Talent (and cuteness)

We're lucky to know and love a lot of very talented people. It's merely coincidence that some of our wonderful friends are also skilled craftsmen: builders, landscapers, electricians, artists, knitters, crochet-ers, sew-ers, card-makers, wood-flooring experts, chefs, doctors, sculptors, etc. We are surrounded by the most talented, skilled, creative people. We constantly wonder what talent, what skill, we have to share with them. What can we do for them that they can't do for themselves? What can we give to them that they will appreciate the way that we appreciate what they have given and done for us?

This last weekend, I tried to learn to knit. When I was a young girl, my uncle taught me how to crochet a granny square. I crocheted granny squares that became doll blankets, long barbie-doll skirts, hankerchiefs, and pillow covers. My aunt then taught me how to crochet a zig-zag edge afghan. That was a big project for me and I never got very far, but I did learn how to do it. I've since then forgotten. Although I think I can still crochet a basic, straight-edge square or rectangle. My Mom has tried to teach me to knit several times. I have a knitting bag with two sets of knitting needles, two skeins of yarn, and two 'learn to knit' books in it, but it only comes out once a year or so. I have a hard time with knitting - crocheting seems to come easier for me. I think knitting is so hard because it takes both hands. I always had the same trouble with playing the piano. I could play with my right hand or my left hand, but always had trouble playing with both together. I just have a hard time using both hands together. Someone told me recently, 'It helps to get your tongue involved'. I tried it... I still couldn't knit. I'm just no good at knitting. I'll admit I haven't given it a fair shot. I give up too easily. If only I could knit.

I have a friend who knits beautiful things. Beautiful little baby girl clothes. Beautiful sweaters and hats and washcloths.

She recently knit a boy hat. Yes, a hat for a little boy.

This little hat.



Look at this little hat on this little boy.





Is it not the most adorable thing you've ever seen?

Boys Weekend

Today is Monday and after a weekend of staying up too late, eating too much, laughing and talking until there was nothing left to say, and enjoying the breathtaking fall colors of Northern Wisconsin, I should be all worn out... but I feel refreshed. I'll admit, I'm tired... but I feel good. I spent the weekend with my sisters, niece, Mom and aunt in a beautiful cabin on a lake near Minocqua, WI that sleeps 14. I'll share some pictures later this week.

While I was away hanging out with the girls, the boys were bonding at home. Gavin is such a lucky little boy to have a Dad as wonderful as his. They stopped by a friend's house Saturday morning for a quick visit, went to the Harley-Davidson dealership, and went grocery shopping. On Sunday, they spend most of the day at home, out in the yard, and had a couple of short visits from friends. It's not so much what Gavin and Cliff do together, it's how they do it. When it's just the two of them, having their own special time, there seems to be a sort of partnership going on, a comraderie of sorts. When I am involved, it's not the same, their dynamics change. When it's just the two of them, you can plainly see just how much fun they have, doing nothing of particular importance.

Storytime on the living room floor.
A book for each of them.
Feet up in the air.
Dog kisses just for good measure.
and Plenty of giggles.

Bigger Than Me

Last year, we planted sunflowers on the end of the shed. They got really tall - about 10' high - but the actual flowers themselves weren't all that big around. This year, we had one lone sunflower come up from last year's seed (I may have inadvertantly weeded out others). It didn't get all that tall, but look at the size of the flower. The petals had all fallen off by the time I took these photos. The center of the flower alone is twice the size of Cliff's head and about four times the size of Gavin's little (big, actually) head.

The weight of the flower head has left it hanging low now, and the birds are already snacking on the tender seeds. It will be a welcome treat for them this winter. We planted the same sunflowers this year as we did last year and again, none of them are this big. Maybe if they re-seed themselves again we'll have more huge sunflowers next year.

Gavin thought this one was fascinating! We kinda do too. :)

Sweet Baby Boy - September Photos

Sad Face

Doesn't this face just make your heart break? This sad, lonely, afraid, heartbroken, terrified, neglected child just pulls at your heart strings, doesn't he? His teary-eyed face makes you want to rescue him from all of his troubles and love him and hold him and shelter him from everything that is hurting him, doesn't it?

Poor thing - seems that being gently lifted from the gravel driveway, where he was trying to eat rocks, and carefully set back down in the soft, lush, grassy lawn out of harm's way where there are no rocks to choke on or bruise your knees on was just too much devastation for him to handle. Such tragedy. Such a rough life. No gravel to put in his mouth. Just soft, green grass to crawl around in. Poor, poor, baby. It's okay, we won't let that grass get you.

