surprises, gifts, and blessings

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Shanda

I was going to blog yesterday but ended up with a typical full day even fuller.

My son crashed his bike going fast down the road and we had to get him checked out in the ER just to be sure he didn’t fracture anything and thankfully, he didn’t. He has sprains, aches, scrubs, and pains.

When we got home there were extra people here who Jacob had brought over with him and my husband was away for the night because he has a business meeting in NYC.

I made dinner for 9 teenagers (7 of them boys, 2 girls) and 3 children. And then made milkshakes. We watched a movie (Goosebumps) and it was fun but I have to be honest and say I was really tired by the end of the day and went to bed early, as soon as I put Seth, Sarah, and Caleb to bed. (it was 9pm).

Isn’t the shagbark hickory tree interesting? I came across one the other night as I rambled in the woods.

Just look at the bark shagging = God-art. Living, real, true, and quiet. Never asking for attention. People with the hearts and eyes to see go searching and even then don’t witness all that God does in His creation. But they see enough to feel gratitude, peace, and are fed spiritually.

Just days after I confessed to my sisterinlaw Cassandra that I hate making pie crust, I made pie crust! I just did it differently this time, which is to say without fears, and with confidence. Very quickly the crust was made ( life is exciting, even in the kitchen making pie)

We had quiche for breakfast.

And I made a homemade, *I picked the berries myself and the rhubarb came from the garden*, Strawberry Rhubarb pie for tomorrow! (ethan’s graduation party)

They did this all on their own but I did tell them with the voice of an experienced Mom not to go too far into the woods. Seth and Sarah put on their backpacks. Seth’s had one big water balloon it it (yellow), and Sarah had food in hers. They took along walkie talkies. And left side by side for an adventure! Grace and I watched them from the porch. They did just great and came back before I could worry.

David found a formula on youtube for lightening his hair. It consisted of lemon juice, salt, shampoo, and not sure what else. He did it the other day. I’m not used to it yet but I don’t mind in the least. I like what he does. He also found a walking stick from the woods and has been working on it. Sanding it now and then painting it soon. Look at his toe keeping the stick still.

Seth took one look at dinner (Shepherd’s Pie) and said accusingly, with a grimace, “You put eggs on it.” Home-raised chicken eggs, when scrambled, ARE that yellow, but this was in fact, cheddar cheese.

Table full of loved ones; my kids and my kids’ friends who are also my kids because I love them allllllllllllllll……….

Isn’t she lovely? She made the daisy wreath for her hair and when I saw her walk into the house I said, “Wait let me get my camera” the flower wreath on the door made it even better.

two wreaths when just a moment before I was in the living room tidying up!!!!!

Life is full of surprises, gifts, and blessings!

Some of the surprises aren’t that great though!!!!

milkshakes for everyone

scarlet tanager!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

another gift. I like to wander down to the end of the yard by the bushes and stream at the end of the day because the sun is still shining on the treetops.

and there are a lot of birds

This morning I witnessed tragedy. I was sitting on the wooden bench on the porch facing the road and the trees across the road. Gypsy moth caterpillars are continuing to eat leaves and Baltimore Orioles are up there eating the caterpillars. I was drinking my coffee in my nightgown and robe and looking through my camera photos with the bird book because I take pictures of any bird I see so I can identify them later on. Well, I heard a *bird scolding sound* and looked up just in time to see this mother oriole chasing a crow up the road. I quickly lifted up my camera and miraculously got a clear picture of them. I wasn’t expecting them to return, but moments later I looked up again just in time to see them SOARING BACK DOWN ABOVE THE ROAD BUT THIS TIME THE CROW HAD A TINY BABY BIRD IN IT’S TERRIBLE BEAK. The mother was still scolding and chasing it out of my sight. I didn’t see them come back.

Seth and Caleb sat on the porch with me while all this was going on.

Then, not only did I get exciting news from my brother, but this package came! All before nine o’clock in the morning.

And now I’m on my way to Costco with Seth while the children clean the house.

Party day is tomorrow!

Happy Friday, my friends.

