Life in Two Places - and Love from a Toddler

Having a rather strange week this week... it's fermentation time out at the vineyard, so we're commuting in to school from there... and checking on the house every so often. Fortunately we have great neighbors who keep a watchful eye on things for us.. but it feels weird to have your life split between two places. The 45 minute commute each a.m. is not so bad... I get a lot of papers graded or napping done, depending on how tired I am. By the way, we're offline at the vineyard which explains why I am not on here as much lately.

As the wine simmers (yes, it actually bubbles as it ferments) it smells very yeasty - sort of like when you mix bread dough. Things are going well so far and next year's vintages should be good ones.

Our kids are now in ensconced in their new home. We stopped over to see them last night and Sydney let out a whoop and a squeal as we came in the door... and then she dashed into our arms grinning like crazy. It felt SO amazing to be loved that much by a little person! Gret said she's been asking for us each morning but seeing her last night so happy just made my heart go all mushy!

Waiting, waiting, and more waiting...

After an entire summer of smooth sailing on their new home build, our kids are hanging in "loan limbo" and dealing with closing hassles. NOT fun, not at all! And NONE of it is any of their fault which is even MORE frustrating.

Last Thursday's originally scheduled closing was bumped back to today due to a computer snafu at the Lender's office. Today they appeared to have all the ducks in line and signed on the dotted lines but got no keys until their checks all were wired from the the Title Company to the Lender... the clock ticked, it continued to tick, and the end of the working day arrived... but no confirmation of the final wire of money. SO.... maybe tomorrow will be the big day... a week late and on an inconvenient date for almost everyone involved, but at least by this time tomorrow they may have the keys in their hands!

What a dismal way to experience the uncomfortable truth that there are times when NOTHING is within your realm of control... and house closings appear to be one of those times!

Meanwhile, our nest remains joyously (if somewhat frustratedly) full... the chicks want to fly but they need a place to land!

Sunflowers and other Goldens

We've had a gorgeous weekend of unseasonably cool weather here. It's been so wonderful to have the windows open and sleep to songs of the crickets floating in on the breeze! Yesterday we headed off to the vineyard and spent a lovely day bottling wine, visiting with our customers who more and more seem like friends, and walking the dogs. We had Bailey with us as his family is in Colorado, and the dog was in doggie paradise.
We roamed around the fields and he sniffed EVERYTHING his nose could find to sniff. He romped and bounced and just had a marvelous time! It was so joyous that it made you think, he's been waiting in the house for days and days to do something like this... it was just delightful to watch him. After he got his fill of sniffing and such, he laid down in the grass, where I was able to do a photoshoot of him. I got some really awesome shots of our grandpuppy. (Chas told me he wasn't jealous since he's always getting his photo taken.) So what you see here is one happy canine... watching the sunset from the front lawn of his family's vineyard. Contentment!

Fun with Friends Who will Work for Wine!

Spent a delight weekend just past with good friends from Ft. Wayne. We were together earlier this summer in Indiana to celebrate their daughter's wedding and decided we had to get together again before the summer was over. That weekend coincided with the bottling of our 2008 Seyval out at Rolling Meadows! We spent the day filling, corking, labeling and sealing the new vintage into its bottles and then we had a really nice lunch provided by Gret and Leon who came out to the vineyard to enjoy the afternoon. Two customers made the day an all around success! This new wine is a winner... but sharing it with old friends made it even better!

Less than a month to go!

Front view.

They have set the date... Sept. 3rd... and by that date the kids will have their new home. Here's a photo update on how things are going. It's really pretty! We love it and are SO happy for them.

Living room fireplace.

Looking from the kitchen entry area toward the sunroom and the living room.

Sitting on the almost finished stairway.

A Summer Sunday with Girls in Blue

Sydney and Rhylah peek around the tree looking for grandma.
(that's our secret method for getting them to stay together for a photo!)

Today is the final day of Michigan grandkids' visit... and we are sure going to miss them. After church this morning, we went outside to have Uncle Nate get some shots of the two in the dresses I made them. The results were lots of silly shots where one girl would walk away or poke the other with a twig found in the grass. But thanks to Nathan, I was able to have a few that were real gems!!! (some other time I'll post the outtakes too!) Here's to the last Sunday of summer vacation. I go back to school and preps for Aug. 12th tomorrow!

Don't you just love girls in ponytails?

Blue ribbons, blue dress, BLUE EYES! Rhy is a stunner!

I snapped this one of Gret and Syd as we were wrapping up the shoot. Too cute!

