We meant to get a Christmas tree last weekend, but time ran short, and we decided to push it another week.
Clearly fate meant it to work out that way. We woke to find our first snow of the season. At the Christmas tree farm, things were downright magical. Not only was there a blanket of snow, but perfect, little flakes kept falling on hats and eyelashes.
We need to remember that Christmas trees look bigger next to small people, as we got home and realized our tree was a bit on the small side. (Next year, we’re bringing a measuring tape.)
The girl in the red sweater is Zan. When she was teeny, she was in my mother’s summer camp, and I was the class “helper.” She was four years younger than me, so we didn’t run in the same circles.
Fast-forward thirty years, and Zan happened to stumble across a picture of home on the web. Which led her to Chris’ website. Which led her to our site. Where she put two and two together and realized we knew one another.
Chris found that blog entry and forwarded it to me. I immediately started an email to Zan, which then sat in my drafts folder for nine months. A few weeks back, I finally got a chance to send the email. And today, while visiting family over the holidays, Zan and her husband stopped by for coffee.
I love when people walk into your house and you can just feel the goodness of them. They like strong coffee and vinyl, and they’re brave enough to hold a chicken, which will earn anyone the seal of approval in this household.
Definitely wander over and read Zan’s blog, which is the delicious kind of writing I aspire to produce someday. You know, when loads of time magically opens up in my schedule.
This photo is what happens when you wait until the last two minutes of a visit to snap a few, and you take them in the vortex of light (our kitchen). This is the moments before we assembled for a group shot which turned out miserably. Really. I should know better. (But I do love that Chris is doing his Sears Portrait Studio 3/4 turn.)
Thanks for visiting, you two. Hope to see you again soon.
Despite the fact that everyone looks grouchy, they actually had a spectacular time in the corn maze. Neko grabbed the map and took the lead, as I nervously told Tom to make sure we knew where we were going. I am one of those people that could be stuck in a corn maze for weeks. Even with a map.
Neko grew tired of leadership halfway, and instead puttered on about the litter she found. “I can’t believe they just left it here in the middle of this field. And it’s even STYROFOAM!”
We passed on the whole picking experience, and went straight to the farm shop where the kids picked out absurdly big pumpkins. I have no idea how we’re going to carve them. (I’ll think about it tomorrow, Rhett!)
And then they all got what they declared their very first caramel apples. Is that possible? Have we really been that restrictive?
Thanks to friends with extra tickets, Tom and I each got to see the Dalai Lama today. (Hooray Lisa! Hooray Glenn!) Chalk another one up for this tiny town. We’ve got culture, people!
Highlights included his wearing of the school visor to avoid the bright lights. Continuing to talk through the removal of his shoes, “Ah! More comfortable!” And at the very end, telling everyone if what he said doesn’t appeal them, then just forget it. (Which, said with an accent, sounded like something much less Dalai Lama-like.)
It is somewhat breathtaking to think that the man sitting on that couch has been sitting in the midst of history since he was two years old. And now, at 75, he sits comfortably on a couch, 100 feet away, and says his peace.
Well, clearly, there was too much talk about weekend getaways and Martha Stewart-esque eggs.
At about 5pm, when Tom and I were desperately trying to make it until bedtime on our (maybe) five hours of sleep from the night before, Shep came running out of the back of the house screaming, “Ellery is cutting off all her hair!”
I was really hoping he was joking.
As I entered the bathroom, the first thing I saw was all her long, baby fine hair gathered around her feet. And the scissors. And my heart sinking into my shoes.
I suppose we’ve really beaten the odds so far, having three children and not one hair-cutting incident. And, of course, the one person who I trust to attempt to fix this mess will not be in until Wednesday. Until then, Ellery will be channeling her inner Billy Ray Cyrus, circa 1992. (We could change her name to Ella Ray Cyrus, perhaps?)
I completely cop to being a bit sad myself, as I never got a photo of her in pigtails, and now it will be months before that’s even possible.
Tom, however, is delighted that he can now audition for the boy band of his choice.
It’s been over two years since I’ve seen The National perform, so it was fantastic to see how their show has matured. (Let’s all pretend I kind of know what that means.)
Tidbits from this weekend:
1. Ellery might have a teensy bit of my OCD overpacking gene.
2. Our hotel room was directly across the hall from a room decorated from top to bottom with balloons, including some that were replicas of certain portions of human anatomy.
3. That hotel room quickly became our former hotel room. Our new room was directly above said anatomically decorated room because someone in the Department of Hilarity thinks that makes for a better story.
4. Everywhere we went in Indy was all on one street—dinner, concert, and breakfast. It was like hipster row. I have no clue what the rest of the city looks like, but I’m thinking we may go back someday.
5. I almost cried when we found out the band didn’t go on until 10:45pm.
6. I am officially the age where I really, really like sitting down at concerts. Sadly, as my feet and back will tell you, this was not an option.
7. The band’s fan base is clearly 95% male. Or the universe did some sort of bizarre inversion. Either way, I felt like woman-kind had achieved some monumental victory as I walked past 20 men in line for the bathroom to discover I could pick from my choice of three empty bathroom stalls. (See fourth photo.)
8. When Mary Poppins is performing in the adjoining theatre, the green room for a band is reduced to the size of a broom closet. Mary clearly has more clout.
9. I desperately need an in-between camera. One that can travel in my bag, but has functionality that makes me smile. Will be researching that whole micro four thirds category…
10. I love traveling with people who make all the restaurant decisions. Especially when they have great taste.
Big thanks to Matt, John, and Vicki (and their friends) for joining us along our fun getaway, and to R&D and Papa Joe for making it possible.
I confess, I don’t totally understand this thing. But what I do know is that Tom made it out of an old travel kit. And it makes lots of weird noises. And yesterday he finally got it to work, which made him grin from ear to ear, which is a good thing all around.
Noise music nerds around the world are gasping with delight.
Today the frame for the high tunnel went up. (Big thanks to Jim and Glenn for coming over to help.) The whole time I felt like I should be in the kitchen with the ladies, making lunch and lemonade for our menfolk.
Tom decided to go out and ride his bike, and he invited others to come with him. It was 6:30pm, and we all rode bikes up and down the driveway enjoying the perfect weather.
Hooray for getting outside, especially on what was mostly a dreary grey day.
And then Neko dropped her new horse on the concrete and we had to end bike ride time in the name of plastic horse surgery.
