2017 Solar Eclipse

Of course, by the time I started to pay attention to what was happening -- THERE WERE NO SOLAR GLASSES AVAILABLE ANYWHERE. The libraries had been giving them away for weeks -- and I was in three or four libraries five or six times during the month preceding the eclipse...but I never saw any solar glasses.

So, the day of the event, I had to make two pitiful cereal box eclipse viewers. Ugh. Lilly was delighted. I'm telling you -- eight years old is a PERFECT AGE...

I decided we would view the eclipse from Faye's Field -- the large grassy area adjacent to the Bettendorf Library. They were having a big party

This is about as dark as it got here...(people were sharing their glasses)...

The place was PACKED

They had some craft activities

And the librarian loaned Lilly a pair of glasses!!

I'll have to frame Lilly's solar eclipse art

It really was an amazing thing to witness.

And, before it was over, a teenage girl came over and said, "my whole family got glasses -- here, you can have mine."

So -- on this very special day, Lilly and I got to witness a complete solar eclipse AND a random act of kindness. Then, we went swimming at the YMCA. IT WAS A TRIFECTA perfect day!!