Three Stories

Knitting at Three Stories

2012-02-19T21:55:00.002-06:00

This week, my Three Story daughter Liz, taught me a new knitting stitch. Up until now I have just been a knit purl girl. My two daughters and I belong to a neighborhood knitting group that we call, "City Knitters", and we get together one evening a month to knit and to socialize. I have wanted to learn a new pattern for quite a while, and this past week I bit the bullet, so to speak.

It was not easy for me to change my plain knit purl habit, but with Liz's help, and her tremendous amount of patience, I am feeling quite comfortable working on a more difficult stitch. It is addictive and meditative. The soft feel of the wool running through my fingers and the rhythmic back and forth movement of the needles, soothes my mind. I am more than just a knit purl girl and I'm loving it!

Love My Kitchen

2012-02-18T20:20:00.005-06:00

As Julia Child always said, "you should love your kitchen". Well...I do! My kitchen is not huge, nor is it ultra modern, but I love it, and I love to cook in it.
My kitchen is a reflection of who I am, it is a very comfortable place in which to be, and everything is pretty well within reach.

One wall has two chalkboards on it, one for the adults and one for our grandchildren. Because the chalkboards are in the corner, the children are rarely underfoot while using them. I find cute drawings and notes on the children's board, and approaching Christmas, I sometimes found "wishlists" on it.

My kitchen continues to evolve. As I change my cooking habits and try new recipes, I reorganize counters and cabinets so that important things are at my fingertips. And cookbooks? They're right outside my back door.

The Wednesday Night Table

2012-02-15T23:11:00.002-06:00

In 1975, when we bought this table, we hired a craftsman to build two eight foot benches, one for each side of the table. Through the years, we have been able to crowd as many as 16 guests at this table at one time. The memories are worn into the table top.

Tonight, this table sat 13 for Wednesday Night Dinner. We celebrated a birthday and a belated Valentines day, and after dinner we were delighted to be invited to a magic show. Our three grandsons entertained us for an hour with magic tricks. And when they asked for volunteers from the audience, I was excited to offer my assistance. The three gentlemen ran a seamless production including an intermission with entertainment. It certainly was very entertaining and I look forward to next week, just in case they have something planned.

A Morning For Tea

2012-02-14T10:22:00.002-06:00

Our walk to the lake this morning was chilly. Although the temperature was 30 degrees, it was overcast and foggy. We could hardly tell where the sky ended and the lake began. It was a wonderful morning for tea before I left for a short day at work.

Eventually, the sun started peeking out of the clouds and the day brightened. The birds and squirrels came out to play in the sun. As I finished my tea,I stood at the window and watched the activity. Spring is in the air for sure.

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-13T17:42:00.003-06:00

While waiting for a repairman from Fireplace LTD, I decided that I had better put the finishing touches on Valentines' Day. We are celebrating on Wednesday, naturally, since our family will be together for Wednesday night dinner. Because Wednesday is the day after the 14th, I know that the children will be looking forward to the extended holiday. So I scurried around and hung up some heart garland. And then I heard a secret.....the boys are planning on putting on a Magic Show Wednesday after dinner. Oh the excitement of it all.

A few garlands here and there set the stage for the festivities. I am looking forward to a special Wednesday evening. And although I miss our son who lives in Arizona, I know that he is happily enjoying some 70 degree weather. Now on with the "show".

Not only are we celebrating Valentines Day, but we are having another birthday party. This birthday is for an adult, but that matters not. There is still a birthday cake, presents to open, and candles to light and blow out. That is all that matters to the children.

Well, I must go and hang a few more garlands before my husband gets home. Happy Valentines Day to everyone at Three Stories and also to our special group of blog followers...Love you!!

The Boys on Wednesday Nights

2012-02-12T22:34:00.002-06:00

While the preparations are being made for Wednesday night dinner, the boys entertain themselves by doing a myriad of things. They might be building with blocks and legos or they may be preparing a magic show for after dinner. And although they love to play hide and seek, for the past few Wednesdays, they have been busy drawing and writing. And what better pace to do this, but at great, great, grandmother Margaret's dinning room table in the music room. It is charming.

With music playing in the background and wonderful smells coming from the kitchen, the boys spend their special time together working on their own drawing and writing projects. They are fully absorbed with their imaginations and creativity. I love to leave the kitchen and sneak into the room to see what they are doing. Wednesday night at Three Stories is all about being together and enjoying each others company.

These are such precious moments and I cherish them all.

Cold, fluffy, White, Wonderful, Snow

2012-02-11T18:27:00.008-06:00

Well, it finally snowed. After an unusually warm January, with crocuses beginning to push through the ground, we had a surprise snowfall. It's a good thing that I did not expect the snow or I would have been dreading it for days. With the tease of January's mild weather, I was beginning to count down the days to Spring. Dreaming of warm weather, gardens, and walks along the lake, I was knocked off my feet Friday morning. Blowing and drifting snow.

