THE WEEKEND

The further adventures of our own Diane S. Frank

This last weekend could have been terrifically busy. I've needed to drop in on Transfamily, but I had to work late that Thursday night.

Friday evening was Shabbat services as usual. Saturday, I thought I might have to visit a group that already uses the facilities we might move to in January...but it turns out they're cool with us sight unseen. Sunday was a real treat. My friend Lyz B., has adopted a baby girl from Guatemala. Lyz, who I first met a few years back when she included me as a member of a panel at the Cleveland International Film Festival will I hope, be our March Speaker (Gender Representation in Art). She had a welcoming party for the baby, which I was delighted to attend. Besides a wonderfully eclectic and diverse group of family, friends and neighbors, there was this wonderfully charming baby. I was greatly pleased to spend some time with her, and give her bottle, and watch her big, deep curious brown eyes, seeking so avidly through the room.

Still the experience was a reminder that it isn't always easy to be out and about. Not because I got a fisheye from anyone, even the watchful grandmother who might have been a wee bit skeptical of my baby handling skills (relax, I've had two of my own!), but because there are the places in normal conversation where I tend to get a bit vague. When you are talking about where you live and where you work, and you aren't out at work you really don't want to tell people something they have to remember not to share. But I also feel a bit silly being so vague when people are only asking normal questions. And it was a bit strange meeting people who live only blocks from me and being that vague. But really, those are my issues, not theirs and it was a perfectly wonderful afternoon.

To finish off the day, just when I arrived back home, I got a phone call from two of my friends from temple, wondering if I wanted to join them for dinner. Which I did, and we did, and had an interesting discussion with a third woman about her difficulties with her aging mother as well as some good Chinese food at Sun-Luck Garden on S. Taylor in Cleveland Heights.