You are loved.

dear rosemary wells

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Shanda

Dear Rosemary Wells,

I am a fan of yours. A very big fan. You see, I’ve been enjoying picture books with my various children for 19 years now and your books never get old. They are always interesting. They are “evergreen”. We have read many of your books. Max’s Chocolate Chicken is a favorite, Bunny Cakes, and also Felix Feels Better. So many wonderful stories.

We have known of you for years, but we weren’t exactly die-hard FANS, yet.

You see, I never really stopped to realize what an amazing artist/author you were until the other day, when I found myself at the library, filling a bag of books for my children, who are in a summer reading program for their school. They have to read and keep track of the number of books they complete and we carefully write the titles on a list in the cupboard.

My son Seth is 7, and Sarah is 6, so they need easier books to read. Pictures books are perfect.

So yes, I was at the library when I came to the “W” section (organized by the author’s last name) and realized….wow….Rosemary Wells has completed an amazing and prolific amount of work as a children’s author. I showed my sixteen year old daughter the length of the row of YOUR books, each one thoughtfully written AND illustrated by you. We were in awe and spoke of our love for your stories. And at that moment, I became aware that I was a true fan. So this is a thank you to you. My oldest child is 19 years old. There are a total of 7 children in our home. And we have read your books all along the way. They are a delight and charmingly creative!

My six year old, with the long blond hair, sat cross legged by my side this morning. She still had sleepy eyes and had just eaten her toast for breakfast. We took Time-Out for Sophie from the library bag and she read me every word, leaning over the pages with her hair dangling and getting in the way so prettily. “Sophie” was a hard word for her to pronounce and remember. We were very amused by the antics of Sophie. She threw her macaroni and cheese on the floor two times! And then she dumped the clean and folded laundry! But Sarah just loved the fabrics of all those pretty clothes. She carefully studied each one and pointed her finger at her favorites that *she wished she could have * (with a sigh).

Thank you for putting humor, detail, and beauty in your drawings. I agreed that the purple polka dotted shirt would look very nice on Sarah.

Sarah thought it was funny that Sophie had her time-out at the top of the stairs. She wondered what the brown wall was behind her. You see, we have bookcases at the top of our stairs. I told her that Sophie is a mouse and so she lives underground. I’m not sure if she was satisfied by that answer but her silence said it was the end of the question and so we moved on to the next page, the part about Granny. Sophie kept taking Granny’s glasses right off her face!

Wise Granny knew just how to put an end to Sophie’s nonsense….by putting HERSELF in time-out. I thought to myself that yes, when MY children were being naughty to me, I would put MYSELF into time-out, too, just like Granny.

We turned the page again to see that Sophie was now in the tub and was in the process of squirting the bubble bath clear across the room. The book didn’t say so, but Sarah knew that Sophie was headed for ANOTHER time out.

Then the book was over and she studied all the beautiful clothes that you drew for the end paper.

We read Shy Charles this week, too, and Noisy Nora. Your wonderful books make me smile and the children like them just as much as I do. We think you must be amused as you work on them, as well. Happiness & joy all around.

Thank you, Rosemary Wells! May you continue to create for many years to come!

********

I sit on the grass and watch the children jump into the pond. They say the water is great and want me to swim with them.

Sarah got brave enough…yesterday! Now she doesn’t stop jumping. At the end of the day when she’s sitting snuggled up to me, I smell her hair and it smells so good, like sweet perfume and pond water.

they show off for mama’s camera

I find a tiny toad.

“Tiny toads are all over the place. There were three on me yesterday.” ~Sarah, while swimming

I bought three bags of balloons the other day and they have been an endless source of amusement for the kids. David likes blowing them up as much as big as they will get. Then he plays with them until they blow up. I was down at the pond when one of his balloons popped and it was so loud my heart leapt and I thought someone had shot a gun in the woods. I went up to the house and the boys were laughing. Ethan said it was as loud as a cannon.

I tied four water balloons for Seth as I wrote this blog post. (He can’t tie them and Sarah can’t blow them up. I’m still needed. LOL)

Shooting hoops on a summer day.

pictures of the day

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Shanda

day of summer

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Shanda

We went strawberry picking in a quiet open field. There was a nice lady just down the row from us who was friendly and spoke like she had known us forever. From the race of Joseph, I feel sure.