The snow kept falling all day and every time I looked out a window, it was snowing harder. Oh well, instead of looking towards Spring, I was thrown back into Winter.

And then I intellectualized, soul searched, and became introspective. How dare I complain about the snow. I watched the snow fall past my window and carefully inspected the flakes that were sticking to the glass panes. They were exact miniatures of the big white paper snowflakes that we all cut out as children. I remembered how exciting it was to hang the cut outs on the classroom windows as we anticipated the first snow of the season. What has changed in me since those innocent childhood years of wonder? The sweetness of Spring wouldn't be nearly as spectacular if it didn't follow winter. What a calming thought.

As I walked outside, I could feel the stinging sleet on my face and neck. My feet made crunching noises in the snow and I began to smile. I was so surprised that I had actually made snow such a big deal. I have so many more important things to worry about in my life. The fluffy white frosting covering the fields was really beautiful. The refreshing white blanket of snow wrapped a veil around every bare tree and lent a quiet stillness to the air. I stepped back and looked at the loveliness of it all and I remembered the excitement I used to feel as a child. And what was I complaining about? Oh cold, fluffy, wonderful snow....I'm happy you're here. Really, I am.

Sunrise

2012-02-09T15:18:00.002-06:00

Watching the sun come up over the lake each morning is a breathtaking experience. Each sunrise is unique and the colors are never exactly the same. As we get closer to the sun each day, moving towards spring, the colors become more contrasting. Gone are the rich oranges and bright yellows of Autumn, as they change places with the yellows and pinks of Spring.

If you don't look closely and study the colors of the lake carefully, you might not see any difference at all. But if you focus on the intensity of the blues and greens, you will see the subtle changes from day to day.

Our lake almost resembles the Mediterranean Sea, especially early mornings when the lake is dancing and glistening in the sun. Today the lake is entering it's Spring phase, and we celebrate another change of seasons.

Beauty Awakens My Creativity

2012-02-08T08:30:00.002-06:00

I love that breathtaking moment when you walk into a room and see a bright splash of color. Large red couches sitting in the middle of a room, geranium walls surrounding a floral centerpiece, and a yellow and orange carpet in an entry hall, all bring my energy to the surface and I feel like "doing".

These lovely Christmas Amaryllis' do exactly the same thing. The bright red is a perfect accent anywhere and it makes me feel creative and inventive. As I write this blog, the back hall of our "up and down" staircase is being painted light melon orange. It will certainly awaken my creativity, enliven my spirit, and fill me with energy. I am refreshed with color. And yes, the Pottery Barn neutrals and the Restoration Hardware khakis look OK in the bright lights of the stores, but they tend to put me to sleep. I love color!!

Perfect Pasta At Three Stories

2012-02-07T19:03:00.004-06:00

Saturday, I felt like having pasta for dinner. Pasta dishes are relatively easy and quick to make, but they never turn out to be inexpensive. I guess if I had all of the ingredients in the house at the same time, the pasta would be a tad more economical to prepare. So with cookbook in hand, my husband and I went to our favorite Italian grocer to pick up the ingredients for, "Pasta With Spinach and Anchovy Sauce". And, the above and below photos, are of my shopping cart in line, ready to check out.

At the last minute, I tucked in some yummy gelato for myself.....

and some raspberry sorbetto for my husband.

Well the pasta was wonderful. The anchovies did not overpower the taste, in fact the anchovies lent a very delicate flavor to the pasta and took the bitterness out of the spinach. The crowning glory of the entire dish, was the roasted pine nuts.

The ingredients? Olive oil, pine nuts, anchovy fillets, garlic, spinach, and angel hair pasta. It was quick and easy, and very flavorful. Would I make it again? Hmm.

You Can Have Your Cake, And Eat It Too

2012-02-06T20:17:00.002-06:00

Because our grandchildren do not eat many sweets, when there is a family birthday party, each child is delighted with the cake. I love the looks on the children's' faces when the cake is placed in front of them. The funny part is that they don't usually finish their cake because it's too sweet.

The phrase that comes to my mind is: "the anticipation is greater than the realization". The adults, on the other hand, usually finish every morsel of the wonderful birthday cakes, and then walk away from the party feeling guilty. Only children are allowed to have their cake and eat it too.

Lights, Camera, Action

2012-02-06T08:31:00.004-06:00

Cameras are everywhere at Three Stories. I can count at least eight different cameras that we have on three different floors of this compound, and they go everywhere with us. Maggie has had Press Club passes to several events, including Presidential visits. Liz takes photos of her gardens, her hand made knits, and her wools. And of course the children are probably the most photographed subjects we have.

This blog/journal that we use, is a great way to specialize one of our many albums for the children as they get older. The photo above is just one of my "fun" photos that shows a Three Story resident with a camera. Every once in a while I love to take a photo, of a child of mine, taking a photo of a child of theirs. It's a Grandmother thing. But, personally speaking....I don't leave home without a camera.

