Sigh...

As my very wise seven year old put it, "August has been a very sad month." I am not sure I could have put it any better...mom called and my Aunt died last night. She was my Uncle John's wife and one of the kindest, most loving women I have ever met. She loved everyone. She would reach down and see the absolute best in them even if the rest of world could not she always would. And her way to care was to feed you. You would never leave her house hungry. We would all fight over her homemade biscuits!!!!!! And to think this gentle loving spirit is gone is so very hard. And as if that isn't big enough my equally lovely Uncle John has just recently begun cancer treatments. I am so very worried about him. They were what I call "pillar" people. You know the kinds that hold up a family at its roots and bring you together. And now that he has lost his perfect half I fear what may happen! Being a grown up is brutal sometimes! So we will be packing up and heading to Monroe,MI tomorrow for the viewing and more pain and to say goodbye to such a very lovely woman who will be missed on so many levels by so many people!!!!!! So once again I ask of you to send some good thoughts and wishes to my Uncle and his family as they all find their way with a big gap in their middle!!

Simple...

The simple joys of a summer evening...shucking corn from our CSA...and then the better part using the husks as a creative outlet...assembling dollies and designs...I love these moments...

Happy Anniversary!!!

Where on earth did 14 years go??? It seems just like yesterday you were asking me to fetch a stick on an Irish beach and now here we are amid the crazies still finding time to see each other and hear each other...in this home and life we have made together. I like us. I like how we complement each other and are really partners in this marriage. How you lift me up....you steady me.... and you make me laugh when I really believe I can't. Thank you John!! Thanks for the everyday things that make life so much better! I love you now and always!!! xoxoxoxo (a day early!! )

Days...

Days are going by so very fast...Bronwyn is growing up faster than I can wrap my head around...she is changing in the way she carries herself, how she speaks, how she thinks...and ready or not here it comes...Ella is getting ready to start Kindergarten...my baby...real school...I am not ready for all this letting go yet I know it is truly just the beginning...I wish I could just hold onto it all for just a few minutes to truly absorb all of it...and to help this contemplative mood is our much cooler, breezier weather...I love, love, love these days...snuggle days, cardies and blankie days, coffee and tea days...candles and music days...reading and book days...hints of fall to come days!!!

And today I wander into the bathroom and out of the corner of my eye, I see little princess duck perched in just enough water to stay afloat...and I laughed...so unexpected, so darn cute, so never dull is our world...

Scenes around the house...

I was really loving the light that came in last night. The shadows and rainbows that came about from it was really amazing! I also love the way the fridge looks after co-op drops and now CSA pick ups! So full of yumminess and possibilities and fortune.... I like the fact I can feed my family healthy choices and so much variety.

This weeks CSA was huge! There was corn, cabbage, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, green pepper, potatoes, onions, garlic, green, yellow, and purple beans, and hot peppers...and eggs! And to our amazement Bronwyn loves cooked cabbage!! And me I was loving the corn!!!!!!!!!!

And by the way, Bronwyn has decided she wants to collect buttons/badges so if any of you are out and about or have some from back in the day send em our way! I love the bookworm one and the graphics are so fun! I got one that has a picture of a train and says wreck!! LOL!!

Survived...

Well I survived this most sad and emotionally draining week...not with much grace and not with much maturity but it is past. The above photo was the glorious sky and colors that were outside to bring us all a little relief after a very painful, wrenching memorial service. There are so many hurting young people and well grown ups too...but those teenagers really ripped me open. They are so lost and hurt and angry and confused...and unfortunately there will be nothing to take that all away any time soon... The service was touching and reached out to the kids to give them a message of importance and support and both Christian and Pagan religions melded to bring comfort to all...but I must say having to set up a service for someone who should still be here will never leave me...and after all was said and done all John and I wanted to do was get to our children and hug them and hold them so very close....perspective...

So having been through the wringer and out so late I called uncle and took Wed. off from work. (Did I mention that on top of this tragedy and all my work angst and my overall feeling of wanting to throw up I got a ticket on my way to work Tues. morning??!! I was dumbfounded and at my rock bottom...and it just felt like the final, final straw....so bad bad few weeks in my world...just capped off by my very unkind and yelling local law enforcement...) So with all this nastiness, we grabbed the ladies and went down to Ann Arbor to go to a members night at the hands on museum. I needed a break and time with the ladies and

