Recipe For An Enjoyable Day

1 Teenager skiing

2 Middle children, occupy them with friends

1 Toddler, combine with Thomas the Tank Engine Trains

50 birthday cookies baked for a friend

A dash of Dickens

4 hours housecleaning (optional)

4 hours of time spent with cousins (Nicky, husband Shawn and twins Mari and Ryker)

Whip all ingredients together for an enjoyable treat.

And To All A Good Night......

Tell left some cookies for Santa. Atira wrote a Santa note for Tell. The presents are wrapped. The eggnog is made. The stockings lay on the end of the beds and the last banana bread is cooling on the stove. A soft bed and cool pillow await me. Merry Christmas, and to all a good night.

Just Men

This morning Atira and I made a quick shopping trip up to Cook's Corner. Two things were on her list, one Christmas gift for Jim and one for my dad. (I can't mention what they are on the odd chance that Jim may actually read my blog.) The men in her life apparently rate a bit higher than the women right now. What can I say? She's a daddy's girl.

A random quote from Atira yesterday:

"I miss 2005. That was a great year, wasn't it?" (She was born in late 2001.)

I'd really love to know what goes on inside that girl's brain sometimes.

Conservative Goes Progressive

OK.....I haven't completely changed my political views. Our house was the last stop of the youth group's progressive dinner tonight. It was a great night despite my flopped pavlova attempt.

When Life Hands You Lemons......

Or, more precisely, when the cashier hands you lemons after you've purchased them........you make lemonade, of course! Nolan, my resident chef, has been asking to make homemade lemonade lately, so yesterday we gave it a shot. In order to begin, we needed to find an easy recipe. When I said this to Tell, he asked, "Are you gonna fine it on the puter?" I answered in the affirmative, to which Tell responded, "Maybe you should try lemalade makin' dot com." Well, I didn't find one at that address, but Allrecipes.com had one that looked good. We don't have a juicer, so I soaked the lemons in hot water for ten minutes to soften them before squeezing. Jubal was proud to employ his teen muscles for the job and between all five of us, ten lemons were squeezed in ten minutes. Nolan dissolved the sugar in boiling water and when that was chilled we added all ingredients together and enjoyed some excellent lemonade!

Where Do They Go?

What is missing from this photo? No, not Jim's hair, although a case could be made for that. I am referring to the three hanging stockings on the fireplace. When I unpacked the Christmas decorations I found the two stockings on the left, Atira and Nolan's. The train stocking I just bought for Tell last week. That means there are three stockings for six people. Sadly, I know the fate of mine. At this time last winter, I found several Christmas decorations that had been gnawed by mice, including my red, plaid stocking from childhood. That leaves two missing stockings which have simply disappeared. Now, as most of you know, the loss of items in our house would not normally warrant a mention on the blog. You are aware of my belief in the invisible wandering vortex that randomly picks up items from my home and deposits them in other rooms, homes or even the odd parallel universe. It's a daily occurence. The difference is that my Christmas items actually get put away and live in a box for eleven months of the year. So, where did Jim and Jubal's stockings run away to? I am forced to conclude that, as relatives of my socks, these two have joined their smaller cousins, who have escaped the dryer and are now adventuring in the great unknown .......only the vortex knows.

Atira's Duet

Atira has been anticipating this evening's Christmas program at our church for several days. Ever since she volunteered to sing a duet with Stephanie Jones, she has been diligently practicing during the waking hours, and each night falling asleep to the CD. When performance time arrived, she didn't look or sound nervous but did admit afterward to some shaky legs and a racing heart. I'm very proud of her hard work and the resulting beautiful song.

Spoiled By Scott

This evening I attempted to watch a musical version of A Christmas Carol with no luck. I didn't even manage to get a full half-hour in before turning it off. I'm sorry but you cannot watch Kelsey Grammer muddle through the role after you have seen it splendidly portrayed by George C. Scott. It would be an insult to compare the two! Last Friday we had our annual pre-Christmas screening of the Scott version with Mom, Dad and Beth. We began the tradition when I lived in Eastport and it was broadcast on one of the four stations that you could pick up Downeast. Back then we watched it on the cabinet encased floor model given to us by Francena, and adjusted the rabbit ears for minimum snow effect. Though the visual enjoyment has increased greatly with technology, the story has remained timeless with no need for improvements. Each family member has their favorite scenes and lines that are recited right along with the actors and each year we laugh at the same places, though we've seen them a hundred times. My favorite scene is when Marley's ghost takes off his headwrap. I couldn't tell you why but that has always cracked me up. For me, Scrooge will always look like George C. Scott.

