after the rain

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Kim Halloran-Fry

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

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Kim Halloran-Fry

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.

nasoni di Roma

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Kim Halloran-Fry

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

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Kim Halloran-Fry

“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. : )

eating and reading this week

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Kim Halloran-Fry

Since I don't quite fit into the available memes and am notoriously erratic posting these things, we bring you books and bites this week. Maybe we shall do this again. Maybe I will flake out and not. Disclaimer – either scenario is entirely possible.

A stretch for this culinarily-challenged chick the gyro meatballs and sauce from the Against All Grain cookbook which I heart. (The recipe is here in burger form. Same same though) It's been a very long time since I have had lamb but this was a surprising hit here. I have no pic of the zoodles on my plate which is ok because the spiralizer is not here yet so my zoodles are less than photogenic. But yum nonetheless.

In reading news I am working through the boys' book report boys with gusto so we can discuss as they go. This month it is The Singing Tree for Kieran and Lilies of the Field for Aidan. The Singing Tree is the second "children's" book I have read in recent months and ended up laughing and crying my way through. This one however hits rather close to home having a son in the military in an unstable world. Sometimes it seems we have not progressed all that much from 1914 to 2014. Anyway, a very good read.

Lilies of the Field is on deck tomorrow. I admit my only reference is Sidney Poitier. We shall fix that. Upside of waiting this long to read it is that I have recently lived in Germany. Aidan can read the dialect lines quite well. ; )

of growing boys and pumpkins

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Kim Halloran-Fry

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

Posted on September 21, 2014 by Kim Halloran-Fry

“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.

a walk around St. John’s

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Kim Halloran-Fry

St. John's church sits nestled among high coastal meadows by the sea. The weather was rather bleak the whole ride there. The rain let up just as we arrived. My husband went to scope out the trail to decide if it was an ok idea yet. While he did that I was was able to check out the church and cafe a bit. And convince a boy he could ask the cafe people directions to the restroom. It's the little victories in life. ; )

berry pickin’

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Kim Halloran-Fry

"Better than an argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red berries in a cup." Wendall Berry

Yep. No words can explain the pure joy of pulling food right off the plant. No words necessary to explain their reaction….

After which the who-can-catch-a-berry-by-mouth game commenced.

May I present the winner….

at the cabin

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Kim Halloran-Fry

This has been home-away-from-home during my absence in this space lately. Mornings spent reading with steaming mugs nearby. Days spent hiking. Evenings full of exploring all the nooks and crannies of the eco-friendly farm which surrounded us.

Our host was a fascinating man with a heart for adventure. Quintessentially British, he sported a mop of curly untamed ginger hair and wore a button down shirt with rolled sleeves, glasses, and belted trousers tucked into gum boots. He welcomed our crew enthusiastically and showed the children all the possibilities waiting for them on the farm – bikes, badminton, ponds, and a real treehouse. He explained why the farm was a proper nature reserve and not just a vacay spot. He then showed us where the best hiking was and where to find the ponies I had my heart set on seeing.

Before embarking on the guest farm adventure he had spent many years in Africa as a safari guide. We swapped stories of travel and military life. He had fond memories of US Marines who shared music and cola and conversation in a far away place in the days before computers and ipods. His feet are planted on English soil again but he said Dartmoor was his wild. I get that. I need my wild too and we found it on this trip for sure, thanks to his maps and inside tips.