Kissing Cousins

2012-02-05T14:48:00.004-06:00

There is a use for the term "Kissing Cousins" and I cannot think of a better example than the photo above. These two little cousins, born only 6 mos apart, most times act like siblings. They are competitive, they copy each other, and they argue. However....the love that they show to one another is strong, and I hope, timeless.

I have taken 100's of photos of these two little girls enjoying (or sometimes not) their special sharing moments. It delights me to see them sneak off together to find a quiet playtime spot where no one will bother them (big brothers). Their favorite spots? A small hiding ledge at the top of the stairs in the entry. A corner of the living room among the house plants. The bathroom with closed doors (brushing hair and smelling the fancy soaps). And, under the music room table.

Oh My!! I almost forgot their tea parties, with real china of course, and sometimes tea and cookies. No one knows what they talk about, but they chit chat like pros.

Of course tutus and leggings are a must when playing in the ballet room. The fluffier the tutu, the better, but for heavens sake, mix and match the colors please. Nothing should match too well. Colorful is charming I think. The whispers and the conversations continue as they play.

They stretch...........

And dance.........

And rest a moment before.........

Crashing!!! I can only imagine how wonderful their little lives are at age 5. I think, perfect.

The Countdown Begins

2012-02-02T21:43:00.004-06:00

Twelve days ago I started my "end of season countdown". I am using my kitchen chalkboard for this season's countdown, but sometimes I use my journal or my personal calendar. I began my countdown on day 50 and today I am on day 37. Thirty seven days of six and seven day work weeks and I will have completed my season.

Then it will be onward to spring and turning Three Stories into the summer resort that we all love. So in 37 days I will be able to take time to read, write, take walks, and get my home organized.

Home Sweet Home

2012-01-31T21:12:00.002-06:00

Home sweet home means a lot to me. After four days on the road with the figure skaters, it was lovely to step on the Earth again. I mean this figuratively, however, after watching parents, skaters and other coaches fret, squirm, wring their hands, and almost levitate, it was refreshing to get back home and touch my feet to the ground. As I walked out of the house early this morning, I saw my grandson standing outside the door, checking the weather. Yes I really am back in my other life.

The weather was beautiful today....60 degrees in January is unbelievably mild. The sun coming up over the winter lake was breathtaking. It smelled like spring.

The grasses on the bluff were blowing in the wind.

The ground cover is unusually green.

Yep!! Home Sweet Home.

Thank You Three Story Daughters

2012-01-25T07:27:00.002-06:00

Thank you Maggie and Liz for taking such good care of my skaters. This skating season I have connected so well with all of the Senior Kindergartners. They look at me with so much wonder, and when I see them in the halls or the dinning room at school, they yell out to me from afar (oops...no yelling allowed in the building).

Last Friday at the "Senior Kindergarten Family Skate", the rink was alive with the excitement of showing off skills to parents and siblings. I enjoyed every minute of it. I love how some children attack life with every ounce of energy they possess. They never stop moving.

So Liz, thank you so much for taking two of the biggest Saturday classes and keeping all of your little "ducklings in a row". I cannot believe how they hang on every word and follow you so perfectly down the ice.

Maggie, thank you for all of the story telling and ice drawings that you do for the tot classes. You add the magic of Fairy Tales to ice skating. What could be better or more fun?

And then a "thank you" to Carley and Judy for the extra time and energy they are giving to the children in our program. Have fun with the skaters everyone! I'll miss every minute!

Reflections of Christmas

2012-01-24T19:57:00.002-06:00

As I was taking down our holiday decorations in the beginning of January, I decided that I did not want to take my three wreaths down from the music room windows. My wreaths have graced the same music room windows every Christmas since we moved to Three Stories 10 years ago. I wanted to keep the wreaths up for the winter, so I added a few white flowers and some white ribbon to each wreath.

As I was adding white to the Christmas wreaths to make them look a little more like winter, I began to reflect on the most meaningful memories of the holiday season. There were so many special moments that I had a list that went on forever. The families at Three Stories were all blessed with a wonderful holiday season that began with the lighting of the Advent candles, and ended after the 12th day of Christmas. Christmas is too important a Holiday to forget, and so my music room wreaths will keep me reflecting for months, about those many magical moments of Christmas 2011

Winter Joy, Day 23

2012-01-23T21:09:00.003-06:00

I was getting ready for work this morning, when my younger daughter stopped at my back door. She had just dropped her children off at school and saw that I had an envelope in my school mailbox. She delivered it to me.

Inside the envelope was a wonderful little pocket calendar from a very special little girl and her father. A small surprise such as this, was just enough to make my day. The calendar was full of inspirational and meaningful quotations which I started to read right away.

What a thoughtful gift and it made me very happy. Later this afternoon I was speaking with a friend who just recently bought a new car. She was explaining to me how wonderful she felt driving this car. She said that she felt like a new person and it "made her day". I thought back to this morning and the sweet surprise that I received from my friends. It made me feel warm and wonderful. O.K.......a car or a calendar? Gosh I love my life. I really do!!

