Rural Dreams

Busy Busy

We've been so busy getting ready for this party. We've invited just about everyone we know and some people that we hardly know and don't know for sure really who is coming. Which is fine. But we looked at the weather last night and saw "chance of showers" all weekend and our hearts sank. Today it says rain. 80% chance on Sunday. Fortunately, the barn is really huge, it is just such a shame. We are putting so much work into this. We rented what Steve calls a moonwalk, the rental place calls it a bounce house. We got a tent to put the tables under. Steve bought a big piece of plywood yesterday and is painting it with chalkboard paint so that there is a giant chalkboard for the little kids to play with (I'd been wanting to make one of these for Aidan anyway). I got a pinata and filled it with toys. I suppose we could hang it under the tent. We ordered two quarter kegs. Its raining today and its breaking my heart. Fortunately, I spoke to my sister-in-law yesterday and she told me how much she is looking forward to it. That made me feel really good.

The other thing about this rain is that the windshield wiper motor on my car broke this weekend and I can't drive around in the rain and I have so much that I need to do. I just so badly want to get everythig done well ahead of time so I can enjoy myself at the party.

update: the weather report has already changed for Sunday to 40% chance of scattered showers - what a relief - maybe I can will my way to a sunny weekend

Maia (aka Shaolin) posted this piece in her blog (Her writing is wonderful by the way. Read all of it if you have time). It was really funny (maybe funny isn't quite the word) because Aidan was partially named after a boy like this who used to come into my store. He was adorable and amazingly polite and friendly. The first time I met him he said, "My name is Aidan. I'm Greek" and wanted to know what he could buy with $3. I was looking around, showing him things and pointed out an astrology daily planner that was on sale because it was February or something. I didn't think he'd be interested, but he surprised me by saying "Oh I love astrology" and buying it. He was about seven years old. I ran into him at the bagel place in town recently and completely didn't recognize him because he was a young man. But he recognized me and when he said he was Aidan I almost fell over. I told him that my son had been named after him and he said he knew. Someone must have told him. He was still sweet and friendly and handsome.

Ear to ear...jeez.

Catching Up

I'm sorry I haven't been blogging much lately. It's just been too hot. And I'm having a lot of computer troubles. And we've been sick and had visitors.

We went to my friend Karen's wedding the weekend after Steve's dad's funeral. The ceremony was in the Catholic church in Steve's parent's community, so we went there with Aidan in the afternoon. It was the strangest thing - everyone was dressed casually, except us and the wedding party. I sat there feeling overdressed, thinking, well I couldn't have worn my cut off shorts, when a woman walked in with cut off shorts. I was so happy to see Karen get married. I've known her through eight years and several goofy boyfriends. She was a gorgeous, perfect bride.

The reception was at a new Ritz-Carlton in downtown Manhattan that evening. They chose it to support the downtown economy since 9-11. On the way there we caught our first glimpse of "ground zero". All that time we were living on Long Island I never felt the need to see it, or get close to it. I had gone downtown to get my dreads tightened a few weeks after it happened and experienced the toxic smell. I can't imagine living there at that time with kids. Between the stress and the fumes... Anyway, ground zero is now surrounded by a construction wall and isn't much to look at. It's just nothing. There's nothing there.

The Ritz-Catlton was wonderful. We went there in our fancy clothes (it was black tie and Steve wore his father's tuxedo) and pulled up in Steve's pick-up truck. It amazes me how at home I feel in hotels. I grew up in them - my father was a hotel manager. The food was delicious, the wine and champagne were wonderful, the band had about 15 people in it and was terrific and I got to drink as much as I wanted (not much really) because Steve was driving home. It was funny to see the valet rushing around the pick-up to open that big door for me.

The next week Steve and I got a stomach flu that Steve's mom had. I won't go into details, but we were sick all week. Then Aidan got some approximation of it by the weekend. He would throw up and then immediately, crying, ask for water. He'd take the tiniest sip of water and then calmly say, "I'm all better mama".

