~Today Galen was a cow that needed milking in the morning and a queen in the afternoon.

~We were supposed to have friends over, but they had to cancel and we were kind of at a loss as to what to do with ourselves.

~Early in the morning a road crew started repaving a section of road about a block away.  We’re still sensitive enough to chemicals that this was scary and the children and I ran around the house closing and locking windows and digging out the air purifier.

~It was a dark, grey, blah sort of day, with everyone a bit cranky and antsy at being trapped inside.

~We cooked and ate, did some dishes and laundry (I’m forever doing laundry).  Eljiah broke a plate, Màiri fell in the toilet, Iain and Galen crashed into each other.  It was that kind of morning.  I rocked Màiri and sang to her.  The kids read a lot. I played the piano with little cars rolling over the keys an octave down, unclogged the adored laundry chute, and was called upon, yet again to explain why I don’t think our landlord would appreciate us keeping a horse in the shed.

~Around 1:30 the workmen packed up.  We went out.  The wind was blowing strongly in the opposite direction.  What a relief!  I weeded.  The little ones caught a grasshopper, the bigger ones played catch.

~storms started rolling in, canceling our tentative plans to cook supper over an open fire.

~It was decided that a change of scenery was most definitely needed.  When Steve came home we would head to town.

~Iain offered to get Màiri Rose ready to go out.  He tried to bribed her with a nickel to wear a dress, she held out to the tune of twenty-five cents, but looked adorable in her red gingham….and one of Elijah’s hats.

(my hair is still wet in this picture.  why is my hair always wet in the pictures I post?)

~I decided to put on a dress and make-up (a couple of months ago I started wearing make-up occasionally for the first time in 12 years or so) and to pretend like I was going on a date with my husband, instead of the six of us being driven out of the house by roadwork and unfavorable weather.  It was very funny and somewhat sad that the lady at the fabric store that I now know quite well, didn’t recognize me.  “Oh my gosh, it’s you!  I just figured it out from your voice!”

~Also a little sad, the only nice dress that I could find in my closet is one that I bought when I was 16.

~bobbins, a yard of something nice off the remnant table and the fabric to make Little Rosebud an autumn outfit, were all procured while the rest of the family returned library books up the street.

~we all took a little stop in at the used bookstore.  Both of these stores are just the kind I like; quiet, a little dim, somewhat cluttered, with so many interesting things to look at on over-flowing old wooden shelves.  They both stock the kinds of gems that you just won’t find anywhere else.

~a couple of select things that made their way home with us.  I was hoping to find the entire Anne of Green Gables set, the boys are reading them now and our library doesn’t carry them all, but only one volume was to be found.

~also “The New England Cook Book: The Latest and the Best Methods for Economy and Luxury at Home” , a reprint of the 1905 classic and “The Field and Forest Handy Book” both of which will be thoroughly enjoyed in this house.

~Steve was kind enough to sneak back and secretly purchase a vintage storybook with charming pictures (Jesse Wilcox Smith makes me so happy), that has now been tucked away for Christmas.

~ran into some friends on stood on the sidewalk, in a bit of rain, chatting

~and then dinner out.  Such a treat!  We love this little Mexican restaurant.  It’s one of those rare and delightful places that uses fresh and local ingredients and offers big servings for a moderate price.  It’s one of Galen’s very favorite places and I was highly amused by watching him very carefully packing up his leftovers to take home.

~Mist covered the mountains on our way home.