Jennifer, in the house

Ah, peonies! (and April, and Easter)

When we lived in Florence, Alabama, our next door neighbor grew numerous varieties of peonies -- flowers I had read about in novels set in England and Canada, but that I didn't know would grow this far South.

This didn't stop me from buying a couple of peonies at Oak Street Garden Shop about four years ago... they weren't kidding when they said the roots would have to be established before these bloomed.  But the wait has been worth it!  Last year we had our first large white peonies -- richly fragrant and ruffled, the first one nearly as big as a salad plate!  This year, we have the first pink one -- gorgeous!  The fragrance is more complex and vegetable than the white ones, which smell a great deal like magnolia.

I am looking forward to the art weekend with Joyce and friends in June!  I'm considering this my first-in-a-long-time (or first-ever?  I can't remember...) personal retreat. 

In other news, full steam ahead on the dissertation... incorporating feedback, good.

Things are very quiet at work all of a sudden, with students and faculty away post-exams.  Read:  now I can catch up in the office!

We had a great series of events this April:  friend Suzanne's wedding, baby niece Olivia's baptism, sister-in-law Mahlone's wedding, and Grandad's 90th birthday.  We were all so happy to be able to be part of these fantastic events!

Here are some Easter photos of the sweet kids this year --

In your Easter bonnet...

with all the frills upon it...
you'll be the cutest baby
in the Easter parade!

Eve loves the hat that goes with the Easter dress that Grandma made her, and has been wearing it as frequently as I will permit.  (No, not while gardening or drinking chocolate soymilk, please.)

Isaac has chosen a dapper (preppy, actually -- where did he develop preppy taste in clothing?) ensemble for Easter as well, for which I started to pull out the offwhite bucks today.

Of course, only one could be found, and this led to an ever-deeper search into the greatroom closet, which led to a bag full of donations to 55th Place Thrift, including... you'll never believe this... a donation of six (it's a start, folks) skeins of yarn I don't think I'll ever use.  I hope someone else can.

To be honest, it was a little disheartening to go through my stash of unfinished crochet projects.  To wit:  1) part of what will someday be a lovely vintage-type delicate crochet tabletop item; 2) the yarn that the kids and I dyed with pokeberries from our yard, which I started to crochet into a sweater for Eve, now much to small to consider finishing; 3)  half of a front bodice -- no, let' just be very clear about this -- one Boob-Triangle of a shell-pattern crochet tank that will be really cute when I finish it; 4) the first of a pair of Roll-Tide slippers for Isaac.  The list could go on, not to mention the navel-staring inquiries into why I need to have ten unfinished projects for every one I do finish --  but I can't... too much to do! 

And a shoe to find.

"Time for planting!" Isaac announced

this evening just after dinner, shaking a packet of radish seeds.  Isaac loves to pull radishes, so we got right to work.  He and Eve prepared a clear patch in our crazy sometime-garden.  

Then, to the planting;

and let's not forget the importance and fun of watering. 

 

Radishes, on the way!

While we were out there, I took some photos for the ever-popular first-rose contest!  This year, the first place winner was Mme. Laurette Messimy (not at her peak in this photo as the frost chilled her overmuch). 

 

Second runner-up, Mrs. Bousanquet,   

and third, Safrano.   

Don't they all sound like characters from a B-grade 19th century romance?

Here's a link to a photo slideshow of the snow weekend, and Isaac's birthday, at my webshots page.  Enjoy!

but since we've no place to go...

let it snow!

We had a great time being snowed in at Mom and Dad's in Tuscaloosa a couple of weekends ago.

The kids have never seen this much snow before!

As this followed a relatively warm week of Spring weather, we were rather unprepared, and had to improvise snow gear (yes, those are plastic bags on their feet, socks on hands, etc.)

There was much to discover -- how to make snowballs, how to walk without slipping, how good is snow to eat, how quickly will falling snow cover your tracks?

After a balmy Spring week again, a cool wind is blowing.  We have seeds to plant in the garden this weekend, dirt to dig, and tons of laundry to do in the fabulous new washer and dryer.  Should be fun -- (or mostly fun, anyway)

I have really missed my blog!

And it's good to be back, for a few minutes...

January Interim term at work was incredibly busy, if also rewarding.  Now the Spring term is rolling along and flowers are blooming!  The star magnolia (given by my family in memory of precious Jacob) is spectacular this year, and was beautiful after a late winter rain.

Now, a nice quiet afternoon.  The sun is activating our solar-powered twirly prism, which casts a moving galaxy of rainbows around the kitchen.  Eve is napping peacefully, and Isaac is happy ensconced in a favorite computer game.  I am about to launch into some writing.

I love Saturday!

Happy New Year!

The New Year always makes me think of stars... (maybe that's because Epiphany is on its way?)... 

 so I had a sudden brain-storm about what to do with the beautiful Amy Butler fabrics that I purchased sometime back.

These textiles seemed so beautiful and so special, I just had to live with them for awhile to know what I really wanted to do:

origami, of course!

which, with a little stitch-finishing, and a nice crochet cord, are becoming a garland of stars

which I plan to list for our January 4th stocking at Collage.

Ok, Marc's in pack-mania and I really should join him.  We're headed to meet his family at Tishomingo State Park for New Year's!  I'll post pictures of the kids and Christmas soon--

 

Has hoho head ever seen...

your full monty?  The cheerfully innocent santa face is just about enough to make you avoid using that particular bathroom...

NOTE:  CONTRARY TO OCCASIONAL SUSPICION,

I DID NOT MAKE THESE!!!

or anything like them... I was just in a pre-Christmas shock phase and couldn't resist posting when I saw them floating about the internet.

