The Wild Things!

We definitely live in the country!  We have chipmunks, squirrels, deer, rabbits, turkey, and a wood chuck, who is very elusive.....  

They love feasting on our apples, pears, walnuts, chestnuts, acorns...and what have you! 

We get a huge kick out of what we will possibly see today!  Once, this summer, I heard something a little scary...making weird, loud screetching noises..still don't know what that is!  Another added unexpected pleasure of living here, that we didn't think about but LOVE! 

The chestnut eating friends

Turkey Lurkey's! There were 19 in this flock!

Our one mini sunflower that our farmer girl grew!

Pears!

Woke up to 5 Deer, munching on apples...

Can you see her?

Life is starting to settle into a routine....

Summer is officially over with and our life here in the East has begun to take form. Summer surely does not count as "life" because nothing is normal about it!  Especially when I've had the pleasure of a summer off!  However, all summers do eventually end and this year, I am just as excited about the Fall. 


School has started and we are loving it! Sam is doing remarkably well!  She looks forward to going every day, and in fact has told me more than one occasion that " I pick her up too quickly".  Ahem.... No tears, no extra hugs, in fact I am the one lingering for a hug! I think she is just so glad to do something "normal", maybe makes her feel like this is home too. 

We also started dance class!  What a difference a year makes!  She is really into it!  They have a wonderful instructor and all the girls are paying rapt attention and doing all the moves.  Very cute, and feels rather normal for Mama too!  

Three Weeks of Joy!

The last few weeks have been out of our routine and loads of fun! Our friends from Germany were here for a full 3 weeks! 

It took Little Miss all of 5 minutes to get over her shyness and find 2 new best friends.  They were all attached at the hip from day 1. Little Miss and K got to share a room, while M slept on the other side of the window in the family room.  Neat thing about that Window, was like they all had their own little space. 

We travelled up north to the Adirondack Museum, then they travelled to NYC for a few days.  Week two we all headed to the beach! Weather was fantastic! Only had 1 rainy day. Lots of Sand castles, tunnels and deep deep hills were made! 

It was hard to say goodbye on Friday, seems to get harder and harder as we get older.  Now the children are so close, it's hard on them too. 

How lucky we are to have such a great friendship over all the years and all this distance!  

Kitchen Makeover!

Frank has worked extremely hard on this kitchen, not to mention all the help before I got here from the family and friends that pitched in!  The grime and grit has been removed, the floor have been redone, and although we still have our retro metal cabinets, they have a new "retro" color, and all new appliances are white.  Goodbye harvest gold!!  
I still need to get a microwave and curtains for the big window, but I am living with what I have for now, so that I don't rush to pick something, then hate it in a few months.  Firm believer in live in it a while!  

BEFORE

AFTER!

Amazing Day

Today was the kind of Day that I moved back here for. Wow!  First of all the weather was perfect, I mean really perfect. 70's, sunny, little breeze, perfect! The New York City Ballet is in town, and my father told me that sometimes, if you go in the afternoon, you can watch them rehearse.  So Samantha and I thought we would trek over to SPAC to see A) how close we are going the back way and B) perhaps we could catch a glimpse of the Ballet rehearsal. 
Now let me set the proper scene.  SPAC is an out door performing arts center, in the woods essentially.  You cross over a bridge that goes over the this beautiful spring surrounded by forest. 

As we get near the end of the bridge, I hear classical piano playing. Sure enough as we round the corner we can see people on the stage.  There are maybe 5 other people in the audience.

Samantha and I take a seat a few rows back from the stage, and watch the NYC Ballet go through their dances for that evenings performance, in this gorgeous setting, for an hour!  She was mesmerized and so was I!  What an incredible experience, and we more or less just happened upon it! Love it!  So far, it's one of the best memories of  summer 2011! 

Getting Settled In

We have been here for a little over a month now, and we are getting acclimated. We have found a school for Samantha, and a dance school she will start in September when all the other kids go back to school.  So nice to be back where the kids have the whole summer off! 
We have unpacked all of the major things, now it's just a matter of what else do we need to uppack, it feels good living without all the "stuff" out.  I am sure with time, this too shall change and slowly...the stuff will emerge. 
The dog and the child are having a blast, can't get over how HAPPY Daisy is these days! She really is a different dog! Rolling in the grass, and we have to spell L A K E, cause if she gets wind, that's where we're headed?  We'd better be damn sure she is coming with! 
Unfortunately the Fourth was kinda of a bust for us.  The weather was great, but I was seriously under the weather, not sure what's going on, but some kind of virus, sore throat, no energy, yuck.  In fact felt great for a week, and now it's coming back!  Arrggg.....not happy! Sucking down the vitamin C in hopes that it helps. 

                    

 Samantha after signing up for Dance..love the ballet slipper cookie!

George Chillaxing in the boat! 

Great 1st Weekend of Summer!

We had a great weekend!  We stayed home on Saturday and got much accomplished in the house.  Then Saturday night my sister Maggie had the whole fam over to her place for dinner.  Was a good time and good to be there instead of the phone with them as usual.

 Rained for what felt like 40 days and nights last week..Sam and I stayed in and build forts. 

Sunday we went up to Glens Falls and crashed a graduation party, to say hello to some friends from AZ who were visiting.  After than we went up to Daureen and Dan’s new place in Bolton, had a little wine on the deck, a little dinner in town, then a few laughs at the card store.  (You had to be there!)

 Sam took this picture of Mommy and Daddy!

 Frank observing something that is confusing George!?

Daureen and Dan's new Place in Bolton.

 School was out officially here last week, so I expect that things we get a lot busier.