OCTOBER

Make a Smilebox slideshow

MR. FROST SPEAKS TO ME...

Who can better describe a New England season than Robert Frost?
He penned the following, an excerpt from my favorite autumn poem, in 1913:

OCTOBER

O HUSHED October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
To-morrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
To-morrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow,
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know;
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away;
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!

MOM, NOAH HITTED ME

Noah

has
"published"
his first
Word
document.

It debuted at home followed by a brief run in

Mrs. Ambler's 2nd grade class.

Ratings: 3 stars for truthfulness,
5 stars for humor, 3 stars for spelling.

Here's the text in its entirety:

The boy who “cried mom Noah hitted me”

One day a boy named Eli needed some fun. So he decided to play a trick on his mom. His older brother Noah dint like it at all. and tried to tell mom but Eli might tell that he did not do it. After diner Eli did it “mom Noah hitted me.” Quick as lightening mom came to Eli. “What is the mater Eli?” “Noah h hitted me” and Noah did not hit Eli. So Noah got sent to his room. So when Noah woke up he did the usual stuff. Play video games and eat breakfast and slept and go to the barn and run around like a mad man and bother Noah’s brother and do home woke and finish the day.

On Sunday Eli did it “mom Noah hitted me”. After church Noah had it. It was the last straw. Noah ripped he’s hair out. He looks like a gorilla when you try to teak he’s food away. So on Monday Eli almost did it but Noah grabbed Eli but Noah got kick and Eli did it and Noah riley hitted Eli “mom Noah hitted me” mom herd Eli but mom did not come cause Eli kept on joked p.s. not the funny joke. And Noah kept on hitting Eli teen Noah eat all of Eli’s cookies up and Eli was sad and noah was happy and mom was relax and dad I really don’t now what mood dads in any ways and the family ways non problem tape family. THE END.

THE 1STS OF THE 2NDS

E. - ready for the 1st day of his 2nd year of preschool!

N. - ready for his 1st day of 2nd grade!

SUMMER DAYS, DRIFTIN' AWAY...

Where did it go? Suddenly we are at the end of our first month of school and summer seems so long ago. For a travelin' girl like me, our stay-around-home summer was much better than I expected. N. & E. are old enough now (7.5 & 4) to be more fun than challenging at museums, playing games, and creating unfathomable numbers of random crafts. The boys went camping, to swim lessons & bible camp, and had friends over to play on the humongous water slide (purchased out of desparation in Aug. when I ran out of brain cells and things to do). Cousins Melanie & Samantha visited from TX and cousins Alyssa & Xander came down from MA a few times. N.'s favorites? The water slide and Lazer Tag camp (life is rough) and cousins. E.'s favorites? Was it soccer camp? Swim lessons? Everything was exciting for him - he's 4!

D. & I were "parents" of our church's teens for youth conference at the Joseph Smith birthplace in Vermont. The theme was "The Life of Christ" and we shared revolving moments of craziness, annoyance, and awesome spirituality. In July D., the church Young Men's group president, had more of the same leading his troops on a 150 mile bike ride throughout the islands of Lake Champlain. The reward? A wild and wooly white water rafting trip on the upper portion of the Hudson River. He (D.) only fell out of the canoe 3 times... ya, ONLY! Oh, and we both also got to take the youth tubing down the Farmington River here in CT. Do ya think we all LOVE the water?!

My summer favorites....hmmmm, was it the beach in RI? Always, and this year I taught N. to boogie board. How about the overweight, forty-something mom and her skinny 7 year old catching the waves together - ya baby! Was it picking and canning every fruit and vegetable that grows in New England? Naw, that wears off pretty quickly, however I am thankful for a great harvest and my good friend DM who slogs through it all with me. Was it the million eggs I picked up in the stinky, fly-infested hen house? Naw, but I like the chickens and love the eggs. No, I think my favorite thing this summer was learning that it was okay (and even mostly fun) to hang out with my guys, work in the garden, read a bunch of books, and put up food that will will be so yummy and fresh tasting in the middle of winter.

We hope you all have fun memories of your slowly fading away summer days too!

NO PLANES

EATING MY WORDS

I said I wouldn't do it.
"NO BLOG" for me.
Too impersonal.
Too cutesy.
Too self-absorbed.
TMI.
Not for 40-somethings.
Not secure enough.
Who has time to post?
Who has time to read postings?
I've eaten these words & many more.
I apologize to my loved ones who blog.
I love seeing your pictures.
I enjoy knowing what's up with you all.
You were right.
It is easier.
It's only self-absorbed if you rant.
It can be simple and graphic.
No more e-mailed pictures.
No more berating myself because I am a poor keep-in-toucher.
No more excuses.
Here's to turning over the proverbial new leaf.....