Thanks to a day trip to France. Devoured with gusto.
Lest We Forget
On a hillside in eastern France they stand at attention, rows of simple white crosses marking the lives of those slain during the wars which ravished this border region.
It is not easy to forget a battle that waged in your backyard. For them it was geographically no different than Wisconsin waging war on Illinois would have been for us.
But fame is theirs – and future days
On pillar'd brass shall tell their praise;
Shall tell – when cold neglect is dead –
"These for their country fought and bled."
~Philip Freneau
I am spending the day here once again, remembering those long gone and those like my husband and son who have taken up the torch of freedom for the rest of us. I will think as well of their wives, mothers, and children who bear the burden of separation and ultimately, loss.
what they are loving lately
Every now and then in the interest of freezing time I like to record what everyone is up to. Here goes.
Tess is on a cutting and pasting tear. She spent one morning happily cutting out all the food pictures from an old Better Homes and Gardens issue and assembling her favorites on a paper plate. She has had hours of fun with a Kumon cut and paste book too. Kumon has been a hit all around. She plowed through the Easy Addition and is heading for the next. We went ahead and started the 100 Easy Lessons book.
She is the quickest study we have had since the biggest boys learned to read. It seems when you have two children right after each other who are very tight the younger one just follows along learning what the older does.
On that note, Abbie Rose is very busy mirroring whatever the others are up to. (And is it just me or does that tiny turtle neck and headband make her look much more like a little girl than a baby girl? sigh. ) Best part for me is that she is happy to do that for a loooong time. She writes on the chalkboard, works puzzles, and is determined to beat the Perfection timer. (Perfection being another Montessori-ish game) I will add here that little girls are not little boys. If you have those instead, don't be surprised if they aren't sitting serenely like that all morning. If yours are like my B, they are more likely found working like this….
Brendan has all sorts of good ideas like this one. <g> I don't much care if he stands on his head during lessons. We actually did have one who was regularly hanging upside down during her phonics lessons at that age. Whatever works. We don't sweat the small stuff and a little slapstick goes a long way. ; )
Speaking of work – the little three have been diving in to more real life practical life work. Drying dishes, setting the table, feeding the dogs. They really like doing big people jobs and I think they are actually more careful than some of the big people.
What else? Oh we discovered the DK Eyewitness science DVDs. Abbie wants you know the Butterfly episode is gross because why? Because the butterflies poop. Now you know. I think they were actually laying eggs but she isn't budging.
Aidan is his own man doing his own activities. The lone non-dancer, seen here at dinner with his football friends. And that is a-ok too. It means he and I got to spend the weekend together just us, carving pumpkins and playing scrabble because…
(Moira on L, Alannah 4th from L with their team dance groups)
(Moira on L)
… all but he and I and Abbie went to the Netherlands last week for a feis. That included Brendan who joined the Irish dance studio this past month. Moira cleaned up, placing out of all her soft shoe dances. Spending your evenings step dancing til you drop while celtic jigs blast from your room pays off it seems. <g> We are rearranging the extra curricular schedule to free up more resources for dance. Productive, smiling kids are worth the investment.
Their Christmas lists are filled with dance shoes, dance magazines, and dance videos. It's pretty funny listening to Brendan shaking his head and scolding Michael Flatley through the tv for not keeping his arms at his sides. "The judges would REALLY not like that mom!"
This is their life lately. Dance, learn, play, drive, laugh, work, pray, sleep. It is good to be along for this ride.
A is for…
…apples… and Alannah. And a very fine day for a long hike with my oldest daughter. I do so love an overcast autumn afternoon for wandering backroads and tractor paths.
We headed out together after church, taking the road this time, passing the cows watching warily from the pasture.
She was the first to spot the tiny green apples. I followed her rabbit trail, watching her muse.
Conversation comes easily these days with this girl-turned-woman. Sometimes it is serious and pondering. More often on these walks it is just thinking out loud. Noticing. Exhaling.
Exhaling is important for girls-turned- young women looking down the road at a wide open and largely unknowable future just around the corner.
It is important for their mother's too, especially if they have sent other children down that road.
It is good to just BE with this girl because I know that like her brothers, each passing year now and each step she takes will take her further from home into the bigger world.
We won't always have all the time in the world for walking through orchards and gathering apples in our pockets. This is the last year of her childhood officially. Next fall she will be eighteen.
