a sweet couple

Last evening I took the kids for a walk downtown--it was First Friday/Jazz on the Square, and we hit Alexander's for ice cream cones, then walked down to Seminary Park for Shakespeare in the Park.  While we were there, who else but Mr. Arbuckle of Arbuckle's Railroad Place, and his wife ride up on their bikes.  I discovered Arbuckle's RR Place shortly after we moved to this town when my (then) neighbor Sarah told me about it.  It's billed as 'the greatest fabric show on earth'.  Mr. Arbuckle fixes sewing machines (and vacuums).  I've taken my girl in there to be fixed, and wondered what I will do when Mr. Arbuckle isn't there anymore.  And what will happen to the place?  It's a very cool old RR station, I hope something wonderful is done with it in the future.

Anyway, when they rode up, I asked to take their picture.  I only had my camera phone (SO bizarre, a 'camera phone') so the quality isn't great, but I'm glad I had it.  So here is the couple, watching Shakespeare in the park.

wednesday rewind

It's fun to occassionally re-read posts I made last year in the month we're in.  I just happened to blog exactly one year ago today about dining al fresco.  We ate outside twice yesterday--it's one of the best things about summer.  I have visions, when the kids are a little older, of walking downtown to Matteo's with Rob and dining outside there, they have wonderful seating on the sidewalk.  Rob is going to Matteo's today actually for a lunch meeting.  Mmmm.

Here's to more al fresco dining this summer!

blissful summer days

It's been a great summer and we'll continue to celebrate it for as long as possible.  i'm writing about our trip to the Jack Johnson concert, it will publish in the paper and on my writing blog next Tuesday, then the following week about our Summer Soiree.

Here's some of what we've been up to:

We made homemade playdough, which is the BEST.  We our batch with natural dyes--one with beet juice, one with blueberry juice.  Cool!

On a lazy Sunday we walked downtown and had a treat at Alexanders Ice Cream...

And stood on the vent eating it.  In the pink leotard and tutu!

The kids picked flowers and let them go fly over the vent.

We also saw Jack Johnson Friday, and had our Summer Soiree Saturday.  A beautiful weekend!

re-entry

I'm back.  We took a trip out to New England, specifically Vermont and Maine.  It was lovely and everyone traveled well, considering.  We (mostly Rob) took scores of pictures.  Rather than try to decide what to upload here, I put a set up on flickr here.  I still need to add descriptions.  Rob also took a set of me hooping on the Maine seacoast, which are here.

So we're almost fully back into the swing of things here.  Friends are coming over this afternoon and we're making a rhubarb crisp.  Weeding is well underway (only gone a little over a week and it is nuts), yesterday Grace baked strawberry bread with a friend. 

June/July's goal is to do my brick patio which I'm looking forward to.  The 'stoop' part is done and looks AWESOME.  Need to get it done in time for our summer soiree which we're resuming (we took a 5-6 year hiatus from it due to summer babies and selling and moving). 

Also, I got exciting news Tuesday that an article I submitted for Mothering magazine is being retained for possible publication.  I would be so happy to be published in a magazine I love so much.

Welcome, Summer!

kitchen sink, skinny dippin' and twine

I scrubbed out my kitchen sink today--it always feels so good to have a clean and shiny sink, doesn't it?

I couldn't resist taking these pics of Calvin in the wading pool.  Won't he love seeing these when he's older?  He was walking around the yard picking up random things and throwing them in.  In the top pic are my (dirty) gardening gloves and Lily's flip flops.  Nice!

And I blogged about Whisker Graphics in this post about halfway down here.  I just love her divine twine and am thrilled to see it in the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living here.