Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin carving on the front porch

My morning sewing = still house, blue skies, window open with an easy warm breeze, NPR, Sheryl Crow, Be Good Tanyas, coffee, making some bright pillows for the futon on the front porch

A weekend alone!

It's 5:30pm here on Friday. Joe and Levi have just driven away for the weekend. So, considering I'll gain an hour tomorrow night when time changes, I'm guessing I've got about the next 48 + 1 hours free to do whatever in my deliciously quiet house.

My plans? Finish painting the bathroom. Empty a zillion pics from the camera (if Joe didn't take it with him) & put some new shots on the blog. Finish some pillows for the front porch futon. And maybe work on the bedroom curtain project.

Oh, and SLEEP!! Sleep, sleep, sleep as late as I want for two beautiful mornings. My 10am waking-child has slowly been getting up earlier and earlier. I'm lucky these days if we're in bed till 8am. I'm hoping the curtains (which I'm heavily lining) will help with that - as Levi is pretty much up the minute it starts to get light outside.

Happy Halloween!!!

On the road

Packing up tonight to leave for Hogansville in the morn. Levi & I are off to visit Angie + fam.

A day spent outside today - got our first garden bed laid out & started work removing the grass.

Tired. Ready for bed.

Where I'm at

We spent Saturday-Monday in Athens putting a new metal roof on the house there - actually, I had very little to do with the "roof putting on", and a great deal of the wrangling Levi and running for last minute supplies & lunch for the roofers. I also got to spend a good amount of time nibbling on new baby toes! = lovin' on my new nephew Sam :)

All in all it was a whirlwind 3-day weekend, and I kept things slow & easy back at home on Tuesday just trying to regain myself. I'm feeling a bit disoriented even today & have checked the calender a dozen times trying to solidify the day & date in my mind = I can't seem to grasp whether it is Wed or Thurs.

Joe killed a really nice buck yesterday evening & the night was spent fireside with him while he field dressed and took all the cuts of meat. It's getting cooler here & I'm lovin' the 60-70's temps for the day. Have finally started on the laying out of garden beds. I spent most of today working outside & noting the sun's position to put the beds in the best full sun spot.

Not far from the tree...

A picky eater he is not:

Joe and I were sitting at the kitchen table last night & Levi comes cruising along munching broccoli he swiped from the fridge. Having fallen at the foot of his father's tree, he is showing signs of being a bottomless pit too. I am constantly shooing him out of the fridge. I found him in the bathroom yesterday sucking ketchup out of the bottle. His goose is near cooked though: I bought a lock for the fridge door yesterday.

Charles Samuel Neely Etheridge

Carrie had her baby - a boy! I'm an aunt for the first time & Levi has his very first first-cousin. Sam was born at 10:10am on Monday the 12th. He was 8lbs14ozs. They had not found out the sex & so it was a great surprise (especially since we all thought it would be a girl).

Congrats Greg and Carrie!

Because Sam was breech the planned homebirth was not possible. I know the feeling - having been transferred to the hospital while attempting to have Levi at home. It's frustrating to be transferred after so much time & effort spent preparing for a homebirth. I am still a homebirth advocate & wish this option were more widely available to women in Georgia. Carrie & Sam are both well and eager to come home tomorrow.

Here's Levi checking out his new cousin. I can't wait until they can really play together. Tree climbing, rock-throwing, fishing buddies.

What else would a new grandmother (Cookie) be doing. Taking pics with her cell phone:


Proud Pap:

Nursing well:

From the library

Saying a very quick "hi" from the library this morn. The power cord on our home laptop finally bit it & we've sent it back under warrenty to be repaired... so, no home computer right now. I feel a little lost sometimes from home (with no internet) & bored in the evenings. Will update again when I have a little more free time. Joe is watching Levi in the children's section & my time is nearly up. Cheers!

October!

One of my favorite months of the year. And with perfect timing the weather has turned off cool - my first long sleeves yesterday morn. Still working hours each day making this house our home. Nearly done with all the boxes.

Have taken my efforts outside - much of today was spent painting in the laundry room while Levi rolled & tumbled with Sadie. At one point he made off with an umbrella - I turned around to see him sitting beside Sadie holding the umbrella over them, creating a patch of shade.

Some shots from the last week around here:

Joe makes Levi his first bow & arrow, a fine woodsman in the making

24 layer chocolate cake

beauty berries at Papa's

kumquats ripening in Cairo