Taking it out of the water to wash it

Taking it OUT of the water to wash it?

The next day Serena dropped by in the afternoon for a few hours while Mark was sleeping before leaving for his 12-hour night shift. The boys played outside on the patio and the grass and the fenced-in sandbox that our son-in-law Don built for their little son Matthew.

That's our closest family of our four grown-up offspring. Our daughter Mandy lives next-door in the other side of the duplex, with her husband Don and their three boys.

On Monday night, Serena invited my wife over to their house. She finds it a bit lonely sometimes when Mark is working night-shift. They have recently bought a small fish-tank, and Beth has been helping them set it up with the pumps and filters and fish.

Mark remembers the fish tank we had at home during his growing-up years, and agrees with me that there is something very relaxing and peaceful about watching the tiny brilliantly-colored fish swim leisurely around, and watching and hearing the gentle gurgling of the bubbles from the filter.

They had a problem with the gravel at the bottom of the tank, and Beth had suggested they take it out and "wash it".

Why would you take anything OUT of the water to wash it? I leave the expert advice stuff to Beth....

So Serena thought it would be fun to have Mom over and wash the gravel together once the children were in bed. It was, after all, her birthday, so Mom agreed. Then it expanded - Serena's twin sister was coming over too, and "the three girls" would watch a movie ("Pride and Prejudice", I think) when the work was done.

I stayed home and relaxed - and enjoyed the unusual solitude....

The next day I think we went all day without seeing any of our grandchildren except for our daughter and family who live next-door. I can't even remember.

That afternoon I went out for coffee with a friend from my former job as a paramedic. We sat in my favorite little coffee shop and I enjoyed the best mocha I have found in town.