Crash

I would have preferred to post a lovely blog describing a festive evening filled with laughter, joyful sounds of a family decorating the Christmas tree and the music of the season resounding throughout the house. Instead, Jim and I were in the midst of an argument and the kids got bored halfway through the decorating process and resorted to wrestling on the couch. The music portion of the evening began well with A Charlie Brown Christmas but when it was time to change the CD, Nolan was insistent on Manheim Steamroller but I had already decided on Bryan Duncan. Frustration set in, fueled by the lack of traditional eggnog. In the end, at least the tree was set up and decorated....or so I thought. In the peaceful quiet hours of the late night, as everyone was sleeping, I sat on the couch to enjoy the twinkling lights of the tree.....until it came crashing down, smashing several bulbs, including a Hawaiian one from Anth and Laura. Indeed, it was a fitting end to the evening.

Village People

I began setting up my Christmas village on Saturday and completed it this evening. I'm satisfied with the end result although there are a few changes I'll make for next year. My starry night fabric backdrop has gone missing and the black plastic tablecloth I picked up to replace it is not the look I wanted. Also, the harbor cliff I made will need more stryofoam added next year. I haven't added any houses for a few years. I like the size of the village at the moment. A Fire Station is the only other building that I would like to acquire for next year. Enjoy the photos.

Scented Pine

The scent of Christmas is now in the air since I have arrived back home following one of my favorite events of the season, our church's wreath-making night. Is there any aroma more comfortable than the scent of pine in December? With my handmade wreath now hanging over the fireplace, my Christmas village only lacking a few details, and the crunch of snow beneath my boots, I'm ready to enjoy this season of my Saviour's birth.

Build-A-Birthday

Atira turned 8 yesterday. I wasn't planning a big party this year so I wanted to do something special for her. I invited her friend Cara to join us in the morning and we headed down to the Build-A-Bear store in the Maine Mall. After surveying all the options, Atira decided on a pink, (is there any other color in her universe?), bear and used money from her Gramma and PopPop to buy the bear a fancy pink satin dress, sequined purse and, of course, matching pink shoes. This bear is ready for a night out on the town. Unfortunately it had to settle for lunch at Arby's. After dropping Cara home, Atira and I made strawberry cupcakes. The smell of them cooling attracted Jubal who was quite disappointed when he discovered it was cake he was smelling and not strawberry milk. Ever the artist, Atira decorated each cupcake individually, assigning one for each person attending her party. I think the effect was quite nice and they were a delicious end to a lovely birthday.

'Tis the Season

Well, it's that most wonderful time of the year again, time to decorate the house and tree for the Christmas season. I'll add some Nutcrackers to the decor this year, once the kids have finished painting them. I spotted them while shopping at Christmas Tree Shop with Heather and thought they would be a good idea for a Christmas art project. I was pleasantly surprised to see that even art-challenged Jubal was enjoying the painting this afternoon, although I was forbidden from posting any photos of the event that included him. Atira decided not to clothe her soldier in pink, opting for a more manly purple, while Nolan coordinated his in basic primary colors. For Tell's creation, we rewrote a well-known Christmas hymn.
"We blue kings of Orient are"
"painted by Tell, we look quite bizarre."

For the Good of Others

This truck full of turkeys passed me on Route 1 just south of Bath this Thanksgiving week. I fear the journey will not end well for them, but I appreciate their sacrifice.

Surprise

I managed to surprise Jim with a partial weekend in North Conway, NH with the Pendletons, Brunks and Redlons. There's nothing more enjoyable to me than laughter shared with dear friends.......these things must be done more often.