They were 29 dollars and 15 cents for 11.2 pounds.

The air was hot and fresh. The sky was blue.

I remember standing at Grandma’s kitchen counter when she made a fruit pizza (it was the first time I had it). I don’t know why I had to make one today but I did, I had to.

Seth seemed to hang in the air as he leapt from the dock into the warm pond. The boys were happy and carefree. Everyone is getting browner from the sunshine but Michael’s nose is sun burnt and red.

Seth found a beautiful insect.

David had a friend over and there was a feeling of celebration as it was the first day of summer and the house was full of people we loved.

Perhaps that is why I felt the impulse to make the fruit pizza?

All thirteen of us, at four o’clock in the afternoon, had a little summer day pizza party.

The moms sat and chatted at the table while the kids all ran off to play games and swim.

“Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair…”
― Susan Polis Schutz

pancakes for the children (a photo series)

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Shanda

“Tread softly! All the earth is holy ground.”
― Christina Rossetti

what is that sound? it’s poo

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Shanda

Good afternoon, friends. This is a tale of birds and caterpillars.

It just so happens, that in the beginning of this week, I was walking with Caleb, Seth, and Sarah and we discovered a *new to us* bird. It was deeper into the woods, near the adventure trail, on the ground drinking from a small stream. As we came upon it, it flew up into a tree close enough for us to see it in detail. Later that day, I found that it was a yellow-billed cuckoo. I was not able to get a good photo of it, so if you would like to see it you can find a picture and an article here. They are known as “Tent Caterpillar birds” because they eat the hairy caterpillars that are so numerous in the woods these days.

(hairy caterpillars)

I first noticed this year’s caterpillar outbreak at Little League. They were crawling in large numbers up the side of the dugouts. Seth said “they were everywhere”. Sarah was morbidly interested but would not touch them. I wasn’t concerned in the least…but I am now.

Why? you ask? Well, the very day that the children and I went a’walking, I was puzzled by the sound of raindrops falling from the leaves of the trees. I could not understand how the leaves had gotten so drippy-wet, and also: I wasn’t getting any rain drops on MYSELF.

Today I was walking down the road with my cup of coffee when I heard *the sound* coming from the woods again. I went into the house to put down my cup and get the girls. We needed to solve a mystery.

And what we noticed was, in almost every place we looked, we could see at least one growing and munching caterpillar. The woods were alive with the sound of pitter pat droppings, not of rain, but of caterpillar POO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tiny, hard bits of poo. Everywhere. Dropping on the floor of the forest. They were most easy to see, caught in spider webs.

I went online to research, just in case I was crazy. Maybe the little hard brown bits were seeds? Maybe? But I quickly found this article.

“The caterpillars are harmless – but they do like to eat. You can see the buffet of half-eaten leaves on the ground, constantly falling from trees.

“You can actually hear the activity,” Grigoriou said. ‘It sounds like rain.'”

~Matt Scott for Fox 61 news

The activity that sounds like rain happens to be a vast amount of waste product falling from the very hungry caterpillars which cannot stop eating and therefore cannot stop pooping.

Caterpillars of various sizes are all over the place in the woods.

crawling and creeping and haunting

up and down tree trunks

big trees and little trees

they’re everywhere (insert spooky voice here)

eating and eating and eating and eating

and….dropping and dropping and dropping and dropping

Is it nature’s fertilizer?

millions of these little poop balls are littering the ground

along with leaf bits that have been chewed away and lost off of the trees

NEVER IN ALL MY DAYS!!!!!

I’m rather amazed by it all…..and I hope you are, too.

*****

Yesterday we had a pair of ducks on our pond all day long, they were quite a delight to see. The girls and I sat together and watched them.

We had conversations about monogamy, orange feet, how ducks communicate, nests and eggs, and what they must think of us, and do they like it here, will they live here and raise a family, and so on.

Later on that evening, I was watering and weeding the garden when I heard the unmistakeable sound of an Osprey.

