about happy things, and the rest

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Kim Halloran-Fry

The happy thing to talk about is tea today with these two. It has not been easy to get a table at this little tea room near the antique barn. The posted hours seem to be more suggestions than hard-and-fast opening and closing times. We tried to bring Megan a few weeks ago. We tried a couple days ago to take all the girls. That time we came very close. It was open when we arrived at the barn, but all the lights were out and doors locked before closing time. I was half expecting the same this afternoon when we came on Alannah's day off but we hit the jackpot. Tea and cakes while watching the wind and drizzle pick up out the windows.

That is the happy thing. The not-so-happy thing was the tree down in the road later in the evening. Or the lorry that hit us from behind. This is life too, yes? Not all tea and cakes. Still, we are all three safe and well and the driver has sent all his company's information to cover us it seems. Just am a little rattled still which explains editing in the wee hours. So off to bed with me now.

busy hands

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Kim Halloran-Fry

We have had the girls friends visiting from Germany this week and have been on the go daily. While Moira was out last week her brothers and sisters worked to finish her birthday surprises for her "friends" birthday dinner.

Kieran really wanted to mix up the cotton candy cupcakes Alannah had planned. While she was at work he got his supplies together and gave it a whirl. A little ways into the process he thought something was off. He reread and realized he had forgotten the eggs. That was soon fixed up and he had them all ready to frost when the girls got home.

The little girls got to work seasoning the new cutting boards. You know all these jobs are easier done yourself but this is about the process. The end goal isn't a finished job, but busy hands and minds learning something they didn't know and understanding they make valuable contributions even when they are small.

I have been challenging myself to use up all the new veggies the landlord has brought us. The other night I tackled a new recipe for the fresh sprouts sauteed with bacon. It was really good and super filling. A little went a long way. The new Country Living (British) magazine featured parsnips so that's the next culinary adventure.

enchantment

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Kim Halloran-Fry

"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?"

– JB Priestly

It was serendipity if ever there was that. A three day weekend and totally snowed in. A pile of kids spilling out of the doors and into this white wonderland. It wasn't terribly cold so it was a challenge to keep people "properly dressed." There is also someone eating snow in almost every frame from the day. Before long the snow was airborne and they were dodging in and out of hedges and snowballs were launched up and over walls. The washer and dryer were humming into the night with wet mittens and jackets and socks.

inside, out

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Kim Halloran-Fry

"…only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself."

~Ruth Stout

winter’s blooming

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Kim Halloran-Fry

I have been talking to Susan (from High Desert Home and My Summer Notebook) about an awesome list of healthy happy habits she shared just before she closed down shop online. One of her counsels was:

Keep Fresh Flowers in the House

Some good reasons can be found here. I picked up a pot of bulbs last week and they are blooming already in the heat of the kitchen. It is wonderful to look over yellow blooms out onto the white snow.

angelus

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Kim Halloran-Fry

Wishing you a peaceful, prayerful Sunday.

sweet sixteen

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Kim Halloran-Fry

My beautiful baby girl – a willing walking partner, a dedicated dancer, a gentle spirit. I am so glad you were born.

red

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Kim Halloran-Fry

We do have sons. Boys sure tend to vanish when the camera appears though. They looked so bright against our first snow when they were bringing in my shopping bags I ran out to catch them as they are right now – one growing like a weed, the other finding all sorts of reasons to postpone that haircut another day.

The glitter-soft flakes have turned the farm into a snow globe but have had little impact locally other than to frost every surface beautifully. This kind of snow we won't complain about.

and just because this sort of thing happens a lot, a shot of the pheasant photo bombing.

: )

Manchester England, England

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Kim Halloran-Fry

….across the Atlantic Sea….

The thing about the Manchester road trip is that I can't stop singing this song. I have Hair lyrics echoing in my brain everytime I go to write this post. Which has been a few times now.

Zach was fortunate enough to have a college friend in Manchester who had tickets to a Manchester United game. We haven't been to that side of the country so the girls and I decided to drive them up and make a couple days of it. The game drew a spectacular crowd which shut down the streets for blocks around. I dropped Zach and Megan near the stadium and then drove back out against the tide of bodies pressing forward to the entrances. It was like parting the Red Sea. That part of the trip however was a highlight for Z. He is sharing this video. Just remember this is England and it's a soccer game. I am not responsible for any language you might overhear. <g>

https://www.facebook.com/v/10151296547274381

Beyond that this was not the most wildly successful road trip to date. It was Boxing Day for starters. That's the British equivalent of Black Friday. While the stores were open pretty much nothing else was either that day or the following or apparently many of the days between Christmas and New Year's.

We didn't get to see some of the things Zach had on his list like the old library. We did get to walk around and stopped into the People's Museum which houses a collection of memorabilia from various labor movements. Some was fascinating. Some downright disturbing. Some made me chuckle, like the informational sign about "Tom Paine" who came off like a rabble rouser from the 'colonies'.

There was a very urban and industrial vibe there which isn't usually our thing. Ok my thing. Still, it was a legitimate adventure. The drive home was a challenge. It has been so wet some of the roads were closed due to standing water and our GPS doesn't recover well in those situations. We all fell into bed right quick afterwards. We did get to travel through some beautiful open farmland land while detouring on the way back. Way more my speed. I hope to share soon.

Quotidian

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Kim Halloran-Fry

I am sitting on a ton of lot of travel pictures but night after night I don't get them up. The times we are all home together I just want to be with the rest of them and we are doing something til it's time to drop it seems. I am in a hedgehog sorta mood – hibernating when I can. <g> So, instead of the cohesive note I will probably never compose….

In brief, it snowed. The first snow we have seen in England. Not much, but delightful nonetheless.

We made these muffins (pic'd below) and chicken soup this past weekend. I could live on soup right now.

A fair amount of my binder is being transferred into our Cozi app. The Luddite in me has gone kicking and screaming into the Brave New World admittedly. But since we are in it, I am determined that it will serve us and not vice vs. This is a great example. My brain was just overflowing lately with travel, schedules, chore lists, practices, shopping lists that were never completely complete. So now we have one app, we all can tap into it and I can watch their checklists tick off from any room in the house. Love.

I finished Kim De Blecourt's adoption story. Chock full of intrigue and corruption and suspense. Many of the good online reads of late ended up on the friendfeed to your right fwiw. Some good stuff!

A very good short read is here. Hat tip to Rebecca for sending and mulling it over with me. I think I am often too indulgent with myself. We hear all the time that venting is a good thing. I am not so sure. Never have been. Bitterness isn't any better in small portions. I am resolved to do better at catching the little foxes and remembering that success rarely lies in a few landmark battles but rather in staying faithful through many small skirmishes.

These everyday things – they are the big things.