Winter Is Here! (Winter Joy, Day 22)

2012-01-22T08:39:00.004-06:00

Yes, winter is here at last. After two storms, I must come to terms with the fact that the snow is not going away anytime soon. The bitter sweetness of my awakening is startling. The snow is beautiful as it covers the Box Wood bushes that line the walk to the front door, and the Weeping Mulberry tree that sits so regally in the front garden.

However, sometimes with the beauty of winter, there is a little "tag-a-long". On the heels of the cold weather, come the head colds and flues that we try so hard to avoid. And here at Three-Stories, one by one, three of us have succumbed to these nasty winter ailments.

And so while I never thought that I would be blogging from bed, I must admit that pampering my body with the warmth of the down covers, and soothing my soul with the beauty of old linens, adds a hint of winter joy to my day.

I am now able to jump start my day with the warmth and love of my home. I will take this moment with me today while I work with my skaters at the Olympic Training Center. No doubt I will have to pull this memory out of my head from time to time, but it will allow me to think loving thoughts while I make harsh demands on my mind and body throughout the day. Good health to my loved ones at Three Stories. Stay warm and dry!

"Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding cake".

Robert Louis Stevenson

Back To Building Blocks

2012-01-19T21:11:00.002-06:00

Wooden blocks are unique today because many young children never get a chance to play with them. The blocks usually turn up in pre-schools and maybe kindergarten classrooms. I've blogged before about legos and how they funnel creativity. I have also written about wooden blocks and how young children seem to have a natural grace when playing with them.

I love to watch children touching and playing with wood. I have a great appreciation for all things that come from nature. I love the feeling of wool, I enjoy moving my fingers through sand, I would like to be able to work with clay, and I remember how my best friend and I enjoyed playing for hours in the mud when we were in kindergarten. Children can feel the difference between "natural" and "man made".

When young children are given wooden blocks, they can build the most sophisticated structures. Imagination and fantasy are enhanced when using materials of nature. Logs, shells, stones, wooden dolls and animals, natural fabrics and textiles, and crystals, can lead a child into a magical universe. It always surprises me.

These photos were taken last evening at our Three-Story Wednesday Night Dinner.

Waiting For Ballet Class To Begin

2012-01-17T21:11:00.003-06:00

Waiting for ballet class to begin. It was pure ecstasy to watch my granddaughter's ballet class this afternoon. Both grandchildren had ballet class at the same time, so I attended my granddaughter's while my daughter attended her son's. They both have so much grace.

My daughter used to watch the ballet company rehearse just like this, tiny nose pressed against the glass, dreaming of the future. It brought back so many memories. Same place, just a different time period.

The lobby was a bustle of activity.....children running around, mothers putting hair into buns, the little girls chasing the little boys (never the other way around), and Madam whispering...shh.

Once the petite ballerinas were in the studio, the lesson began. With strict guidance from the instructor and music from the pianist, the ballerinas began their winter dance. First they were snowflakes twirling and dancing with poise. Then they were snowmen, leaping through the air from one end of the studio to the other. And finally, they were ice skaters gliding and spinning, ending in their final pose. And then in unison, each little ballerina walked up to her adult guest, curtsied, and said politely..."hot chocolate please". A breathtaking finale for the spectators.

And then the class was over...too soon for me. I could have stayed and watched the little ones dance for hours. There is something so sweet and innocent about young ballet dancers. And not long after the last performance of the Nutcracker, rehearsals begin for Alice In Wonderland. Did I say pure ecstasy? I'm certain that I did.

Skating Competition Weekend

2012-01-15T20:15:00.002-06:00

d,

This weekend I was attending another Figure Skating competition with three teams. It was a great weekend, but loads of hours traveling. The weekend was exciting, fun, busy, yet nerve racking. I really missed being at home but my coaching colleagues are very much like family when we travel and we got through the weekend with a little more sleep than usual.

I am very impressed with all of our skaters and how they performed seamless programs in an arena full of spectators. There are two more competitions this season.

Tomorrow it is back to school, back to a schedule. and most of all, back to my family and my winter joys. The first two weeks of January, have just flown by. I need to slow time down a bit so that I can appreciate the joys in my life. This is a resolution I am working at. Happy Monday!

Learning by Example...

2012-01-13T11:32:00.002-06:00

My mother often tells me that, if I am not going to use my fine china, my delicate linens, my silver, or any of my other beautiful things, that there is no reason to hang on to them. "If you can't use your best things for your own family, what are you saving them for?"

Because of those words of wisdom, I have made it a point in my home to use beautiful things even in the most unsuspecting places: reaching into my purse and pulling out an antique hand-embroidered hankie to wipe a little nose...

...or powdering bed sheets with an antique powdering bed set!

Our medicine cabinet holds toothpaste, mouthwash, razors, band-aids, Q-tips--the typical fare--but all in antique ball jars, silver, and pewter.

An old hand-stitched christening dress hangs on my daughter's wall...

