notice something, she does, points to it and brings it to my attention: "Daddy...."

I'm in the habit now of picking up aluminum cans along with plastic and glass bottles on the way back home to put them in our industrial-blue recycle bin. When we came back this hot morning, my total was five. Even though the ocean becomes a soup of plastic, we just feel like it's something we should do.

I said to my wife I still can't believe why people let this happen. Ruby said, "Yeah, because some people are litter-bugs and don't want the Earth to be shiny. The stars need to be polished, the sun has to be cleaned and its strokes (meaning its rays) have to have lip balm on them."