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.

green

green, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

This makes me want to paint.

clover hollow

clover hollow, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

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.

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.

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.