Puck stands guard.

milestones of summer

Big news. Sarah played 1'st base last night. She seems to be over her fear of "The Evil Baseball". Now I know to most this isn't earth shattering information. But my earlier posting of evidence of damage to my lovely's beautiful face conveys the approximate angst we have experienced. My role as a coach of 13 little softball whirly birds is a success. This is no simple feat as the amazingly diverse personalities of these little girls has been interesting, to say the least. Stomping feet and complaints of "not the outfield again" have finally turned into a glowing pride at their continuing emergence as a "team". YEAH!!!

Raspberries are raining in our backyard garden. Tonight's dinner features vanilla ice cream smothered in raspberries.

We are off to spend the holiday with all 19 of us. The beach house will be filled to capacity, but for only one day. It gets more difficult every year to get everyone together in the same place. With various schedules we will actually only have one day with all 19. When my father died it bothered me that I had to recount how many we were. We are now a new number, over that of my dad's presence. We would have been a nice round 20.

Peeking under my newest addition, I realize I'm fighting the adjustments to age. The bifocals are a drag. I can't seem to get the hang of them. If I look up through the distance I am ok, it is the reading part I struggle with. I have never worn glasses all the time, but headaches have started to insist that I try "readers" to ease the strain. Now, after all the years at the swimming pool with my kids, I no longer have toddlers teasing me with running long jumps into the deep end, just my youngest child flinging herself off the high dive. I'm loving the possibility of actually reading a book while the lifeguards do their job, only now, time has conspired against me.

This latest reminder of time flying off my fingertips has got me a bit undone. This summer is a special one for me. It is the first in a while that I haven't been working. It is fleeting. Not just ice cream melting in the sun quick, but, years flying by quick. I need to return to some form of gainful employment soon. I am savoring the riches summer has to offer.

The good news - I can still knit without needing my glasses. Wonder how long that will last.

Summer day

I'm poised to feel that sublimely wonderful summer contentment that only a long day of sunshine will provide. Not today. The rain showers scattered the early bird strawberry pickers, so Sarah and I had the wagon ride to the berries almost all to ourselves. Sarah's face dripped juice as she shoved the berriest in her mouth as fast as she could pick. So much for help in filling the flats. Our berries were joined by an enormous jar of honey, purchased at the farm. I have to search my cookbooks for something new to try with both of these treats. On the way home we wolfed down lunch at the "drive-in with car-hops". It is another item on the summer list of "things we have to do". They have the BEST hamburgers I've ever eaten. We enjoyed old movies last weekend including the classic "American Graffiti", so these burgers were a hit.

We live 2 blocks from a beautiful park with 3 swimming pools and a recreation program. The "park leaders" are a riot and the neighborhood kids are responding in droves. Sarah and her friends reported as directed at 12:45 on their bikes to travel to another park for a kickball tournament......ahh, summer.

harbors

I almost misplaced it. Father's day, that is. It snuck up on me via harbors of warm thoughts instead of boats. The quiet of the morning water summons memories.

I'm enjoying our visitors and our wildly busy summer so far. By default, I am Sarah's rookie Little League coach. Our team of "baby blues" is doing quite nicely and improving with every game. Sarah caught a ball with her face in April, so we have regrouped and stepped back a notch to try and help her get over her fear of the ball. Her comfort level allows her to bat and actually be the catcher - the mask is the trick. We''ll see what happens over the course of the next 6 weeks.

Lauren's amazing shoes match the lake.

It is getting harder and harder to catch my girls at the same time in the same place. I feel like I am chasing fireflies and hoping to save them in my mayonnaise jar, wistfully knowing they are their best when allowed to fly.

For Olie

Your sweet peas are magnificent.
They are ensnaring the trellis with vines too thick to part.
You have really outdone yourself - this melting in the soil.
The gift you gave
as fragile as a cracked teacup threatening to fall apart
with or without intention.
I struggle to maintain the illusion, it is most necessary for my own countenance.
The frame, the box, of my own making.
The promise held in the blossoms to come.

Socks and June

I don't understand this thing knitters have with socks. Yes they are a compact project, but all that work for something you can only wear for a day before you have to wash it.... Now mittens make sense. You can wear them for quite a while before they need to be washed or they are lost. And felting - hides a multitude of sins, you really can't go wrong. So, I don't get the socks.

And the cats.... I love cats and have enjoyed many different cat personality traits, but never had an inkling knitting and cats strangely go together. They are warm on my lap just like the yarn...? I have two dear ones - Puck and Ivy, they are brother and sister (Puck is the black and white one - they were about 8 weeks old in the photo). My other cat is a wild woman named Cleo, who loves to be outside and leads a very adventurous life. She is officially down by three lives (that we know of) We have a deal - I let her out and she doesn't pee in things. She's managed to pee in the dryer, a new COACH purse, and my husband's gym bag. Make that down 4 lives.

June and the beginning of summer. The peonies are in full blush, heavy with last nights rain. They won't last long so I am taking lots of photos to visit in winter.

cleaning house

I have reached a new low. I finally cleaned my bedroom and realized it has not been thoroughly done since last September. The dust bunnies were full grown and fluttering across the floor. A lovely mixture of dust, pillow feathers and cat fur. I figure the time saved in a twice a year cleaning of a room nobody else sees is worth it. At least it was this time. I actually like my bedroom again.

I'm enjoying this Tahki yarn. I have trouble with cotton and had to ask for a recommendation. This is wonderful. The simple pattern of this top is perfect for a summer project. I may have to make another one.

Hana has her 8th grade farewell dance tonight. The girls all dressed in their finery playing at dress up. Insecurity and hope dancing out the door. Sarah and I hung at the pool. I don't ever remember the pool opening before school let out. It feels like we are playing hooky or something. Surprising how happy being at the pool makes me feel - and at my age.

Juggling

I'm fascinated by the world opened through blogging. Fascinated and intimidated at the same time. I marvel at the ability of some who whip up a sweater overnight or fashion a new purse out of the old curtains that were tucked away in the basement. The old curtains would be moldering on a shelf at my house. I enjoy knitting very much. It frees my mind to wander. I've mastered mittens, struggled with sweaters and find relief in simple patterns. But, the pleasures of knitting compete with my other desires. I love to read and am determinedly nudging myself along a path to work on my writing. How does one juggle these introspective and time consuming passions with the reality of daily life? I read these wonderblogs and shudder.

I'm currently ignoring the three loads of clean clothes strewn on the floor that need to be folded. My daughter, in a surge of energy, ripped up the ancient carpeting in the den. She has vanished. The lure of visiting new college friends superseded the desire to complete her project. With family coming to visit next weekend, cleaning off the stuck on underpad and washing the floor takes on some urgency. That project joins the chore of cleaning my upstairs. I've noticed that you can reach a point of complacency when the dust, flying pillow feathers and cat hair need to be removed. What's one more layer? Not to mention - exercise - easy to ignore in the increasing jumble of needs around here. Most importantly, it's gorgeous outside. My peonies are lush with blooms and the sun begs to be wallowed in. The neighborhood pool opened yesterday. One of my cats is toying with the cello bow that popped its horsehair, another need to add to the list... My husband wants to go waterskiing... the girls have softball practice... the upstairs will have to wait, the peonies beckon.