Announcements, Announcements, A-nooooouuuunnncce-ments!

Yep. It's time to tell all the people about the wedding. But wait! I haven't even really told anyone about the wedding on this blog. My blogging in general has been so sporadic lately and I was using writing time for 52 Stories. Blog fail.

read more

The Turn of the Season

It's finally feeling like fall around here. This morning I walked with my neighbors to school and had to wear a beanie and some gloves! How exciting!

read more

...So That You Can Come Back

Terry Pratchett says this is why you go away, so that you can come back, and I am back. Since I last wrote on the last day of August, another month has nearly come and gone, and I have been home for 10 of those September days. It will actually be good to be home for the next month.

read more

Breathing Room

I am not yet caught up on all the happenings of our trip, but right now I'm at a friend's house and don't have access to my photos, so I'm taking a moment from the travelogue to write and reflect on the trip so far. I will catch up on all the fun things we did during the remainder of last week and put up a lot more photos, I promise.

The past few days have brought a respite from the solid two weeks of going, going, going, and it has been a good thing. I knew when I planned a three-week trip that it could not all be filled with events and sight-seeing. One of the primary purposes of the trip has been to spend time with special people and renew/strengthen relationships with both family and friends. I am happy to say that end has been achieved, even if we would not be deemed successful by a true historian or traveller who is intent on seeing "important" points of interest. Rick Steves would definitely be disappointed in us, but that's okay. I have experienced so many things that were part of the dream trip that I've been concocting in my head for so long. Sights, sounds, tastes, and moments that to me constitute the soul of Europe (my pal Amy gets credit for that phrase) have filled my mind and heart and I'm truly, perfectly satisfied. And it's not even over. Paris and the Alps and The Bayeux Tapestry will most likely be here the next time I come, and I'll be perhaps better prepared to experience them on my terms.

I am so happy to have had time to spend meaningful moments with my niece and nephews and feel close again to my sister-in-law who I love so much and see my wonderful brother be such a great dad. I love that I got to stay up late with Felicity and talk photography and life and mothering and see her beautiful home and play with her darling boys. And now I'm taking walks and eating good bread and cheese with Amy and my kids are with friends they love and it's frankly, perfect. We will do more exploring before the week is out, and I'm glad about that as well. I can't wait for the Mosel River Valley and another castle or two and more of that bread and cheese. Oh and of course the chocolate. It's everywhere and so good. But for today, being here in my room reading my book while Amy naps and the kids play catch on the lawn and watch a movie feels just right.

Just a quick and dirty shot from my phone, but definitely some of my favorite things to see in Europe.

 

Posted with Blogsy

read more

A Lovely Tuesday

Yesterday could go down as one version of a perfect day for me. The pace was slow, but I got a lot done, spent time with the kids and just in general felt like the world and I were in harmony. 

I woke up at 5:15 because I can't help it, dozed, read and caught up on email till 8 when I called my son at college (at his request) to make sure he didn't oversleep and miss a final. I found out that I have a snooze button as he asked me to call back at 8:30. I did and he assured me he was really up. I looked for webcams of the Boston Marathon to try and find my friends who were running. I didn't see them, but wished them well as I snuggled comfortably in my warm bed. Thinking about all that running must have had a soporific effect because I actually went back to sleep until the decadent hour of 10 am! I can't remember the last time that happened.  I finally roused myself for real and spent the bit of remaining morning puttering around in the garden, officially beginning the relentless battle against wild strawberries and dandelions that will last until about December. I thrilled to see that nearly every branch of our little apple tree has blossoms. I am hopeful for shelves full of golden applesauce this winter. So far the consensus is to not plant a new tree after losing our other apple tree over the winter. I'm still leaning toward planting one, though I think there are enough other apple trees in the neighborhood for proper cross-pollination. We'll see I guess. I like having a tree in front of the window, but the kids are enjoying the open view and more light. 

I am running a veritable plant nursery this year as I try to shepherd some new hydrangea and lilac bushes that grew from the ones I have into becoming independent entities. It's always fun to get new plants for only the cost of my labor and time. I love the thought of a whole giant hedge of lilacs across the back yard.

In the afternoon, Evan made banana bread pretty much on his own with just a few consultations from me. He is quite a baker and likes to make crumb cake and a few other favorites as well. We had so many bananas that we got 4 loaves, half plain and half with chocolate chips. That was pretty much all we ate for the rest of the day. I think I could actually live on banana bread. I like Martha Stewart's recipe with sour cream in the batter. I haven't been able to mess it up, so it gets the vote as the official family version. 

Later, Evan had practice and Sara went to a friend's house so the house was quiet for a while and I could do some fun art projects for an online workshop I'm taking. Practice ended early with a sudden thunderstorm and downpour, but it's just as well as Ev is nursing a pulled muscle in his back. 

True Confessions:
This is how I work on art projects. I sit on the floor with my
supplies in a fan all around me, put the towel over my lap
and create away.  The thing I'm currently working on is an
art journal about things that are important to me.
(It's sitting there in the lower right)
It's been fun to do.

After working in shifts on various loose ends, laundry and decluttering, the day ended pleasantly with me and the kids watching Harry Potter 7.1 while I crocheted on a blanket that will go to either my about-to-be-born nephew (any minute now) or my soon-to-be-born niece (July). 

I went to bed feeling satisfied, appropriately tired instead of exhausted, and excited for what the morning would bring. I like this kind of day the very best. 

We thought we might get 5 loaves, but we ran out of
sour cream. 

He suddenly looks much more teenager-y
than little boy-y.

He's a very precise child, so this is how he
laid out the butter to soften. Love it. 

We have a wheat grinder in the house again, so we added
a bit of WW flour to the batter. It worked out just fine even though it
was still just a bit too coarse. I'm still fiddling with the new
machine.

The fruit of his labor.

read more