the last dance

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Kim Halloran-Fry

The kids had a party for their last night at the dance studio. Games, candy, lots of dancing. Lots of laughing. Lots of wonderful people. I was doing really well ri-i-i-ght up until Miss Mary told them to line up for the last time they would dance out the door. Agh. Last times are hard for me. Very hard.

My lovely Moira put on a brave face for her dance-around but this was a rough night for her. It is hard to remember this is the same girl who cried for having to come to Germany.

These three look like trouble. <g>

Rousing game of freeze tag here, hand in hand.

Watching Tess looking so very big also caught my breath. She began to dance two years ago and stumbled over her own feet for months. Several weeks into it I wasn't sure she was ever going to get it. But suddenly she is no longer round and tentative but this lanky, confident girl in long braids who knows many dances. And I am happy for her, for them all. Happy they pushed through their sadness over leaving the ranch to have this German adventure. Happy for all they have seen and done. Happy that they are well and strong and so very alive.

But there were still tears over here, because that is how milestones go for me.

South of the Border Birthday Dinner

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Kim Halloran-Fry

Well, not our border but you know what I mean, right? Allen wanted Mexican for his birthday dinner last week and Alannah obliged with enchiladas from the Pioneer Woman and a Coconut Pistaschio pie. Good stuff! There were no leftovers from this one. Everyone but Abbie ate, although Tess kept saying, "It's good…but spicy!"

cattle….drive

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Kim Halloran-Fry

Oh the things I see while washing up dishes at the kitchen window.

he aint heavy

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Kim Halloran-Fry

"What is a brad?" Kieran was reading the directions in his craft book and puzzled over the unfamiliar word. I explained it was a little brass fastener that would make the paper doll's joints bend. "Do we have any?" he wanted to know. We did. That was all he wanted to know. He had spotted this project and he was sure his little sisters would love it.

He was right.

I remember standing in the driveway chatting with the neighbors many years ago. We had just learned we were expecting our fourth child. The beautiful blonde nurse across the street was flabbergasted. "Don't you want the best things for your kids?" she asked rhetorically feeling, as she did, that there would not have been a third much less a fourth if we did.

In fact I wanted the very best. I wanted them to have trusted friends. I wanted them to have good advice and a helping hand. I wanted them to have a sympathetic comrade, one so familiar he knew exactly what would make your day – and then set out to do just that.

Watching Kieran invest hours in his younger brothers and sisters – as his older brothers and sisters have done for him – I feel pretty sure they've got that.

I, who have no sisters or brothers, look with some degree of innocent envy on those who may be said to be born to friends.

James Boswell

sounds of the forest

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Kim Halloran-Fry

One of these nights soon will be the last we hike through the forest surrounding our village. I can't seem to get enough and wish to plant these sights deep in my memory, for we will not be back down these roads.

I did a quick spin in my spot listening to the birds on this damp evening. It probably loses something in recording but it was a beautiful walk nonetheless.

Sew – a needle pulling thread

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Kim Halloran-Fry

Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by. Life is like that – one stitch at a time taken patiently and the pattern will come out all right like the embroidery.

- Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Up through the doors, out through the back door…"

(back stitch, chain stitch, running stitch, blanket stitch)

Weekend Photography tips: all those old pictures

Posted on June 23, 2012 by Kim Halloran-Fry

A big project around here lately has been scanning all the shoeboxes of old pictures. There were a lot of them. I am ashamed to say we are just now doing this. SO many disasters could have befallen them over the years. I shudder to think. 15 houses, 10 babies, 5 states, a couple countries, and a fair number of miscellaneous crises in the intervening years kept me preoccupied. Being the poster child for biting off more than I could chew didn't help either. Which brings us to date and saddled with all these vulnerable pictures.

My solution was to pay the 12 yr old to sit here and scan pictures while watching netflix. Brilliant. <g> He was happy as a lark and more than qualified to move pictures from box, to scanner bed, to another box. A couple movies and several hundred pictures later we are nearly done. If you find the prospect daunting I suggest tapping your young people. No willing workers? There are national scanning services and many local printers or photography shops will do the job as well.

I am sharing some links with tips for scanning your old photos here and here Basically you want to be sure your scanner is set to 'photo' vs document and at 300dpi.

When you are done scanning consider saving copies of the files to an external hard drive. Cpu's fail. Hard drives fail. One copy is unwise.

And don't forget the whole point of having these pictures is that they are part of your story. Tell it. The most important book you will ever write is the one you write for your family. What happened? When? Where? and more importantly – how did you feel about that? This is what I am working on now.

It's ok to document random memories out of 'order'. If they come to mind when you see an old picture, write it down. If you don't have photoshop, start a photobook at Shutterfly and drag an old photo over to your project here and there as the mood strikes. They keep your stuff saved a long time. (another back up)

volksmarch

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Kim Halloran-Fry

The Homburg flea market yielded what, for me, was an awesome snag – an old volksmarching walking stick. When we were here in the 80s volksmarching was huge. They were 10km walks which drew large crowds. People joined volksmarch clubs and hiked together socially. When you participated in a walk you would earn a small metal badge which you tacked onto a walking stick like this one. People collected badges from all over.

People still walk here with great enthusiasm, but I see few sticks. Nordic walking poles have largely replaced the old canes. I was glad to find this one which was covered in badges. The others I have seen have had far fewer. Must have been a well-traveled volksmarcher. : )

Czechoslovakian Hussite Church Concert

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Kim Halloran-Fry

Late one afternoon in Prague we quite literally wandered into a side door of this church. We try to alternate our street sights with indoor sights so Allen and I the children can rest. Once inside we discovered there was a concert in progress. It had been at intermission when we entered. We were able to enjoy the end of the performance and Abbie caught a nap. Someone else appears to be snoozing as well, but he will tell you he was awake. <g> He gets a kitchen pass for this one since he had run 13 miles earlier in the day.

This was possibly the most magnificent chandelier I have ever seen. Ever.

Actually it looks like Kieran nodded off as well. Please excuse the exhausted Americans. : )

village walk

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Kim Halloran-Fry

It has been a nice few days but gosh I am sleepy tonight. A proper update is in order. We have made some lovely pies and my nose has been buried in books lately when I can steal away from moving prep. Hopefully soon I will get some things typed out here about all that. Meantime, the village is lush and green with all the rain we have had so I will just share some glimpses around town right now.

lettuces peeking through the fruit trees in the neighbor's garden

I know what you're thinking. I have no idea. But I have been behind them on the open road I tell you. In this country, anything with wheels has the same right of way as you do in your car to include horse drawn wagon, tractors, and yes, three-wheeled dealie-bobs. Hence, the license plate. : )

There are German colors flying everywhere. I am so sports ignorant I initially wondered at this sudden display of patriotism. I even briefly worried it was indicative of anti-American sentiment. The vuvuzelas clued me in however. They apparently cross borders and have international appeal. Really late at night too.

My sidekick pooped out. She really needed a nap which is pretty hard to admit when you have so many older brothers and sisters who don't. I convinced her to ride in the stroller though and she didn't make it very far.

There was a frenzy of hay-cutting recently. The farmer behind us made several turns 'round the field out back and then came back to continue into the night. (below) I know this because I stay up far too late these days, but am hitting the hay now – no pun intended…

Starry Sky Journal

Reflections from Starry Sky Ranch

Monthly Archives: June 2012