Baba Center Visit in June 2022

We took a little trip to the Baba Center with Claire, Sam, Cosette, and Willa. Everyone enjoyed playing in the warm ocean, though the sea was rough and the undertow considerable limiting water activity to the edge mostly. Cosette and Willa visited Baba's house and Cosette had a chance to lay on Baba's bed, an honor reserved for little babies. This is always a somewhat emotional experience for those in the room watching. There is a kind of magic energy in the stillness and children are quite aware of it too and do not resist the calmness with their own energy.

I am not sure if any other animal is capable of smiling. Certainly other animals can indicate they are content such as when a dog wags its tail or a cat purrs. But the human smile is really a standout form of letting the other know they are happy. Cosette is just now beginning to connect by smiling and it has tremendous attractive power. The connection is direct and palpable and long lasting, engendering strong emotional bonding. She gifted us today with her brilliant smile which awed us, as it was one of the first clear, unmistakable signals of recognition. 

 

 

Cosette Mai Piland

On December 4th, 2021 our second granddaughter was born in Asheville, North Carolina. She was eagerly awaited and came a week early, much to mom's general happiness. She was 8.5 pounds and 21 inches long, so running out of space for sure. Her sister Willa was overjoyed, but had to wait a little longer before meeting her to give her parents, Sam and Claire, time to recuperate. We were happy to have Willa here at our house a few doors down from her house for 4 days. This was the longest she had been separated from her family, but she handled it with no problem at all! We were very impressed and believe this was a testament to her great sense of self esteem and confidence in the love that surrounds her. 

Claire Graduates From North Carolina State University

Jane and I are so pleased to announce that our daughter Claire walked across the stage at NCState for the second time this weekend. She received her masters degree in textile management and design after successfully defending her Master's Thesis earlier in the month. This is the culmination of 2 years of intense research and study in the field of Textiles. Two days after receiving her diploma, she began her first professional job at Cotton Inc. In Carey, NC.