Conversation with Finney over dinner tonight:

Finn: Dada, I can’t finish my dinni (sic) tonight because my feelings are hurt.
Me: Oh! Sweetheart, why are your feelings hurt?
Finn: I no no. (Trans: “I don’t know”)
Finn: Well, they are hurt in here (points to belly)
Me: Hmm. Finney, you haven’t eaten very much dinner at all, perhaps its because you are hungry?
Finn: Well, you know my feelings are hurt. Would you like to see them?
Me: (taken aback) Ok sure I would.
Finn: (lifts dress to expose her belly) Right here Dada, they’re in here (points to belly button).
Me: Your hurt feelings are in there?
Finn: Mmm hmm. You can see them if you want (opens mouth wide for me to look down)
Me: (I peer inside her mouth and make encouraging and discovery-sort-of noises)
Me: You know Finney, many people think hurt feelings live in here, in your heart (I tap her chest)
Finn: (looks down and back up at me) But Dada, my hurt feelings are in here (she sticks her finger in her belly button)
Me: How can we make the hurt feelings go away Finn binn?
Finn: I know, open my belly button and let them out! (she tries this)
Me: Finney, I think we can make hurt feelings go away with hugs and kisses
Finn: Yeah. (smiles and leans in for a hug)

Last weekend we had two dear friends out to visit, Garrick and Monica, and we made an impromptu dinner of pasta, carrots and orange peppers… and… some other yummy things.

As the pasta was cooking I walked behind the steam cloud and was transfixed by the backlit steam fed by the late afternoon’s light from the kitchen window…