Tyler's Room - Making Progress

The closet is almost finishing in what will be Tyler's new room. It took a long time for such a tiny space, but since it needed to be gutted, insulated, electrified, wallboarded, taped, primed and painted (phew!), it is only now almost done:

Here is Paul, who just finished painting the walls of the room:

What Tyler Has Been Up To

Strawberry "mice". Cut the green part off, and the bottom off the strawberry so it sits flat. Use sliced almonds for the ears, tube icing for the eyes, a mini-chocolate chip for the nose, and a section of red licorice whip for the tail.

Ice cream and face painting at the church picnic.

Around the House

Random scenes of what we have been doing lately around the house:

Filling the grain bucket

Enjoying fresh flowers from the Farmer's Market

Another Farmers Market treasure

Who's hiding under the table?!

Bike Riding

We fixed up my son's neglected bicycle. Originally it was for Julie to keep at her new apartment. But she realized it would be cumbersome to bring up and down the stairs and would take up a lot of room. So Paul and I have been riding a lot on the Green Bay Trail. It is a bike trail that runs alongside the train tracks for several miles in the northern suburbs of Chicago. It is bordered on both sides by heavy foliage, and is peaceful and quiet. It is a lovely way to exercise, get fresh air, and be out in all sorts of weather - I don't even mind if it rains.

Our Time In The Forest

There is an area at the back of our lot that is almost like a mini-forest. This year we decided to make it a more useable space for our grandson to play in. We cleared weeds and underbrush, moved stones and brick and yard equipment, and spread red bark chips down for cushioning. It's just right for a little boy to have adventures in. Tyler has had a lot of fun there, often hiding and pretending to be a dinosaur. I find it cool and soothing. When I am in the forest I often hear in my mind a piece by harpist Andreas Vollenweider that I love, called The Years in the Forest (hear the music here).

Yesterday, I finished making a new toy for Tyler using this pattern. I hid the little leopard in the forest for him to find:

A leopard hiding in the forest

Captured!

Cuddling with a "lion"

A happy boy!

Hanging Out The Wash

I have been wanting a clothesline for some time now, and Paul set a post in the ground with a hook on it, then installed a retractable clothesline on the house. I am loving this! I wonder what it means that I get excited by a clothesline. The explanation I came up with is two-fold: it is a wonderful process from the past that is making a comeback for various reasons, and I love the thought of freshly air-dried clothing and sheets. I will have to post a new photo once we get a new camera (ours broke a few days after I took this photo). We have added a clothesline prop which supports the middle of the line from drooping and can be stored out of the way once done, and a beautiful flower pouch of lavender-colored petunias under the birdhouse.

I am transported to another place and time when I hang out the wash!

Our Sort of Evening

Last night Paul, Tyler, and I had a delightful evening. We often like to go somewhere on Sunday late afternoons/early evenings, preferably something outside, since Tyler is an all around happier child in the outdoors. It rained heavily off and on yesterday, so we weren't sure what we could do outside. So first we went to one of our favorite pizza places, Barnaby's (not sure if there are Barnaby's restaurants outside of the Chicago area, but it sure is good pizza!) for their yummy thin crust pizza. By the time we were done, the rains had cleared.

We decided that, even though it was already 7:30 or so, we would go to the Chicago Botanic Gardens anyway for a quick stroll before sundown. Going there on a Sunday, near closing time, after a heavy rain is the absolute best time to go. Other than a wedding party on the terrace, no one was there. We walked the paths of this beautiful garden by ourselves, drinking in the beauty of the scenery. It looked especially nice given the weather and time of day.

By the end, our little pal, dressed in his new dinosaur raincoat, was sleepy and very happy. So were we!