Sharing with you

I found a pretty incredible source for beautiful wooden toys and other delights and I hope you give yourself the gift of checking it out. Many of their things would make wonderful gifts for adults.

I recently discovered Anuna, and bought their Christmas Songs cd, thanks to Isabella online (another great source for cool gifts). Anuna has a bunch of stuff on YouTube, if you'd like to get a sense of what they are all about. I confess that I am playing it already -- the Christmas cd -- and find it soothing. I already have a sense of hopelessness about the season -- that there is no way I can ever possibly have my act together. But the cd is reminding me about the beauty of it.

Did you see Bethany's Thanksgiving banner tutorial? It's her Nov. 5 post -- can't get the link to go directly there. Sheer genius, as always.

What's your hand?

What I saw on my walk

Wasn't that long ago, right?

Somehow I'm making up a rule that says I can still post about a holiday as long as I'm less than a week away from it. Not sure why I think I need to get all rule-y or anything, but I guess I feel the need to justify being so far behind. But we did have a glorious Halloween!

Every year it seems the prospect of making the time to deal with the pumpkins is just overwhelming; buying them is easy, gutting and carving them on a week night after dinner always seems so hard. But then, once we just buckle down and do it we remember that it's not so bad and in fact we enjoy it. A lot. (Dean has gotten pretty good at gutting his own pumpkin, which does help.)

And this year Dean was Bond. James Bond. Daniel Craig as James Bond. Never had such an easy costume to make! I had the idea to check eBay for a kid's tux and found one brand new, in the wrapper, for less (um, more than one-third less) than I spent on fabric last year. Not that I don't absolutely love making his costumes for him because I do, but this did take a lot of stress and expense out of the whole enterprise, and he did look marvelous if I do say so myself.

He went trick or treating, as always, with his buddy Max who looked just exactly like the UPS man. They were a great pair. Came back with lots of loot, and Dean gave about 2/3's of his haul to his other friend who was too sick to go out that night. (H1N1, or I-L-I [influenza-like-illness], I'll be so glad when you are out of here.)

And I'm just too proud of his accomplishments not to say -- Dean's managed in his last two games to get the ball past the keeper and into the net. The upper photo was from a very tough game that they lost, and the bottom is from a game in which Dean's was the only goal so he did it for his team. He's having a wonderful time, getting more confident with each game. We open a new season of indoor soccer this Saturday at 7 a.m., and close out the current outdoor season in the afternoon. Not sure how two games in one day will go (or how I'll get his uniform clean in between) but hoping he continues to love the sport.

Happy almost Halloween

One more sleep, 4 more meals, 1 soccer game, and 5 dog walks til Halloween. We're ready, thanks to the Halloween Parade and Assembly at school today!

Thanks for the kind words on my last post; makes me want to get out a little more thoughtfully with my camera and explore the world I think I know.

Seeing the train station

Last week, Dean's class took a field trip to Boston. They are currently studying transportation, so they spent the day using as much public transportation as they could, and talking with a couple of experts in the city about urban planning, transportation, and the environment. They were supposed to ride the commuter ferry boat, but the weather was so raw that it wouldn't have been enjoyable at all. I arrived at the station a little early to pick him up at the end of the day, and decided at the last moment to bring my camera along.

I'm still enjoying the experience of seeing what I could see at the station.

Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change

Today, bloggers all over the world are writing about climate change, urging readers to get involved. "Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance." I registered to participate without any grand plan, other than my belief in sharing ideas to change the world.


My own take on climate change is that, without heavy or undue guilt, I simply believe that every choice I make has an impact. Driving a couple of fewer times in the course of a week by combining (or eliminating) errands, recycling every bit of everything that can be recycled, turning lights off, conserving water, stopping to observe and delight in the beauty of the natural world (and sharing that habit with my son) -- every single thing makes a difference. It goes the other way, too; bad choices hurt. I try, again without feeling hopeless, to sort of run my own sets of carbon-offsets. If I feel that I don't have a way around something, I make an effort to offset the the poor choice with a bunch of better ones.

The point is that I believe that each individual needs to care deeply about personal choices. That it's not up to government nor industry nor some mysterious 'they' to solve the climate crisis; I believe it is up to each and every one of us.

Mister October

Are you ready yet? We're getting our Halloween on (Mr. Skeleton was courtesy of Martha) indoors and...

...out. Or thinking about it, anyway (this outside shot is from last year -- we won't carve our pumpkins or put up the lights until closer to the big day). Dean's costume is nearly finished (more of an assembly of parts as opposed to sewing this year), and the detailed plan around trick-or-treating is in the works.

