Monday, May 6, 2013

Monday Morsels



Morsels:  Tasty bits from the past week or so...

The weather here has been exaustingly beautiful--(is that possible?Am I a terrible person for thinking so?).  In the past two weeks we've had one cloudy morning, and I swear I hoped it would rain so we'd have an excuse to stay inside and get some things done (dishes, vacuuming, cooking, schoolwork).  But, it didn't happen.  I started a woodstove, set up some dough to rise for bread, and before I knew it it was sunny and 70 degrees again.  Hard to complain.  We just headed outside for another day of turning soil, planting, weeding, playing in the sand box, chasing chickens, and running through the sprinkler.  We are sun burned, dirty, and tired.  Its a hard life here.

We've been pretty much living on the screen porch, each day adding and/or taking away this or that until it is exactly what we've been hoping for.  I'd say its about there.  Thanks to my brother and his wife donating a futon, and my Honey with a hammer who built a kick ass picnic table we are pretty much set.  We ordered the bamboo blinds from Amazon, to block the blinding rays that hit the porch just about 6:30pm, but roll up the rest of the day to let in the breezes.  Its fantastic.






























I've been doing a lot of gardening, in this new little patio space, in the cold frame, and in the big garden.  The peas and many greens are up and growing, slower than I thought due to the cold nights, but they'll make it.  Since there's been no rain, and none in sight for days, that means a lot of watering too.  The hose situation each spring is a bit of a headache, figuring out which ones are leaking, tightening connections, etc.  We have plans for maybe running a burried conduit for the hose to reach from the house to the garden which would hopefully protect the hose a bit and make it last a longer.  We did find some nifty attachments at the hardware store that clamp onto a hose where ever you need it, so you can simply cut out the leaky section, then clamp the hose together again.  These have worked well for the past two years, but our hoses will all be too short if we cut any more off.   For now we're making due, which is still a lot better than having no water at all, even when it means hauling 5 gallon buckets.

Kale (to Mimi):  My friend Jacob is the fire scheep.  
Mimi:  Jacob is a sheep?
Kale:  No, the fire scheep.
Mimi:  asleep?
Kale:  No, he's the fire scheep.  He sits in front of everyone in the fire truck.
Mimi:  Oh, he's the fire chief.  
Kale:  Yes.  He's the fire scheep.  He says I can do his job when he's done.  

Juniper and Kale have been having fun with water color pencils.  She likes to "help" him draw things, such as the cat below.  You can see his contribution in the red, her blue lines around his.  I swear she may be a politician when she grows up, she is so savvy at getting people to think her ideas are theirs.
J:  Kale, is that a cat you drew?
K: (looking at his scribble) No, its a tiger.  
J: But, do you see how it kind of looks like a cat?  Don't you think it looks kind of friendly like a cat, not fierce like a tiger?  Do you want me to help you make it look like a cat?
K:  Yes, it can be a cat!    
Thankfully he doesn't mind a bit.  He is more than happy to play any game she's willing to play.



Normally she's up for almost anything, but recently has reached some kind of developmental stage where she's seeking some alone time.  She will sit for  over an hour alone in the sand box, or under a tree, talking to herself and creating little fantasy worlds with sand, sticks, moss and flowers.  It is a lovely thing, unless you are a three year old, watching forlornly, begging to be allowed to join.  



I recently overheard this
heartbreaking conversation:
Kale:  Juniper can I play?
Juni: I really just want to play by myself for a while.
K: What are you playing?
J: That I'm a fairy.  But I just want to play it by myself.
K:  But could I be a fairy?
J:  Well, fairies are girls.
K: But, could I pretend to be a girl?
J: I just want to play by myself ok?

Fortunately today they shared a ride in the grocery cart, giggling as they hugged and kissed and pinched each other's cheeks while I tried to hush them a bit. But really who minds a little noise when there's so much sweetness?





















Kale is officially big enough for the tag-along.  And he is loving it.  "I can go so fast on the tag-along.  I can probably go as fast as a motorcycle." 
We rode down the road a mile to the Passagassawakeag River for some fishing and a picnic.  We spent an hour just sitting in the grass, casting Wylie's pole, slicing apples and enjoying the sun.    Kale and I went back the next day when he requested upon waking, "a bike ride to the river, just me and you."  How could I refuse?  It was the perfect date.








They say it may rain on Thursday.  Until then we will live it up.  Gardening, bee keeping, bike riding, hauling water, playing in the dirt.  When it rains we cozy up inside for some reading and board games, cooking, and some much needed cleaning.  We'll enjoy it for a day.
Then we'll be hoping for sun again. 


2 comments:

  1. I love the screen porch, it looks so nice! We have bee thinking of getting a tag-a-long here, since I worry about Audrey riding on bigger roads. Enjoy that sunshine!

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  2. So much sun-kissed awesomeness!
    I *love* the porch, but why the screen? Skeeters? Just wondering. Nobody screens-in porches around here even though mosquitoes can be pretty voracious. I am always envious and stealing ideas for outdoor living spaces. Cheers.

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