As The Butter Churns

July 19th Getting It Together

(Craig is a one man jungle gym)

Saturday started slowly and out of sorts. Everyone crawled out of bed and padded around the house in different directions with heavy blinks and loud yawns. Coffee wafted through the house and cups followed us around most of the day.

(Deli inspecting her new place of encarceration)

Tom led the way and we all set to work. Gates were built, fence posts painted and wire rolled. The screw gun battery was changed and charged hourly. (Tom and his- rather my new gate)  (other people worked too - except Lu)

    Our friend new friend, Wayne came out with his tool belt and happily joined in. Like the answer to a prayer he spearheaded the drywall in the bathroom, knocking down the header over the bathtub we all agreed looked ridiculous and served no purpose.

We took Miracle out and let her loll around eating grass, flirting with Tom, when suddenly she went berzerk. She started carrying on and running away. It was a doe and buck. She suddenly was at war. She came running back stomping the ground like a flamenco dancer and braying like a bandit. She looked fierce and regal with her fly mask on – a like a Thoroughbred in a jousting match.

About 8:00PM the whistle blew and Wayne took over the grill as he barbecued steaks and salmon loaded with garlic. Many beers and games of darts later Wayne and his trusty companion, Abbey (the golden lab) went home and, most of us went to bed. However, amped on root beer, daddy adrenaline and jonesing for a bit of bro Henry was still wide awake at 4:30AM when he came dancing in our room asking if he could have some more chocolate cake he’d made and use the computer.

“GO TO BED!” we cried in unison.

January 22nd Time Flies

    This is the kind of day of children’s fantasies. Our first, “Snow Day” not to be confused with our first day of snow. This means to the delight of children throughout Whatcom County that school is canceled. Henry couldn’t have been happier; he grabbed his sled, Luther and headed for “Coyote Hill”. It is the undoubtedly the best sledding around. Up and down, up and down, up and down he went. The dogs racing around after him.

Sometime later he came in for a change of clothes and some warm Chai tea, my son likes the finer things. He hadn’t banked on my  teacher-side kicking in. I told him that some time this afternoon he’d have to sit down finish any homework he still had and do some reading. Cold, frosty and soaked to the skin he actually didn’t mind, but insisted I come out for a while after I finished doing my research.

    I didn’t feel like going out into the cold snowy day, but I didn’t know when we’d get the chance to spend this kind of time together - time goes so fast. I put on my jacket and trudged up the hill with my saucer. I have to admit, we had a great time. We laughed and rolled in the snow. Up and down, up and down, up and down we went.