Baseball in St. Lou! - the Kid Version

Baseball and summer meet at a classic spot... St. Louis! We took the grandkids to a Cardinal game last night. First ever for Rhy, first since infancy for Ash, and first for Gabe since he became a true fan of the game! We had the best time! Rode down on the Metrolink, fun going.. very crowded returning.. but all part of the grand adventure!

Food such as hotdogs, juice boxes, and of course, COTTON CANDY, was consumed by all present... well, I am not sure Papa ate any cotton candy. The Cards cooperated by beating the Houston Astros 4-3.

Gabriel kept score throughout the entire game and his dreams of playing in the "big leagues" got even bigger as he watched Albert Pujols, Rick Ankiel, and Yadier Molina do their stuff. His eyes were HUGE the whole evening.

No one got crabby, no one complained, no one got lost- not even grandma! We were all up very late but came home happy! What a fun time!

Funniest/most ironic moment? Less than 5 minutes after Papa took the boys on a bathroom expedition, a Cardinal hit the only Home Run of the game which always triggers fireworks and great whooping from the fans. Our boys.. well, let's just say they only "heard" it from the facilities. Good thing the Cards won so we (or some of us) got to see fireworks twice!

Dream big, little man!

Time for a little Magic!

Ash is all business while working in the water area!

The whole Harrmann gang interacts with an exhibit
based on their favorite book, Goodnight Moon!

Today's adventure involved the Magic House a fabulous place of exploration and adventure in Kirkwood, MO. The place is simply amazing... kids can explore science, careers, imagination, and creativity and so much more. It is one of the most popular places to take kids in St. Louis. We even ran into 3 of our students chaperoning a group of kids from St. Charles while we were there! Asher was in his element, virtually EVERYTHING was geared for the 3-5 set, although we found plenty for Gabriel and Rhylah to explore and enjoy as well.

Rhylah is absolutely entranced by the fish...she'd have stayed right here all morning if we'd let her.

Rhylah loved the fish, the tot lot, and water toys. Ash did it all (as you can see from the photos)
Gabe found anything that involved climbing to be totally cool.The place was packed with kids, but everyone got along quite nicely, taking turns and smiling with joy at one another. I don't think I heard even one kid crying the whole time I was there... although Ed says he may have seen a couple.

Ash tried out his car repair skills.....

... and his construction engineering skills.....

... and his cobbler skills! I think he has potential in all three!

The hardest part of going to the Magic House is getting your kids to leave... ours left quite politely. We followed the visit with Happy Meals and the day was complete. Then home for naps... ahh... sleeping munchkins, every mom's (and grandmom's) secret joy!

The boys climb off the 3 story tall beanstalk, high five their mom, and head for lunch!

Indiana Jones and the Queeny Park Temple of Doom

Indiana Harrmann.... the boy was totally on an adventure!

I have a photo of Katrina at age 6 in EXACTLY this spot back in 1985... wow, was it
weird to shoot this one 24 years later!

My grandsons got in touch with their "inner Indiana" today at Queeny Park. We packed up the kids and a picnic and headed to the park shortly after the rush hour was over. They had a blast. Even with being prepared for how fun the park was, the first word out of Gabe's mouth as we pulled up was, "WHOA!"

They romped about pretending for the better part of an hour and a half. (with frequent water and snack breaks in between). We frequently heard snatches of the Indiana Jones theme or Pirates of the Carribean being hummed as they crawled up "mountains" and in an out of tunnels in their quests of adventure!

Then when it was time to go, we brought 2 little people home to take a LONG nap while big brother floated in the pool to his heart's content. Suffice it to say, a good time was had by all!

Rhylah obviously enjoys red grapes!

Here are the boys "up on top"....

And here is what they were up on top of! (that's them way in the distance and small!)

Tea for Two

I am certain there are very few things cuter than my grandkids... particularly my granddaughters who have just reached the tea party stage. Today they conducted a joint tea ceremony in my sunroom and what fun it was!

I have also included some adorable shots of Rhylah who took to the pool like a fish on the very first day she arrived in town! Way to swim, Rhy!

The Build Continues

My kids have been too busy to post much on their new home...so I will share with you what's up on it lately! It now has a roof and inside walls are studded in. By the time I post this they will have finished the electrical and plumbing and already begun the wall board. Things are rolling along nicely.

Exterior view.

This was shot from the kitchen toward the great room. The fireplace is gas.

This was shot from one end of the master suite looking toward the master bath and hallway entrance to the room.

This is the view out Syd's bedroom closet window. It's the little window just over the porch portico on the first photo. It gives you an idea of what the other houses on their court look like!

