Everyday Life for Four Seasons

Snow here! It's almost unbelievable. We don't have snow this early. I mean, it isn't even Halloween yet. Our first flakes don't usually hit until November or December. Because of the snow, I spent today fielding questions such as, "Are we going to have Christmas soon instead of Halloween?" "Is this winter?" "Will the snow stay for a while so we can play in it everyday?"

No, the snow didn't stay for a while. After the girls made 2 good-sized snowmen it melted. Watching them play in the snow today reminded me of when I was a child living in Maryland. When it snowed the grass would poke through the layer of flakes. We would go out and play, slide down the hill on sleds, and make snowmen. We loved it. What fun we had playing in less than an inch of snow!


I don't mind seeing the snow at all this early. I love tracking the animals that run through our yard. This morning I found evidence of only one - a red fox.


Things here are moving along at a very comfortable pace. We're selling our home and still looking for the right place to live. It's all unfolding just as it should. Overall I believe that the process is taking us where we are supposed to be. Sometimes I panick and get nervous about it. What are we doing? We're leaving our current home so that we can pursue a dream that is still in its infancy. We're uprooting everything we know and trusting that it will all work out. It's scary and at the same time exciting. This is a good thing for our family.

To gear up for the year ahead, when I'll hopefully be a mama to a hive or two of honeybees, I'm taking a beekeeping class held by the Southern Adirondack Beekeepers Association. Now if I could just find a class on raising laying hens, I'll be all set.

The nasturtium may be gone...


...but the oak tree is just coming into its glory! What color!

Today:
Homeschool field trip to see the replica of the Half Moon, Henry Hudson's ship. WOW. The presenter did a fantastic job of telling the kids about the role of explorers and the importance of Henry Hudson in our history. Seeing the galley on the ship made me oh so thankful that I have a kitchen with countertops, appliances and running water.

Exciting news: I'm coming back to the land of the living, emotionally speaking. This morning our house went on the market and at that moment, a weight lifted from me. At this point I can't control very much of what happens with the sale of this home, and I take great comfort in knowing that it's out of my hands now. I'm letting go, and giving it to The Universe. It's time to float for a while and let life take me (and my family) where we are meant to go. What a wonderful feeling.

Every time we walk through the mall (which isn't that often), I ask 'A' and 'H' if they would like to have their ears pierced. They always say no, and I tell them that if they want to pierce their ears, it will be their decision. I'm just here to support them.

Today we were at the mall while my car was on the lift to receive new tires. I asked about the earrings and 'A', to my great surprise, said YES. She wanted to have her ears pierced! Between telling me YES and having her ears actually pierced she did waver a bit and I told her it was her decision to make. She went through with it. I'm proud of her for making the decision when the time was right.

After the earrings were in, she went into what I can only classify as "earring hysteria." Suddenly all of the earrings in the store were new and exciting and she wanted to look at every one. And she brought the excitement home with her, peeking in the mirror at her new look when she got the chance. The big question is, will she sleep tonight? Or will she keep popping out of bed to see the new sparkling gems?

I love my new tires, by the way.

On these days when I don't have the focus, energy or patience to find inspiration within myself, when I can't create my own positive reality, I look to others to give me a boost. Today I found exactly what I needed. Take a look at Liz's hens and Amanda's honeybees. I've got to sharpen my dreams a bit and add hens and bees to my life. More and more I find myself wishing I had them in my own big backyard. Until then, I'll keep reading about others who do.

If only we could all be this relaxed and carefree.

What a day. Today the girls joined their homeschooling friends for art class (they learned about Hawaiian tikis and painted their own tiki). After class, we were supposed to head to the mechanic for new tires for my car. Instead 'A' got sick very quickly. It's something I've seen before and by now I know how it progresses and where it ends. Her seasonal allergies have been acting up and her nose was running today. By lunchtime it was a faucet. Then she started coughing. It's a repetitive, shallow cough. After that comes the wheezing. I administered the ventolin inhaler but it hardly touched her cough. I knew from experience that the cough wouldn't stop until she was given stronger meds. To the allergist we went. They told me that she has "uncontrolled asthma" and that she would benefit from taking inhaled steroids twice a day. She's in bed now and has had her two doses. It's helped quite a bit.

I don't know how I feel about her taking inhaled steroids. I don't like it, but I see how well she does with them. If her cough is left untreated (as it has been the past two autumn and winter seasons), she gets sick and deteriorates. What are we to do?

I have a lot to learn about asthma.

Today:

Woke up (...don't think that's not an accomplishment these days. Remember, I'm still pulling myself out of my depressing summer.)

Yogurt, honey and granola for breakfast.

Dropped 'A' off at an art & French class, took 'H' to the park and the library.

Talked to ducks at the park who have no plans to migrate south for the winter. They didn't actually say it, but by the way they asked us for food they may as well have.

Taught some math: measured, added, divided.

Picked my jaw up off the floor after my 6 year old solved an abstract spatial puzzle much faster than I could have. And she did it like it was no big deal.

Reviewed table manners and the importance of eating neatly (without dripping blueberry jam all over your white shirt).

Enjoyed millet muffins. Mmmmm.....


Allergy shots for 'A' and me; never fun but hopefully worth all the effort.

Drove around town looking for the last of the summer corn. It's mealy now, but my children continue to love it.

Made and froze vegetable stock. I can't wait to add it to some soup this week.


And I changed the look of this site again.

Enough has been done. Time for us all to rest.

A rainy day, just what my garden needed. Another full day for us. September sure is busy this year, isn't it? Art class, home school friends, granola in the oven, bread rising on the counter, reading lessons, playing "Laura and Mary", volunteer work at the computer, meetings with the town and then the church. Tomato soup with sandwiches for dinner, coffee drinks throughout the day. A good day, I think.

Things I love today:

My favorite breakfast: homemade yogurt sweetened with my own jam and local honey from Rick at the farmers market, homemade granola stirred in and Starbucks vanilla flavored coffee (light and sweet please).

My list of things to cook. I'm adding homemade graham crackers and wheat crackers to that list.

Winter squash, which is making an appearance around here now.

Long trips to the library that end way after I thought they would.

Being patient because I want to be, and knowing it.

How do you like my new format? I updated the template. It's certainly different, isn't it?

I took these photos at Kilpatrick Family Farm last week while we were out for a farm tour. It was rainy and chilly but lovely. The farm is beautiful and so is Michael's family. It's located a bit north of my home and I noticed that the fall colors are moving in quickly. It won't be long before every single leaf is on the ground.

Plums

Farm visits

Food swap

Cool weather

Yellow leaves

Hot tea

Soup for dinner

Patience in parenting

Bald eagle sightings

Lots of volunteer work

Baking bread

Canning tomatoes

Waiting for loose teeth to wiggle

Art classes

I'm dreaming of the herb farm I want to have someday. I've wanted one for years. Today as I was harvesting thyme, rosemary and sage bunches from the garden I heard a voice deep down inside that said, "You should be harvesting many more herbs than this, for the benefit of many. This is your dream. Don't forget about it." I see beds of herbs with walking paths; light shade; places to sit and mediate, to watch the butterflies, to remember about all that is good in the world.