Lovable "Lu"

Aren't we lucky to live with this little guy and soak up his love, day in, day out? Here we are celebrating him on his first day of school, just a few weeks ago!

Animals on the loose

I've made brief, passing mention of our town's black bears. While last year's single appearance of one bear in our backyard seemed a fluke--just a wrong turn as she made her way to her usual stops at richer, smellier garbage cans--it seems the bears are here to stay. This year I had the privilege of greeting a bear on our front yard one evening, and this past week, one decided to pass through the neighborhood just as all the school buses were returning. No wonder they are practicing "bear habits" at school side by side with fire drills, emergency evacuations, and so on.

Today we had quite a different set of animals on the loose! These might look familiar! Thanks to our fabulous church for this afternoon of great fun.

Did someone call for a dalmatian? Perhaps this one strayed from the firehouse up the street.

Friendliest tiger I've ever seen!

Hey--where'd this one come from? That's a real wild animal--or at least Ty barking his noisy head off!

All fun must end, as we know. Here's a teary Lucas at bedtime, facing (quite literally) that the tiger could not go to bed with him. Over and over he cried, "But I'm never going to remember him. I'm going to forget him!" And come to think of it, I probably sound just like him as I achingly face the end of my fabulous weekends at home! May we all carry the memories with us into this new week--and may these friendly, familiar animals frequent our homes more often than the truly wild visitors!

Summer's end

Perhaps the biggest story of the summer is the arrival of Ty, our lab-something or other mix dog. He is my walking pal each morning, sparring partner (and love object) of the kids all afternoon, and Matt's competition on the bike path each evening. We can't get enough of this dog, barky personality and all!



This year's garden was nearly a total bust--too little sun, too much rain, blight covering most everything. It has been a sore disappointment. But in a "hope in the midst of despair" sort of way, this one honeydew melow is plugging along, even after we've given up on most everything. I'm praying that it ripens into something marvelously sweet and juicy!

Okay, I couldn't resist another picture of gorgeous Ty. Now you can see why we love him so!

When I began this blog, I was continuously composing in my mind--envisioning each day's simple exchanges as a post of great wisdom and insight. Of late, the blog is a distant memory....more of a "gosh, I should let people know what we're up to" sort of tug from time to time. This is, in part, due to work and classes; but it's also because I'm trying to be more in the moment than scheming how to shape the moment into a blog post!

Summer is concluding today--at least the no-school, days at the pool sort of summer--and I wanted to at least capture a few words and images of this banquet of life. And yes, I want to update my long-neglected record of what I've been reading!

First, the books.... Grace (Eventually) by Anne Lamott, Kyra by Carol Gilligan, Morning Sun on a White Piano: Simple Pleasures and the Sacramental Life by Robin Meyers, The Faith Club (I'm mere pages from the end!).... There are more; I know there are. But perhaps I'll just have to call it water under the bridge and move on to memories of summer.

What I will always remember.... Kyra discovering suddenly that she can swim underwater without plugging her nose, and just days later, jumping into the 12 foot diving pool for the first time! I'll remember Ty tugging me toward the front/side yard after an evening walk on the bike path; when I looked up, there was one of our friendly, wandering black bears! Eek--what a sight! I'll remember how long Lucas looked each day--how he has grown into his own body and skin and become fully a boy, no longer a baby. I'll remember an afternoon of canoeing with Matt, our lunch in Litchfield, and many an evening watching Weeds or the latest Netflix delivery. Most of all, I'll treasure the memories of dinner out on our screened-in porch--hour after hour of family togetherness listening to the rustle of wind in the trees, the whine of Ty through the door, and the happy sounds of a neighborhood come to life each evening!

A toast to the bliss of summer!