...while a "Harry Potter" trunk holds boys' seasonal clothes and doubles as a night table.

All of these beautiful items are family heirlooms which bring with them stories to tell of a time long ago. Stories of grandparents and great-grandparents who were once tiny babies, travels on a ship across the ocean, a silver sugar bowl used only for an aunt's high tea--these are the stories of our past and of lives already lived. Lives similar to ours, yet different somehow. In this great wide space, as our children make their way in a future that is so difficult even for adults to imagine, I find a great deal of comfort in these stories. I find comfort telling them to my children and watching their eyes study and embrace their history while flickering toward their still-starry futures. I find beauty, not only in the material world, but in the vast spaces of the imagination and the belief that my ancestors, too, wiped noses, slept in cold bedrooms, had sea sickness, and held little babies that grew too quickly.

Whenever I put an item on display in my house, it is for a purpose. It is a memory, a comfort, and a love. It has a special place in my heart, not for the money it is worth nor the beauty everyone else believes it has, but for its story and its spirit. Beauty has many colors and many dimensions. It exists both in the shades of our past and in the light of our present. But true beauty is not simply light and shade...it is the full spectrum of possibility that can only be seen in our goals and aspirations as we strive toward our luminous futures. When we look into something that we find beautiful, we see the past, the present, and our future...and we are reminded that every day yet to be lived is even more important than those already written.

And every time my mother reminds me to "live beautifully", I think that is just what she means...

Happy New Year!

A Three Story Birthday Party

2012-01-11T22:12:00.005-06:00

Birthdays are a big celebration at Three Stories. Birthdays are celebrated at Wednesday night dinners and tonight was Martin's 9th birthday party. Table set, candles aglow, a birthday dinner at Three Stories is always an exciting affair.

Martin's birthday flowers.

Gold plate, cup, and saucer for the birthday boy.

We try not to rush eating, but it is always difficult to slow down when you know that cake and presents follow dinner.

Presents still have to wait until we light the candles on the cake and then serve the cake to 12 guests.

Candles were lit and the birthday boy took a long time to get his wish perfected. We always use tall candles on our Three Story birthday cakes......just in case.

And the evening was a great success. It is quite a challenge to have a birthday party on a school night, but we did it. The children played hard, ate well, and left the party tired. The adults had great conversations, enjoyed a good dinner, and left the party tired. Happy winter!

Antique Silver Napkin Rings...... And More

2012-01-10T21:50:00.007-06:00

We have been fortunate enough to have inherited many old pieces of silver, from baby spoons and pushers, to trays, mirrors, bowls, perfume bottles and a wedding chalice. Although labor intensive to keep clean, I try to use the silver often. Our sterling silver napkin holders are a favorite.

Each napkin holder is either embossed or engraved with a design. All of them have names so we know exactly what family members used them, and many holders have dates. My grandfather Kurt's napkin holder is from the late 1800's.

I feel a very strong connection with our family tree when I use our silver. My husband is continually adding family members to our tree which at this point in time has 8,957 relatives on it. Each old piece of silver has meaning and when I clean it, I cannot help but picture the many great aunts who may have served tea on one of the trays, or the grandmother who fed her babies with the spoons and pushers. It is always a trip through time. The baby spoons pictured below were my great aunt's, my aunt's and mine.

The looped handles are so very easy for a toddler to hold on to. All four of our children and our five grandchildren have used these spoons. And occasionally our two five year old granddaughters will still request the spoons at a Wednesday night dinner. There is something so sweet about the baby spoons.

Our two silver baby pushers below are from my mother and her siblings. The pushers are used to push food together on the plate and then onto the spoon. The food can be spooned up easier by a very young child.

While the silver cleaning process takes time, it is well worth the elbow grease to be able to enjoy using it. Today I really found joy in cleaning the trays, bowls, and silverware, because tomorrow is Wednesday night dinner, and we are celebrating one of our grandson's birthdays. I am sure that our grandchildren do not really care whether or not the silver is polished and used, but they can't help seeing out of the corner of their eyes, the sparkle of lights that reflect on each old piece. And when they leave to go to bed, they will remember the "fairy tale" impression that they felt at our home and they will have sweet dreams.

And my winter joys continue. I am very thankful.

Winter Joy, Day 9

2012-01-09T22:53:00.003-06:00

Ah....Time to take the Christmas tree down. The 12 days of Christmas are over and it is a moment of reflection. When I was a child, my mother always wrote a letter about the year and tucked it into the ornament boxes, to take out and read one year later. It is a surprising endeavor because so much happens in one year.

I have a similar feeling when I dismantle the Christmas tree and pack everything away. I am not the same person when I pack things away January 9th as I was when I trimmed the tree in early December. So many memories have been made in that one month. As I take each ornament off of the tree, I remember the feeling of anticipation that I had when I hung them. Before I individually wrap the ornaments, I hold them in my hand and take one last look. It will be another year before I see them again and no one knows what is going to take place between now and then.

