Tuesday, February 26, 2013

La Vida

Slow day at the store and it feels kinda good to take a moment and bullshit with the kitchen ladies, check out the celebrity gossip, look UP once in awhile.

I am so happy. Knock on wood a thousand times, but it's true. I have just about everything I ever wanted and what's exhilerating that it IS what I really want. No getting something and thinking, oh, but that's not it. What I fear are the things that can't be seen coming: accident, illness.

So it feels brave to claim my happiness, because i know it could be taken away in a millisecond, but...

I am happy.

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The boys got a hair cut today. Caspian looks cute as pie and K. looks hot as shit.

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Annaliese has had a ball at the store lately. She's with me an hour or so every day, and she takes orders alongside Cora, runs out silverware, busses tables, orders her own lunch, chops bell peppers, eats lunch with whomever strikes her fancy.

In general, K. and i have been trying to incorporate the store more into our family life... less a hands-off, mama's working zone and more, sure, come by, i might be busy but we can at least smile at each other. K's been eating lunch here lately (good thing, too, as he's lost over ten pounds out of nowhere these last few months) and the kids get plugged in once in awhile so he can chat with friends and neighbors and eat in peace.

Everybody thinks my kids are the bees' knees. They are the blissful recipients of community adoration. What a neat way to grow up, right? I hope they remember it fondly.

This is a certain gentleman who sold us propane last fall and fell hard for the kids. They have no real sense of who he is beyond another adult who comes by and beams at them.




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K tore a barn down on Sunday (not ours) and says he can build my garden beds soon. I sure hope so. I have a bunch of seeds and springtime garden fever. Mucking around in the dirt is one of the more rewarding things I do. I planted some nasturtium seeds a couple weeks ago and the fact that seedlings are up is supremely exciting. If I manage to get a show of them before the hot weather strikes, I'll pretty much feel like the smartest person in the universe.

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The kitchen, radiant heating, beadboard, brick arches, french doors, and all is close to being complete. This will feel really, really good, and I can't wait to post before and after shots. I have done absolutely none of the work, so the gratification will go to K, but like whoa y'all, it's going to be beautiful and make our lives so much more pleasant than the current set-up.

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So. Life. So far, I'm digging thirty.





Thursday, February 21, 2013

FEBRUARY

I keep thinking things will slow down and I will have a chance to catch my breath. Update my blog. Call some friends. Change the sheets. 

But not so much. Between this, and that, and the other thing, it's been pretty full-tilt boogie for me for months now.

Good things to be busy with though. Love, work, family. The essential three :)

This one:



He turned 32 earlier this week and for once, I think he wasn't completely miserable on his birthday. Maybe because we all assumed he would be? Maybe because the kids and I made him superlative cookies that actually tasted good? Who knows? All I do know is that in the midst of the renovations and the kids and the store and the busy, he and I are good. The foundation of my life and what makes everything else possible. I sure did get lucky with this guy.

And then there's this girl:



Five. She is sitting right next to me right now watching Caspar the Friendly Ghost (she also likes Woody the Woodpecker) and plotting world domination, or, her current obsession, a cell phone. So she can take pictures. She walks off with mine whenever I'm not looking and so my photo album is full of blurry pictures of the cat and strange videos.


This is her best friend right now. They go to the same pre-school, lives on Main Street, came into the store for a sandwich and the two of them disappeared behind the counter to read books peacefully together. Not that they can read yet. But they think they can. 


K. has been primary parenting lately.  He's doing a good job.


I like having outside dogs. 



Caspian is great. Three, but great. 

And now my sister called. 

More catching up to do!!!