Meanwhile, still a gorgeous fall. Although

I'm keenly aware of the rhythm life has taken on, the one where blogging never gets my best attention. I steal a couple of in-between minutes to get some photos up (and rarely have time to re-size), then I cobble together a post as best I can.

I'd like to think it's because real life, in real time, is getting my best effort. I'm not sure that it's true, but I do like to think it. I still keep my camera ready and I do keep thinking about everything, I just don't get many thoughts down. I'm not giving up; I guess I'm just asking for some patience. Maybe you're out in the fresh air, too?

Resolute

I have resolved not to noodle away the day. It's Friday, my 'day off,' and I'm going to accomplish things. Housework things and personal things. Dough for pizza will be made, laundry will be put away, and at the very least my craft space will get tidied up. I have a way of letting these days get away from me, but not this time.

Twenty-two tiny turtles

Exactly as it was meant to be.

I took Biscuit out for a walk at about 5:30 yesterday afternoon. It was just starting toward evening, with the sun done with its work for the day and darkness just starting to come on. We came upon one very tiny turtle, just hatched, marching across our street and headed toward the river.

I'd been watching, recently, for turtles. We'd seen one back in the spring, laying its eggs, and we've rescued other hatchlings on other fall days from other spring layings. You'd think it would be easy enough to see a turtle crossing the road, but they are incredibly easy to overlook.

I ended up having an experience that would have looked cliched in a movie. First, one turtle. I picked him up gently and moved him forward in his journey, onto the grass headed toward the river and off the road. Walking a little further, I found another. A few more steps, and another. Suddenly, it was as though they were materializing right out of the macadam; I found myself surrounded by turtles. Twenty-two in all. All alive, all rescued off the road.


After making sure I'd gotten them all before any neighbors drove home, I went back to get Dean. He's at the age of being able to beg the question and know the answer -- "can't I keep just one?" and "these belong in the wild." We marveled at the reality that, even given the vast difference in the size of the turtle's brain and the size of our brains, that turtle possesses the knowledge, the instinct to know exactly what to do to survive, while we have no idea how to appropriately care for a turtle to ensure survival.

I wondered if the turtle we'd watched lay her eggs could have been responsible for these babies, but Dean artfully pointed out that we were talking about two different species. Oh yeah. That.


Dean named one Toby, set it down with some mates, and wished them all safe passage. As long as we don't find any dead on the road, I'll be so thrilled.

A Small Sunday

Warm and toasty dry inside on a rainy Sunday.

The perfect weather for pumpkin waffles (thanks to Amy for putting the idea in my head and the recipe in my hands). Although -- please -- I did already own a heart-shaped waffle maker. I omitted the ground cloves because sometimes they can be a little too overwhelming for Dean.

Can you smell them?

Really wonderful with a glass of fresh cider (although, had I been thinking, I would have had my cider hot).

Meanwhile, I'm in awe of the flowers that hang on and continue to put on their show, even though they must realize summer is over. Elegant ladies, dancing flamenco.

While others get ready to take center stage,

one last small cache of sunflowers seeds, stolen and planted by some small mammal, push through and burst out one small flower, just to complete the cycle on time.

My small Sunday.

In a word: spectacular

Pretty much without fail, New England itself gives to those of us who live here an annual gift. It's why we stay here, even if we don't realize or admit that it's the reason.


We call it 'fall.'

Fall makes everything else worthwhile. It makes harsh, long, icy winters worthwhile. It makes 'mud season' and 'black fly season' (the two things we get in lieu of 'spring') worthwhile. It even takes the sting out of long, hot, dry summers that manage, generally despite the lack of rain, to be pretty humid (I don't even know how that's possible, but New England serves it up that way).

You'll hear varied opinions throughout the course of any year -- those who hate winter and those who live for opportunities to ski, those who wilt in the heat and those who drink it up. And it's popular to comment about spring's being the last bit of winter's agony that you have to get through until early summer comes.


But nobody dislikes fall. Nobody. People walk around happy, smiling, commenting regularly on the progress the leaves are making in their annual turn. Nights are cool (down even to the 40s) and days are warm and sunny (upper 70s today). Not. one. cloud.

We've been taking advantage. Long hikes in our local state forest (with plans written in on the calendar for several more), with room in our hearts and our car to take Biscuit along. Plans to pick apples, and stops at farmers' markets. Apple cider. Oh, how I love a hot cup of apple cider....

