October 31, 2026- Hana didn’t “do Halloween”. Some parents bring their infants and toddlers around, in strollers and such, dressed in costumes that fit their parents’ whimsy. Her parents chose to put an oversized pumpkin sweatshirt on her and take two pictures-early this afternoon. By the time trick or treaters started coming to our cul-de-sac, though, Hana was asleep. We had 26 people come by and put a huge dent in our candy stash, which made my manning the table outside worthwhile.
My granddaughter likes to make “whooping” sounds, babbling while running the back of her hand up and down. I’m not sure what prompted this, but it is a fun thing for her. Our only rule is not to do it at the table. She is still in the finger food and messy stage, but she can learn a table manner or two, and she seems to understand that it is not polite to “whoop” at mealtime.
It was a good day for Hana, though. She went on a long walk with her Mommy and Daddy, and we all walked and played with her around the house. The upstairs, especially her future bedroom and the common room, is more becoming her favourite part of the house. Hana is already outgrowing the playpen.
HANA’S NOTE- I felt like a big kid, when I had on the orange onesie with no snaps. It had a pumpkin on the back.
EXPANDING CIRCLES: Delaware- The First State must have felt quite lonely, a placeholder for the Constitution of the United States, until it was joined by its much larger neighbour, Pennsylvania, a few months after ratifying the great document.
I have been in, or through, Delaware only five times. The first was on a train, through Wilmington, in 1969. I’ve driven through the northern tip of the state, three other times. In 2019, I drove from south to north, stopping to take in the Federal period ambiance of Dover,Delaware’s capital, which sits in the center of the state.
The Turf-Northernmost Delaware is Piedmont, with rolling hills, Most of the state, however, is Coastal Plain. Delaware is drained by the Delaware, Nanticoke, Indian, and Mispillion Rivers, as well as Brandywine Creek. Delaware Bay borders the state on the east.
First Nations- Delaware is the ancestral home of the Unami Lenape (Delaware) and Nanticoke peoples. Both are recognized as tribes by the State of Delaware. The Lenape chose to move westward, after repeated clashes with Dutch and Swedish settlers, in the 1750s. The Nanticoke, living near what is now Seaford, followed suit, about ten years later. There are no Federally-recognized tribes living in Delaware, at present.
Where I feel at home- Bridgeville, Dover, Newark
Where I feel at peace- Bridgeville
NEXT: On to the Northeast, and Pennsylvania