Deliriously Disorganized

This morning the sink was so full of dishes that I had to resort to eating my oatmeal from a mug. Not good. The problem has been remedied, however, by five simple words...."Jubal. Come load the dishwasher." I have included a photo of a magnet lovingly given by one of my many friends who know of my houskeeping skills and love to come visit me anyway! (Under the magnet is a self-portrait of Atira that has nothing to do with this post)

A Bed, A Birthday and a Belichick Botch

As I have not posted lately, I will highlight the past couple weeks. We begin high and end low. Atira has had to get used to sleeping in her new loft bed. She misses her old bed, but loves all the space in her small room, and she'll eventually learn not to smack her head on the ceiling when she wakes in the morning. This spring my plan is to strip her old bed of the paint that has clothed the wood since my childhood and stain it for Tell, as he'll soon outgrow his toddler bed.
Another member of the family that is quickly growing is Jubal. We celebrated his 14th birthday this past Saturday and he has finally passed me in height. Though this is only a minor accomplishment considering my stature handicap, it seems to be the start of a major growth spurt which he has been patiently waiting for.
My brother Anthony's birthday was the day after Jubal's and also happened to be the day of the much anticipated Colts/Pats game in Indy. He sat in his very good corporate seats in Lucas Oil Statium, and we sat in front of the HDTV in our cozy living room, with Mom and Dad. Each party was enjoying the great rivalry and the anticipation of victory until an unexplainable 4th and 2 call by Belichick at the end of the game. What was that call all about?! What happened to his genius coaching skills? That was a hard defeat in Bath, Maine so I'm sure it was gut-wrenching in Indianapolis. Well, it's a new game next week..........

The Bare Facts and Plenty of Lies

My four year old would be right at home in a nudist colony. Consequently, it is usually not an easy task to clothe him. As my runaway streaker sped past me for the third time and leapt onto the couch, I glared into his hazel eyes. With a stern voice I threatened, "Tell Gilbert. You WILL stop and put these underwear on or I will spank your bare butt." Without batting an eye, he replied, "I not a bear."

He may not be a bear but he is a habitual liar, much worse than the other kids were in their toddler years.

A couple weeks ago , I noticed the sheetrock on the corner of the hallway, near the stairs, had been chipped a bit with small pieces laying on the carpet. A few days ago, as I walked to the pantry, I noticed Tell quietly standing near the corner, which contained significantly less sheetrock than a few days before. His small fingers were intently peeling away tiny shards of material. "Are you the one doing this?" I asked, pointing at the corner and floor. With his long-lashed eyes looking directly into mine, voice brimming with innocence and fingers still whittling away at the sheetrock, he said, "No. It wath thomeone elth." What do you do with a kid like that?

New Trend?

My Pioneer Club kids at church are currently earning a Tumbling activity badge. If I were a smart leader, this would be of no physical consequence to me. Instead I have been awake since 4am, very tired from lack of sleep resulting from neck pain and extremely grateful that I already had a scheduled chiropractor appointment for this morning. Note to self: Somersaults at age 36 are, perhaps, not a good idea.

While on the subject of bad ideas, let me state that one of my biggest annoyances are guys that walk around with their pants half down, with boxers showing. I am so tempted to yank them down when I see it and if my boys ever attempted this style, you can bet I would. I believe, however, that I have found a fashion trend which is even worse. On the way home from the Fryeburg Fair last week, we stopped for gas. While in the car, I glanced through the window and saw an employee who had his shirt tucked neatly into his pants as you might expect at a place of business. The unusual element of the uniform was the fact that his pants were belted not at the waist, but around the bottom of his butt. Apologizing for the poor quality, I have included a photo for you. Please tell me this is not a new style...........

3 Down

Last night Tell said goodbye to 3. The toddler era in the Gilbert household is quickly waning, taking with it both the frustrations and joys of these formative years. Nolan made Tell a chocolate chip cookie "pizza" early in the day. Nolan baked it from scratch, a birthday gift to his younger brother, complete with lit candles placed in the still warm treat. As is tradition, a birthday meant a day off from school so Atira and I ventured out to Red Dragon Toys and Play and Learn to track down the two gift requests from Tell: two more engines for his Thomas wooden train collection. After procuring Emily and Stanley and the rest of the ingredients for chili, we headed home to get the place 'party-ready'. For the third year in a row the requested cake was Thomas themed and brought by Mimi and Grandad. They were joined by the Aussie grandparents via webcam and the celebration was complete. Eight o'clock found a very content four year old, snuggled in his bed, wearing new Thomas flannel jammies. Life is good.