Knowing that, I consider an afternoon like this a singular gift.
one thing I do
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While there is life, there is hope. Lean into the plow and don't look back. It is the looking back that throws us off course and sows weeds of despair. |
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On Making Home
If you haven't visited Lady Lydia lately, I would encourage all women whose hearts are home to read her recent work. She has enabled an app to link to print ready documents of her essays to make it easy to add those that speak to you most to your journal. I did just that today. She has a gift for reminding folks what is important when the world, and even those closest by, can be working overtime to convince you otherwise.
Some favorites:
Steadfastness at Home if you feel you have no choice but to leave your home
Living Without Unnecessary Stress
She also quotes St Paul about avoiding strife and arguments and notes:
"Spending too much time trying to convince others that the path you have chosen to follow is the good way, can be unhealthy…. If you have written something on a blog or on paper that states your purpose and your personal creed, it is easier to let someone read it and think about it." (rather than either person exhausting energy stores by engaging in debate)
So there you have it written down and I will keep comments off for this one. : )
Inspiration lately
Just popping in for a moment today to share some lovely places I have visited lately. Google reader changed its format it seems and I haven't had time to figure out where the share button went. I think my shared items are rather camoflaged in the sidebar anyway. So first,
My 50's Year Oh my! I expect to spend some time digging through the archives. This blogger chronicles a year spent living as authentically as possible as a 50's era housewife. She wore only clothes from vintage shops or made from vintage patterns. Used only appliances from the era. Cooked from 50's cookbooks. Fascinating all around.
Quotes for a Mother's Heart Just wandered over to this one today. You know I love my quotes.
How Mom Did It Another retro homemaking blog.
MidCentury Living Great mid century finds coupled with scans of original articles and book pages.
Vivian Maier Simply captivated by this woman and her art. Thanks to Rebecca who discovered her work and shared with me.
Victorian Trading Company Such incredible seasonal items. Sigh. Probably closer to my era of choice though that would be a tough call. It all inspired me to take some vintage shots of my girls who very graciously humored me. : )
trick or treat
Halloween came together last minute this year, much like it did last year come to think of it. The week before we had no costumes and no plan b. Within days of the big event on base we gathered all we needed. Those gleeful little faces were worth every bit of the effort. Oh they had a grand time.
Trick or Treat is a really big deal on an overseas military base. As is Fourth of July. Folks go ALL out. As in, there were lines in front of many houses. The gate was backed up for a quarter mile.
There is a true Mayberry spirit here. The children are applauded for their costumes and their thank-you's.
That is my Superhero below….
We are asked to refrain from taking identifiable pictures of the base so that's all here. But I am making one exception for the woman twirling flaming batons in her backyard. Kid you not. I did say folks go all out. Don't try this at home folks. : )
Hope you have thoroughly enjoyed your weekend as well!
Soccer Snaps
The 2011 Fall sports season is officially over. Brendan had his last game yesterday. It's been a loooong couple months factoring in six kids in four sports, two out of country trips for Dad, two weeks in the hospital for me, and one broken arm on a boy. But by golly, they finished strong despite it all.
Brendan played soccer and played well, though admittedly his first love is football. Since he is too little for the league here he did this instead and we would love to see him continue.
And yes, his mama had him play the last game in hat and mittens. It's darned chilly lately! Didn't slow them down any. Finished with a win. : )
unexpected places
"Take in as much joy as you can whenever and however you can. You may find it in unexpected places." - Letting Go, Morrie Schwartz
I was going to blog goings-on lately. There have been many to choose from. Just… didn't. Instead I played with pictures. It is a major joy-bringer. I did a random book pull from my favorites shelf and opened to this line. It reminded me why I bought the book years ago and how similar the messages in my home library are, despite the fact the authors are so very different. Morrie goes on:
"You can find joy in practically any situation if you are open to the experience of happiness. Even a mundane task such as washing dishes can be an occasion of pleasure if you let yourself marvel at the colors of the soapsuds or let the sight of a plate remind you of the last holiday you spent with family or friends. Whatever your activity, do it with care and consideration and awareness. If you focus on doing the best that you can under the circumstances without making yourself anxious or nervous about it you might find that what you are doing becomes a source of enjoyment and pleasure rather than just a chore."
Take in joy, however unexpected it may be.
* more about Morrie here
Starry Sky Journal 