He didn't have a fever until Tuesday. Tyson came to visit for the day. He was in for a wedding in NJ. I took him to a swimming hole near Bash Bish falls and Aidan threw up by the water. I was able to catch it a shirt that I had taken off. I didn't want to contaminate that gorgeous water. It was terribly hot, so we stayed there still for a little while and by the time we got home the poor kid was burning up. But I think it finally got rid of the virus and was a good thing.

We are looking at a house in Hillsdale, right on the road agian, but interesting. It's an 1850's Victorian that has an Antique shop. It's zoned for residential/business. It has 11 rooms - 5 bedrooms, 1 1/2 acres, a shed and a barn. We've only seen it from the outside so far. We have an appointment to look at it on Wednesday. It's in town, so the traffic is not so terribly fast as the other house we looked at. Labor Day weekend marks a year of us actively looking for something.

Yesterday I had a worday at our CSA farm. We harvested potatoes. Jean-Paul, the farmer, drove a tractor over the rows with a device that turned up the soil and then all of us workers picked up the potatoes and put them in buckets. It was hot dirty work but not really hard and I enjoyed it. There were a lot of people there and it was nice to meet and work with people. It's also so great to talk to the people who work on the farm about crops and bugs and water supply and the deer population and a million other things that I find fascinating. It was also nice to have a day without Aidan. Not that I don't love spending all of my time with him - its good to have a break. Steve took him to the Peace Festival in Amenia. Aidan had ice cream and a good day.

Rain Cake and Party

I made a cake with Aidan on Monday morning, before I got sick. It was raining and my car was in the shop. We were stuck in the barn so I decided to make a cake. Aidan sat on the counter and stirred after each ingredient, getting upset that I wouldn't let him break the eggs. We've actually tried that before. He kept saying birthday cake so I made sure that he knew it wasn't a birthday cake. I told him it was a rain cake. When he wants a piece he asks for rain cake and wants a candle in it to blow out. It might as well be a birthday cake. He will probably call pound cake "rain cake" for the rest of his life.

We've been telling him about his birthday for a few weeks, ever since we went to Suess' daughter's birthday in Cherry Valley, NY. Suess' son had 2 skateboards and was really sweet facilitating play with the little kids with them on the grass. When we were leaving I told Aidan that he could have a skateboard for his birthday. So between the cake and the skateboard, Aidan has a really clear idea about this thing that's coming up.

Steve and I have been wanting to have a big bash here since we moved in. The property around the barn is really lovely, mostly flat, and open. Yesterday we figured out that AIdan birthday is on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend - so here's the plan: big party Saturday - drumming dancing eating and revelling, folks can pich tents and sleep in the yard and then in the afternoon on Sunday we will have a birthday party for Aidan. NY/New England HipMamas - consider yourselves invited. You can either come for the whole weekend or just the birthday party on Sunday. E-mail me if you want to come.

More Pictures

I had a fresh battery in my Mavica last night and we took a bunch of pics. Steve was doing some woodworking on the back porch and Aidan was very happily helping him. He let me take a couple of pics before wrestling the camera away and taking his own: several of pop (and a cool one of his eye), his foot, the house, the oiltank and mama (just barely).

I traded Aidan the camera for the hose and took these sepia pics. He's still wearing the safety goggles. My camera has lousy color and the sepia always looks so much better. The solarize effect however is only good if you want to imagine your baby at a nuclear cleanup site.

I took these pictures for a thread on Mamatron. You can read about them here.

Summer Flu

You're hot and sweaty, all you want to do is sit around the house and drink cool beverages. What you need is a summer flu.

With a summer flu you can be snuggled under the covers feeling cool - yes even cold - even while the outside temperatures soar! No air conditioning required, no high electric bills, no CFCs. You can sleep all day, drink cool beverages and cozy up under the covers in AUGUST!

Summer flu is available in three flavors and shipped to you in discreet packaging so as no to diminish the sympathy that you will recieve for your condition.

Individual results may vary. Your satisfaction is guaranteed or your money back.