Soccer games played in conditions that make you just plain giddy to be alive, to be so lucky as to be sitting at the edge of the field, watching the boys play.

Plans and energy to cook interesting things for dinner, to start thinking about crafting again, to star-gaze. If you've been around here for a while you may have heard me ponder this sort of thing before: would I revel in it this much if we had it all year long? Would I notice it, notice the quality of the light and the scent on the breeze if that were how it was every day? I have to admit that I'd probably get tired of it, probably would take it for granted, probably would yearn to travel somewhere else for a change.

But for now I'm staying put, and loving every moment.

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly*

Some details, as promised. Of Gina's gorgeous quilt. The one she made and gave away, and that I won. Oh happy, lucky me!
The photos were taken in ultra-bright sunlight which washed the colors out a little, but you still get a sense of her beautiful, perfect fabric choices and workmanship.
I love it. We are planning to make-over our family room before the winter holidays. I'm not sure if 'family room' translates; we certainly didn't call anything the 'family room' in the house where I grew up. We said 'front room,' even, and not 'living room' as they do here in the East (although that's different from the 'family room'). Anyway, it is the room on the ground floor of the house, next to the kitchen, where the sofa and tv are and where we hang out. So my point (yes!) is that Gina's quilt may in fact become the focal point of that room; I was going to hang it in the bedroom but it deserves a wider audience.
Meanwhile, The Season has begun. Hurray! A 6-1 win last week, and the next game is tomorrow. Dean moved up a division and is loving it more than ever. He's a different person in some ways on the field -- takes no guff. That's MY ball. Not in an inappropriately aggressive way, just in an appropriately forceful way. Great to see.

*Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green,

When I am king, dilly, dilly, you shall be queen.

Who told you so, dilly, dilly, who told you so?

'Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly, that told me so.

(and Burl Ives sings it best)

Oh nine oh nine oh nine!

Couldn't let the date slide by, inasmuch as I've let so many others do just that.

No mix of lame/legitimate excuses, just forging ahead.

With about eleventy million things to catch up on, I begin with some of the most important:


Can you believe I get to say the words, "this is the quilt I won from Gina!"? I still can't believe I get to say those words, and I always refer to it as 'Gina's quilt' because I haven't gotten my head around the fact that I could call it my quilt that Gina made. Dean took the photo and I realize that while he did a fine job, I'll owe you some detail shots because this is truly a thing of beauty. Gina, I can never thank you enough!


Next, I get to say that this was Dean's "best first day of school EVER," because that's what he says. Nothing better than having him so totally love his school, his teacher, his friends. And what a luxury to have Ken home with us after school to enjoy the perfect afternoon.

Even Biscuit is just happy to be alive. More soon -- I promise.

Perfection

This was Dean's last week of summer day camps; he finished out with chess camp, which he attended with his best friend Max. The week had included a tournament, with finals on the last day. They wondered if it would come down to this, and indeed Dean and Max had to play each other in the last game for the championship. The air in the room was NOT charged with tension at all; all the kids were thoroughly enjoying themselves, and each pair would glance around from time to time to see how the other games were going.
Contemplating their good fortune and offering up their trophies, with Max as the first place winner and Dean as second. Dean was utterly delighted with the outcome, and acknowledged that Max deserved to win for having played the better game. We went home for a celebratory lunch of hot dogs, with ice cream for dessert, and an afternoon of:
badminton on the front lawn. I seriously do not think it gets much better than this. We've been playing badminton as a family this weekend and look forward to more matches today. Skies are blue, temperatures are ideal, low humidity, cool breezes wafting through.
I love this picture of Dean and his cousin, Hallie, skipping rocks at the beach during a break at a recent family wedding.

We've got nearly a month until school starts, and are about as content as we can be. We're getting ready to take a little trip to celebrate Ken's 50th; oh, I'll have lots of pictures to post when we return!

Some things I love

Skipping stones.
Watching soccer games.
Great pens.
Maps.
Interesting paper.
The English language.
Text as art.
Coffee.
Old-fashioned donuts.
Iced tea.
Lemonade.
Fresh air.
The sky.
Good erasers.
Ladybug's Picnic, sung by Elizabeth Mitchell
Rubber stamps.
Sharp pencils.
Peonies.
Sea glass.
Libraries.
Beautiful studio/creative spaces.
Color.
Photography.
Christmas.
Good craft magazines.
Corn on the cob.
Classic board games.
Fishing.
Keen sandals.
Going out for breakfast.
Pirates of the Caribbean/Curse of the Black Pearl
Music from an ice cream truck.

How about you?