An Unexpected Visitor

This neighborhood resident came to visit me today. I wonder if he was planning to nibble on my butterfly bush? He arrived on the country lane, walking at a leisurely pace, however when our dog Maude told him in no uncertain terms to "take off Buddy!" the llama high-tailed it cross country, heading through the field behind the play house. I saw him back on the lane a couple of minutes later, heading up the long steep hill for his home on a nearby farm. What about you? Do you like unexpected visitors, or do you prefer that they call first? I'm fine with either as long as they don't eat all of my autumn blossoms!

photos by Aisling, 10/27/2009

Things I love about Home...

Company is welcome… You can see this from the two large sofas that dominate the living room. (Nope there’s no flat screen tv to assume that role.) In fact, 8 to 10 people can sleep, sitting up with their head on the next person’s shoulder, on the big sectional sofa… and they have (mostly teenagers.)

You can’t tell how beat up and stained the counter tops are, because there are usually some dirty dishes stacked there. This reminds me of two things: the people in the house are busy doing things other than washing dishes and lots of good food has been prepared, from scratch, in this kitchen. The evidence… pots, pans, mixers, bread boards… is all in plain sight.

It’s ok to wear shoes in the house, make costumes, do crafts, or create great inventions on the living carpet. It’s pretty obvious from the wear and tear that others have “crafted here afore ye.”

You can put your feet up on the coffee table without fear of reprisal. It’s already broken in and a few more scuff marks will just add to its character. What? You splashed a little of your coffee on the table? No worries. By the way, when you scoot over to the kitchen for a towel to clean it up, why don’t you start another pot of coffee in the big silver percolator that sits there, ready to serve a crowd (or just one very sleepy family) on a moment’s notice.

Photos by Haiku, 1) Maude in the dining room... 2) Tiggy demonstrating that there is room on the couch for 8 or 10 people... or one sprawled out kitty. :)

Tuesday at Home - Contentment

My children started back to school yesterday after their two week holiday break. I spent the morning buying textbooks for college with my oldest daughter and then came home and cleaned house. Late in the afternoon, about nine teenagers (two of them mine) arrived for a sledding party. The walked in the cold, cold air on our icy country lane up to an area they call the "bowl" for its shape. As you can imagine, that bowl shape provides a wonderful landscape for sledding.

Afterward they came back into the house and made hot chocolate and lemonade (not wintry but deliciously refreshing) and baked the cookie dough that one young man brought with him. My little boys got home in time to share in the hot chocolate and cookies, though not the sledding (they were at the bowl the day before with their dad.)

Today, the house is quiet. Nine year old Sijo stayed home from school with a sore throat and a slight headache, but he isn't feeling very poorly. Tuesdays, as you may remember if you read my blog often, are my "at home day." Though the main rooms are often cleaned up for company or just a weekly once-over, the corners become cluttered and untidy much too easily. I've been working on the piles in the corners of the master bedroom today. Everything ends up in there! The ironing board, my husband's work-related manuals, the laundry piles, the big box of gift-wrap... you name it!

As a break from heavy cleaning (definitely not my favorite thing) I am spending a little time in the kitchen. I have croutons toasting in the oven as I write this, made from what was left of the bread I baked on Sunday. Three fresh loaves are rising on the counter top.

There is nothing exciting going on this Tuesday afternoon at the Quiet Country House. Sijo is reading a collection of Peanuts comics in his bed, the cats are napping in sunshine streaming in through the windows, and I'm getting hungry smelling the aroma of olive oil and italian seasoning from the croutons in the oven. Whereever you are, however you are filling your afternoon hours, I wish you contentment.

...

photos by Aisling, January 2009

Life in a Snow Globe

It is snowing again this morning. It snowed yesterday, and as you saw from my Sunday Stroll photos, it snowed on Sunday. I haven't heard any accumulation figures for this fall yet; it seems to have snowed often but may not have added up to much. This is the deepest it has been yet this season. Here are a few photos; of the snow fort, the log pile and the garden. Sijo said yesterday that it was like living inside one of the tiny houses in a snow globe.

Today, my only day to stay at home this week, I will be catching up on housework, laundry and, of course, doing homework. We are in the homestretch for this semester, with just one month of classes remaining. I will very much enjoy those three or four weeks between semesters, to make our home holiday-ready, to bake, and decorate, and just be the Mom for a while (instead of the student, and the employee, and the chauffeur, etc.)

