Reconnecting.

Hello Hutters....hutters....hutters.....
Yep, just as I expected. There is an echo in here.
What to say, what to say... I don't know, I'm just not feeling very inspired to write or really even share. All is well here and I am happy, just not feeling like sharing and opening up I guess. I see this blog as a space to exercise a writing "muscle" so to speak and when I am not here or thinking about this space, ease sets in.  And while a nagging shadow of challenge and growth is haunting me peripherally, I am safe from sharing and challenging myself further by writing. But I'd like to get back into the habit of creating here in this space, so I'll start small by sharing a small joy I experienced this week.
Do you pick up coins on the ground? Maybe not pennies (though I do).  Likely nickels and dimes, certainly you wouldn't skip over a quarter, would you? And never a silver dollar! Though I've never encountered a silver dollar free in the wild. While walking downtown with Goo this week I spotted a shiny penny on the sidewalk. As I reached down to pick it up, a small flicker to the left sparkled in my eye. So I picked up the penny then looked left at what I first though was a foreign coin. As I stretched out my finger and pinched together with my thumb, I felt a cold/burning sensation upon making contact with the coin. As I flipped it around then pressed it cradled in my palm, my eyes blinked at a dime I have never seen before. The weigh unlike other dimes, I didn't really know what I was looking at. I slipped it into my pocket, where it waited until I could take a closer look and do a bit of research at home. And what I found was this: A Mercury Dime, 90% silver, 1936, minted in San Fransisco.  

2015 Apple Hill Harvest Run.

 The Apple Hill Harvest Run is Camino School's biggest fundraiser, held the first Sunday in November. The proceeds pay for the Garden teacher as well as many other enriching activities for the students. I feel more connected to this race and how it benefits My Little Girls' school because I sit on the PTO board this year and can feel this event's important financial contribution to our budget.

This is the first year all 3 Littles ran the race! Ivy and Grady did the Kid's Fun Run. Because of other responsibilities with the race, I missed Grady's run (sniff, sniff). Tim says he had a fun time until he tripped and fell, banging up both knees pretty good. He still finished and told me after, "I didn't cry." I did see Ivy, she ran with her friend Amani. They were so sweet together and did great. Savannah, her two best girls Wrenna, Gracie and I did the 3.5, it was a beautiful day for a race.

Halloween.

The Little Girls had their Halloween Parade on Friday. Ivy went as Alice In Wonderland and Savannah was Little Red Riding Hood. Grady dressed up too, he was an astronaut.

Ivy's class with their lovely Miss Flynn.

Gracie, Savannah and Wrenna are "too big" to walk in the parade (sniff, sniff) but their teacher still let them dress up and watch the lower grades in all their costume glory.

Ivy says she doesn't like the parade, it makes her uncomfortable with all the people watching and indeed, the look on her face as she marched the blacktop was pathetic.

On Halloween we stopped by Great Grandma and Great Grandpa's house. Shannon, John, Dee Dee, Brandon and baby Finley were there too! Such a treat.

After we went to Gracie's house for a little party and some trick-or-treating.

Grady was really into it this year, his little knock and "Trick or Treat!" were precious. The Little Girls were so happy to be celebrating with their school friends. Sarah and Gary, Gracie's parents, always have a great party in their sweet neighborhood. This year they were such fun as Pedro and Napoleon Dynamite! 

Words.

Hi. Are you still here? Coming to The Hut? Life around here has been busy and full and we have been sick and healthy and sick again and you know, I have an unpublished post waiting in the queue-something I wanted to share with you that I've been working on but all this sort of is irrelevant because a friend of mine, Amy, has horribly and tragically died in a car accident. So sudden, so painfully sad. I will miss her because, well, of course any reason you would miss a friend but you know, you can't imagine how lovely Amy's spirit is. And the thing I think of every time I close my eyes or wake up or sit quietly in any space since her accident is this: that darkness in grief, that split second of realization and then lingering period of complete agony of not having this person in your physical space anymore, that scary cavern of empty space where she no longer is, that fear of life without her, that list of unanswered questions, that questioning why her, that not being able to say goodbye? Amy's family feels that right now. It makes me physically ill to know people I care about are hurting like this. I've been there feeling that and it's just awful. Anyways, maybe more on this later (I'd sure like to share some fun stuff about Amy)...maybe not. This wound is fresh and has privately torn open an old one for me.

Escape To Alcatraz.

What do you ask for your 10th birthday if you are Savannah? To go the Alcatraz with your best friend! So early Saturday morning Savannah and I picked up Wrenna and Krista and headed off to the city. Because it is Fleet Week in San Fransisco we knew the traffic would be crazy, we took the ferry.

Little and big Girls were spooked by the haunting audio tour inside the prison.

We all marveled at the view of the bay from this standpoint. Such breathtaking views.

We returned to the piers just in time for an incredible air show! The girls splashed in the water while Thunderbirds, Blue Angeles and a biplane performed ridiculous tricks and stunts in the bay.

Savannah's request for lunch was to eat at Greens. Our food was delicious and the view, lovely.

 

Thank you Savannah for choosing a fantastic way to celebrate a big birthday and to Krista and Wrenna for joining us in the fun.

Gardenwood.

Tara's new house in Poulsbo has a name! I swoon at a property with a name, don't you? The previous owner and builder of this lovely spot was a Master Gardener. The acreage is lush and vibrant, curated meticulously with a variety of plants, trees, flowers, fruit and vegetables. There is a tree house, rope swing, island with moat(!), acreage enough for a hike, barn, ponds, large living space...

(Tara on a hike around property)

AND A SHE SHED!! Yes, Tara has her own little cottage! Previously a potting shed, I can't wait to see what she makes of it.

I cannot tell you how lovely a feeling it was to sit at Tara's kitchen table and chat over coffee while Littles played nearby. Such peace and comfort to drink from those same mugs and share in the newness of this Washington life.

Oh, and Georgia (one of the Morris' cats) made herself right at home in Ivy's suitcase. I guess she needed a little bit of Camino to feel at home.

Seattle Trip.

Ivy and I flew North to Seattle for a few days, reuniting with our best girls Tara and Olive. This is our first trip together, just the 2 of us. So lovely to connect with Ivy in a way I could not have done at home.





Ivy and Olive headed to Pike's Place.

Gum Wall.

Tara! So good to see this face.

Dahlias aplenty.

Balloon Man.

Ferry to Bainbridge Island, on our way to Tara and Olive's new house.

A perfect Autumn day. Space Needle in the distance, beyond these silly Little Girls.

10.

Savannah Jane is 10 years old! She was awake and ready to meet this new year at 5:30 this morning. There has been a lot of anticipation about this birthday. She has been squeaking her seal call (a excited sound she started making at 6 months old) bouncing around the house in excited expectation of this day.

She wanted me to make Whoopie Pies to share with her class, but told me this after I had already made chocolate-dipped meringues. She really didn't care too much but then her teacher forgot to celebrate her birthday during school! SO, I guess the treats have to wait until tomorrow. Speaking of school...it is ridiculously sad and difficult for me to send My Littles to school on their birthdays. I hate spending the majority of the day away from them. It was brutal this morning to see Savannah go. 

Tonight we celebrated with homemade cheesecake, brownies and ice cream. Grandpa Dan, Sylvia and The Potter's came for dessert and in celebration of this sweet girl. 

I can't believe she is 10 years old...
Happy Birthday Savannah Jane!