Brand new

- Baby! Benjamin Gabriel Donck, born yesterday. He came easily into the world and was welcomed by Damien (Nicolas' brother) and Stacy Donck. We are so happy for them.

- GT's Turkeys, Gillen's new blog.

Born on the Fourth of July

It was my father's birthday yesterday. The very cool city of Decatur honored him with a parade. Being the great leader and cat in a hat actor that he is, he ran home and got his unicycle so that he could be the master of ceremonies from en high:He and his fabulous wife Dina were great about acknowledging all of the citizens of their fair city who came out to say happy birthday:

There was an unprecedented turn-out:The grand finale was a magnificent fireworks display:
Though here, the kids are just looking up to their beloved Poppi, still riding the unicycle:Happy Birthday dad (and of course, the country).

Local meal, with a mime

A few of Gillen's poults encouraging one another that he will be back from camp soon:
They'd be glad to know that last night's dinner was meatless. It was also all local, even the wine. My cousin Lake was here, having worked all day at the farm. He helped cook the stir-fry, with lots of summer squash and zucchini, garlic, torpedo onions, turnips and eggs, all from the farm (all but the rice and soy sauce). We also ate our first green beans of the season and had our cucumbers in a salad.

Also visiting was this sweet mime:

And his darker twin:

A few Montana moments

The beautiful mama, Bhu. See her daughter Isha's sweet head? Doesn't it just bring you back to the smell? That new sweet smell that stops time and brings hardened men to their knees. Ahhhh.

Another bit of Isha that really got me was this sight - Isha in the Moby carrier (wish they'd made something this cool when I had babes) with nothing but her thick socks sticking out.
I really like her mama's hot pink sweatpants. Such a comfortable yet enlivening choice for those first months after having a baby. They should pass these out to new mothers.

Below - the fire starter, the dad, and one of the funniest men alive - Matt. Here he was cooking us up some Montana Rib-Eyes that Bhu's mom Elizabeth had gotten for us.
Elizabeth was fantastic. She cooked delicious meals and froze others for later. She did laundry. She even washed windows. It was really fun to be with she and Bhu for the few days that our visits overlapped. Thirty-one years ago, I was 14 years old and Bhu was still growing in Elizabeth's belly. I stayed with Elizabeth and my father that summer and was able to bond with my new baby sister for the first six weeks of her life. It is incredible to now meet her baby. sigh. If only Montana were a bit closer.

I've fallen in love.
One more thing - I just realized that two of my favorite parts of Matt and Bhu's cozy log cabin home are in this picture - the very long legged wombat that my brother and Naomi sent to Isha from Australia is to the right, and "Ashley", the red patterned octopus that my talented sister created, is to the left.

Next time I see her, Isha will probably be dragging these two around with her while she runs around exploring her world.

Saturday in the country

As opposed to last Saturday, when I was packing in art films, bookstores and city friends, today was all about Gillen and Jesse and their favorite things to do - which are much better done in the country.

Most Saturdays start with Gillen's archery class. He is getting really good. I admit to hoping that archery competitions, with their stuffed animals, end up enticing him more than real hunting. But then, I grew up in the city. Gillen thanks God he's a country boy.We bought books at the Scholastic book fair and then made our way to our local Rutledge May fair. There were country bands, barbecue, art booths and pony rides.

We got to visit Molly in her studio there and tell her how much we loved her newly published book, How the Caboose Came to Rutledge. She and her husband Ed owned our house before we did. Ed threw out his back while creating this house's second floor. The book is about him giving up the hammer and nails and deciding to buy a caboose. He did just this. Over ten years ago, Ed bought a sweet little red caboose and moved it to Rutledge in order to open an ice cream/ sandwich shop.

We got to see the original pages for the book framed on Molly's studio wall. Our house is in the book:
Then we went next door to The Caboose. I got homemade lemonade, Jesse had a double scoop cone and Gillen had a green and blue ice.
Next was bungie jumping.


Back home again, there was baseball (Jesse's latest self-proclaimed obsession):
My cousin Lake came to dinner.He played baseball, then football and helped Jesse for a while with the guitar.
It is now Sunday. The boys are out there gardening and I'm going to soak and then stuff our grape leaves with something good and serve them with greek salad for dinner. But we also have big sitting-on-the-couch-with-a-movie (or several) plans. I'm looking forward to that.

Our family is growing

Two new stray cats have been hanging out at the farm. Helen is already feeding six cats and is at her limit. I don't blame her. I offered to take the two new ones to the pound.

I looked at Gillen sitting in the propped-up pup truck the other day (turns out the clutch is out) and felt sure that that he was imagining driving.But he looked so relaxed. I walked closer and looked inside. Turned out he was bonding, with the banished male. Gillen's tenderness towards him softened my heart and those other-worldly eyes caught me off guard. Names started involuntarily running through my head.

I only took the female cat to the pound and that story ends well too - she is being rescued there today by her former owner who used to work at the farm. After hearing a description of her, Eva recognized that this calico cat must be her "Poochy".