I may even find time to read a book for pleasure over the holiday season! If anyone has a recommendation for a "must read" book (something homey and comforting, preferably) please let me know in my comments.

As the snow comes down today, my continued prayers and good wishes are going up for my friend Robbin and for my friend Rapunzel's Mom. Where-ever you are today, whatever the weather, I hope you enjoy the day.

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A Rainy Tuesday at Home

Are you tired of reading about our rainy days yet? We're having another day of gray skies and cold, cold drizzle. I took my morning walk with long pants, and three layers of shirts and sweaters. I left my coffee mug in the house, or it would have been diluted by the falling rain. My pants, shoes and socks were soaked by the time I got back to the house. I finally found out what has been eating the buds of a beautiful peach lily whose blooms I look forward to each year. Slugs. Notice how slug rhymes with ugh? There's a good reason for that!

After driving my oldest daughter to work, and my younger daughter and her friend to spend the day in town, the boys and I came home to our first day of "summer school." I don't currently homeschool my boys, but this summer we will be taking two days a week to work on a few subjects of interest. Today, we began a history book about the Revolutionary War. This book includes crafts, games and recipes that correlate to the material. My boys are excited about making a faux buckskin bag and a tri-corn hat next week (after a trip to the fabric store later this week) and cream scones as well. I remember doing these projects with my girls several years ago.

I made Rosewater Lemonade to go with their lunch, and then went to work on a sewing project. The current project is a long lavender gown for my oldest daughter who does medieval reenactments. We modified a pattern, which I am learning is not one of my strong points. I can follow a pattern pretty well, but when we start to modify I get really nervous. Besides all that, the teeth of my sewing machine appear to find lavender cotton silk delectable.

The remainder of the day will be filled with my usual Tuesday cleaning routine (vacuuming the living room, washing the kitchen and dining room floors, laundry,etc.), making dinner, more sewing, picking up my girls, and hopefully some reading time for me late in the day. I'm reading The Exile by Pearl Buck, a very old book, but new to me.

I hope you all have a pleasant Tuesday, at home or out and about, rain or shine. A thought for the day:

"He respects Owl, because you can't help respecting anyboday who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn't spell it right." ~ A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

photos by Aisling, June 17, 2008 1) Blue Campanula, aka Blue Rain Flowers, or Fairies' Thimbles 2) Another photo, because it's so pretty and the first one opened today 3) Pale Aquilegia 4) Alchemilla Mollis (Lady's Mantle) catching rain

Tuesday at Home

Today is one of those lovely rare days that I get to spend entirely at home. With no where to hurry off to:

~ I have removed an accumulation of clutter (is "accumulation of clutter" redundant?) from the main living areas so that later in the week I may clean surfaces. You have to be able to get to surfaces to clean them well!

~ I wanted to cover the card table with a bit of fabric for Senryu's Graduation Party this coming Sunday. The fabric I wanted to use wasn't large enough, so I pieced it together with some other fabric and added trim for the corners. It was "Halloween quality" sewing, in my estimation. If you've ever quickly thrown together a Halloween costume from bits and pieces, with little attention to the finer details of sewing such as exquisitely finished edges, then you'll understand my concept of "Halloween quality." Ordinarily, when I sew, I like the underside or inside to be as presentable as the outside. Anyway, this table will be either the gift table or the beverage table at the party on Sunday. It looks better than the dingy, worn-out table top and (somewhat) fits the Asian theme we are using, in honor of Senryu's exchange in Taiwan last school year.

~ I played (again) "What's your made up candy?" with Tanka. Today mine is "June Candy" which tastes like strawberries, fresh sweet air, and sometimes like rain. I also got craft supplies out for him, and he sat on the living room floor and made bookmarks. One is now tucked into the children's fantasy novel, Sea of Trolls, that I am currently reading.

~ I pulled some weeds in the garden. I tend to leave things like pretty yellow oxalis (with it's clover-like leaves) or dandelions, but I pull the invasive weeds that threaten my more delicate perennials.

~ I have laundry going, and dishes soaking in the sink. Tidying up the kitchen is next on my list, and by the time I finish, it will be time to begin making dinner. I think I'll make a light nutritious soup. It's June 3rd, but I'm wearing a sweater on this cool, overcast day, so soup sounds just right.

photos by Aisling, June 3, 2008 1) new table cover 2) new table cover corners 3) detail of print 4) yellow oxalis, a "weed" in the butterfly garden 5) dandelion "going to fluff" near the driveway