So we went immediately for sustenance on arrival, which if you know me at all is my favorite part of any outing...eating!! Especially trying new foods and new places...or just really good old places. So with some prompting from me my gang agreed to try my favorite tiny (think 4 tables, Manhattan restaurant small) middle eastern restaurant Jerusalem Garden. I was amazed at how they all took into the food with yums, and ahs and oohs. We had falafel, fatoush, lentil soup, hommus and their home made pitas, and grabia (butter cookies) and turkish coffee. The ladies and the Irishman loved it! The ladies liked the falafal but it was a little spicy for them but the soup and fatoush were a huge hit!!!!!!! So if you are ever lucky enough to be in Ann Arbor track this great little place down on 5th Ave!! There are so many fantastic restaurants in this town to choose from but this one is on the cheaper end with great service and incredible eats!!!
So we wandered the cool little shops, and making it to the girls' favorite stop, Peaceable Kingdom, I think I posted on it in March when we took the train to Chicago. The bins of all things tiny and kitschy really call to our ladies. So we found more little fairies and animals and tiny little foods to bring home to their already too large collection. But the amount of time and play these little 50 cent pieces of plastic bring are worth all the damage they probably do to our vaccum cleaner. Also at this store is one of the places around town with a fairy door, Ella below peeking inside.

And we also have to visit John's favorite shop, Acme. It is very kitschy and if you have ever seen Archie McPhee's catalog it is very similar!





After all the shopping and poking around we were all a little weary. That is being kind, my feet felt like they had been caned across the bottom...so we meandered to a cool bookstore called Crazy Wisdom. They specialize in metaphysical and religious book selections and things like incense and stones and jewelry...but upstairs they have a really lovely little tea shop with pastries and some light food and coffees. So we all settled in for a few snacks and some beverages and some more than all that needed comfy chair and couch time! Our time here brought us up to time to wander for our Members Night at the Hands On Museum. Bronwyn was our fashionista for this outing complete with bows, glasses, purse etc...and she was fascinated by all the painted fire hydrants around town so had John take photos of her with them!!
I had almost forgot one of my fun finds of the day. Ages ago I had read about some folks reconditioning old cigarette machines into art vending machines. And I had never thought I would find one particularly here in Michigan! But at "The Robot Repair Shop" there it stood! So of course I had to have a go and for 5 dollars I have a small little wood block piece of art complete with hanging wire! I love the colors and lines of the machine and am grateful the Irishman got a photo with Bronwyn, Ella and I in the background!! So below are the museum photos, the top is a place where the kids dance and there is light that captures their moves on a screen this is a photo of what Bronwyn produced. Second, some really cool keys on the old time cash register in the pretend shop, and last Ella on a green screen making a tv show with a little guy she played with there! It was a nice evening filled with chemistry displays and snacks and crafting and imagining and running, music...and stairs... and after all this I still managed to get a Trader Joes run in! I so wish there was one near us not 2 hours away!! All for now! Overtime for me tomorrow...argh...and camp picnic tonight so need to create some things to take...

Creating and CSA

So my Bronwyn has spent hours upon hours creating a purse and all the important things that one needs in said purse. She made a lap top, cell phone, make up kit, lip gloss, ipod with ear buds (see top photo), money, credit cards...and the purse itself. I was amazed at all her thought and detail. She even made Ella her own set of everything. She also made a cereal box tv and made some cards for the different channels we can watch. I love days she finds her creative outlet and holes herself away from us to let it roll!!

CSA this week was huge! There were potatoes, tiny little carrots, more squash, cucumber, green and yellow beans, onions, a hot pepper, eggs, and turnips!!! So I have to find time to get some of it put away! We couldn't hope to get through all this in a week! Also if you have any really great squash recipes please pass them our way! We made a really great squash and potato torte last week compliments of http://www.smittenkitchen.com. It was fantastic and would compliment many other dishes. But we have a lot of squash at the moment so more please!!

The last photo is our little tomato harvest. We have had just a few more before this but this is our biggest haul so far! I love getting veggies from our garden no matter how small and urban it may be!

Well tomorrow night is the memorial service for my friend's son. I would rather take a stick in the eye than go but really need to be there for her. Fortunately our friend will watch the girls so I do not have to go alone...thanks Margaret!! Sigh....

May you never....

I have spent the past couple of days wrestling the big question of pain and why's that come with things that happen in life that defy those very things...

So out of the past two days of true awfulness....I make wishes for all of you....

may you never....

have to hear a friend plan a funeral for her child

may you never...

here the words that a friend's child has killed himself

may you never...

have to help find a place large enough to house the memorial service...

may you never...

have to watch a family's world fall totally and completely apart

may you never...

have to hear the desperate sobs of people in the depths of pain...

And there will never be answers to this...so if you pray or whatever you may call it...can you take a little time to think of my friend and her family and their very long road to healing....