Behind the Garden Walls
Oct. 9, 2007
Birthday in a new home
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I am stealing a few minutes during the children's naptime to write. It is Mercy's birthday, and her cake is wafting warm chocolate smells from the oven. The kitchen has been put to rights. The sun shines in, the older children are playing at sailing in the back yard, Mercy in her rose-colored colonial dress-up dress that someone in our new church passed on to us...they climb on the new swingset, another gift from church members. The steering wheel is the ship's wheel and the rope net is the rigging. I made maple custard for a special birthday breakfast, and then we opened the presents. Mercy got a new outfit from Grandma B, a porcelain doll like Verity's, the aforesaid dress-up clothes, a Mary Frances book, and a cut-out doll and stitched felt sampler from Verity. So she had quite a big variety. As soon as the presents were opened, I headed out the door to walk to the store. It is a pleasant walk down to the town, a few houses, many trees, down past the lake, swans, ducks, peaceful water shimmering with its fringe of trees. I stop, surprised at the jet black, glossy squirrels urgently gathering in their stores.... I have never seen black squirrels before. I pass the little barbershop, little news shop, and here I am at the little grocery store. I like to make this walk almost every day, to pick up the few things that we need for the day. This keeps me from finding forgotten items in some corner of the fridge, far past their prime; and pleasantly combines a little exercise with a useful task accomplished. Besides, it makes me feel quite European. I do get some odd looks. However, I shake these off, as my eccentricities cannot be hidden and so may as well be flaunted. Today, I get a smile from the cashier. I put my groceries in the backpack and head for home. Dark dutch cocoa, powdered sugar, butternut squash for tomorrow's soup. This and that. The children have vaccuumed and done the dishes while I was gone. Bruce has given the babies their breakfast and changed a few diapers. He goes off to the church, and I am left to keep our house. Our new home. |
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