Category Family
It’s Not a Family Without the Dogs
I’m fortunate to have a former student who’s taken up photography, so she’s been doing our family portraits for the last few years. Yesterday, it was time for another session. We met her at her mom’s house in the country, hoping for an idyllic snowy backdrop. Alas, thanks to climate change, we got drizzle rather […]
The Cherry Pie
I’m pleased to announce that after much labor (and some muttered obscenities), I produced a cherry pie that was both edible and aesthetic. Both sides of my family contributed to its creation: My dad and stepmom had given me the cherry pie filling after their trip to Door County, and my mom’s mother had made […]
Country Bonding
A few days ago, I left my garden and was approaching the house when suddenly, I was transfixed by the sweetness of the scene before me: Sage was embracing his father, who was lying in the hammock. Sage’s head was lying upon Paul’s, and the timeless tenderness of this scene almost moved me to tears. Then […]
The Laundry Operation
After weeks of planning and construction in his man-garage, Paul has finally completed his marvel of laundry-related architecture: A combination bench (with storage compartments) and not one but TWO clothes drying racks. Today marked the culmination of his endeavor. Moving his masterpiece from the man-garage to his newly remodeled bathroom took the whole family’s efforts, […]
Pumpkin Heads
I have to confess that I misunderstood the giant pumpkins’ motives. Given the alarming size of their vines and their ability to creep almost visibly across the yard, I assumed the goal was simple world domination, no pumpkins required. After all, there was nary a fruit to be seen by the end of July. […]
The Arboreal Artiste
I’m pleased to report that Sage has graduated from his previous holiday decorating technique, which is best described as “Randomly Throwing Tinsel on Things.” This year, he draped his garland and placed his ornaments with a true eye for aesthetic effect. I was most pleased with his efforts (which, we have to admit, had a […]
Planting
According to Lucy Larcom, “He who plants a tree, plants a hope.” Well, my menfolk have just planted THREE hopes: two Honeycrisp apple trees and a weeping willow, to be precise. And they’ve planted this hope in me: that Sage will have many years and many fond memories of eating homegrown apples, and that the […]
The Mid-Winter Citrus Harvest
Our freakish sojourn in the world of global warming has ended–at least temporarily–and the first major cold snap of the winter is upon us. That didn’t stop our citrus tree from yielding a miniature mid-winter harvest, though. When I’d purchased it almost 10 years ago, I bought it as an “orange tree.” This name can […]
Sage the Aspiring Photographer
Sage has recently developed a passion for photography. It might prove to be almost as transient as his other passions; after all, his bedroom is littered with toys that were his intensely loved “best friends” for fewer than 48 hours. But since he’s been so engaged (and adorable) during his forays into photography, I figured […]
Voyage to the Windy City
Last weekend, Sage and I rode with my mom and step-dad to Chicago to visit my brothers and their families. I’m not feeling particularly eloquent at the moment, so I’ll just share a few highlights.
Moments of Unexpected Beauty 