Being a long distance grandma is a real challenge. Shortly after Brennan was born we made the long trip from New York to Texas to meet our new grandchild. We held him and studied him during our short visit but didn't really get a sense of who he was. Too soon it was time to return home. My son and daughter-in-law helped keep us in touch with his growth by posting pictures at Brennan's official website http://brennan.jimandlissa.com/ but it was still hard to know who the beautiful child represented by the pictures really was. Recently, Brennan made his first trip to New York to meet the rest of the family and celebrate his birth.

Much has happened since my last posting many months ago. The most significant change is that Jim and I welcomed our first grandchild into the world on Thursday, March 30, at 4:53 p.m. CST. Brennan Jacob Riggs weighed in at 7 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 19.25 inches. Jim's column, "All In A Day's Sports", published in our local Jamestown newspaper each Saturday featured who else but the newest little sport in our family. The column follows:

I saw a sad sight today as my husband and I drove down the street on our way out of town that prompted the following letter to the editor of my hometown paper.

To The Editor:

I was born and raised in Jamestown and have lived most of my adult life here. I love my hometown. I love the beautiful old trees, the red brick streets, the parks, the houses and the many attractions that invite visitors from far and wide to the area. One such attraction is the Roger Tory Peterson Institute (RTPI). The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation describes the Roger Tory Peterson Institute as “a national organization dedicated to instilling in children an appreciation and understanding of the natural world.” One of the features I like best about the Institute is the trail that runs through the woods on its property providing children and adults information about the plants and animals that inhabit the area.

Actually we got back about a week ago. We had taken a trip to explore the Cape Cod Area. While there, we took day trips to the many tourist spots in the area and did what tourists do. We drove up the Cape to Provincetown where we sat on the waterfront to eat lunch followed by shopping. The next day we visited Plymouth, toured the Mayflower II and explored Plimoth Plantation. We were fortunate to hook up with my sister-in-law Carol, who lives in the Boston area, and she gave us a first-hand tour of Newport where of course we ate outside at a waterfront cafe. The weather was gorgeous while we were vacationing and on the final beautiful day, we took the ferry to Martha's Vineyard where we ate lunch, took a trolley tour of the island, and shopped, picking up some necessary items at The Black Dog. It was a wonderful trip but that wasn't the best part.

My husband Jim grew up in a small family consisting of his mother, father, and older sister, Carol. Their household was quiet, peaceful, and organized. My mother-in-law followed routines. She always served lima beans with pork chops, took a one-hour nap at precisely 4:00 each and every afternoon, and watched "Johnny" as she drifted off to sleep each night. Carol married, moved away, and started a family. Then Jim and I married, bought a house, and had a son. But the routines remained the same in the senior Riggs' household. My mother-in-law continued to serve lima beans with pork chops, take a one-hour nap at precisely 4:00 each and every afternoon, and watch "Johnny" as she drifted off to sleep each night. I used to joke with my husband and call it the "Riggs' way".

Many years ago I was working with a small group of second grade students. At some point during the lesson I looked at one of the students and noticed he was crying. I asked what was wrong and he told me simply "My eyes are leaking." I'm not sure if I ever found out what was bothering the young boy. Maybe something happened at home before he came to school. Maybe I spoke harshly to him. Maybe one of his classmates hurt his feelings or he hurt someone else's feelings. I do know he didn't want to admit he was crying and that he was obviously experiencing some type of loss, grief, pain, or even regret.

Today I feel ready to retire. Actually, I plan to retire in two years but I have to admit I'm growing weary. Weary of the awesome responsibility of teaching 5-, 6-, and 7-year-old children how to make sense of the world of print. Weary of having the added responsibilities abdicated by some parents who either don't value education or take adequate care of their own children. I'm referring to those parents who expect the public school system to take care of anything from providing breakfast and after school care to dental care. And - weary of the paperwork.

I hate my birthday! It's not that I regret getting older. I guess it has something to do with the fact that I am inherently shy and don't like being the center of attention. Add to that the anticipation of the "big" day itself. Will people know it's my birthday? Will they make a big deal of it? All the stress usually leads to feeling "let down" or in the worst case scenario, a fight with my husband who, despite his best efforts, doesn't know how to help me get through the day.

I'm reading a book this weekend. In fact I'm planning to read the entire book - from cover to cover. Not that this is any great feat. It's not a scholarly text or an intellectual tome but rather a simple, fun mystery novel. I think of myself as an avid reader. I used to read at least three books a week but over the past year I have only read a total of three books. About a year and a half ago I had a retinal hemorrhage. I'm told I was lucky not to suffer a torn or even detached retina. But the sad fact is that the hemorrhage left me with a sizable "floater" in my right eye. I can see to function normally but I have a difficult time with tasks that require sustained reading. It's really hard work and I get tired easily. It's even a little bit "painful" in an emotional sort of way.

My husband went to a train show in Cleveland today with a friend. I have to admit I was bummed by the prospect of spending an entire day by myself. Then the realization hit, "op·por·tu·nit·y" strikes. I got up when I woke up without hearing the repeated buzz of an annoying alarm clock in my ear. I sat down with my laptop, checked e-mail, scanned a few professional newsletters, read the New York Times online, and ate breakfast slowly, by myself, on the couch with my feet up. Then I remembered a computer project I wanted to work on.