Finding the Silver Lining

Our plan for this weekend had been to meet up with part of the Seeley clan on Saturday to bike on the carriage trails of Acadia. The dark, rain-bearing clouds changed our plans, much to my disappointment. Instead, we took the opportunity of a plan-free weekend to complete phase 1 of the kitchen fix. Our inexpensive stock cupboards are nearly 25 years old and their wear is very evident. I sanded the bottom ones a couple weeks ago and yesterday they received their new garment of paint. Those that have older houses will understand that our one project inevitably turned into three as we set to work. We had two drawers that did not stay on track and a lazy susan that no longer spun completely around. New tracks installed by my handy man took care of the first problem and then he set to work on the lazy susan. After a few minutes the problem was discovered. Under the turning tray Jim discovered my now mangled mixer attachment that has been missing for months! You never know where items will turn up in this house. Now on to phase 2, the top cupboards......

Tracking the Tim Tam

My dear, fabulous, wonderful, Aussie friend, Chris Fawkes has just informed me that the biscuit {cookie} that I fell in love with during my stay in Oz is now making it's way to me!! (He is currently occupying the top notch on my friend list) A friend of his found some in a Pepperidge Farm outlet in PA so I checked out their website. The cookie is making it's way to our grocery store shelves!! I cannot tell you what a blow this is for my weight loss plan.

Happy Birthday

It was just a small celebration, accompanied by Jim's only request, ice cream cake. Family from both sides of the globe were represented in person and via webcam. Finding a gift for him is always difficult because he doesn't ever ask for anything and really doesn't care about getting presents. I hate to buy gifts just to have something to open at a party.
I opted to buy him an assortment of Australian candy bars that he normally can't purchase. There is a specialty store, Bridgham & Cook, across from Bean's in Freeport that sells English products, some of which are also available in Australia. They were very much appreciated by my exiled Aussie! Happy 41st Jim!

Breathless on Bradbury

Jim and I took our kids, plus a couple extra, to Bradbury Mountain State Park this afternoon. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to break in my $10 Bean's hiking boots that I picked up this summer in anticipation of the April Appalachian Trail Hike. Since the trail is a very quick climb, only .2 miles straight up to the summit, it's not an extremely useful tool for evaluating the comfort factor of the boot but I need to begin somewhere. I did notice that my right baby toe was sore after wearing them for a while, but I think this has more to do with the fact that I smash my toes religiously on various household items during the barefoot summer months. I'm sure I broke that particular one last month and it's still very tender. I also volunteered to carry the backpack with the water, snacks and my purse. It was only about 20 lbs. I'll be carrying a 40lb. one in April, so there again, not a great evaluation of my burden bearing capacity. What this short, unscientific, trail experiment did make clear is that despite my nearly daily date with the bike or elliptical, I need to make great strides in my cardio endurance before the AT Hike. (I hope Greg's not reading this or I'll never hear the end of it.) I was discouraged for about five minutes at the summit, while attempting to breathe again, but now I am only more determined to push myself a bit harder.

Double Time

Wanting to continue the healthy pattern begun by our evening workout, Jim and I stopped at Wal-mart on the way home to pick up some pizza and soda for supper. I was discussing how I had dialed back the weight on the arm machines, opting for faster reps instead. I've noticed my arms seem to be getting bigger again.....firmer, but definitely bigger. This of course is not what I want. The "Atlas" look is not my goal. While walking through the produce, this led to a discussion of my body type, which Jim described as hourglass. Although this is technically true, I mentioned that at the moment it's a stout hourglass. When Jim retorted with, "You are a 2-hour glass", I think they may have heard my outburst of laughter in the dairy section.

