Thank you King Winter. Finally, finally we got snow.
We used the snow measuring stick Helen made for Nels one Christmas. So far we've gotten 25" and it's still falling!
It was waist deep for some of us!
The most fun was hanging out in the magical worlds deep in the woods under the pines.
I took Helen and a friend on a sketching trip to the Dartmouth greenhouses this week. Dartmouth has a beautiful study collection of tropical plants and orchids which they keep for various classes and studies. It's a free way to get some warm, moist air during our annual February vacation week which always seems to be accompanied by some sort of virus.
I am no artist--drawing actually intimidates me, but I've found that my children settle into their art more deeply when I am working along with them. This was true when they were young and remains true today. My children stretch me in so many ways.
I love the fact that I could take 2 teens who delighted in just drinking in the quiet and the beauty.
Lou turned 11 yesterday. She had been sick all week and emerged from her fog of headaches just in time for a special day. She and I began the day with a quiet breakfast together with fruit salad, banana muffins, a rose, and a special card. Later we went to see The Lightning Thief.
We ended the day with dinner and gifts. Life is good when you get a new boom box from which to listen to music and books, an ugly doll, and a watch that is actually a MOOD watch.
Her dinner request was lasagna "without spinach, Mom" and butter cake with strawberry ice cream. Here's her cake in all its glory sitting on the birthday board made by her great-great grandfather.
My little Lou is growing up!
We took a saunter out of Vermont last weekend. We have cabin fever! Our family truly loves books so we went to visit a town once peopled by many famous authors--Concord. We all enjoyed standing where authors once stood, looking at the books they wrote and the books they read, exploring their writing "spots" and being inspired by many quotes throughout the day.Here is Bronson Alcott sitting on the step of his school--
The Concord School of Philosophy
And here we are standing in the same spot.
"That is a good book which is opened with expectation, and closed with delight and profit." Bronson Alcott
We got to stand in this spot and imagine Louisa May Alcott writing at her desk.
"Do the things you know, and you shall learn the truth you need to know."
Louisa May Alcott
From the Alcott's home, we went on to Walden.
A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting.
Henry David Thoreau
Helen is ready to join Thoreau's Sauntering Society.
She very much wants to be a writer and enjoyed sitting at his desk.
I can't wait to saunter back this summer when it is warm enough to sit and journal.
Dear King Winter,
Would you please send a little of your snowy goodness just a tad north to Vermont? We live in Vermont because we love all things winter....the ice, the snow, the cold. We are truly missing your icy blasts of snow. Lou can't make snow caves. Sledding is now too dangerous. Forget snowshoeing or cross country skiing. And the poor, poor children--they've only had one snow day.
How will we endure mud season and the retreat of Jack Frost if we have not been able to properly frolic in the snow? So, please King Winter, would you ask the great North Wind to blow just a tad bit further north?
We have been working on valentines this week. Inspired by the idea of Tasha Tudor's "sparrow post", we made these little birds to carry our valentines greetings.
We got inspired with the paperclips.
Here is a buzzy bee saying BEE mine!
Actually, she's saying to herself,
"Take that, Mom--almost to the heel."
"Not so far along," I say.
My one small change for January was to stay off of "12A" which is our strip of box stores. I didn't stay completely away (I spent the ENTIRE first day at Panera in a work session and, prompted by a child wearing these duct-taped snowpants, ended up at Walmart after trying a consignment shop).
Here are some highlights--
One Friday, rather than heading to the Jiffy Mart for a bottle of wine, I stopped at the Taftsville Country Store. We had a lovely chat with the owner about our favorite local cheeses and he actually gave us a big piece of layered cheddar & blue. Our Friday evening appetizers felt warmed by conversation.
For 2 out of 3 grocery shops I managed to get to our Coop store. It takes about 3 times as long to shop there because you have to chat with the butcher in order to get your meat and the cheese lady to get the right cheese, etc. I also always run into friends. It's in a beautiful building designed to look like a round barn.
It is easy to buy lots in bulk there, which led to Nels reviving his granola recipe and Lou rediscovering that she loves tamari-roasted almonds.
Lou and I have begun a "sock-off" knitting challenge (more later). Rather than running to Joanne's to get a new set of size 2 needles, we stopped in at our local yarn shop. We had a nice long chat about yarn and Jane Austen (which strangely go together in our household). Lou surprised the owner by piping up that she loves Mansfield Park the most. I found out about a knitting circle and am thinking about joining it.
Finally, while I did spend one day at Panera, gritting my teeth at the constant sound of blenders, I also spent time working in a nearby library. It was so beautiful and even served coffee!
So, staying out of the boxes led to warm conversations, bumps into old friends, an inspired place to work, a possible new knitting group, and much healthier eating. My month was filled with so much more warmth and beauty.
I think I'm going to go for one more month of staying "out of the boxes" and see if it will become even more of a habit. I'm on the way.
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