 

But wait, there's more --

santa peeks.

First toffee of the season

It must be Advent --

The house smells like warm buttery yum, as I've just finished making the first batch of toffee.  This one is designated for a couple of upcoming holiday parties, and a little something for my BSC workstudies.

Today was a busy one, with make-up choir rehearsal all morning (make-up from missing the one before Thanksgiving, because of the hospital stay), and Ollie's birthday party this afternoon (WAY fun, now Isaac wants a party at Storyville Station too!), followed by the obligatory run to the store(s) on the way home. 

This year, rather than think of more elaborate teacher and workstudy and coworker and friend holiday happies, only to back down at the last minute to a just-toffee-because-it's-all-I-had-time-to-do (and feel bad about it for some reason), I decided just to go whole-hog with the toffee.  Isaac helped me find butter and chocolate in bulk at Sam's today, and this year I'm going to try not feeling apologetic.

Eve has been so thoroughly inculcated with the term "hoho-head" (Marc's affectionate term for a plastic santa nightlight that the kids really love) that she now shouts "HO HO HEAD!!" every time she sees a santa or someone in a santa hat, which is really often, lately.

And speaking of ho-ho-head, I have to confess my own squeamishness over the many santa-heads I've already seen this season.  You know the ones I mean -- santa's head, but no body. 

Ok, so I'm a visual literalist -- I don't know how these heads come across to other people, but my own eyes/brain/mind don't automatically supply the body.  So the effect is something like John the Baptist after his encounter with Herod's henchmen.  Creepy!

Just look at this poor fellow's expression -- he's so hapless and confused without the rest of him!  He's not mobile, can't open a book or get himself a beer or anything...

 

Some years ago, Isaac became enamored of a very cheap santa liquid-soap dispenser, so I bought it for him what was I thinking? The visual literalisim kicked in again, and suddenly we were washing our hands with liquefied santa brains.  It's really very disturbing.

Ho ho ho!  What am I doing in a chimney?  Why can't I remember my own name?

But what you really need to see is the Cavalcade of Bad Nativities.  My favorite thus far might be the clock (although it's hard to choose -- yes, the base of a cuckoo clock would be a really challenging place to give birth.)  And if you get tired of that, Angels We Have Heard are High is another way to laugh really hard, which helps with the pre-holiday madness.

Freight Train

It just keeps on chugging!

Marc and I still feel a bit like we've been run over by one, but will hopefully have a little time to recover this weekend, after the odd hospital "sleeping."

Eve was back in school today, and by the time I saw her this evening she seemed very happy and well.  I drove the Isaac & Drennen carpool this morning.  In between cheerful games of rock-paper-scissors, they were discussing -- and asking me to weigh in on -- the fascinating and interrelated (to their minds) subjects of Cannibalism and Hell.

Coffee, anyone?

We're looking forward to the Lessons and Carols service tomorrow.  Isaac is somewhat insulted to be wearing the same wool sweater vest that he wore last year, but I think he will survive this (it was a bit large last time; this time it's a good fit.)

Here is something fun from my crafty hubby:

 

He makes these creatures, and I have been playing with photographs and photo-editing.

We're home!

Eve, Marc and I are all so very happy to be home!  Eve was delighted to nap again in her sweet little bed, to play with her old familiar toys, and seemed to have a great surge of energy for eating and drinking and being her more usual self in the home environment.  She did NOT, however, appreciate the washing and detangling of the dredlocks she had begun to develop.  (Curls have their price.)

Now, after an opportunity to set things more to rights around the house, I'm feeling the inevitable pull toward pumpkinhood.  ~zzzzzzzzzz~

We're really excited about Isaac coming home tomorrow!  He sounds like he has had a great time in Tuscaloosa, and we really appreciate all the help from everyone there. 

Along with the crazy piles of dishes, crazier piles of laundry, and general pandemonium various curiosities that welcomed us home, there was a possum who seems to have taken up residence on our front porch.  I've really never had a chance to look at a possum up that close and calmly (i.e. neither I nor the possum ran away shrieking this time) and was struck at how unusual and beautiful he was.  The silvery coat was full of very long, silky white hairs, and the toes were bubblegum pink!  But most appealing were the ears, perfect ovals, mottled charcoal and white.  Who knew?!  He watched me to the mailbox and back, and seemed quite interested in the piles of leaves and empty plant pots, not to mention the rolled up wool rug that intended to go to the cleaner late last week.  (I think it's high time that rug get to the cleaner, before it becomes a dedicated possum habitation.)

Some years ago, there was a large possum that Catherine named Scrapper, who roamed in our yard frequently.  Then poor Scrapper met an automobile late one night.  Almost immediately afterwards there appeared a baby possum (Scrapper's progeny, we suspected) who stayed under the house with Shadow the cat.  Shadow was quite territorial, but she made an exception to her usual rules and welcomed the baby possum into her space, sometimes following him around outside with a curious expression.  We called the baby "Son of Scrapper" (yes, original, isn't it?)  When S-o-S grew to adolescent size, Shadow made a big fuss of kicking him out of her pad. 

Anyway... I wonder what generation this front-porch possum might be, and if it belongs to the Scrapper line?  It certainly has the fearlessness of those predecessors.  By now, this could be a Great-grandscrapper.

Ellie sent a lovely little fluffy unicorn from her own collection to the hospital for Eve.  Eve has been absolutely adoring of it, and has named it Dear.  Dear had the privilege of blood pressure checks and breathing treatments all morning, and this afternoon was the first to use the at-home inhaler.  What a great friend!

Goodnight everyone-- a very good night.