Usually I am very sad when I un-trim the tree and take centerpieces apart, but this evening, I knew that I was going to find joy in this process. I found comfort in looking at the ornaments one last time. A few of the very old ornaments escaped my touch when we hung them a month ago. They are pictured below.

I felt a warmth that I usually do not feel when I take the Christmas decorations down. I turned it into a joyful process of closure. The New Year will open opportunities for adventure, work and pleasure.

Winter Joy, Day 8

2012-01-09T22:01:00.002-06:00

Sunday I left for the rink at 12:15 PM to teach. It was a beautiful day with unusually high temperatures.....again! The sun was beautiful and I had a difficult time tearing myself away from Three Stories. Seven day work weeks can be difficult, week after week. It would have been a great afternoon to hike along the river, but teaching comes first.

My first group of skaters, aged 10-12 were on the ice for three hours. Although it was difficult to leave home on such a beautiful day, the three hours went by quickly and the practice was perfect. When I can capture a photo like this one above, I feel that I capture the love that these skaters have for each other. They spend the winter traveling from one competition to another and are together from morning until bedtime.

When I left three stories at noon, I was in a great frame of mind because I expected a day of Winter Joy. Sure enough, the 15 skaters were wonderful to work with and my joy continued. The above photo shows the skaters listening to directions. They are preparing for another competition.

My next group of skaters ages 13-18 were on the ice until 7:30 PM. Again, we had a great practice, but four hours is long, the skaters were tired, but although there were a few tears, the skaters ended great friends, as they very truly are. I love working with all of these skaters. They give so much back.

Then on to my school to work with the gir'ls high school skate team. Our high school skate team season is almost over and I will miss the girls terribly. They have been so much fun to coach. Our practice ended at 9:00 PM almost 9 hours after I left home. I was exhausted and energized at the same time. How can that be?

I am beginning to figure out that if I expect to have joy in my day, I will have it. I am excited to get going in the morning, wondering what memories from the day I will cherish. If I go about my day without thinking, I will miss it all. But to wait for the day's magic to unveil is unbelievably exciting. I know that when I enter the ice rink with energy and love, it is returned to me over and over. And as I have said before, this Winter Joy experiment is habit forming and very contagious.

Winter Joy, Day 7

2012-01-07T21:20:00.002-06:00

Today was a long skating day with over 100 children needing to be taught. After nine hours, I was happy to be home and in a warm house. Almost every minute today was a joy. The children were great, both of my daughters and granddaughters were on the ice with me in the morning, and the afternoon flew by. I left my home at at 6:30 AM and arrived back home this afternoon at 4:30 PM. After nine hours on the ice, I was happy to be back at Three-Stories in a warm house.

By 5:00 PM, I was wrapped in a fur blanket, eating brie and crackers, sipping a small glass of white wine and warming my soul. What made the evening so pleasurable,was the long cold day on the ice that preceded it. And at this moment, I am drinking a cup of peppermint tea, reflecting on Winter Joy, day 7. I am fortunate indeed.

Winter Joy, Day 6

2012-01-06T21:15:00.004-06:00

Today's Winter Joy was lovely. After a productive morning at work, I decided to take a walk around our beautiful campus. With the temperature close to 50 degrees, the walk was beautiful and highly unusual for a January day in the Mid West. The sun was peeking out of the clouds just enough to shed a hazy morning light and that motivated me to take a short walk outside before my next class arrived. I started at the tennis court. With such mild weather, I almost imagined the high school tennis team filling the courts, serving tennis balls against the back board. The view of the red barn behind the courts was just perfect.

Then I walked into the woods a bit until the trail became muddy. As I looked through the bushes, I could just see the top of the campus spire. It was so lovely outside that I hadn't realized I had walked so far. Time to turn back.

As I rounded the other side of the tennis court, the spire was sitting so regally in the hazy sky. It is my favorite view of the school.

The real Winter Joy challenge is going to be when the weather turns snowy, cold, and windy. With the mild weather that we have been having, finding Winter Joys and living in a special moment, has been easy. Bring on the winter...I'm ready!!!

Winter Joy, Day 5

2012-01-05T21:05:00.004-06:00

My second home is an Olympic Training Facility where I coach figure skating. Tonight, my joy was teaching my youngest skaters. On Thursday evenings I coach 24 skaters. The smiles and excitement with which they great me, warms my very soul. After long days at school, one sometimes wonders how these young children have the energy to skate non stop. Today, while I moved quickly from one thing to another, between the hours of 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, I was wondering what my Winter Joy for this day was going to be. I hardly had time to live in the moment and it was bothering me.

As soon as I walked into my second home, I was overwhelmed with the feeling of gratitude. Gratitude for an exciting place to work, gratitude for the lovely children that I was going to have the chance to coach, and gratitude for my skills and training that would make this evening successful.

The moon as the backdrop to the American flag waving in the sky, struck me as magnificent and sent chills down my spine. Living in the moment brings out so much beauty.

