Monday, May 31, 2010

in the trees


househunting, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Househunting is taking on some new and interesting twists and turns. The funniest part has been doing it without letting the kids know what we are doing. Can we downsize into a slightly smaller house after thinking that we were searching for something a little larger? Could the girls share a very small bedroom? Could it be the best of both worlds, all the way out and all the way in? John could bike to work in five minutes. School is maybe ten minutes away, maybe less.



I'd be giving up my dream of the old farmhouse and goats, but when the grass in our small yard recently went to seed I wondered how that was going to happen anyway. We could still garden to our hearts content, and chickens are a possibility.

househunting


househunting, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Friday, May 28, 2010

green


green, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

This makes me want to paint.

clover hollow


clover hollow, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

appalachian trail


appalachian trail, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

love in a mist


love in a mist, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

We celebrated our twelfth anniversary on sunday. Seems like about a hundred years but in a good way. Before we got married we were friends for another twelve years. So, twenty four years. Three children. A house with a whole lot of woodpecker holes. Significant dust bunnies and more laundry than I could have ever imagined.

We've got the yin and the yang, the east side, the west side, and all around the town.

I love you John.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

birdville


birdville, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Birdville was pretty and sweet, but I couldn't find the fourth bedroom. It was either the sunroom or the living room. Sometimes I wonder about people trying to sell houses. Four bedrooms needs to mean four bedrooms. This house had a lot of good things, a huge garden space, a small barn, even a doghouse, and a rambling bed of peonies, but it also had a lot of fake wood flooring and a kitchen smaller than the one we have. Sometimes I think people do bad things to beautiful old houses in an attempt to restore them for the least amount of money.

I have to just keep believing that I'll recognize my house when I find it. Maybe it has 220 power, maybe not.

check


check, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

househunters


househunters, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

I think we'll know it when we see it. This one wasn't it, but we certainly enjoyed the early morning ride into our mountains.

garden


garden, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Ruby's doll got some new hair while we were on our trip to Amherst. Her original hair was monhair, and I added an entire skein of Cascade Eco-wool and some violet Malabrigo Aquarella. She got a new batik kimono and obi and some green flowered pants. Both girls have been thrilled with her new luxurious hair.

Monday, May 17, 2010

smile with corn


smile with corn, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

I can't wait to cook this girl corn all summer.

more corn please


more corn please, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

oh, I love you corn


oh, I love you corn, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

monocan powwow


monocan powwow, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

On sunday afternoon we went to the Monocan Powwow in Rockbridge County. I really wanted to buy John a bow and a coonskin cap for his birthday.

fern


fern, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby


ruby, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

my mountains


my mountains, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

That is what Ruby said one day last week as we were driving down Spruce Run past cow fields and red winged blackbirds.

a fairy's eye view


a fairy's eye view, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

woodland spring


woodland spring, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

john man


john man, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

If this small person gets any more hilarious (or any louder) I don't know what I'll do. He made it through a two mile hike but was quite envious of his baby sister in the backpack.

for mother's day


for mother's day, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

My sweet littles gave me this for mother's day. My favorite thing about it is that John swears he made this with a hammer.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

I own turbinado sugar and a blowtorch

I picked up our first bag of vegetables of the season, that one I've been dreaming of since the snows. There was lettuce, slender stalks of rhubarb, greenhouse tomatoes, thyme, and a quart of perfect strawberries.

My mama sent me the simplest recipe for my Grandmum's stewed rhubarb. It is simmered with water with sugar to taste, chilled, and then served over ice cream. Preferably that wildly thick and delicious local stuff.

On the other had I realized that I have a tiny little blowtorch for caramelizing sugar. My twelfth anniversary is coming up, and wouldn't he be just blow away by roasted rhubarb creme brulee.

Monday, May 10, 2010

poppy


poppy, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

mother's day ride


mother's day ride, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

weekend


tagalong, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

I spent a lovely mother's day on wheels, but I think John was the most excited on his new bike. My boys were zipping around town. We had chinese food on the bird viewing platform in the park, and the weather was so sunny and cool. Ruby was strolling, and Miss Ella was both biking and roller blading.

Sunday, May 09, 2010

john, 4


john, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Saturday, May 08, 2010

donna takes pictures with her supercool camera


donna takes ruby's picture, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

This picture pretty much tells the story of why I want a new camera. Who needs ten Waldorf dolls, because I really want the D90.



I'm feeling far from Zen lately. My desires are running rampant. I'm looking forward to being released from all the unbloggables in my life, and I can return to my usual desires, bluebirds, swallows, chickens, front porches, wood floors, zinnias, and asparagus.

ruby june


ruby june, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

swinging littles


swinging littles, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Monday, May 03, 2010

lemonade pops


lemonade pops, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Homemade Deodorant

I can't wait to make this recipe. I'm pretty dedicated to the Kiss My Face Patchouli deodorant, but since I started making laundry detergent I feel like I should try a few more "recipes". I don't mind sweat, but I just don't want to stink. Summer is here, and I'm ready for some coconut armpits.