The joy of meeting the new grandson for the first time
Migration
In my column last week, I shared a bit about our recent trip to Japan and our satisfying stay at the cozy Sakura Hotel in Tokyo. As I mentioned, this trip to Japan was not for touring or sight-seeing. We had one purpose in mind.
In August of last year, our son, Gabriel, and his wife, Hilary, arrived at Creekbottom for a short stay enroute from Ithaca, New York, to Tokyo, Japan, where Hilary would be spending the next few months on research as part of her Ph.D. program at Cornell.
Gabe quit his Cayuga County planning position to accompany her.
While the two were here in Glen Ellen, we sat on the terrace, lunching, laughing and talking; we hiked in Quarryhill to take in the late summer scenery and had a generally pleasant visit. Both Sweetie and I knew we would miss “the kids” but we were happy to have them visit, for however short a time.
Regeneration
Within weeks of their departure from California and their arrival in Japan, they called with a surprise: Gabriel and Hilary were expecting their first baby, to be born in April 2015. That was great news!
Initially, we didn’t plan to visit Tokyo; we would see the baby soon enough, as they were expecting to return to the U.S. within months, including a stop in California, of course,
As it turned out, Hilary’s research (on foreign workers in Japan) progressed well, and they filed forms with Japanese immigration to stay longer.
For us, that meant an obligatory trip to Tokyo. Babies grow and change so quickly, I didn’t want to meet my second grandchild too many months after its birth. As it turned out, we arrived in Tokyo just in time to share in the celebration of Martin Raphael Crawford Holbrow’s one-month birthday. What a fine fellow he is.
Admiration
Like his Papa Gabe, Martin was born with a lush head of dark brown hair, and bright dark eyes. Sporting round cheeks, with pale eyebrows and a sweet cupid smile, the little fellow looks so much like a Crawford. But yes, with hints of his Holbrow heritage as well. I was smitten from the get-go. I loved this little babe and cherished holding him, talking to him, and simply being in the same room with him.
Officially, Martin arrived April 19, 2015, at 11:17 p.m. Tokyo time. He weighed 8 lbs, 2 oz. and was 20-1/2 inches tall. Those stats changed quickly as he grew rapidly: the happy fellow is an expert nurser.
Exhilaration
Born on a Sunday evening, Martin and his dear Mama stayed in the hospital until the following Friday, which is the tradition in Japan. Hilary enjoyed a variety of healthy, vegetarian Japanese food at the hospital and Martin shared her room.
His maternal grandparents, Gwendolyn and Mark Holbrow from Framingham, Massachusetts, arrived just when Martin was ready to leave the hospital, remaining for more than a week.
Almost as soon as they departed, we Glen Ellen Crawfords arrived, exhausted from the long trip.
As I reported in this column when our first grandson, Shiloh Robert Crawford of Portland, Oregon, was born, meeting a new grandchild is as close as I’ve come to seeing the eye of God, the center of love, the unfolding white rose of which Dante so eloquently speaks.
Martin’s marten
Martin was born on the same morning that Bill, my Sweetie home here in Glen Ellen, saw a little marten, a furry dark brown fellow (a mink-like creature, quick and small) traverse our front yard.
While Hilary was in labor 6,000 miles away, the tiny visitor to Creekbottom House made his entrance and exit. We emailed the Holbrow couple, sharing the good news of our marten, as they quickly shared the good news of their Martin, a name they didn’t choose until meeting the new baby. Our wild marten heralded their sweet Martin.
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The Folks in Glen Ellen column also appears and continues online. Look for the column on the Index-Tribune website sonomanews.com under the category Lifestyle. Click on Sylvia Crawford for current and old columns. Want to see your own name in the news? Call or write me at 996-5995 or P.O. Box 518, GE 95442. Or email me at Creekbottom@earthlink.net. Glen Ellen chatter rarely requires timeliness; however, if your news does, please be sure to contact me at least three weeks before your desired publication date.
Neighborhood walks
Our days in Tokyo at the Sakura Hotel took on a pleasant and familiar routine. Up in time for the 365 Yen breakfast (think about $3), we spent the early hours of the morning in the hotel’s common room, meeting new friends, reading, writing.
Around midday, we explored the neighborhood, quickly discovering several favorite lunch spots, among those the lovely little Dubois French cafe run by Satomi and Satoshi Hanai. Down quiet little Nishihara Lane, past two schools and many little shops, the Dubois Cafe provided the most interesting lunches, a blend of French and Japanese, delightfully exotic. Nicoise salad was a favorite, preceded by some of the best vichyssoise I’ve ever tasted. Satomi’s pistachio ice cream quickly became a favorite, with their dark French roast coffee fueling our evenings.
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