July 6, 2009
July 2, 2009
Rimple
The little girl bird is almost on her own now. She slept outside the bunny hutch in the trees and was wise enough to hide underneath it when the large thunder and lightening storm came through. That is where Jay found her ths morning.
She flies down to low branches or the picnic table for supplemental soaked cat food and earthworm feeding. Rimple is also a vocal communicator, especially when hungry.
Last week she visited inside until she got too hot riding on Isabelle’s shoulders underneath Isabelle’s hair.
The two young girls also were taking naps under the fruit trees until the latest round of rain. Rimple would use some of the time to preen.
Rimple does still like being coddled by one person.
July 1, 2009
Summer Recital
Last night we held a recital for the two piano students I teach and my own two.
The program:
Tarentella — Bastien Brian
Prelude #5 in G Major – Vandall Brian
Edelweiss – Rogers and Hammerstein Isaac and Isabelle
Prelude #3 in E minor – Vandall Carrie
Gigue – F. M. Veracini Isabelle, with accompaniment
Flying Leaves – Carl Kolling Isaac
Spanish Guitars — Bastien Carrie
Prelude #1 in C Major – Vandall Brian
Sonata No.3 2nd Mov’t Allegro – Handel Isabelle, with accompaniment
Prelude # 2 in D Major – Vandall Carrie
Merriton Town Hall – Purcell, adapted Isaac
by Dario Marianelli and Williams Lyons
A fine time was had by all. After the performances, cupcakes, cookies and cherries with punch. Then badminton, garden walks and a general fun time.
June 29, 2009
Another Friend Gone
Ellie emailed me today with news that Celia is dead.
About 15 years ago Jay was wrongly accused of a misdeed at his former job. He was charged with a felony. We spent a year’s plus adoption savings retaining the best lawyer in town–and the charges were dropped. But the lawyer kept the fee, and eventually Jay was pushed out of the job in an academic atmosphere that was smarmy at best.
He was without work for several months. He had a specific list of items “the perfect job” would have, which was the subject of much prayer. Not that he would have refused a job not meeting those criteria, you understand.
The summer came. The Black Sheep Handspinner’s Guild, of which I have been a member for over two decades now, were having a picnic down at Stewart Park, where there used to be a merry-go-round. It was owned by Black Sheep members. We had Isaac then and everyone with children (and some without) liked to ride the horses. Over and over and over.
Anyway, as we were laying out the picnic, Celia and I were talking and she asked if I knew anyone who needed a job. Well, yes, I did. Jay needed one. She spoke to him then and there, hiring him part time essentially on the spot. It soon turned into a full time position. And guess what? It is the job he still has. It is the job he still loves. It is the job that still meets each and every one of the items on Jay’s list of “the perfect job”.
All thanks to Celia.
Isaac’s Graduation Quilt
Unveiled for public display at the party Saturday:
About six months in the making. I started in January.
The Graduate Himself with Dad and Mom:
New Blogs on the Blogroll
One of these days I will get around to writing about books I have read in the last month or so. Really.
One I am reading now is The Book Whisperer. If you have children, or teach children: read it.
Donalyn Miller has a blog, too.
Watts Up with That? is newish on the blogroll, too. It is a science blog written by a meteorologist uncovering all sorts of interesting information that tends to be covered up.
This, for example:
“Dr Mitchell Taylor has been researching into the status and management of polar bears in Canada and around the Arctic Circle for 30 years, as both an academic and a government employee. More than once since 2006 he has made headlines by insisting that polar bear numbers, far from decreasing, are much higher than they were 30 years ago. Of the 19 different bear populations, almost all are increasing or at optimum levels, only two have for local reasons modestly declined.”
Isaac is now a high school graduate.
The first three and a half hours of Friday began thusly: I was up at 5.30 AM. I read a few chapters, then took the dog and cat out to poo, brought them in and dried them off. Wrote some on scent and smell. Woke husband. Cut lettuce, chard, spinach and the incidental dill in the sprinkles and rain. Cleaned the sink and filled it with cold water. Rearranged the fridge contents to accommodate lettuce. Washed, trimmed, sorted, spun dry and bagged lettuce. Got kids up and going. Cut up and cooked a cup of bacon ends. Thinly sliced 4 onions and cooked them in bacon grease. Sorted chicken quarters and counted out enough to keep dog full and quiet while company is here (2 days and Sunday). Freezed the rest. Picked up the Scarlet Tanager feathers and their container that falls out of the freezer when I opened the door. Planned how many cups water are needed for jello jigglers. Wrote this.
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My parents, aunts and niece came down Friday afternoon. We had supper: smoked salmon-cream cheese-dill spread on bread squares; spinach, swiss chard, onion, bacon, cheese, thyme and rosemary quiche; green salad; brownies. Hot, freshly brewed coffee and cream. The fresh broccoli and garlic scapes sat forgotten on the stove.
The graduation itself was held indoors in a gym overflowing with people and heat. The thunder, rain and overcast skies that had been the weather of the day disappeared as soon as the program started; sunlight poured through the high windows, adding to the steamy heat of hundreds of bodies.
Jay’s mom and sister D returned to mom’s home, the rest of us came to our house and Isaac received a camera from Aunt Janice and his quilt from us. And we ate chrries, brownies and drank more coffee. Then the visiting adults left for Mom M’s to stay the night. We got Janine.
Friday night my left hip and knee hurt terribly when I went to bed. Too much just standing, I think. I got up and made potato salad around 11.30PM Then at 1AM I went for a walk, hiding, as usual, behind telephone poles, behind or in shrubbery, and down in ditches when cars would come zooming by. Then fell asleep for a few hours.
Saturday neighbor L came with the two batches of cupcakes she had made for the reception: peanut butter and molasses. Prior to her coming I got out the venison and chicken which had been marinating for three days, picked chives and stirred them into the potato salad, made dressing, etc. I made seven-minute cream cheese frosting and L and I started frosting cupcakes and decorating them with sprinkles. Janine and Isabelle took my place eventually so I could make chocolate buttercream frosting. L made a small batch of vanilla buttercream for the last partial dozen. There were 10.5 dozen cupcakes in all!
Later, Isaac cut bread, Janine spread smoked salmon spread on the bread and Isabelle to cut dill to ornament same. There was some time spent on emotional outbursts by the youngest child. Isaac and Jay were busy with tables and chairs.
At noon family came for lunch. At two friends came. At 9PM or so the last friend left. What a wonderful time!
Sunday most of the day was spent recovering from the wonderful time. 