Gavin actually loves grass. He loves it. He loves to eat it, crawl on it, feel it with his fingers and toes, pull it out of the ground, walk on it, look at it... he loves it. He does. He just loves eating gravel more!

Indiana Jennings

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There's something about these pictures that makes me think of Indiana Jones... could be the hat, the lush green jungle in the background.. what? that's not a jungle? Where is your imagination?!?! Can't you just see the pythons hanging from the tree limbs?

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If not Indiana Jennings, than is it Crocodile Dundee?

I just love a good black & white photo!

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Should we tell him?

Uh, Gavin? You, um... well, there's something... er, um, your forehead, Gavin. You have squash on your forehead. ...and um, a little something on your chin too.

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We let Gavin try to feed himself a couple of times this week. He's been reaching for the spoon when we feed him lately and grabbing onto it as we put it in his mouth. So, we figured, what the heck, go crazy, kiddo. ...and he did.

You may have noticed I haven't posted anything in several days now... it's not for lack of things to write about, just for lack of time. We've been busy having a great weekend. Couldn't really ask for much more. We had a little get together at our place on Saturday since my sister was in town for the weekend and she wanted a chance to see everyone. Most of my family made it over and we had a fun time playing croquet and bocce ball, and eating and sitting around a fire. The house and yard were full of kids playing and enjoying the beautiful weather. Soccer balls bouncing off the silo, dogs chasing tennis balls, bocce balls rolling across the lawn and smiles and laughter all around! Everyone brought food to share and it was delightful. We had freshly picked raspberries, locally grown grapes, fruit pizza, zucchini muffins, pulled pork sandwiches and sloppy joes, crisp apples, deviled eggs, crab pasta salad, chocolate swirl cake, Mom's yummy cole slaw, and apple dessert just to name a few. What I mean to say is that we thoroughly stuffed ourselves with the summer's delicious bounty and a lot of good old home cooking! It was fantastic! Thank you to everyone for a great time! Cliff, Gavin and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Sunday morning I thoroughly appreciated time spent with some VIPS in my life over breakfast at Key's Cafe, one of my favorite places for breakfast and lunch. I left breakfast feeling pleasantly satisfied from the wonderful omelet I'd just savored, but more importantly, emotionally at ease from the conversation we'd shared. I am reminded again to be thankful for the people in my life and the fulfillment I get from my relationships. I'm hopeful and thankful for love and happiness.

Sunday afternoon was spent at my parents house with Gavin and a mixy-match group of my sisters... coming and going, saying hello, stopping or a visit or to work on a project, bringing sweetcorn for freezing, raspberries for eating, or offering creativity and muscle for the current garden project.

Gavin was in bed Sunday night at 8:30 and Cliff and I were in bed by 9:45. Opened the windows and doors to let in the crisp evening air... and drifted off to dream...

The Show

Mary Poppins was wonderful! I was invited to a delicious dinner beforehand of curried potatos & dumplings on rice with garden fresh tomatoes and cilantro - yum - and the wonderful company of my good friend. After dinner, we headed out to an old favorite coffee shop for a latte and some peanut butter chocolate chunk gelato! I hadn't been in that coffee shop in at least 12 years and it looked just the same! The dixie-cup sized gelatos that we got were almost $4 each, but they sure were delicious!!! We were able to park right across the skyway from the Orpheum so we were out of the car and into our seats at the theater in a matter of just a few minutes! The show was outstanding. It had a few scenes that weren't in the movie and obviously there were som movie scenes that didn't make it into the play, but I didn't miss anything and the story was just as magical as I remembered. I do own the movie at home, and have seen it dozens of times, so the whimsical songs were familiar and fun to sing along with! I wish I could share it all with you, but it was just too magical to explain!

A Spoonful of Sugar

Do you know who the person is in the picture to the left? If you don't know, I truly believe you missed a wonderful, enchanting story that every child should know. True - the movie was filmed back in 1964, a mere forty-five years ago... but it is timeless. The story I'm referring to is the story of Mary Poppins, originally written by Pamela Travers. The Walt Disney movie contains characters and events that were not in the book, that definitely create the wonderful whimsey that IS Mary Poppins. I believe half of what made Mary Poppins so wonderful is Julie Andrews. Julie Andrews is also the reason I love The Sound of Music. The other reason Mary Poppins is so wonderful is Dick Van Dyke. The two of them make a wonderful pair! Here is Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins...

Mary Poppins fills your head with magical ideas like jumping into the landscape of a sidewalk drawing, flying through the air with an umbrella, and dancing atop houses with a crew of chimney sweeps. She pulls entire living rooms out of her little black bag and cures all illnesses with just a spoonful of sugar! Mary Poppins takes imagination seriously. One of my favorite lullabies is the song, "Stay Awake"

'Stay awake, don't rest your head
Don't lie down upon your bed
While the moon drifts in the skies
Stay awake, don't close your eyes
Though the world is fast asleep
Though your pillow's soft and deep
You're not sleepy as you seem
Stay awake, don't nod and dream
Stay awake, don't nod and dream'

I'm going to see Mary Poppins, the musical, this week, courtesy of a birthday present from one of my best girlfriends. I can't wait to hear all the old familiar songs, "Let's Go Fly a Kite" and "Chim Chim Cheroo". I'll tell Mary Poppins hello for you!

Early Morning in the Garden

The early morning air is cool enough that I need a sweatshirt
Wisely, I stepped out of my dress shoes and into my flip-flops before heading out
The grass is cold and wet with dew, leaving last night's grass clippings clinging to my feet and ankles
The air is as fresh and invigorating as the surf of the great lakes
The spicy green scent of tomato vines and cilantro dance together, awakening all of my senses
The rising sun peeking over the top of the hill to the east cast a fiery orange glow across the top of the corn field
Golden tassels glistening with the morning dew, soft and light, reflecting a welcome warmth
A few birds greet the day quietly, still nestled in, unsure if they're ready to venture out of the nest
Singing softly, occasionally, taking their turn amid the songs of the grasshoppers
A brightly colored goldfinch twitters by, perching on the thistle feeder for an early morning treat
The flesh of the tomatoes is firm, cool, and damp as I let them fall from the vine into my hand
The dew splashes off the leaves, wetting the ground below
As I pull the last prickly cucumber from it's vine, I admire the plentiful harvest piled high in my bucket
Anxious to taste the familiar freshness and savor what will only be a memory in just a few weeks
I pick up my buckets and make my way back to the house
I pause half way there and stand up straight, taking in a deep breath
Looking out over the gold-frosted cornfield, the haze in the west disappears as the sun reaches out further and further
A little prayer of thanks
I am refreshed, I am filled up, I am ready

Daddy's Four-Wheeler

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Okay, I'm up here. Now What?

Yes! I found the key!

Yeah! I know what to do with this!

It goes in my mouth!

No wait, that's not right. Hmmm... where does this go?

Oh, here! It goes in the ignition!

Adjust my invisible side mirror...

And I am ready to rock and roll! You ready to ride?

I'm a smart cookie! Just watch - I'll be driving the combine in another year!

A Weekend in Kansas with my Sister!

Two weeks ago, I flew out to Kansas City to visit my very special beautiful smart and lovable sister! http://jenningsbaby.blogspot.com/2009/08/leavin-on-jet-plane.html She and I had a great time and surely didn't get on eachother's nerves at all. Especially me. I especially didn't drive her crazy with all of my opinions on exactly how her new house should be arranged, organized, and decorated. And surely, she didn't mind at all that I made her go out to eat for almost every meal instead of eating the delicious food she had made at home. And she loved the fact that I kept putting that darned kleenex box where she didn't want it and every time she moved it, I made sure to move it to someplace that I thought was better. Yeah. She was glad that I was there to hound and harrass her about the one box sitting in the entryway that I wanted her to do something with. And she didn't mind at all that I went on and on and on about my baby boy and how much I love him and how much I missed him and how smart and a adorable and lovable and cute and smart and intelligent and funny and smart he is. She didn't mind that at all. That's just how sisters are! You can pinch them and pull their hair and scratch them with your sharpest, longest fingernails and then tell Mom they started it and they still love you.

We had a fun time. We unpacked boxes and boxes of stuff in her new home. We spent approximately 96 hours deciding which item to put on which shelf of this one very perfect black shelf she has. And as soon as I left I am sure that she moved it all back to the way she wanted it in the first place. Surely, she completely redecorated as soon as I was on my plane headed home! But, when I left there, this is what her living room looked like. So charming, so clean and fresh, so her!