Divine Appointments

I was on my way to the bank this afternoon to sort out the mystery of a missing thousand dollars and picked up a hitchiker. This is certainly not something that I do as a general rule. I drove by him just past New Meadows Market. Thirty seconds later I uncharacteristically turned around and asked him if he wanted a ride. Long story short, I thought he was someone with car trouble. I offered to bring him as far as Cooks Corner and during the short ride he shared some difficulties that he was having in his life. There have been only a handful of times in my life that I have experienced knowing without a doubt that God had placed a complete stranger in my path so that I could share Christ with them in a few brief moments. This was one of them. I shared with him that no matter what our circumstances, the only thing that gives true peace is a relationship with Jesus Christ. "It's very strange." he said. "You know this is the second time today that someone has mentioned God to me. It's like someone's trying to hit me over the head and get my attention." I told him that I would be praying for him and if God lays it on your heart to do the same, his name is Justin.
The bank was closed, but as it turns out that wasn't the purpose of my journey after all.

Laboring Through Monday

The Labor Day weekend is the calendar's reminder that the lazy days of summer have given way to schedules and schooling. Tired of always schooling at the kitchen table, I picked up a couple desks for the boys Monday morning. When I arrived home, I sent Jubal and Nolan out to the van to each bring in their respective desks and set them to the task of putting them together. Watching each of them unpack and assemble the furniture was quite interesting. These kinds of projects tend to accentuate the differences in personality. Jubal wasted no time, ripping open the box, and pulling pieces out without any organizational thought at all, the directions floating in a sea of cardboard and plastic. Nolan carefully sliced through the packing tape on the upright box with a plan, gently laying down the box and looking at the directions before attempting assembly. Jubal initially jumped ahead in the race to completion. His progress stalled however, when he failed to follow the instructions close enough, and was forced to redo a section. Both boys finished at about the same time and now have separate areas in which to work. Once Jim arrived home and the work portion of the day was complete, we joined the Fisher's at the Morrill's house for lunch and a leisurely afternoon cookout. To finish the day, Mom and Dad arrived at our house in the evening for a game of Settlers of Catan, which Nolan finally won at 10:45. I think I woke up more tired this morning, after our supposed restful holiday, than I have all summer. Now it's full steam through September.

iLove It

I've been without my iPod since it went through the wash last year, so Jim decided this is what he wanted to get me for my birthday. We went yesterday to pick one out and came home with an iPhone instead. (I must admit, this makes up for 3 years of no birthday gifts.) About a month ago the screen on my cell phone cracked and this ended up being the least inexpensive way to get both items. I love providence. So, I'm beginning to understand Jim's obsession with this technology. (What is the male version of a mistress, anyway?) It will, of course, as the counterpart to "Lady in Red", need to eventually have a name. Several friends have already given me their ideas but I think I'll just live with it for a time, let the personality emerge and one day the name will come.

August 27

Another birthday has come and gone. Jim took me out to dinner on Sunday to celebrate, so today was relatively uneventful, just a small party with the family including Mom and Dad (and Nate Fisher, who seems to spend half his life here). Mom made my traditional and favorite blueberry cake with brown sugar crumb topping. Jim impressed me this morning by being the first to remember that it was my honorary day. I believe that was the first time ever....not that I hold it against him. He just doesn't remember special occasions, ever. He has many other redeeming qualities so I let that one slide. I had a sweet rendition of "Happy Birthday, Auntie Ro", sung by my nephew Nicholas, waiting for me on the answering machine and many, many birthday wishes given to me all through the day by those closest to my heart. I am blessed and very thankful for this life my Creator has given to me. Who knows what this year will bring? Let it begin!

Early

This is not an adjective that is ever placed in the same sentence as my name....and yet today, I met with Peg to discuss the kids' evaluations for the 08-09 school year. This means that my Letter of Intent to homeschool for the 09-10 school year will arrive in Augusta in September instead of April. Perhaps this is just a fluke, but I'd like to think that as I edge past 35 there is hope that one day I may actually be a consistently organized and timely creature. (I hear that snickering.....)