Here was Gillen's reaction after hearing that we get to keep "Kelly" (named, for a brief time, after a Lee-jeans commercial actor from the eighties who watched me dancing one night at a party in NY and declared that I danced like Ann-Margret. sigh. The week's Kelly thoughts brought back that memory.) Quickly, that name was rejected for the name of my mother's other former cat, Fracas' black brother, who looked very much like this one. So, I'll be getting "Frickle" fixed tomorrow and we hope that Fracas will be pleased. "Frik and Frac" can keep each other company in what was supposed to be primarily the art room but has now been renamed "the cat cave".

Easter scrapbook

We had Mimine (Nicolas' mother, Helen) over for lunch. The eggs in the middle are from her chickens. She created the rich brown colored ones with onion peels. The blue ones emerged that way, from the chickens.
The first Iris fully bloomed:
My vintage thrift store apron (which for some reason I only remember to wear on Easter):Tulips in the kitchen window:An orchid in the art room:Checking out the competition's basket:
My cousin Lake and his friend came for dinner. We had herb marinated grilled local pork chops, kale salad and homemade gingerbread. The next few days will bring lots more rain, again. But today was all about the sun.

Cousin, cousine

First of all, I have to announce that after a beautiful home birth yesterday, my sister and her husband welcomed their first baby into their arms. A girl! I'm ecstatic that the birth went so perfectly and that she is here. A girl!! I love my nephews too. But there have been fewer nieces in the mix. We are filled to the brim with joy and gratitude. I'll be posting more about her soon, since she is all that I can think about.

In more local news, all of the cousins from Nicolas' side (except of course baby Henry) are on spring break this week, which is really cool considering they live in two different cities. So we got to have all four here at the farm with us for the week. It's been great. The main endeavor, a group effort, has been the reconstruction of the fort that they worked on last year.

Clementine definitely shares her mother's love of and expertise in Japanese design. There are several peaceful bamboo areas in the fort. This "meditation area" (named by Clementine) is her favorite room. It could be very useful for the farmers on challenging days, or for picnics.
Later that day, I was sent for supplies. The list included food for the eating room (I made muffins), Gillen and Jesse's guitars, a sheet and clothespins for a door, and a speaker for their ipod shuffles.

We who live here are committed to preserving this fort - named "Bird Song" by Julian and "The House" by Clementine - for years to come, or at least until they return with new plans. I'd like to think that the baby cousins will one day be able to take the lead in reconstruction, that the farm and the fort will still be here when they are grown.

Where I'm From

A mad/lib type meme from this template after reading Julie Persons' poem first.

Tag, you're it.

Where I'm From

I am from short spiral notebooks with thick green covers in a Harvard Square bookstore, from Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo and Bonne Bell watermelon lip smacker.

I am from the old brownstones of a Back Bay neighborhood where moms brought out lemonade while we all played four-square on the side walk, surrounded, innocent. The ancient gargoyles carved into our apartment buildings were deliciously alive.

I am from Avocado trees grown inside from pits, the bubbling creek.

I am from passionate debates over dinner, from fall down funny, from Jill who came from Simone who came from Georgiana.

I am from the need to say it all and the too big emotions.

From ‘To Thine Own Self Be True” and ”Give me the answer for a Mars bar”.

I am from agnostics who then found God outside of church and a southern Baptist who mellowed after years of bible ranting.

I'm from Russia, France (by way of Canada), the deep South and New York City (though mostly I’m New England), lobster on a Boston roof and sweet tea brewed every day.

I am from the typewriter that my mother got a deal on through her mother’s gallery, for her writer boyfriend, a typewriter that got her kicked out of her mother’s gallery in NYC and into a new life in Boston; the vintage La Salle car that my father gave as a tip to a valet; and the red-headed inventor who was mysteriously murdered at a stop light when his daughter, my mother, was thirteen.

I am from the black boxes on the bottom shelf in our new art room that contain many of the pictures and scraps of my mother. This year I will bring them into the light and share them with her grandkids so that they can know her.

Zoe and the boys

Kenneth, Naomi and Zoe left a few days ago. The lump in my throat came when she hugged Gillen and Jesse goodbye. She lay her head down softly on each of their shoulders, as they hugged her for a long time. I have loved watching how gentle they were with her, and how rambunctious she became after two weeks of idolizing them.

Driving Miss Zoe:
Nicolas was even inspired to play "Ring around the Roses":
And he took her on long walks in her "wagon".
With her favorite guy:

Christmas 2008

My brother and sister and their families traveled long distances to come be together here for the holidays. It has been so wonderful to be with them. My sister is five months pregnant and has the cutest "bump" ever.

For Christmas dinner we had duck prepared three different ways by the guys, roasted vegetables and escarole salad. Every bit of the food except the olive oil, butter and the herbes de provence (that we brought back from Europe) were from the farm.
The most exciting part has of course been seeing Zoe - now fifteen months old and an incredibly sweet and happy little girl.

Being pulled in the cooler wagon by her cousins paiges and being fed peas by her Aunt lady in waiting.


The lady in waiting, and princess Zoe's mum found time to also make two beautiful pies. I am so loving the visiting pie makers of this winter. Who's next?