one hundred and thirty

And a start to a new adventure.

We have a plan. A plan to leave our shared-with-a-neighbor duplex and move into a shared-with-family duplex. For the past year we have been working on step one: sell our house. It has been a long year of cleaning, showings, packing stuff into storage and waiting. Lots of waiting.

As the sale of our house grew closer we started our search for a new place. Again, it has been a tricky task. When you’re looking for a roomy, two family house, near church, the beach and the library, not too far from work, with a yard, parking and room for a pony (not to mention on budget), it isn’t too surprising that the options are slim.

Despite having not found our new dream house we continued on with the sale of our sweet little home. We’ve weeded down our possessions and (with the help of my dad) packed the remainder tetris style in an almost-too-small storage unit. While continuing on our search we’ll be renting locally and doing some, previously scheduled, summer road tripping. We know that the right place for us will come along and are excited to see what it holds for us.

one hundred and twenty nine

Today we have another entry into the category of experiences I like to call Secondary Awesome. Secondary Awesome happens when you show up to your regularly scheduled Awesome (Church, Ice Skating, Hiking, Beach, Market Basket) and wind up discovering something new and cool to do beyond what you had expected.

Our library is fantastic and the girls really love our Thursday afternoons there. The books, the games, the kids, and the librarians are a highlight of the week, but sometimes all of that is overshadowed by the secondary awesomeness of the snails in the garden outside.

It’s not always easy or possible, but I try to keep our schedules open so we can enjoy the secondary awesome whenever we come across it!

one hundred and twenty eight

one hundred and twenty seven

Thanks to PBS, I’ve been, quite happily, getting a large dose of British tv lately. Tonight we’re catching up on The Bletchley Circle, but I’m enjoying Mr Selfridge and Call the Midwife at the moment as well.

PBS and Netflix are far less expensive than airfare, and at a moment’s notice I can be sipping tea at Downton Abbey or buying a fish in Port Wenn. I can ride a train North (and South) and I, over the course of a weekend, can travel to four different era’s in GB’s history (no TARDIS necessary).

I love seeing familiar faces show up in unexpected places (Evelyn Napier vs the Crimson Horror, anyone?) and there’s nothing like a beautiful, yet depressing, British costume drama to put me in a good mood. If I ever get back to visit England I know to never visit Midsomer, as no one seems to get out of there alive and I know that the London Eye will lead me directly to the Nestene Consciousness.

And don’t even get me started on the accents! I think I’m getting the hang of identifying them by region, but it doesn’t matter to me, Welsh, Scottish, Yorkshire, London, Cornwall… I love them all!

I know there are other Anglo(tv)philes out there. What to you like to watch? Who are your favorite British actors? Characters?

one hundred and twenty six

“Mama, I have these tubes from the recycling and I’m taking the paints to my art desk. Is that okay?”
“Um, sure.”
“Don’t worry. I’m just going to make monsters.” (Catherine, 6)

one hundred and twenty five

I desperately want to make a joke here, but I fear I’m just not nerdy enough to do it right.

I know that I have readers out there who can help me out. Any takers?

one hundred and twenty four

Today has been a day of ups and downs. While Peter and I have been glad for the ups, Esme was enjoying her own downs.

one hundred and twenty three

Don’t feel like going out for froyo? No problem! This portable Zinga joint will deliver anywhere in the ‘at home’ region. Featuring a smart green door and Zinga sticker sign it is hard to miss as it walks from room to room. A quick peek inside reveals the three flavors painted on the back wall: apple, orange and mint.

Best of all…the price! Absolutely free! And they accept tips in the form of kisses. Who could ask for more?

one hundred and twenty two

Esme, looking in on Sister during Science Club.

one hundred and twenty one

This first day of May was a picture perfect day for a hike. We met up with some friends, and a group of locals, for a hike with the ranger at Harold Parker State Forest in North Andover.

We chatted along the route, saw skunk cabbage and budding trees, had an impromptu “does it float or sink” experiment and spotted snakes and turtles along the lakeshore. It was topped off by a picnic lunch near the pond as one of the regulars gave a little campfire starting demonstration.

Somewhere along the way, Catherine found this Oak Apple Gall. It was still perfectly spherical when she picked it up, but curiosity got the better of us and we wound up cracking it open. Ranger Bob gave us the lowdown on this first home for the Cynipidae Wasp. It’s a fascinating story of symbiosis between the oak tree and the wasp larvae. (Check out the wiki link above to learn more!)