The eager children waited patiently for the Zamboni to get off of the ice. They could hardly contain their energy as they moved their skates back and forth and up and down in anticipation of skating across the ice.

And once on the ice, they were a delight to be with. Listening with excitement to my every word, their eyes wide with glee, waiting to try new skills.

And at that moment, my heart knew exactly that this was my Winter Joy for today!

Winter Joy, Day 4

2012-01-04T23:14:00.002-06:00

This morning could not have been sunnier. There was bright light moving around the house making shadow dances everywhere. My indoor plants looked amazingly green and the sun shinning on the bistro table and chairs outside, turned their shadows into a piece of artwork.

I left the house early enough to make a stop at my favorite local coffee roaster to pick up not only some freshly roasted coffee for home, but also a cup of coffee to take to work with me. A bright and beautiful sunny day and a freshly roasted and brewed cup of coffee in hand, just added to the already perfect setting. I could feel the sun on my face as I stepped out of the car and walked to the front of the building.

Once inside the building, I could see and hear the huge coffee roasters. The coffee is roasted on premises, then packed and shipped from the same spot. The scent of the fresh bakery, mixed with the smell of the ground coffee, makes the environment of the cafe so very inviting that it is difficult to find an empty table at any time of day.

Walking out of the coffee roaster, I thought how such a simple pleasure can impact one's day. Sometimes just the littlest thing can make the biggest difference. Yes, I had to leave the house earlier in order to make this stop before work, but I was willing to seize what was already a lovely day and make it even lovelier. Sometimes beauty is right at our feet, and other times we have to reach out a little to grab it.

And I am looking forward to tomorrow and the joys that I might find. It is very habit forming.

Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries, (Two)

2012-01-04T22:32:00.003-06:00

Tonight was Wednesday Night Dinner and it was a crazy night. Starting with dinner and ending when it was time to go bed, the young children were possessed. The house was full of energy, noise and commotion. The boys rushed through dinner because, for heaven sake, they had important things to do and places to go. The girls dallied at the dinner table long after the adults were finished, too tired to eat, so they said, but full of too much energy to sit still.

But as soon as the children left the table, they were either immersed in their drawings, off to find secret hiding places, or just plain spending quiet time with each other. And when it was time for them to say goodnight and go to their separate floors, they still had secrets to tell and plans to make for next Wednesday night. They never seem to have enough time together. For our five little "grands", life is truly, just a bowl of cherries.

Winter Joy, Day 3

2012-01-03T21:42:00.003-06:00

What do you do to improve the day when the temperature is 9 degrees at 7:00 AM? You must be terribly creative. The day started out very cold. The house was cold when we woke up this morning and it stayed cold for a few hours. With radiators in each room and in hallways, it still takes a few hours for a big old home to warm up.

Daughter Liz had invited me to tag along with our grandson's field trip downtown to the outdoor skating rink. How could I beat that, especially since the field trip was late in the afternoon and the timing worked perfectly with my schedule. By the time I arrived at the skating rink, the temperature had gotten up to 30 degrees. A heat wave from this morning. The day could not have been more perfect.

The skating rink was not crowded and the ice was perfect. The outdoor speakers played a variety of music to please any crowd, and the energy level was vibrant. The children skated so hard that they couldn't control their balance and they began to fall like dominoes. It was a glorious sight and a wonderful way to celebrate winter.

The sun was only toasty enough to keep our faces warm, but our feet cold, and every so often, the skating rink emptied out when everyone went inside to drink hot chocolate and coffee and to sit by the fire.

And then, the skating rink filled with skaters again and again until the sun began to go down. Daughter Liz, pictured below, skated until she had no feeling in her feet. Then it was time to tear ourselves away from a wonderful afternoon.

When the tree lights came on and the office buildings started to empty out, the parents corralled their little ones and brought them inside to get their skates off. It had been a magical day at the outdoor skating rink downtown in the park.

And the winter joys continue.

Winter Joy, Day 2

2012-01-02T20:58:00.007-06:00

This morning when I left the house there was a trace of snow on the porch. The tracks showed busy early morning traffic on this new day of 2012. Back to busy schedules of comings and goings. Although it was sunny, it was beastly cold and windy, however on my way to work I was focused on looking at the beauty of the day and the sun helped. Work was great today. All of the children were happy to be back after the long holiday break, so when it was time to leave work, I was determined to keep my "Winter Joy" frame of mind active. My husband and I ended up going to one of our favorite stores to pick up ingredients for dinner. Sometimes the preparation and anticipation are as enjoyable as the dinning.

We walked around the store for a while to get ideas, and then my husband suggested that we make homemade pizzas for dinner with our sons. We went to look at the delicious cheeses and finally decided on fresh mozzarella, not packaged.

I love to look at the dry sausage but we bought the freshly ground and seasoned sausage from the butcher. The sausage was for my husband's pizza. I was planning on cooking a chicken breast and slicing it thin for my pizza.

