molly irwin

a bird's nest

 

Yesterday, Marty and I discovered a sweet couple of doves setting up housekeeping among our porch rafters.  Fascinated, we watched as the male returned often with a small twig, or one of the abundant grasses that grows along side the house.  All the while the female remained at her post.  As I watched him make his choices it was obvious that he was selective.  Not just any stick would do. 

The scene reminded me of something I read (and copied into one of my notebooks) almost a year ago.  I thumbed back through to find its prose so perfect for this time of year:

"It was my admiration to view the structure of the little work, a bird's nest. Mark it well, within, without, no tool had he that wrought, no knife to cut, no nail to fix, no bodkin to insert, no glue to join; his little beak was all.  And yet, how neatly finished!  What nice hand -- with every implement and means of art, and twenty years apprenticeship to boot -- could make such another?  Fondly then, we boast of excellence whose noblest skill instinctive genius foils!"   -- James Hurdis, 1763-1801

The quote is an excerpt from a very pretty artist's sketch book called The Nest, by Maryjo Koch.  How true and how fitting.  Once again, I was glad for my habit of taking notes, to think on and to share. 

Sadly, when we returned home later in the day, the ledge was vacant and a clump of scattered twigs lay about the porch floor.  I do hope the mother didn't lay her eggs yet.  I'll be watching for them in the neighborhood.  They can't be far.

We have new neighbors

In all their finery they hold court; socializing among friends.  Soft and bold all at once they are all about a celebration of this short life.  Bending gently toward the light with every bit of inherent energy, they dress the whole block -- they do.

hearts in mind

It's valentine's central here tonight, where I'm engaged in a (typical) last minute rush to have heart-shaped this and that for the little ones to enjoy on Wednesday night and Thursday. 

When will I ever learn that planning in advance means more than just visualizing the end result?  Sure, I can picture it in my mind all day long, but unless I take those steps to make stuff, have the ingredients on hand, etc. I am bound to have a big rush to a finish line.  Hmmm ... maybe I like it this way.

Tonight there's a soft (and surprisingly quiet) whirl of my new [to me] sewing machine running on a small, valentine's-related test project, and a shopping list with various baking chocolates being prepared.  We usually make handmade cards for school friends, but this year it will be something really simple that the kids can do some quick stamping on tomorrow night. 

Like every other holiday, this one too becomes about the kids when you have them.  It becomes less about the wine and romance and more about the candy hearts and cards.  Still, we do have a couple of bottles on hand.  One never knows ...

daily things :: a study

Around the house on a Saturday: a study of the ordinary.  A little snuggling ...

 

cooking up some wee wooden foods,

tidying the bedrooms,

stripping beds

didn't have the heart to change a thing here:

loads and loads of laundry

getting the corners

de-cluttering the second hand machine

Top it all off with french toast for dinner. I love this life.  I really do.

a quiet day at home

A cooler, rainy day is always just right for children at home with the yuk.  I've been feeling more healthy as the day progresses and as I made up the beds, decided to capture a little bit for corners of my home.  The little lounger is RB, made for me by my Mom when I was just three.  She is getting all sorts of love now from her new owner, my six year old.  There's just nothing like a handmade, huggable doll.  There's a close-up of her here.

Our new closet is looking fabulous!  Paul is amazing at this.  I've decided the next images I share will be the finished results.  I don't mention this to be braggy, it's just been a long time coming for us.  It's a process and this type of closet is really beyond any goals I may have ever had.  It's the right thing for the house though.  Interesting how I keep making that distinction, as though the house has needs of its own.

Also today, I'm embarking on my plan to bake my way through Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads.  This book has been on my shelf for about 4 years as I decided I would bake my own bread when we moved into the "new house" (putting this nice convection oven to use). Well, we're two years into that move now and so ... enough procrastinating!  The drop biscuit recipe in this months issue of Cook's looks really good too, and if I'm feeling motivated, this might be a part of our dinner. 

This has all the makings of a very happy domestic day.

happy homework spot

It wasn't long into the school year when I realized that our third-grader was going to need a little area (free from distractions) of her own to accomplish her homework.  This year the work is simply more: more time, more measured, more results-oriented. 

With a trip to IKEA and the organization and removal of toys to the closet, this cool little study room emerged.  I've had the yard of Marimekko fabric for a while now, and have dreamed of hanging this print somewhere since I was about twenty.  I have always loved a just a touch of bold.  I wrapped it around some homasote so it will take push pins, but the idea of pinning into it disturbs me a little, so I haven't told the girls that.  They have the smaller cork boards to use for their papers.  The color in this picture is a little oversaturated, as the fabric has both red and magenta flowers and the chairs are (one each) red and magenta. 

I also made a few polka dot, fabric-covered thumb tacks to coordinate (pictured below, upper left). That's where Paul thought I was just a crazy lady!  They are quick and easy and I plan to make some more from an old bandana and a some other fabric scraps. I just loved this touch from Courtney's boards.

Honestly, I love this space more than my own desk area -- it's so cheerful and bright -- and my daughters are so happy to work here on their assignments and projects.  It feels so good to have a fresh new space. 

the party's over

You know that feeling after you've had a big party and the guests have left?  You're spent.  You're faced with an incomprehensible mess and decide to leave it 'til the morning.

Well, that's how I feel, except every day is a new "party" with kids playthings, snacks, laundry. outdoors/indoors and meals.   No sooner have I cleared away a space and run the vaccuum there, (ahhh... now I can tackle the next area") No I can't. Look! There's a new activity starting.  And that's the way it's been going the last few weeks.  Stuff is piling up and I seem like a tread-mill hampster, tidying the same few things over and over again. 

Our school starts later than any other, I think: September 4.  I hate to admit it, but I welcome the routine.  The break.  The quiet.  The time to organize and purge.  I'll miss them though.  We only have so few summers with them before they want to spend all their time with friends.  Mine aren't there yet, thankfully.  Also, the hours after school don't catch their best moods.  Everyone is fatigued from the full day and we need to fill it with meals and homework.  So in my own contrary mind, there is a sense of pending loss that I'm feeling right now as well.

We took a little picnic to the "Walrus rock" playground today and the kids were really sweet with each other.  Marty enjoyed the freedom to just go anywhere he wanted (but for the bridge back to the road).  I'm going to try to do some little thing like this each day next week and just breathe them in, the look of them and the total sense of them right now before they go off to become a "third grader" and "kindergartener."

Gotta go. Time to go bake some oatmeal raisin cookies.

just in

As I mentioned yesterday, we're just in our new spaces and planted flowers too. This is a big step forward for the Irwin family!  We've had guests sleep upstairs, but felt it was not quite finished enough for our own occupancy yet.  We decided this has been holding us back in so many ways and we just had to get some more space for ourselves.  The new plan is toy-free, uncluttered bedrooms and a separate toy room downstairs. 

We are all living much better for the move.  The rooms are still pretty bare, but I like the simplicity of that for now.  We'll install some art on those walls soon.