I love the way they think ; D
Tag Archives: family
On the third day of Christmas….
November walk
“November is usually such a disagreeable month…as if the year had suddenly found out that she was growing old and could do nothing but weep and fret over it. This year is growing old gracefully…just like a stately old lady who knows she can be charming even with gray hair and wrinkles. We've had lovely days and delicious twilights.”
– LM Montgomery
Lucy Maude captures my love for these days better than I. So grateful for chance to wander the lanes with my boy on a still afternoon.
after the rain
There has been precious little outside walking happening in recent weeks between rain and schedule. I stepped out for a bit after it let up to soak up the smell of wet earth and run my hands along the cold iron fences. In the distance farm hands called from the barn and a dog barked. Right where I stood however not a thing was moving and that was beautiful. When the world slows its pell-mell pace for a moment it's good to just stand there and notice the still.
The day began all the better for damp cuffs.
Hearken to these things, Job: Stand, and consider the wondrous works of God.
- Job 37:14
wash day
Does anyone else immediately break into song when they see wash on the line? Perhaps I have lived with tiny people so long I can't help myself. Perhaps during particularly busy seasons it is the simple daily routines I long to return to and treasure most especially. In the midst of an ever changing world there is comfort in the reliability of a sudsy sink at day's end and wash drying in the afternoon. When I start to resent those basic homey, solid, and centering tasks it is always a signal that I am moving faster than I am meant to move and it is time to regroup.
Pumpkins from the Farm
Visiting the pumpkin patch was a regular occurence this fall since the farm rotated the fields making pumpkins very accessible to us. There were some varieties we have never seen before which were rather wart-y. A couple weeks ago they began to harvest. The crates came in and every evening there were fewer pumpkins as they were trucked off to the seasonal sale patch. They saved us several so tomorrow is the big day finally to decorate.
and looking the other direction….
nasoni di Roma
So what's a boy to do when it's 80something in Rome and the water's run out? Well one's mind immediately turns to these….
and these….
What are they? They are nasoni, a slang word for the public fountains all over Rome, which turned out to be more than decorative.
Yes I see that green stuff. But for realz, we saw a lot of people doing this….
Even the dogs were in on it. The dog on the right was playing with his owner at the dog park which is off left and down two stories. The guy sent him up for a drink and he knew just where to go.
So yeah, I caved which is really huge for me. I can handle a lot of mess in my own home but get REALLY weirded out by other people's germs as a rule. It turns out though that the water is safe, potable and just a courtesy of the city for the past 2000 yrs. You can even pick up a map plotting out all the nasoni in the city center. Which is way better than paying four euro for a bottle of water. Kid you not.
When in Rome….
the best remedy
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.” Anne Frank
Go outside. Get your feet wet. All is as it should be. : )
of growing boys and pumpkins
Just a handful of shots with this little man on the farm tonight. Am backlogged and should be sharing those images piling up but humor me. It's a late September sunset with a boy who is so very nearing the end of little boyhood and moving into middle boyhood. So that's where I am tonight, trying to freeze these moments of my last "little" boy.
child.play
“Time is a game played beautifully by children.” Heraclitus
It is not always played so artfully by big people. This past week didn't always feel beautifully timed. Volunteering for a soccer practice run went a long way towards correcting that. It meant an hour with absolutely nothing else to do but becoming utterly drawn into their play. It's awesome. You leave windblown and and breathless and sane and laughing.
Time spent laughing is time well spent.
Starry Sky Journal 