Peas

Momo and I picked these today at the farm while Claire had a playdate with her friend Julia. Aren't they so pretty? And delicious, too, I might add.

Summery Saturday

Me taking a photo, taken by my daughter!

When the weather is good here, there is so much to do! We returned to the Rose Garden in the morning where the kids practiced taking photographs of flowers (guess who inspired them!). Then we spent the afternoon at Blue Heron Farm. After hunting for bugs and butterflies, the kids decided it was time for mud! They had a great time rubbing themselves with the brown natural skin care.

Happy summer solstice - the longest day of the year!

New Addition

I have lost count of all the species of life that have come and gone through our apartment. Here is the newest one: a toad! We will release him soon since we can't provide him with live bugs for food... Cute, though, isn't he?

Gift from the farm

Almost like standing in the middle of the field, full of poppies, in southern France....
Only if the Euro wasn't so outrageously expensive, we could be there. Thanks to Farmer Ellery, we have some poppies with which we can day-dream.

First Harvest

cabbage

snow peas

radishes

garlic scape

Our little garden at Drumlin Farm gave us our first harvest today: radishes! We had not been back in a few weeks, and lo and behold, everything was thriving and growing so fast we could hardly remember our little plot.

The kids had never tasted radishes before, and had some tonight in our salad. They were thrilled to pull the plump red and white bulbs from the dirt, realizing their own efforts several weeks back.

We look forward to more goodies from the earth before our trip out West.

The Rose Garden

Free to the public, the Rose Garden in Boston is an urban sanctuary for anyone interested in learning about and smelling hundreds of different kinds of roses. Some of the roses have familiar names like "Double Delight" and "New Dawn" while others are a bit more customized like "Julia Child" and "Othelia" (Claire's favorite).

Pink, yellow, white, violet, peach, deep red, magenta, lilac - you name the color, we probably saw roses in that color today. The Rose Garden is definitely one of the hidden gems of Bean Town.

Summer Evening

We strolled into Harvard Square for Herrell's ice cream with their famous hot fudge sauce tonight: the best of all possible summer nights. The air was still warm, and dry, and the early evening sun touched the beautiful roses to celebrate all the great things that come with the season!

Perfection

I had 48 hours in Santa Cruz, and it made me so happy to think that we will be going back there in less than two months! The weather, the friends, the open space... it was 48 hours of perfection.

More Poppies

These are not quite as stunning as the red ones, but stunning nonetheless.

Plum Island

The kids and I took a road trip to Maine last weekend. On the way back, we drove through several thunder storms, some large enough to make my hands clutch the steering wheels a bit too tight. As we approached the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, it occurred to me that we should make a detour to Plum Island. I had been there years ago, with fond memories lingering of beautiful beaches, and endless vistas. Despite the threatening clouds, and possible downpours, we found our way to one of the beaches.

The kids loved the empty beach. Who was going to come to the beach on that kind of day? They ran, and skipped and drew on the sand. We didn't stay long, but I promised them we would go back there again before we head back out West.

Poppies

These poppies are so beautiful and elegant I wish we could eat them! Summer is near. Thunderstorms are rolling in now, with crazy downpours I could pretend I were back in Thailand.

Blue White and Purple

We are transitioning from Spring to Summer. All the Spring blooms have come and gone. The kids are a bit perplexed by the impermanence of the blossoms. Momo's apple tree is now filled in with leaves, and no more flowers.

The Peonies are about to bloom - I am excited about that! And soon, we will be saying goodbye to the friends and flowers we have made here this past year.

Many more adventures to come before then. We are learning to live with the fleeting beauty and joy that is part of life.

Connecticut Visit

A short, but sweet visit to see our dear friends in Connecticut. The kids all played together while the adults enjoyed each other's company. And if you are like me, you will get so inspired by Laurie's art work! We were lucky to get to see her studio where it all begins!

Same Path

For now, they are heading down the same path. Who knows how long that will be the case. I am hoping they can stay together like this as long as they can...

Vernal Pool treasures

The vernal pool at Blue Heron is now in all its glory. Birds chirping, frogs hopping, tadpoles swimming, and unfortunately, ticks biting. We saw a frog (who was too fast to catch), and several tadpoles, two of which we took home to care for... We will keep you posted on the progress of our new pets!

Family Garden

The kids and I started an afternoon class at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln last week. The class, titled "Family Garden", is designed for children ages 3-5 accompanied by adults. The teacher, Debbie, is a natural teacher with wonderful projecting voice and passion for teaching. The kids gravitate to her without hesitation, which is always a welcoming treat (instead of having shy monkeys attached onto me).

We still go to Blue Heron for free play, catching bugs, and helping out with the farm. I am so glad the growing season is upon us once more!