Saturday, August 31, 2013

last day of August




  
The Walk

Glamoured the road, the day, and him and her
And everywhere they took me. When we stepped out
Cobbles were riverbed, the Sunday air
A high stream-roof that moved in silence over
Rhododendrons in full bloom, foxgloves
And hemlock, robin-run-the-hedge, the hedge
With its deckled ivy and thick shadows –
Until the riverbed itself appeared,
Gravelly, shallowly, summery with pools,
And made a world rim that was not for crossing.
Love brought me that far by the hand, without
The slightest doubt or irony, dry-eyed
And knowledgeable, contrary as be damned;
Then just kept standing there, not letting go.

                                          *

So here is another longshot. Black and white.
A negative this time, in dazzle-dark,
Smudge and pallor where we make out you and me,
The selves we struggled with and struggled out of,
Two shades who have consumed each other’s fire,
Two flames in sunlight that can sear and singe,
But seem like wisps of enervated air,
After-wavers, feathery ether-shifts …
Yet apt still to rekindle suddenly
If we find along the way charred grass and sticks
And an old fire-fragrance lingering on,
Erotic woodsmoke, witchery, intrigue,
Leaving us none the wiser, just better primed
To speed the plough again and feed the flame.


Seamus Heaney

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

6

I got a cold right at the very moment that I would have felt liberated by having three kids in school all day, but this time of year really is the mama's new year. I've attended (and led) a whole lot of meetings. The children have indoor shoes and outdoor shoes and have coordinated when and where to change those shoes. Various color coded notebooks are coming home and returning to school with a certain amount of accuracy, and Miss Middle School has learned how to apply mascara and has requested a ringlet curling iron. This morning she abandoned those thoughts and went on a bike ride before school. John is starting violin lessons and Ella is taking guitar. It all continues to settle in.


 I'm taking a yoga and photography class online, and last week I went to a yoga class taught by a friend. I'm going back tomorrow.

There are new chicks in the utility room.


The house is blissfully quiet, at least for one more hour.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

day three

The first week of school is done, and they are all happy. Ella even wanted to have the weekend cancelled because Middle School is so good. These two are rolling in clover. There are fourteen in their class, and Ruby is loving meeting all the new friends.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

almost a school girl

This is one is very excited to start kindergarten on Wednesday. She is happy to see a few friends that she knows and even more excited to meet the ones that she doesn't know. She has requested a new journal and started drawing/writing a story called "Cat Queen".

from the garden


Friday, August 16, 2013

the lane

Now that John can ride the two wheeler he generally goes up and down the lane a few times right when he wakes up.
 
I love that the kids have this beautiful safe space to ride. It is a public road, but it is a dead end with three driveways past ours, and all of our neighbors are grandparents.
 
 

Thursday, August 15, 2013

the phone number

Many hours ago I took a shower and washed my hair, but I just realized that it is fairly obvious that I used conditioner and did not rinse it off. Luckily, my wildest outing today is going to be the dump.

So, last night we went to school for a board meeting, and Ruby looked up and said, "I haven't been here for so long that I forgot our school's phone number. 2-5-0-0. See, there it is". She pointed to the address on the front of the building.

I'm about to make blueberry oatmeal muffins with four children.

Thursday, August 08, 2013

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

nearly 8


 
That little one on the right is about to turn eight on Saturday. This summer he learned to swim and ride a two wheeler.

Saturday, August 03, 2013

unicorn highway of the streets

She has been writing a book called Unicorn Highway of the Streets. The unicorn highway is the one that goes straight through the doorway of the rainbow.