Home
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Michael will be home for the summer soon. He's going to be working nearby and living here. And then, he has just eight credits and a final season of soccer on campus and he will be home again, newly graduated and living here before he is launched into the world.
Patrick is at home now. But there are opportunities on his horizon that will take him far from home --- and then home again. And then far from home. And then home again.
And of course, it is a well-established fact that my husband leaves home frequently to bless his family and then, he comes home again.
I stand at the dawn of a new season of family life. The season of leaving and coming home again.
What is this place that my family calls "home?"
Is it a soft place to land after working hard in the world?
Is it a place of encouragement and kindness?
Is it warm and familiar and predictable?
Is home an anchor in their hearts and minds and souls, the place of peace they carry with them?
Is it a domestic monastery?
I think I'll think upon these things in the next few days.
Dandy Day!
/The day began with an announcement from Karoline:
"Mama," said she, her fist full of dandelions for me to put into a tiny pitcher, "we have so many beautiful yellow flowers and the neighbors have none. I'm going to pick them all and scatter them in everyone's yard just like Miss Rumphius. Then, there will be beautiful yellow flowers everywhere."
As luck would have it, Catherine shared a recipe for Dandelion Syrup on Kind Conversation. So, we suggested that Karoline and her sisters and her friends gather the flowers for syrup making purposes.
They spent a glorious couple of hours making their fingers a lovely shade of yellow.
They stirred some "dandelion soup."
They measured until there was enough.
They brought it in to boil and steeped.
We read Miss Rumphius and Dandelions and The Dandelion Seed and Stars in the Grass at bedtime.
The next day, we added sugar and cooked and cooked.
Dandelion Syrup.
Brings sweet tea to a whole new place:-).
When I tucked Katie into bed that night she commented, "Some people call dandelions weeds. Don't they see the flowers? Everyone should have a girl to show her the flowers when all they see are the weeds."
Everyone should.
Map Madness
/When all they care about is crazy basketball, sneak a little geography in this way:
