Another Update

Something happened during Folklife that I didn't mention on my blog; I was waiting to see how it all turned out.

The Friday of Memorial Day weekend I went to the Folklife Festival by myself [my husband was in New York] and had an absolutely wonderful day. Saturday I brought my daughter Pearl. It took us about an hour to get to Seattle Center from the Mercer Exit to parking; the crowds were thick this time, and we spent about an hour shopping, then went to the Northwest Court. The music there was horrendously loud, so we went over to Fisher Green and sat on the grass. There the music was very indifferent [okay, co-grammar specialists: I was indifferent to the music], and Pearl decided to wander off and look around while I sat on the grass.

After about an hour I called her cell phone. It was so loud, neither of us could hear our phones ring, so we left messages and played phone tag. The upshot was that Pearl, not having a map, not having looked around for landmarks, and having little sense of direction, got lost. After a while of this playing phone tag and looking for her, I was about to suggest she stay put, tell me what was around her, and I would go find her. I was saying the "Remover of Difficulties" prayer* and I looked up and there she was with a young man, about twenty feet in front of me.

This young man was smiling, friendly, overly enthusiastic, saying how beautiful my daughter was, and I'm having difficulty sizing him up. Can this person be for real? His name was Nick, and following some of her clues, he had helped bring her back to my viscinity.

Well, I've finally had some time with him and he really is that pleasant and friendly and positive. And Pearl is actually happy, smiling, and talking again. And to me, that's what counts.

Yesterday we went to Northwest Trek, which was closed, and on to the farm where my husband [and I, part-time] lives, then a bunch of us had dinner at the Puerto Vallarta in Eatonville.

Today we went to Northwest Trek while it was open, and saw many many wild, nonhuman life forms, and it was beautiful and we had a wonderful time. Then I took them to the Thai Mekong on Highway 161, where my husband joined us, and we had lots of delicious food. Then I took them to the movie "Up" at Longston Place, which was pleasant and fun. So we all had a beautiful day today.

*The "Remover of Difficulties" prayer by the Bab: "Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be God. He is God. All are His servants, and all abide by His bidding." As some people have pointed out, if you just need to change a tire at the side of the road, the prayer won't change your tire. You still have to do stuff.