Sure enough, I looked up just in time to see one alight in the dead tree with a fresh fish in it’s strong legs. (it was wearing white pants) I ran into the house to get my camera crying out, “Our pond is a bird-feeder!!” and the children followed me out of doors. Rich mourned the loss of another one of HIS fish to wildlife and not a fishing hook.

Look at the legs on this bird! It’s wings look like a cape.

The (poor) fish was flying.

wet walk

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Shanda

I have a room all to myself; it is nature. ~Thoreau

It had rained that day and we were restless. Therefore, Seth, kitty, and myself went for a rather wet ramble in the woods.

Our feet were soaked…. all the way through our sneakers and socks. Our feet said, “squish, squash” as we stepped and climbed over logs and streams.

The Mountain Laurel was in bloom. These beautiful shrubs are Connecticut’s state flower. As we drove along the roads on Sunday, to and from church, I looked deeply into the woods and could see Mountain Laurel everywhere.

Things were very drippy on our wet walk day.

We found two very small bushes of bog laurel, a pretty blossom. They were growing among the Mountain Laurel.

We saw an inch worm dangling from it’s thread.

It was amusing to watch it climbing back up, slowly, awkwardly, and methodically.

It was afraid of our eyes looking at it so closely.

The woods were very jungle-like, especially after a nice rain

a secret place…does an tiny elf or mouse visit here sometimes?

(Incidentally, last night I was on the couch watching TV and half asleep with Rich. The boys went outside to play “man hunt” just in time to rescue a perky eared, black eyed mouse from the cat. They brought it inside within a cup to show me, but I didn’t know what they were bringing until they handed it over and I looked inside. 9:30pm is much too late in the day to admire mice.)

my funny Seth

We went to find some wild strawberries but we didn’t eat this one.

Someone was already eating it.

I fed my son wild strawberries while he was busy looking for cool rocks.

“Put them in your pockets,” I said, and he did.

We crossed the stream to get home quicker and I stopped by the chicken coop to get……….

…..the eggs!

Want some?

my boy and my boy only

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Shanda

Let’s just stare at this one for a few minutes. Can you even???????

I took this one through the window at the school. The graduates were waiting in the cafeteria and all the guests were waiting in line for the doors to open to the gym.

Rich and I sat on the left hand side on bleachers with Caleb, Seth, Sarah, David, Tessa, Emily, Grace, and Jacob. We were thankful to have enough tickets for the whole family to watch Ethan graduate but I doubt the little kids were thankful because it was a long and pretty boring night for them.

Zach is Ethan’s red headed best friend. They were even in the same Kindergarten class.

Caleb is also one of Ethan’s best friends. They were friends for years before he and Grace started dating. He looks pretty serious in picture but then we yelled his name and he smiled.

The young men wore blue robes and the ladies wore white.

*Zach receiving his diploma. (He is attending college this fall).

The graduation began at 7pm and went on for approximately two hours while we were sitting squeezed together on the bleachers. It was kinda funny. Rich was uncomfortable the entire time…too hot and the bleachers were too hard and his hip was hurting and then Sarah got on his lap and the face he made as she explained she had to sit there because she was “too squished” was so funny…….

David and Caleb coped by reading books. Aren’t they so handsome???

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We sat right behind the family of the Valedictorian which was exciting (to me). His speech was very well done.

Caleb receiving his diploma (he is going into the Coast Guard this summer).

Ethan waiting for his turn to get his diploma and my heart was bursting. He wore cowboy boots and decorated his cap with the American Flag. (one of the girls did the very same thing, boots and flag). Very fun.

I stood up with my camera to take pictures while Rich and the kids all cheered as loudly as they could for our E.

This is one of my favorites of the night…Ethan clearly in the middle of the photo leaving the room with a classmate on his arm. The kids were all so happy.

I managed to get through the crowd in my very high horrible heels and found Ethan drinking chocolate milk at the reception.

We got a phone call from the school this morning saying they had Ethan’s class ring in the office (he didn’t even know he had lost it).

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Ethan and Mitch

My daughter Grace with her boyfriend, Caleb.