Anatomy of a Toddler

Sitting here in this heat, it certainly doesn't feel like the start of school is less than three weeks away! Tell and I had a conversation today that prompted me to consider that even though he is not starting school for a few years, perhaps I should invest a bit of time teaching him anatomy. A couple days ago he asked to watch cartoons and I told him "no". I said that it wasn't good for his brain to watch too much TV; his brain needed to have play time and imagine things. I believe that conversation was the root of this one:

Tell: "Mama, my brain iss tellin' me thah I need cartoons."
Me: "Cartoons?"
Tell (holding up two fingers): "Two cartoons."
Me: "Your brain is telling you that you need to watch two cartoons?"
Tell: "Yeth."
Me: "Do you know where your brain is?"
Tell (very thoughtful): "Uhhhm....in my tummy."

Yup. There are a few things to be taught there.

Drives

I didn't mind the drives to and from Yarmouth to pick up Jim this evening after he ran out of gas, but I LOVED the drives the Patriots put together against those Eagles! My favorite season has returned! Ahhh. Football.

Rachelle runs to Dunkin'

On Saturday, we spent a few hours at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth. My cousin Bryan and his family were up visiting from PA and had invited family and friends to come and visit them for the afternoon. I dropped off the rest of our family and went in search of parking. Finding a spot took two swings through each of the three lots. We found out later that there was a wedding and a wake happening simultaneously. It took a while but I finally found one. It was, of course, in the last row of the furthest lot away from where our group was set up and required me to walk about a quarter mile. Passing by the lawn that always has kites flying, I saw a most unusual one. It was a large, scuba diver and the kite's fluid motions realistically simulated a person swimming through the ocean. Once I arrived at our party's location, we had an enjoyable time catching up with not only them, but also my Uncle Frank from D.C. and Maine family and friends.

While stopping to get an ice cream on the way home, I realized that I had lost my debit card. After dropping off Jubal for paintball that morning, I had stopped to get coffee at Dunkin' Donuts and was quite sure that was where I had left my card. I called but no one could verify that the card was there until this morning when the manager came back in, so I left my name and number. At 11:06 the call came that my card was indeed there but the manager would only be in the store until noon. I quickly got dressed (hey, it's summer....) but could not find my sandals. I saw what I thought were Jubal's on the floor and put them on. They were a bit snug but workable. I later found out that they were Nolan's. When did my boys get so big?!

Arriving at DD, I waited in line while one employee chatted on her cell phone. I then picked up my card from a girl with multiple studs in her face who never bothered to check my ID. (I'll save my opinion of this generation's work ethic for another day.) As I drove toward the parking lot exit, someone who was parked next to a car vacuum decided to open his door without looking first and only my sharp swerve avoided taking out the man and his car door! ......and darn it all, I forgot to get some coffee.

Say Cheese.....cake!

Yesterday Mom celebrated 56 years of life, so I decided to bake her favorite birthday treat, a cheesecake. Nolan, Atira and Tell joined in the process. As Tell pounded the graham crackers in a bowl for the crust, he stopped for a moment and said, "Mama. Iss hard work, we make Mimi's cake." It was a bit longer process than I anticipated, but eventually we ended up with an Italian cheesecake complete with blueberry sauce. Atira set the table while I gathered some flowers from my garden. Since Jubal was absent from the baking process he served up the first piece to Mom and a cup of coffee to go with it. Jim's parents joined our party via webcam. Singing "Happy Birthday" proved to be a bit more difficult than usual as there is about a 5 second delay and the Aussies were consistently a stanza behind. An enlighteningly funny discussion about how old one needs to be to be a regular coffee drinker followed and the party wrapped up around 9.
Happy Birthday, Mom!