A Bit 'o Boston

Sunnyside - Home of author Washington Irving
Nestled along the Hudson River and was quite peaceful until the state of New York ran a train track through his front yard right along the riverbank! Is no one safe from progress?!? No photos were allowed inside, but it was
very lovely and well preservered with lots of Irving family momento

It dawned on me yesterday as I was sorting through some photos shot this summer that I never completed my postings on my June East Coast adventures. I went on and on about New York City but never about Boston. Hoping to correct that oversight, I thought about my post and then I learned yesterday that the Boston area has only had 3 sunny days since Memorial Weekend. Well, Gretchen and I caught 2 of them. The sunshine was gorgeous while we were there. So here is my adventure part TWO!

On our way out of NYC (June 5) we threaded a path through the Hudson River Valley and stopped in the tiny town of Tarrytown, home of author Washington Irving. Now most think of him only as the guy who wrote the "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip vanWinkle", myself included. We learned that he was a diplomat, a man who compiled the first detailed life account of Abraham Lincoln, and that he remained a bachelor all his life while supporting his mildly impoverished relatives. We visited his estate along the Hudson River called "Sunnyside" and it was quite the place. We had a private tour and it was delightful. Just about everything in the house is original to the family and I highly recommend any literary buffs to see it!

The next day, June 6th, found us zipping up into Massachusetts in our rental car. We asked the Tomtom to plot us a scenic route as we were in no huge rush and also decided to avoid toll roads. We decided to loop a path that would take us through the historic city of Concord, home of many famous authors and birthplace of the American Revolution.

What a unique city, or rather still a town. We roamed streets once the paths of the ilk of Emerson, Alcott, Hawthorne, and Thoreau and imagined ourselves seeing them around just about every turn. Our luncheon spot was the historic Concord Inn, a dining spot on a crossroads that's been in continuous operation since 1715. (That's about as a far back and old as you can find things in America!)The lobster rolls there are delicious and hit the spot!We visited the historic Old North Bridge where the "shots heard round the world" were fired by the Minutemen and we found the homes and burials sites of all the aforementioned authors.

The Colonial Inn... serving travelers continuously since 1715!

Me relaxing on the idyllic Old North Bridge... it's quite scenic and peaceful - very unlike it was the night Paul Revere made his famous ride! I was surprised how secluded the spot was for such an historic moment!

Here's the bridge in its entirety, the statue in the distance is of a Minuteman. Here is where the opening shots of what would become the American Revolution were fired.

Okay, this is NOT a famous rock wall, but instead more of a typical New England rock wall. I envision myself using it from here on out every time I teach Frost's poem "Mending Wall" to my students. You know it... "something there is that doesn't love a wall".... and "good fences make good neighbors..".

Orchard House, home of the Alcotts... Louisa May and her sisters! I got to walk all the way round it. It looks like one of the "Little Women" could pop out the green front door at any moment! And their nearby neighbors, the Hawthornes would have them in for tea... I just know it!

Louisa and all her family are buried in Sleepy Hollow cemetery... not the Irving version, the Concord version. Story has it that these authors had a spot in the cemetery grounds where they would meet to talk and discuss ideas and that later, they arranged for all of them to be buried in the spot. Within 10 yards of each other you have the Alcotts, the Emersons, the Thoreaus, and some of the Hawthornes! Amazing to think of them all here in the "hotbed town" for literary greatness! Louisa's stone struck me for its total simplicity, not a tall marker or elaborate carved sculpture, just a white stone in the ground near to her mom and dad and sisters.

Here's Henry David Thoreau's final spot in his family group area. Just his first name on his stone, the family marker is adjacent to it. People leave him tokens here... and I found the Obama button to be a delight. I think Henry would approve of it right along with the karma beads, the pens, and the pine cones!

It was a wonderful day full of literature and history. The crowning point for me was our final spot... Walden Pond. Long a fan of Henry David Thoreau, I just had to see it. Believe it or not, there's a public swimming beach there now and on this sunny day in Massachusetts it was being well used!

This is a replica of Thoreau's Walden Pond cottage. It's built to the exact specifications set out in his book but not quite on the exact location of the original. It's smaller than a one car garage but quite cozy. The bronze of him nearby sets you to wondering how better off we'd all be if we had a cottage to run away to and the luxury of jobs that would enable you to do it!

And at last, Walden Pond, it was much larger than I expected. Really, in Missouri, it would be Walden LAKE! Very pretty and tranquil for the most part... if you count out the public bathing beach immediately to the side of where I was standing as I shot this. I will leave out a shot of that, it's more inspiring with out the tourists in the shot!

Tomorrow's post: Boston!