Contrasts and Thankfulness

 

     Wow! What a blast of siding ripping, shingle flaying wind we just experienced these last three days. It is finally calm today and it feels eerily quiet compared to that howling banshee we heard both day and night. I don't think anyone got any sleep. We lost some siding from the house and our neighbor had a huge piece of metal something fly off his chimney. The temperatures also dropped by twenty degrees. It certainly gave us a sampling of what is to come when winter arrives.
     I was just admiring our little rose bush with its cheery blooms the day before. It is a treat to see such pretty flowers in November. In seasonal contrast, the bittersweet vines that represent fall trail up the trees and fence posts right across the road. It's fun to see bits of summer bloom alongside pieces of fall like this here in Virginia.
     I heard reports of snow in New England on Monday from my sister and daughter. In keeping with my fickle self, I both shake my fist at the blustery wind and cold, yet feel homesick for the gray skies and barren landscape that are November in my mind's northern eye. How I wish I could have the best of both worlds, north and south. I suppose the roses and the bittersweet represent this inner struggle I experience to know where I belong.
     As our children have grown up and expanded our family, the folks around our holiday table now fluctuate from year to year. We never quite know who will be able to travel or who will decide they want to begin their own family's traditions at home. Steve and I are fine to go with the flow. Sometimes there might be four of us around the table and other times there could be twenty-four. This Christmas, for example, we will have no grandchildren here. Instead we will have four dogs (and their owners). Now that's a new one for us!
     Whatever loved ones may be around your table this holiday, whether they be two-footed or four, I wish you a blessed time together, filled with thanksgiving.

When the Bough Breaks...

     When the faraway residents of the family come to visit, it is always a cause for celebration. As soon as Chelsea announced the dates she would visit with Simon and Hugo this fall, we all began to make plans. My part of the planning centered around sleeping arrangements for ten guests and food for seven days. Steve's part was to oversee our annual bonfire that would culminate on the weekend. We were blessed with perfect weather for the entire duration of the week. Temperatures remained in the sixties every day and the nights became chilly enough to feel cozy. The grandchildren (and big children) played, others hiked, and some romped in the fields and bushwhacked trails. The menfolk sampled their fare share of beer, and we all ate a lot.
     Simon wielded the chainsaw for two days and finished cutting down the large tree that fell over the summer. The older portions of the tree, mainly the leafy branches that were already dry, had been piled earlier this summer to fuel the bonfire that we knew would eventually come. The newly cut trunk and larger branches will fuel our wood stove next winter. I've never seen anyone work so long and hard to cut up a tree, yet consider it play as did Simon.
     Claire and Daniel's children all have November birthdays so, we included birthday gifts as part of the weekend celebration. Each child is so unique and it's fun to see their personalities blossom as the years go by. During one quiet moment on Sunday afternoon, I looked out back and saw Steve pushing Jack on the swing. The swing hangs from a tree way out back, up on the hill. While Steve pushed Jack on the swing, Jack yelled out to the hills and fields in order to hear his echo. On and on he swung and on and on he yelled.
     I love being Nonni and I hope for all the grandchildren to have happy memories of coming to Nonni and Pop's as the years go by. We received news that a new grandchild will join the family next summer. Chelsea and Simon are expecting a baby brother or sister for Hugo. Oh boy! (or girl!)
     As our lives cycle with births and deaths, joys and sorrows, I bade another goodbye to my mom at the bonfire when I placed some of her personal belongings on the flames. There were certain items that remained after her passing that I felt too personal to dump in the landfill or to donate to charity. With a heavy heart I carried these to the fire and whispered to her how much I miss her. It's impossible for my heart not to break all over again each time I confront this loss. Surrounded by the children was the best possible way to surge through the sorrow.

Simon works on what remains of the fallen tree.

Hugo is nine months old!

Claire, Chelsea, Henri, and Jack

Tess and Ian

Jack waves from the treehouse.

   

Simon builds the small fire for roasting hot dogs.

Fashioning roasting sticks was part of the fun.

Jared and Audrey

All of our play took place under the beautiful Super Moon

Daniel and Matthew, Claire and Mari

 

Lighting the bonfire

Chelsea and her roasting stick

The guys worked very hard to keep the fire safe and contained

Steve keeping watch with rakes and shovels while Tess enjoys a snack. (potato soup or tirimisu?)   

Steve's brother Jim even happened to join us on his way home from North Carolina to New York!

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

     Something Steve and I have wanted to do for years but could never seem to find or take the time to do was visit Williamsburg. We finally made it and it was well worth the wait. We barely scratched the surface of all there was to see and I could gush on and on about the architecture, the cobblestones, the bricks, mossy roofs, tidy privets, amazing gardens, the beautiful church, sheds galore, and the amazing history at every turn. We spent ten hours roaming at our leisure. We toured the interior of several buildings including the Capital, the Palace and several small establishments like the blacksmith and apothecary.We must go back again, but in the meantime here are a handful of the hundreds of photos we took.

I had no idea Colonial Williamsburg was so big.

A tiny portion of the main thoroughfare, Duke of Gloucester Street where Steve's favorite spot, the blacksmith's shop is located- on the left in the rear.

We enjoyed roaming the side streets and back alleys.

Every detail was beautiful and every spot used for something, like this little square patch of ivy.

I really liked the Apothecary shop. It smelled interesting.

A beautiful Live Oak on (or near) the Palace Green.

It's all about the details...

First we visited the simple person's garden, which was pretty amazing.

Then we walked to the Palace gardens. Oh my! The left and right sides are flanked by two allees of trees.

Here is the allee on the left.

I chose this perfect place, in the allee, to eat my truffle : )

The rear of the Palace.

Bittersweet espaliered on the wall! I've never seen this done with bittersweet.

We attended an organ concert by candlelight while children and families were trick-or-treating outside. It was fun to be in town after dark with all the Halloween festivities going on. It was also remarkable to sit here in the Bruton Parish Church knowing it was built over 300 years ago and pondering who else in history may have sat here.

The following day we drove along the Colonial Parkway along the Powhatan River and the site of the Jamestown settlement. Another reason we must go back, to see Jamestown.