...and because she is a triathlete and because she hates running (http://kristinandtim.blog.com/2009/09/02/hurts-so-good/) and because I wanted to see her neighborhood and explore the tree-covered winding streets of fairytale land, we went for a bike ride. I promise you, Hansel and Gretel could have stepped out of any one of the adorable homes we pedaled past! I think I may have spotted little red riding hood skipping through the trees as well! The yards were beautifully landscaped and perfectly shaded, and the stone and tudor-style homes with cute little stone archways over the doors and windows, storybook shutters, and stone pathways were nestled perfectly into the trees on each lot. I expect that if I would have knocked on one of the doors, three little fairy godmothers would have answered and offered me a plate of gingerbread cookies and asked if they could grant a wish for me!
After a bit of exploring, going on a nature walk (a.k.a. twisty stick hunt), listening to the deafening sound of a thousand Cicadas in a lush river valley, and some creative crafting at her house, we ventured out beyond the edges of her neighborhood for a little shopping. We discovered some great finds at the local Goodwill store, but also made our way downtown to Country Club Plaza (http://www.countryclubplaza.com/) for a night out. We found just what I was looking for without too much searching and enjoyed the beautiful spanish architecture of the buildings in the plaza. The plaza is known for it's fine dining, shopping, and art of course, but some of the greatest features are the beautiful water fountains.

The Country Club Plaza was a beautiful sight in the early evening dusk. The houses surrounding the downtown area were unimaginable. They were enormous, gated homes that looked more like resort-town hotels. They were beautiful and each one was different and unique, but of all the houses in Kansas, the only one I want to go back and visit is my sister's! Can't wait for next time!

Traditions

I love tradition. I love the stories that blend the years together. I love that when one of my siblings or my nieces or nephews tells a story about a time on the beach at Breezy Point Resort or a particularly snowy New Year's Eve at Beaver Valley Camp, we have no idea which year it was. In fact, it seems like it "always happened". We say, "Remember how we always used to..." and in fact we only did it once or twice, but the years and the stories all blend together when you go some place or do something year after year, time after time.

With a baby experiencing his first year of life, his first year of experiences, we are both sharing our traditions with him and forming new traditions that are inspired by him and for him. Every year, Cliff and I go cut a Christmas Tree together. Last year, we brought Gavin with, although he was only three week's old and we had sub-zero temperatures, so he had to stay bundled up in the warm car. This year, we might have him choose the tree, or hang the first decoration, and he'll surely hang the angel.

My family is bound tightly together with the familiarity and healing comfort of tradition. We have done such things as a family camping weekend, kayaking trips, extended family reunions, girls breakfasts and girls weekends, and deer hunting at our family's land up north. The more traditional holiday traditions like Christmas in my parents living room, now has to be done in shifts of generations. All the grandkids open gifts first and then go somewhere else to play while the kids (my generation) open gifts.

Traditions make me feel secure, at home, familiar.

Fifteen years ago this July, Cliff and I went on our first date. We went to River Falls days where we rode "The Zipper" until I was sick and we played the bulldozer game! We couldn't afford to eat at the carnival, so we went back to his cousin's house and made macaroni & cheese. It was the best macaroni & cheese I've ever had. We haven't missed River Falls days in fifteen years. We go every year. Sometimes we only make it to the parade, or to the street dance or the band at the West Wind Supper Club... but we always make an appearance.

Fifteen years ago this August, Cliff invited me to the Pierce County Fair where he was showing a cow... or a heifer?... for his last year of 4H. I'm not sure which it was - I would assume it was a cow since Cliff's parents were dairy farmers, but I suppose it could have been a heifer. Do cows go to the fair? Cliff and I still go to the county fair each year. My favorite part is the Demolition Derby, but I also love the tractor pull, the photography & art exhibits, and the goats and sheep. We eat battered & fried Ellsworth Cheese Curds, a must-have when at the county fairgrounds in Ellsworth, Wisconsin!

This year was Gavin's first River Falls Days, his first Pierce County Fair, and his first Threshing Bee. He enjoyed seeing his Daddy and his Grandpa "J" (Jennings) driving tractors in the parade, he enjoyed the icy limey-ness of his first freezie. He pet his first goat, sheep, and llama at the fair and sampled some ice cream and a cheeseburger (okay, only the bun!). He rode in the Threshing Bee parade with Grandma & Grandpa wearing his "I (heart) My Grandpa's Engines" shirt. He is becoming the most important part of many of our lasting traditions.

(Click on images to enlarge)

RIVER FALLS DAYS PARADE

We'll have similar pictures to these each year, with Gavin being one year older in each. How fun to introduce and share our tradisions with him. How fun to watch him experience this and form his own precious memories.