One for you, one for me

You know. That thing? When you go shopping to get a gift for someone, and then you find something that you just love and kind of have to go ahead and get? For yourself? Yeah, it's like that. (And even Ken said just the other day, "ohhh, it's almost getting to be time to play the Christmas music, isn't it?!"

A photo a day over at Chicken Blog, too.

Finishing up

Getting the last bulbs planted, putting away the hoses, cleaning out the flowerpots. Putting the gardens to bed for the winter is one of my least favorite outdoor chores; I hate that it's over while at the same time I'm done, ready to be done with it and no energy to have to keep doing. Just another weekend or two worth of work -- and they've already had snow in western Massachusetts.

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Monochrome

Up and out early to vote for Clinton; I believe with all my heart in the better days just ahead.

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It's mostly this

I swear, traffic was completely stopped and wasn't going to move for about 2.5 minutes (I know the light timing on my daily route). I thought, "it's like driving through a storybook!" because Natalie said something like that. This is my every day -- it's mostly like this between my house and work. (Click on image to see more.)

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World Serious

The ups and downs of life as Cubs fan; seeking equilibrium and trying to focus simply on the joy of being there.  

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Combo plate

Ornamental cabbage dances in skirts twirling an irresistible combination of colors; looking for (and finding) the bright side of a Wednesday.

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Glorious

They waited so long, they left me certain that they'd die back before putting forth a single flower. I've never had such a hard time getting morning glories to flower before (apparently they can be quite temperamental); I'll need to correct whatever mistakes I made to ensure they have more time, and I have more time with them next summer. It's a treat to have them now -- absolutely -- when there's so little else left in the garden but I'm greedy with these. I want more. I want to enjoy them while we're spending long days out in the yard, so I don't have to quickly scurry out to see them before getting back into the house where it's warm. 


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Scultpure garden

The combination of the rising sun, the spotlight still on from the night presents me with artwork I've never noticed before; simply trees getting ready for winter.

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Show time

Weeks of planning, practicing, and worrying; a Sunday spent at work for our Open House and the presentation of the student panel which fell to me. So lucky to have these incredible people to make amazing things happen when the hush falls and the spotlight is on them.

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Centuries

Did we really do all that? Did we hop skip and jump from 1620 to 1793 to 1865 in the space of a day? An hour? The Alcott home where Louisa May wrote Little Women was a key stop for Maria, and Natalie treated us to the evening guided tour. We made a mad-dash (and sadly unsuccessful) attempt to visit her grave site, although we did pay a visit to Henry David Thoreau's favorite stomping grounds and peered into the best of what life in the 1790's had to offer. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, too. Yet we barely scratched the surface. Of anything.  I yearn to fold the map, to bring the west coast right up to this east coast, and make the visiting easier and regular and every day.

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Reconnecting

A triumphant return.

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The rounds

Another late night, in another school gym, wedged in this time with 47 other schools all making the rounds to encourage students to explore and apply. No one wants to let go of a clearly out-dated model -- well, no one other than those of us actually assigned to make these rounds....

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Learning to love it even more

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The counterpoint

For all of our glorious, sunny fall days, we have just as many days that define "autumn" as dark, cold, and wet. Wishing my friends better weather in Maine.

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Home base

I had to head back to work today, and so our friends headed out on their own local adventures with Lauren and we met back up at the end of the day. I'm already so mindful of how brief our time together will be, and so grateful to be able to provide a home base for their adventures.



A photo a day over at Chicken Blog, too.

Historical

 It can be difficult to explain to people in advance how very much of the historical there is to see here. It's certainly difficult for me to remember just how much there is, and even to realize how limited my own investigations have been. I have been to Plimoth Plantation before, although perhaps not on so perfectly crisp and bright a fall day.

 From the recreation of the pilgrim's village over to the recreation of the Mayflower.  It's inconceivable -- every time -- that somewhere around 130 people made the 3-month+ voyage on this tiny ship. 

One could easily spend a week, a month, a year studying the gravestones so common here that the final resting place of Myles Standish and John & Priscilla (Mullins) Alden and other Mayflower pilgrims doesn't even have a place to park; we pretty much all tend to just drive by these places every day without noticing.  William's interest rekindled my own; art and history preserved.


A photo a day over at Chicken Blog, too.

Adventuring

Sharing Boston, the Public Gardens, and Make Way for Ducklings with William, Natalie, and Maria. I'm not sure that I've ever had the pleasure or responsibility to be the first guide for anyone's very first New England experience and I find myself striving to see it all through their eyes.

Fall leaves as decoration, toys, delights!

And even a visit with the ever affable Lauren, who welcomes everyone joyfully and who loves to share her chickens and stories and talents.

A photo a day over at Chicken Blog, too.

Anticipation

At the airport, waiting for Natalie, Maria, and William, and hoping that their visit is all that they are imagining it will be.

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Friends

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Getting ready

Tidying up, putting on a pot of sauce, making notes, and knowing it will all work out wonderfully. The Natalies, as we loving refer to them, are coming to visit!

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They bloom somewhere

My own morning glory plants have behaved strangely this year; one has been the biggest, most lush PLANT and now is already dying back without having produced a single bloom and the other is still looking healthy but no buds have burst forth yet. It was lovely to see this on a walk today and know that they are still out there, somewhere, saying good morning.

A photo a day over at Chicken Blog, too.

Inspired

We've finally gotten the inspiration, the decision, the supplies, the energy, and the time to tackle a project! Trying to show the house some love --at least in ways that show. (It has been a journey of much time and effort put into structural/depressing repairs, with little of anything left over for making it feel more like home.) But, yay! Yay for this and for a renewed energy for more.


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Countdown

Ok, leaves -- hold on and show up big for Natalie, please!

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Just this once

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Definitely

("Life is too short to drive boring cars")

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I miss watching my boy play soccer

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And yet there are signs

that things have decided to fall.

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Still glorious, and not over yet

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Super early

A new health and fitness center opened at our school this year, and I've been getting in super early to exercise before starting my day a few times a week. Haven't broken through to that point where this is just a normal part of life -- it still feels kind of Herculean (and sometimes, just crazy) -- but that's my goal.

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The latest home improvement project

is underway. Everything really does take longer than you think it will, eh?

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He came home to get some work done

...and to sleep in, and have some favorite foods, and get a little break. Yay!

A photo a day over at Chicken Blog, too.