Ethan with his girlfriend, Tessa.

Jacob and Ethan

Ethan and his Dad

Ethan and his Mom.

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Ethan and all of us.

(Incidentally, earlier that evening while we were still home, Grace got Sarah ready while I was getting ready and we ended up all three matching. The next day the same thing happened, we all three ended up wearing yellow shirts without even planning it.)

Ethan and his little sister, Sarah Joy. Sarah is wearing a dress that used to be Grace’s.

All in all it was a very exciting night. We left as soon as we could. My feet were killing me and Ethan went to a party that the school arranged through “Safe Grad”. He stayed up all night and slept until 11 in the morning the next day.

I didn’t cry or even feel like crying. But I had a headache and was buzzing with emotion regardless. My mind could only hold the essentials; “Ethan” and “Graduation” and “taking photos”. I was so embarrassed because I met a man and his wife in line before the graduation…we introduced each other and everything….by the end of the night I introduced myself to them AGAIN. And the lady said, “Whatever you are drinking, I’ll have some, too.” Which was rather rude but it just goes to show that I was in tune to my boy and my boy only.

****

Today is the first day of summer vacation. It is sunny but oddly windy. Caleb and Seth were invited to a friend’s house for a morning of play. I drove them there and then took the girls with me to the thrift shop where we spent three dollars on an aquarium (for nature studies at home) and a bag of books (for summer reading). Also today: David made homemade funnel cakes fried in oil (Aunt Colleen’s recipe), I made a double batch of blueberry muffins, Jacob and Emily took Sarah for a canoe ride on the pond and they threw bread to the fish. I saw a pair of cardinals and ate three wild strawberries. David had stomach ache by this afternoon so he is taking his second bath (he thinks maybe he ate too many funnel cakes but refused Pepto Bismal). Ethan is at his girlfriend’s house, Grace is at Caleb’s house, Jacob is at work, Emily is also at work, and the three youngest are now watching Zootopia after begging me all day.

Oh my word, I am in my room typing this and I could hear the dog whining at the door to the house but I didn’t think anything of it and guess who just came in, and it’s only 4pm!!!

My husband!!! so happy!

Gotta go. Bye!

blessed

Posted on June 10, 2016 by Shanda

You’re never going to believe this!!

I saw a pileated woodpecker like 9 years ago down by the stream and I’ve been wanting to see another ever since.

This morning I saw three!

They were hopping around and perched in the big tall dead tree in the far front of our property. I heard one of them make a call and observed one grooming it’s feathers. I snuck down the hill with my binoculars and the camera, quickly changing the settings to 24MP so I could make a nice print if I was blessed enough to get a good picture. I say blessed because I was praying the entire time.

so happy!

“Wonderful riches, more than tongue can tell –
He is my Father so they’re mine as well”

praiseworthy

Posted on June 9, 2016 by Shanda

“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others
cannot keep it from themselves.”

Baccalaureate was yesterday at 4:00. Ethan almost didn’t go….

It was one of those “we almost didn’t bother” but we did and it was amazing. God likes to do that now and then. Totally unexpected SOUL FOOD.

The 2016 class, the faculty, the volunteers from the community, teachers, friends, parents, and ministers all came together for a heart-felt, spiritual service. I sat in the pew with Seth, Sarah, David, and Caleb and soaked it all up.

If you’re reading this and you had a part—THANK YOU.

pride, joy, smiles, tears, song, words. so good.

Hunter reading Scripture.

Glad there was a program so I could study it and learn names.

High School choir in beautiful harmony.

Caleb (Grace’s boyfriend) reading Scripture.

I learned a new hymn and I loved it!

Rachel and Sarah singing with their Dad playing guitar. Making us cry.

Rachel spoke to her class some encouraging words.

They were given candles as “Go Light Your World” played.

Whoever put this service together was thoughtful and gave the kids so much to remember.

They will go far.

The Pastor of the church was kind and down to earth.

I held it together until Grace became emotional and then realization flooded over me again that this is a season of changes, not just for me as a mom; but for my children as close brothers and sisters.

The love they share will never change.

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friends

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.