.....Back from camping

We arrived back from camping in the NH White Mountains with the Fishers Sunday night. Despite the normal irritations that occur naturally from time spent with Don, we all had a wonderful weekend and wish we had gone two nights instead of one. I had been in charge of finding a location and I chose Moose Hillock Campground, which none of us had ever been to. Although a large campground, it has extremely wooded, secluded sites. Tenting out in the open grass with another family 20 feet away is not my idea of an enjoyable camping experience. I'm quite sure what the kids enjoyed the most was the heated pool area. It contained two waterslides, a waterfall, and a pirate ship which shot water from its cannons. As a balance to the hype and excitement it also bordered the White Mountains National Forest and had three quiet trails to explore. One was very short, only a ten minute walk that meandered next to Batchelder Brook. Tell and I discovered this one together, Saturday morning, as we took the long way back from the playground. On Sunday morning my back was bothering me when I woke. I thought that a walk might loosen things up and so I wound my way through the campground, finally arriving at the second trail which would have taken about a half hour to hike. Let me stop here for a moment and make a recommendation. Do not wear flip flops while hiking. I am not unfamiliar with the activity of traversing a mountain trail, even climbing Mt. Washington in my younger years, and normally I would have at least had sneakers on but I forgot to pack any shoes for the weekend and flip flops were it. Not one to be deterred by the little things I pressed on down the winding wooded path and was doing very well until about 10 minutes later when I found myself facing a mud pit with no way around. Not willing to have my only shoes sucked into the miry well, I admitted defeat and turned around. My back felt better after the walk although both mornings since our return it has taken a long hot shower to get me mobile. I'm thinking that the addition of cots to our camping gear may not be a bad investment.

Content

Sea Fever by John Masefield

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
I took this photo while visiting with Carla and Ollie at Two Lights State Park the other day. The company of a friend, the crashing of the waves on the granite Maine coast and a dash of sea salt is the perfect recipe for contentment.

Higher Ground

It happens frequently in life. A song, a smell, a sound, or a visual trigger will walk your mind back to a memory that you've tucked away. This happened to me today during the hymn-singing at the Hill House Assisted Living facility. We were singing through the book and came to the hymn Higher Ground. In an instant, I was 11 years old again, and it was summer in Eastport. I was at an evening service in the downstairs of Washington St. Baptist Church. I was standing in the second row from the back, with familiar people and voices surrounding me, each one singing this song. Most memories relate to important events or strong emotions but this one has always intrigued me because it involves neither. It's just a day in my wonderful childhood.
Back in the present, Jim and I have been watching the Tour de France for the past couple weeks. I've enjoyed learning more about the sport of cycling. Jim has the answer to all my many questions about the subject. He rode competetively on the amateur level in his younger years and was actually quite good. His mum took many of his race banners and put them together as a wall hanging a few years ago. I didn't understand how long, technical and strategic this race is. Today was stage 17, the last of the high hill climbs of the Alps. The endurance of these althletes is amazing. My half hour struggle on the elliptical was quite pathetic in contrast, but we all have our hills to climb.

Buxton Crowd Beach Days

We finally made it to the ocean this summer! Each year when the warm weather hits, Heather Pendleton and I attempt a beach day at least once every couple weeks. For those of you not familiar with Maine summers, beach weather means that your feet are normally not numb after exiting the Atlantic Ocean. Generally, on these excursions, we are joined by mutual friends from Buxton, where Heather lives. Because the grouping varies for each event and it's too time consuming to list them all, I just refer to them as the Buxton Crowd. Today we met at Crescent Beach State Park and the crowd consisted of Cuzannah (Annah Brunk), Heather, Alisa Raymond, Heidi Faulkner and myself. Oh yes, and don't forget the 18 kids....(yes,18.) And today was a relatively small crowd. These beach days are a highlight of every summer and I'm so glad the cool, rainy weather seems to be past us so we can start fitting a few of them in. September will be here before we know it!

Foiled

The plan was for Jim to wake me up at 6 this morning, be leisurely driving to Buxton by 7:15 and arrive at Nicki's an hour later. She would highlight my hair with red and blonde foils and by 10 :30 (allowing time for gabbing and coffee, of course) we would be ready to meet the rest of the Buxton crowd at Kiwanis Beach in Standish for a day of sun and sand.

That was the plan.

