andes making J feel welcome

andes, this is J.
J, andes.


a llama kiss is something that simply must be experienced first hand in order to be fully appreciated.

everyday gift: llama kisses

a total eclipse of the sun

did you notice? north america experienced a total eclipse of the sun at approximately 2:03 p.m. central/standard time. the moon and sun will not be in this exact alinement again until circa 2017.

highlights from the weekend

*being reunited with a dear friend after many years! chatting like we have never been apart!

*remembering J as a curly-headed little 2 year old and being faced with the reality that he has actually grown while out of my presence into a very tall, curly-headed, witty, precocious, fun-loving, 11 year old boy!

*watching the boys' friendship take off like a rocket. (somehow i knew it would!)

*a rousing game of Settlers of Catan (who knew J could be so ruthless as to rob an innocent little girl of her sheep!)

*shakes at whitey's (they have recently discovered the gene that proves the tendency toward whitey's addiction is hereditary, which would explain why J is already plotting an opportunity to return for another shake!)

*a whirlwind tour of amy's almamater

*watching eagles fishing on the mississippi river

*chatting 'til way past my bedtime (apparently this made us oblivious to the rough housing by the boys up in their room which happens to be directly above the master bedroom, keeping my poor husband awake until way past his bedtime)

*a tea party with my new teapot (thanks, amy! B and i will think of you every time we use it)

*a monopoly game (that i didn't have to be a part of)

*J, C, S, and B tumbling in after sledding in the dark, half frozen and laughing like crazy!

*lunch at arthur's garden deli

* a friendship that time and distance cannot fade

everyday gift: sweet friendship

a milestone

last thursday night S crossed the bridge. it was a simple ceremony. boys who have spent the past 5 years camping with dads, learning how to handle a pocket knife safely, singing Christmas carols at the nursing home, selling popcorn, racing pinewood derby cars, pledging to the American flag, collecting canned goods for the local food pantry, earning badges, shooting archery at day camp, tussling and rough-housing and, in general, goofing around...solemnly crossed over the bridge greeted on the other side by the older boy scouts. a milestone in my son's life. in boy scouts more will be expected; more challenging activities and skills will be learned; more independence; more responsibility required. he eagerly accepts this next step without hesitation, while i look on with a mother's pride. part of me wants to scoop him up in my arms and travel back to a time when he clung to my legs, timidly peeking at the world. but instead i watch him embrace his ever widening world.

it is hard to believe, but my boys are growing up.

S with his framed cub scout awards, and his proud parents!

receiving the red epaulets from his brother, signifying his new status as boy scout

burning his name in the bridge

(you must have cookies!)

everyday gift: boys on the way to becoming young men!

flashback

last night S, my cub scout crossed the bridge into boy scouting. where has the time gone? i am reminiscing and thought i would share this picture...C, as a bear scout is holding the banner waving and S, a wolf scout is behind wearing camo pants.

more later on the blue and gold banquet...

winter visitors

we have enjoyed watching the visitors who have come to the bird seed buffet:

cardinal
black capped chickadee
dark-eyed junco
downy woodpecker
mourning dove
chipping sparrow
song sparrow
eurasian tree sparrow
common house sparrow
starling
crow
nuthatch
blue jay

lucky, our pet duck (she loves to glean the seed that falls from the feeder! it is so funny to see her big webbed prints alongside the little sparrow tracks)

other visitors to the feeder: rabbits, mice, and cats hunting mice!

(please pardon the amateur photography!)

soaring overhead we have seen bald eagles, turkey vultures, red tailed hawks, and another hawk we have yet to positively identify, maybe a merlin? or a sharp-shinned hawk?

everyday gift: feathered friends

unconventional valentine

after 14 years of marriage mark and i know each other pretty well. for example, i know that "gifts" is not mark's love language. i have learned that if i want to keep from having hurt feelings on gift-giving holidays i have to keep expectations low. i have also learned that when i buy something new near my birthday and mark says, "this can count as a birthday gift, right?" what he really means to say is, "i want you to have just what you want, so i am letting you pick out your own present because i really do love you." and after spending hours pondering the perfect gift for him and he responds by saying, "why did you spend money on this?" what he really means is, "honey, you are all i need. i don't need anything else but you."

so when mark arrived home from a business trip on february 15 with a valenine gift, i was indeed surprised! just the thought of him browsing in gift shops makes me smile. unwrapping the awkward shaped package i discover this:

a. very. large. rooster.

now some women would not be pleased with this. they may be looking for gems, or chocolate, or red roses. but me? i simply adore it. knowing how much i enjoy raising our little flock of chickens; knowing i truly love surprises; knowing how much i love sharing this country life with him, he has chosen the perfect gift for me, however unconventional it may be.

everyday gift: a valentine surprise