Games

In the midst of all the excitement during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend- family in town and excessive consumption of food- I only took a few pictures. Of a board game. No photos documenting the abundant and gorgeous feast, no pictures of family members in town (some of the Staffs came out for the first time in a few years!) But in a way board games make me think about holidays, of time set away to while away the hours in these mostly relaxing pursuits. When I was a girl, I used to love this game though the "sorry' line could get a bit old. I don't think I had played it since I was a kid and Mrs. D would come over to babysit all of us. It was fun to revisit it again.

Well, I'll be looking forward to maybe a bit more lounging and game playing soon as we plan to gather again with extended family at Christmas. In the meantime I should keep myself going full-force as there's still lots of holiday preparing to do. I'm trying to take lots of deep breaths.

Dusting off the needles

For months all had been quiet in the sewing corner. The fabric and thread sat lined up waiting...the sewing machine was looking a little forlorn, gathering dust. And my will to craft: not especially abundant. Even the cooler weather could not urge me to grab the woolly yarn and knitting needles. A complete craft drought (well, aside from that Halloween costume I threw together for Rowan...the costume whose many components were misplaced or temporarily lost before I ever took any photos).

So, you can imagine how excited I was when a local mama put out the invitation for folks to come on over to her place and join in on some fun studio/crafty time (and treats too!) But Mother Nature had other plans for me: a snowy afternoon that left my snow tire-less car completely unprepared for icy, hilly roads. Once we have snow on the ground, I do not like to drive anywhere with just summer tires. So I stayed home...a little bummed out but a lot inspired to make things.

And I actually started some projects that night and even finished two over the next couple days. One was a hooded cape for Rowan's medieval festival. This was made from an old wool blanket that I dyed gray. The best part about it was how much it excited him. The medieval festival was a wonderful culmination to a class Rowan had taken throughout fall.And a mystery knitted item that will be a gift so I can't say anymore...just in case. Have a happy Friday!

Seven on the seventh

Rowan my delightful one is 7. It really is a magical age. He wished for new lego sets and was completely surprised and ecstatic as he unwrapped those sought after packages. When he opened one to see a pirate set inside, he exclaimed "how did Grandma know exactly what I wanted!" and when finding his sisters had gifted him with Star Wars legos he shouted "Thank you! I LOVE you!" and dove toward them with a big hug. So sweet.

My dear boy may have a slight (or not so slight) interest in swords/pocketknives/guns/catapults/etc and dramatic, dangerous tales, but through it all his kind heart and sensitive soul shine though. Oh how we love him! Happy Birthday Rowan!

Disclaimer

Over the last year this blog has been quiet....very quiet. As I sit here uploading a year's worth of pictures onto Shutterfly (sad that I do this so infrequently), I notice how much went unrecorded here. Not that my aim for the blog is to keep track of every minuscule detail, but I initially was drawn to this format because I liked the idea of preserving the fleeting moments amidst all the busy day to day tasks. I wanted to frame these things that matter. The things that draw me in and make me smile. As a mother days can often add up to mountains of laundry, dishes, errands and schedules, but recording and reminding myself of the all good things makes everything better.

Changes

I think I was kidding myself when I said we were "just a little overwhelmed" by our house projects. Actually, I'd say we're closer to a lot overwhelmed since every room will need to be addressed in some way sooner or later.  But I'm really trying to settle into the fact that it's not all going to be done tomorrow, next month or even next year. We will definitely be living amongst chaos for a time as we check off things bit by bit.

But while we were waiting for the closing we did go ahead and tackle a few of the projects we were anxious to finish before cold set in. A new little patio from large slate stones salvaged from around the house. Some of those stones were dangerously heavy. Yikes, I don't see us doing this again soon. (don't ask me why we felt inspired to finish just before winter...) Taking down- a bit regretfully- a beautiful old white pine that was right in the front of the house. The tree's shape and proximity to the house had us concerned. We feared one of those large forked branches would eventually smash down through the roof. After examining the tree once it was cut and seeing a fairly large section of rot, I felt at ease with our decision to take it down before a storm did. The next day a portable sawmill came and milled much of the wood into usable lengths. Now the wood is curing in the barn waiting for future projects.Replacing the fifty+ year old furnace with an efficient one and taking the winter off from wood heat has left us almost giddy. Warmth with the flip of a switch? What a novel and luxurious idea!

And leaves...well this is not a project we'll ever really complete...but this is the first year that we've really had to deal with the brunt of leaf collecting. Wow- there are a lot of leaves. And more to come each year.
And lastly here's a glamor shot of me utilizing our high tech leaf removal system. My dad once complained that I don't post any pictures of me on the blog...well this might explain it! This is probably the best of any recent photos I have of myself...oh well.

Where the wild things are

Right now, this little wild thing is softly snoozing in bed. But very soon, she'll be roaring and ready to greet the day. At two, she is full of ideas concerning all aspects of her day. From picking her daily attire to choosing her next meal, she wants in on decision making. And Halloween was no exception: she had her mind made up about what costume she'd wear.
A "hobo monster" was her choice. Never mind that I had my own ideas: I envisioned us being a cuddly kitty cat pair as mama cat and baby cat. But this adorable costume got handed down to us from a friend. Though a teeny bit small and wearing thin at the at the seams, Lilla fell in love with this suit. And who wouldn't with all those fun details?

The only unfortunate result of our trick-or-treating foray was that this little miss has fine tuned her taste for a sweet treat. Umm, I don't think it is a good idea to give into toddler pleas for candy at 9Am. Oh wise Lynn could you please tell that Sugar Sprite to have a swing by our place?

Apples and more

Living in apple country, we're usually over-loaded with apples at this time of year. But a visit to the apple farm proved this season to be a little different. I'm not sure why....maybe the late spring frosts and the cooler, damp summer took their toll. This year apple picking was more like treasure hunting. From afar the trees looked perfect, but upon closer inspection we saw a lot of bad apples: spotted, small, misshapen, not terribly tasty...a little disappointing I must admit. But with some careful hunting, there were apples to find and carefully tuck into our bags to savor later. And with less, I think we end up appreciating them all the more.
And there were other treasures to discover at the farm. Freshly cooked apple cider donuts that disappeared without photo evidence, hidden huts in the surrounding woods and a circular lilac hedge. A perfect little hideaway with the sinking sun lighting it up. Now if only I can remember to come here when the lilacs are in bloom...what a heavenly scented place that will be.