Outside, on the farmhouse porch, strings of colorful lights dangle, suspended, out of place. At least one string is broken and Ed spent many hours yesterday trying to fix it. Inside, the big microwave once again stopped heating. Ed took it apart, found nothing amiss, put it back together and now it's working, but we're keeping it in the sun room so that Ed can have access to all those wires when it stops heating again. On the kitchen table, a plastic shelf that houses cans of Klairbrun (with our beloved lemon fizzy water) has chipped once more. Ed will try making a metal hinge for it to keep the cans in place. A mouse rests in a trap on the step waiting to be transported to the fields far far away. A little TV sits in a box, waiting to be put on the kitchen wall, while the other is removed, to be used in a video networking experiment Ed is involved with at Tormach (the machine making company that has had his oversight since its inception a decade ago).
In other words, the house is a mess. Or at least my sensibilities are agitated from the lack of order around me.
Well, never mind. There is always a lovely breakfast...

And outside, the sun continues to throw a golden spotlight on most everything around us...

And here's one person who is unruffled by the chaos -- Snowdrop, who comes for a brief play after school, in mismatched shoes ("it's okay to be different!")

She is wearing a dress that's size 4-6. Because plain old size 4 is getting to be on the small side. I suggest we roll up the sleeves. No, gaga! She is a bird! She is koko in the Anna Hibiscus book, she is flying!

Snowdrop, it's time for ballet!
We hurry.
There are traffic issues.
We are fifteen minutes late. Oh, the stresses of getting the child on time to the place where she needs to be!

Today, it's the story of Pegasus. The horse with wings...

And after class, we meet up with baby Sparrow and mommy.

On our way out, the little girl is told she can have a balloon. A balloon! It takes so little to make her so very happy.

Sparrow transfixed by the balloon, Snowdrop, recounting a tale, gaga enjoying it all.

I have a dinner with former work friends and so it is quite late (according to my older person's clock) before I return home. The cheepers are asleep. The full moon is splendid! Stop Sign is, I hope in a warm place, resting, waiting for the babies in her belly to come out. Ed? Munching on popcorn on the couch, happy and calm. Ready to watch something? -- he asks. I settle in next to him and we attack the bowl of popcorn.
In other words, the house is a mess. Or at least my sensibilities are agitated from the lack of order around me.
Well, never mind. There is always a lovely breakfast...

And outside, the sun continues to throw a golden spotlight on most everything around us...

And here's one person who is unruffled by the chaos -- Snowdrop, who comes for a brief play after school, in mismatched shoes ("it's okay to be different!")

She is wearing a dress that's size 4-6. Because plain old size 4 is getting to be on the small side. I suggest we roll up the sleeves. No, gaga! She is a bird! She is koko in the Anna Hibiscus book, she is flying!

Snowdrop, it's time for ballet!
We hurry.
There are traffic issues.
We are fifteen minutes late. Oh, the stresses of getting the child on time to the place where she needs to be!

Today, it's the story of Pegasus. The horse with wings...

And after class, we meet up with baby Sparrow and mommy.

On our way out, the little girl is told she can have a balloon. A balloon! It takes so little to make her so very happy.

Sparrow transfixed by the balloon, Snowdrop, recounting a tale, gaga enjoying it all.

I have a dinner with former work friends and so it is quite late (according to my older person's clock) before I return home. The cheepers are asleep. The full moon is splendid! Stop Sign is, I hope in a warm place, resting, waiting for the babies in her belly to come out. Ed? Munching on popcorn on the couch, happy and calm. Ready to watch something? -- he asks. I settle in next to him and we attack the bowl of popcorn.