it's what's inside that counts, day 1

An unusual weather pattern will flirt with us this week. Cool, the hot then cool, stormy, gray, wet. It will be the kind of week where you must test your ability to find color indoors. Typically, that's not hard to do. We have great wealth in our warm kitchen, comfy couch, a child or two passing through. And so I'll avoid groaning about all that isn't outdoors. Let's bring it all inside and find stuff to enjoy there.

The morning is a happy example of lots of good stuff: Snowdrop is here for a sleepover. She wakes just as I finish feeding the cats.






Immediately she ropes me into a game, a story, a make believe delight.






Followed by pancakes.






Later, after Snowdrop leaves, I do what Ed does every single day and what I almost never have done -- I fall asleep on the couch. Just for a little while, but let me tell you -- I needed that!


In the evening, the young family is here for dinner. It's a wonderful meal -- first one that puts us back in the kitchen, first one that feels really autumnal. And of course, the kids are growing in leaps, so that there's great pleasure in watching them broaden their horizons. Here's Sparrow discovering (and loving) Snowdrop's doll house.






Typically she protests his disruption of any of her setups, but tonight, she is too absorbed in a book (with Ed) to notice.






Dinner.
















After the meal, there is a moment of outdoor time. Not for everyone -- just Ed and Snowdrop, to put away the cheepers.






(Others practice walking at home.)





At home: that's the key, isn't it? Look in, look around, exhale. At home.