What really happened was Jim overslept and woke me up at 6:40 and Tell crabbed from the moment I woke him up. Jim checked the oil for me and discovered it was low. (He takes good care of me). The low fuel light decided to light up as well and I forgot to get my cash out at the ATM for Kiwanis yesterday. Thankfully, one stop at New Meadows Market just up the road took care of all three, so I was only down one fifteen minute stop. Except for the fact that I needed coffee, with no time to make it at home while rushing around. Make that another 5 minute stop. Just before Freeport I call Nicki to tell her I would not be there until 9:15. (She, of course, was completely shocked at my tardiness, as I'm sure those of you reading this are as well.) I arrive at 9:15 exactly as O Great Garmin predicted. The foils go on and the gabbing commences. We discuss that the weather is not as lovely as the forecast indicated it would be and Plan B, the playground, is put into place. Complaints from each child ensue, as we expected. A phone call from Cuzannah, who decided to brave the beach anyway, interrupts to inform us that Kiwanis is unexpectedly closed for the day. We like this. We are no longer the bad mothers who bar their children from the beach, it's just closed. Even with all the commotion, hair is done and the caravan departs for a couple hours of hanging out with friends, at the original time of 10:30! Before heading home I stop at my grandparents for a quick visit and we land home around 3:00. It was not the day we had planned but a good one nonetheless!

Singing in the Rain

Last night in the midst of a thunder and lightning infused rainstorm, I was at Matt Barnard's home studio singing away. He wanted a female voice for one of the songs he had written and asked me to help out. It was so much fun! After singing the melody, I recorded three harmonies, each of them twice, to be overlayed onto the song. In his words, "What's better than one Rachelle?....six Rachelles!" It sounded fabulous, but it's a shame all they could do was sing....I could use help with the cooking and cleaning.

Wash Me Whiter Than Snow

Recovery and preparation have been the name of the game this week. I am relaxing after the physical and mental work of VBS last week. There was the lesson prep of course, but I also had to completely redecorate my room for each day's new story. I LOVE this kind of artistic work so I'm not really complaining but it was very time consuming. Special mention goes to Matt Brown who was fabulous as Pharaoh. What would I do without his special effects and audio help these past few years? God's Word was shared with kids who had a fantastically fun week. It doesn't get better than that.
My relaxing is also mixed with the preparation and packing for next week at Camp Good News. I'm very thankful for the arrival of my new washing machine to help in that process. Ours quit about two months ago and we've been saving for a new one. Special mention goes to my Mom and the Fishers who have let me use them as a laundry mat. I've never been more excited to wash clothes! (and it's red, so it washes faster.... :)

Obedience

I would be a rich woman if I had a dollar for every time I've told my kids, "I don't want arguments; I want obedience."

Yesterday, I was sitting on the floor in the boys' room chatting with Jubal, when my very literal toddler, Tell, began to inform me of something that was apparently quite crucial to his little world. I listened for a minute to him unsuccessfully attempt to wrap his tongue around the thoughts bouncing around in his mind. I then laughingly told him, "Well, spit it out." ...........And so he spat.

I've decided that perhaps I don't always want my commands carried out exactly.

(This video of Tell trying to keep Nolan playing on the trampoline with him has nothing to do with this post, but I just love the drama of toddlerhood and wanted to share.)

Woodland Ballet

The floor of my side wood is once again sprinkled with Lady Slippers. I have looked forward to the arrival of these protected flowers each spring since I first discovered them 12 years ago at our new home. Back then, there were only a few delicate blooms and a toddler named Jubal who liked to pick them for his mother. Well, they survived that toddler and the next three. Today I took Tell out to look at them and counted over 40 plants with 4 already blossoming. The first movement is complete and I await the completion of the Creator's Woodland Ballet, accompanied by a symphony of songbirds.

Live Long and Prosper

This weekend Jim and I did a rare thing and paid to see a movie on the big screen. Maybe, perhaps, a couple times a year we think there is one worth spending $18.00 to view and Star Trek was one of those. In childhood, I loved watching the original series with my family and have followed all the subsequent series, except Deep Space Nine. I could never get into that one.

This most recent addition to the franchise did not disappoint. I was extremely impressed with the casting. They managed to capture the essence of each character as we remember them in their older years and yet bridge the gap to their youthful selves in a believable way. My particular favorite was "Bones". The actor who portrayed him had clearly studied the mannerisms and speech patterns of DeForest Kelley. It was so much fun to watch.

My only disappointment was that they were not able to find a role for my friend Chris Fawkes. He would have perfected the role of any elderly Vulcan.......