HomeLife
How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. - Annie Dillard
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never satisfied
There is no end to my selfishness. I am sitting in a Starbucks right now. (Which should be miracle enough.) I just drank a Strawberries and Cream thing-a-ma-gig and ate a vanilla bean scone. (Which I did not share with anyone as I am here all alone.) I am typing on an iPad. Which was so graciously given to us by dear, kind and generous friends. (More miracles.) And my time here is almost up because I need to go pick up my children from Art Camp. And all I can really think is, “I want more. More time. More quiet. More vanilla bean scone.” Why? Why is it so…
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nothing
I love nights when “nothing” is going on. And by nothing I mean, nothing for which I have to leave my house or change my attire or look in the mirror. Nothing. So that I can listen to music as I putter around the house. I have time to erase the chalkboards and write up something new. To hop over to the computer to type down an idea. You know – nothing. I need my life to be more filled with nights of nothing.
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What King Solomon Sees: Take 2
O wise King Solomon, what have your eyes beheld? Let me show you. Ah. Wise. How very apropos. The Secret Garden. Retold. I am not a fan of the re-telling of classics. I think kids deserve the original. My new Keens. All purple and rowdy. Mini pop-tarts? To steal a phrase from Hannah, aren’t pop-tarts convenient enough already? The kids touched a dissected cow’s heart on a recent field trip. That was nasty. Otto Fox has two favorite back seat books. Aesop’s Fables and A Children’s Garden of Verses. He’s advanced like that.
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must. make. decision.
In case you think I have forgotten about my request for assistance in naming our family’s newest canine addition, let me assure you, I have not. You guys had some seriously wonderful suggestions. I had names sent to me through the blog, through facebook and through real face conversations. Ultimately, Kevin and I had a difficult time agreeing on a name choice. (Sort of like when we named our babies.) I pushed for Mr. Rich Man Walden and Kevin held strong for Sgt. Pepper. I feel like I should give some sort of prize to Joanna for the sheer amount of effort she poured into the idea. I guess I…
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justice: finn style
We have had a serious problem with ticks this summer. Just short of a plague. And the conversations in our house as we discover these creepy little creepers have been both ridiculous and hilarious. But mostly we just joke about how much we dislike them and the various methods in which we hope to destroy them. (Ticks have made us into a violent family, apparently.) I imagine this talk has affected our children as well, influencing them in ways I was not aware. Yesterday as we loitered around outside while Hannah worked tirelessly on the building of our chicken coop, Piper Finn announced her need to use the restroom facilities…
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What Would You Name This Dog?
I guess I am pretty much in love with our new puppy. I mean, I took the silly dog to the auto shop with us to have the Suburban’s oil changed last week. I don’t know why I did that. He just seemed so sad and lonely in his little puppy kennel. We are in the middle of trying to house train the wee little man. (Emphasis on the “wee”.) House training a puppy is not all that different from potty training a kid. Both activities at which I do not excel. Both requiring cloth diapers. Wait – that’s not really true. Except we are using the kids’ old cloth…
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Nothing Short of Grateful
(Thanks Avett Brothers for allowing me to once again steal a song title of yours for a post title of mine.) I owe more people favors than I could ever repay. My debt of gratitude overflows and runs amok. Pretty sure I could never even list all the people and all the ways my days and my life have been blessed by the kindness of others. Friends. Strangers. Family. Framily. You name it. I stand overwhelmed. Just in the past week alone . . . Jamal babysat five of our children so Kevin and I could attend a sports banquet with Riley. He washed the dishes. He fed the children.…
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top five
For all intents and purposes, it might as well be summer already here. Once the summer staffers move in over at the lodge, it feels as if spring is gone and summer has begun. And they moved in yesterday. And that means more lodge meals and a bit less cooking. Which means that often our fridge looks a little bare. But there are a few items you can generally guarantee will be found behind the one gigantic door. Which leads me to wonder, is that true for everyone? What are the top five items in your fridge? If I was to walk in to your kitchen, say hello and then…
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the beauty of the years.
Last week on a date night we tried baked brie. It was incredible. The next day I told my friend Mandy about how delicious it was. She said, “You know that you can make that at home?” No. I did not know that I could make that at home. I mean, I guess I knew. Sort of. Can’t you make anything at home? In theory – right? So I bought the brie. I bought the pastry shell thing. I baked it at home. It was delicious. I was giddy from making my $9 appetizer for only $5.00 at home. That was cool. Last night was our weekly Wednesday Gathering. I…
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wilder.
Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for? -Robert Browning
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welcome home.
Ever since giant, exuberant Magnus packed his dog bags and moved to our friend Chris’s Georgia farm, the kids have been requesting another pet. I have had dogs around me my entire life. Kevin and I had acquired three very beloved dogs before our second year of marriage was completed. We’re just dog people. But this time, if we were going to get a new dog, we needed to do a little more planning. I wanted a dog that was small enough to live inside so as not to run near the road or disturb our neighbors. I didn’t want dog hair all over our house. And we’re not big…
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consider me blessed.
What could be better than a twisty-turny Sunday afternoon drive to see a stunning view? What more could I ask for than spoken words of love and affection delivered directly to my ears? What else could I desire besides beautiful handmade treasures crafted by sweet, small hands?
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speaking of . . .
Meet Finn. Still one of the funniest kids I know. Lately she has taken to spouting a phrase she has picked up somewhere. “Speaking of . . . “ She will start sentences with this phrase. Just toss it in there mid-conversation, before anything she feels she needs to announce. Sometimes it doesn’t really make any sense. Such as – “Speaking of corn, can I have breakfast now?” And sometimes the connection is a little clearer. “Speaking of peanut butter, can I lick some?” At times, it is straight-up comical. “Speaking of pants, where are mine?”
