Perfect Endings

The best part of my day happens late at night when the house is quiet.

After I lay in bed reading far later into the night than a person with responsibilities before noon ever should.

When, eventually, I set down my book, turn out my light and curl up on my side to fall asleep.

Right then it happens.

The best part of the day.

I reach behind me and gently tap on John’s sleeping form. Then I wait with quiet, happy anticipation for him to roll over, wrap his arm around me, and tuck us together. Safe, warm and loved I fall asleep.

The perfect end to any kind of day.

As of today we’ve had ten years of perfect endings but it’s not enough.wedding day

I’m holding out for a lifetime.

The Tour – Part 1

We moved.

We unpacked (mostly).

It is time for the virtual tour.

I wouldn’t want you to miss anything so lets start at the very beginning…

As you head up the driveway turn and look behind you, past the mailbox, across the field you will see a little grey house in the distance. mailboxWave and say goodbye, that’s our old house and it won’t be around much longer!

When you have said your proper farewells head up the long driveway.

down the driveway

This crew is walking down the driveway toward the road.

The orchard that you are passing, (along with the driveway) is not ours but our new neighbors and the barn you will drive by is where their 100-year-old cider press resides.barn

Note: If you are virtually (or actually) visiting in the winter please reflect on how happy we are to live far off the road rather than curse the length of our driveway which we hear has drifting problems.

Once you make it to the top of the hill, watch out for girls on wheels! Ivy bike

While the new place has it’s own small orchard, as well as a woods, yard with lots of gardens. a house and a garage to explore the girls are most enamored by the driveway.

The driveway.

The driveway which is on the opposite side of the garage as the house. The driveway which has western exposure, no shade, no lawn, just a nice chunk of pavement that resembles an oven in the late afternoon. The driveway is not everyone’s favorite part of the new house.

But, after a month of having a paved driveway even the littlest girl can now go faster than my focus!

Jane scooting

And the others are doing tricks – Look, no hands!

Clara tricycle - no handsIf you can manage to park your vehicle out of the way of the circus on wheels you will no doubt be pressed into watching a full “show” of the best and current tricks.  After managing to extract yourself from that situation (and before you protest remember the oven factor) ask Clara to show you the house. Then try to keep up as she runs past our two car garage (that only has room for cars in it in my dreams) and heads towards home… garage(and part 2)

I Need More Dark Chocolate

It’s true what they say.

As my children age I am getting less intelligent.Ivy black and white

Or as my eldest says, “YOU’RE JUST STUPID!”

Sadly that was as I was asking her to do something totally outrageous like get in the car for swim lessons and not after one of our dreaded circular conversations when it might (in a nicer manner of course) have been warranted.

Ivy has two snack times now and, my feelings on that aside, I needed some clarification on exactly how it worked.

“Do you need to bring a snack for milk break too?” I ask.

“No”,she says as she laughs, “They pass one out.”

“Oh, so you only need to bring one snack.”

“No!“, and she laughs harder shaking her head, “There are two snacks!”

“When?”

“Mom…” she laughs as she shakes her head.

“No really. When do they pass out snacks?”

“MOM! At snack time!” -giggle, giggle-

“But, then when do you eat the snack you bring?”

“At snack time!”

“So you do need to bring two snacks?”

…

And so the conversations goes round in circles while the first grader laughs at her oh-so-ridiculous-mother that doesn’t know a single thing about snack time.

Clara is more patient with me.

She knows that sometimes I just don’t get it. When that happens she raises her eyebrows, look to the heavens and says, “Actually Mom…”Clara black and white

Every now and then Ivy will pipe up with a gem like this: “How many ten minutes.”

And I, admittedly, panic.

It’s early in the morning. I have no idea what we are talking about. The question makes no sense to me. Is it better to pretend I didn’t hear? Or do I ask for clarification and risk the circular conversation before I’ve finished my cup of tea? Will she find my stupidity this morning amusing, frustrating or will it bring on tears?

“Actually Mom…”

“No Mom, mini-corn dogs are a healthy lunch.” Ivy says laughing at my disbelief.

“Actually Mom..”

And then Jane chimes in.Jane black and white

“Daddy?”

“Daddy?”

“Daddy?”

What, who me?!

“Yeah!”

“MOM!”

“Actually…”

“DADDY!”

Then, just like that, in the midst of the chaos I can practically feel it happen -poof- there goes another batch of brain cells.Clara and Jane black and white

Fortunately I’ve done .45 seconds worth of internet research on sub-par sites and discovered that dark chocolate is good for your brain.

Unfortunately we are out.

Somebody forgot to get more…

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

I laughed out loud – lots. 

Then I sat and wondered if I was a bad person.

I’m not a bad person.

But this is just the sort of ridiculous book full of just the kind of dry, dark humor that I like.

Would I recommend it? I want to say yes, yes yes!

But I’m afraid that it may take a certain sort to love this book like I did.

So, perhaps you should find the book and a grain of salt, give it a try and let me know what you think.

Reason #43 We Do A Lot Of Laundry…

…because the sand box sand didn’t move with us and Jane, apparently, misses it.Jane sitting in ashes

Fortunately(?) ashes seem to make a reasonable substitution.Jane throwing ashes

And before you worry (Because I know you worriers are out there!): Yes, they were cold. No, I don’t let her throw ashes in her eyes everyday. No! I’m joking, nobody got ashes in their eyes! No, there were no nasty objects in the pile. No, I didn’t watch as she started this fun. I came upon it too late and grabbed a camera before I extracted her (at arms length). And yes…Toes full of ashes

…yes, she did take a bath!

Digby

This is my puppy.

This is not my puppy.DSCN4621-(2sm)This is my friends puppy Digby and he comes to visit us everyday while she is at work.Digby

Theoretically this is to help my friend out by keeping the pup here while he is still too young to be in a crate all day.  Once he is bigger he will no longer spend his days with us.

(Digby’s mom is a Saint Bernard and his Dad is a Great Dane/Doberman. At 10 weeks and 22 pounds bigger is the operative word here!)DSCN4602-(2sm)

Theoretically that’s the plan.

But really… DSCN4622-(2sm)

Really, we love him.

And we have no intention of letting this arrangement end!

Have You Tasted Fall?

Have you spent a day making apple cider?crates of apples

Have you watched the apples tumble through a washer?The apple washer

Have you seen them fall to the waiting boxes below as they reach the other side?Washed apples falling into waiting crates.

Have your children giggled as apples flew up an elevator?Sending the apples up the elevator to the grinder.

Have you heard the terrific noise of a grinder as the apples are ground to a pulp?Elevator drops the apples in the top of the grinder.

Have you witnessed the mashed apples shooting out onto the press?Filling the press.

Have you watched as knowledge was passed from person to person?A cloth is folded over each layer of apple before the next is added.

Have you seen the belts and wheels of a hundred year old cider press jump into action?The press starts running.

Have you listened to the noise of the engine change as it starts to apply pressure to the apples?The press lifts the trays of apples to squeeze them.

Have you smelled the tang of apples as the juice starts running out?Juice flows out of the layers of apple pulp.

Have you watched your husband explain it all to your children?The liquid is pumped through a hose under the press to a large holding tank in the background.

Have you listened to the gurgle of the amber liquid as it fills a jug?Filling the jugs.

Have you tasted fall?Glass of apple cider.