"Medium-Sized House on Lewis Mountain?"

We're seriously talking about building on to this little house. 'Expanding,' I like to call it.
Here are a few pictures of us all.

Katherine:



















Daddy:














Baby:














Mommy (4th month):

Katherine at Fourteen Months

Very excited about her new sled from Grampie; also very cold...
















That's a smile, behind the soother. She's all done outside; letting herself in! "Look what I can do, Mommy! I can make the door open, all by myself!"

Life Beyond the Pavement's Edge (Part 1)

In summer, living beyond the pavement's end is idyllic. We work on our property, making it more orderly. I go down to the garden in the early morning to check on the tomatoes and find myself staying too long, pulling out weeds as the sun comes up over the ridge.
In winter, it's beautiful. The snow on the trees contrasts with the winter's extra blue in the sky, and I walk up to the neighbour's and rock a while, listening to her stories of growing up here; sharing Katherine's latest achievements.
Spring is even better, as things start to warm up. The warm micro-climate in front of the house invites us outside. I start seeds inside, which never make it to the garden, but they grow on top of the fridge and make me feel thrifty.
And Fall - I love the fall. It's a time for harvesting and feasting. Jack's Pumpkin Shack fills their roadside stand, and I pick apples from a forgotten orchard. I bake. Apple pies, pumpkin chocolate chip bread, new salsa, and pickles all make their way through my kitchen. Some I keep, some I let Kevin try. We think Thanksgiving.

Sometimes, when I'm enjoying the thought of all that I have here, I wonder what Kevin's view of this place is. Would it be very different from mine? Would his vignette consist of hunting, home repairs, snow-clearing, and relaxing in 'his' chair?
And Katherine; what would she see? Pooh, book, mommy, daddy, cheerios, and dolly. Probably that... she's living the good life.

As we all are.

2 Years Today!

I am so happy to have been married this long! Living with Kevin has always been wonderful, but now there's a relaxed-ness about it that I am really enjoying. We're more comfortable with each other, I guess. That may bring up a mental image of a couple married so long they look the same, but that's not what I meant.
It's something else; something outsiders might not see. We laugh more. It's easier to plan times that we'll both enjoy. I know to make him mashed potatoes; he knows to kiss me first when he walks in the door.
Life is good.

Est. January 1, 2009

Well said!

Today I was over at Small Notebook, and read this: "The quest to organize isn't an end to itself, but a means to accomplish other, bigger, better goals."

With that in mind, I'm going to try and add a system or two to my life in 2011. I'm already enjoying the simplicity of minimum maintenance, and am so excited to think about all that I will be able to accomplish with a system for my closets, or for my internet time, or for working on our property. What's not to love about being organized!?

Yes, I love baskets, too. And closet systems (you know, shelves custom-designed for your closet), and scheduled bathtimes, and electronic appointment calendars that fit inside your cell phone.

The Original Clean Queen Doesn't Stage a Picture Post

Today, as I was baking, Katherine called me. I looked down at her, and smiled. She was trying to get toys into my dish-washing gloves. I grabbed my camera and took a picture. So cute.
But what was that?? My baby carrier, draped over the back of the couch. I couldn't post *that* picture; everyone would see how messy things were.

I glanced around the kitchen. Oh, my! How had this happened??

The dishtowel was bedraggled,
the tupperware was sort of thrown into its place,
there was a used banana sprawled all over the fruit dish -














....even the cupboards were open.
And not *neatly* open; they were all at sixes and sevens.

























What a mess. I decided that I was taking myself too seriously; that I should post the picture anyways. And for good measure, I'm posting other pictures, too; to shatter Nelleke's nice, but not altogether accurate, image of me as the original Clean Queen. You see, Nelleke?

And no, this wasn't staged.