We stopped at the vegetable deli for my artichokes and my husband's black olives. I bought the fresh artichokes instead of the canned or the artichokes in jars. The fresh are just so much more flavorful. This is the most amazing Italian store and has been in the same family for at least 80 years. We feel as if we are in Tuscany when we shop. It is a joy just to walk through and look at everything. If we can't think of what to cook when we enter the store, we certainly come up with a plan quickly.

The Mascarpone and Gorgonzola cheeses were very tempting, but I had my heart set on the exact pizza that I wanted to make, and the mozzarella cheese was perfect. I was almost tempted to change recipes....almost!

When we arrived home, we started making our pizzas. I rolled out the pizza dough on a cooking stone. I was very happy with the fresh artichokes that I found in the deli and I will buy them again to use for other recipes. Usually artichokes fall apart and are in pieces, but these stayed whole even while the pizza was cooking. My husband's pizza is below, prior to the cheese topping, right before it went into the oven. My husband used sausage, peperoni, fresh mushrooms, spices and mozzarella cheese.

Here is my pizza. I used artichokes, fresh basil, chicken breast, garlic, fresh sliced tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and instead of the typical pizza sauce, I used a roasted garlic Alfredo rue. We also treated ourselves to a small jar of caviar which we ate while we were making our pizzas. It was yummy!

My pizza below after it was baked.

We had a nice evening making our pizzas and eating them with our sons. Both pizzas were very delicious but of course I liked mine best.

As we greet the new year, it is refreshing to be able to turn the page. But travel slowly, enjoy the small moments, look for beauty (even in the snow and slush) and make your winter joyfulness....it's everywhere.

Winter Joy

2012-01-01T23:01:00.004-06:00

It's almost spring?? No it isn't really and will not be for about two and one half months. But now that the holidays are over, many of my friends are talking about gardens and plantings and the wishes that they have for warmer weather (and the winter has not even begun). And so my new year resolve is that I am going to find many ways in which to celebrate winter, and the cold, and the snow, sleet and wind. For if you cannot live in the moment, you will certainly miss out on life.

I try to live in the moment so that I can make memories for a lifetime. To wish Winter into Spring and Spring into Summer can result in a loss of months in our lives. We are so worried about tomorrow that we forget about today. If we live for the moment we take each moment with us into the future. So, my job for now is to celebrate the day and to find joy in every moment. Spring is so sweet because we endure the dark cold days of winter, only to wake up one morning with the new green baby growth of spring. And we are joyful. I promise myself that I will find my joy in each winter day and post it here.

New Year's Eve Morning

2011-12-31T10:20:00.002-06:00

The sun coming up over the lake early this morning was beautiful. There is not a cloud in the sky, there is no ice on the ground, and we have had no snow yet this winter. For the Mid West, this is highly unusual. This day could not be more beautiful.

The blue of the sky was a great back drop to the lions that sit along the stone wall of the park.

These lights originally lined all of the streets in the city. When they were taken down for a more modern look, a few preservationists put some of them up in the park at the end of our street. Here these historic lights can shine for years.

And of course our beautiful light house looks magnificent this morning.

The statue has been cleaned and shines in the morning sun.

And so 2011 ends with the beauty that brought the year in last January 1st. The day is bright and beautiful, a sign of good tidings for the new year

A Long Skating Practice

2011-12-30T15:21:00.002-06:00

Somehow, between the 27th and the 28th of December, I was able to fit 16 hours of practice in for my skaters. Most youths and teens are either away on vacation or they are hanging out at home playing with their new electronics, or reading that favorite book they've been forever wanting to read. My students spent a long two days working on skating skills, adding choreography, and making changes to their programs. Yes they were long days, but not one skater complained about how hard they had to work. And, we made sure to take substantial breaks. When they left for the day, they were very generous with their "thank you's". Those two days right smack in the middle of the holidays, were very productive. Feet up for now!!

Changing The Center Piece

2011-12-29T21:07:00.004-06:00

It is fun changing table decorations, especially when you have five grandchildren at the house quite often. Even the very young children notice when things around the house have changed. My husband can walk through a room and not notice anything new, but leave it up to a young child and he will notice the tiniest addition. I love to see our grandchildren build fantasies and fairy tales around a new table scape. The little skating snowmen that I just added to the dinning room table will be a sure hit with the little ones. A thank you to a friend at work for giving these cute little snowmen to me.

A Hat Just Like The Doll's

2011-12-29T13:57:00.003-06:00

A while ago Liz knit hats and sweaters for her daughter's "Ginny Dolls". So when her daughter asked Liz to knit her a matching hat, Liz knit her one for her birthday, December 26th. The hat was such a hit that Liz's niece ended up wearing the hat for the afternoon. I think that sometime soon, another little girl is going to get one of Liz's knit hats.

Back To Normal?

2011-12-27T22:52:00.003-06:00

Well, it's only two days after Christmas and we are back to the arts. This photo of daughter Liz is a winner. Only a dancer who happens to be artistic, photogenic, creative and thinks outside the box, could come up with an action shot like this. But the best part, is what Liz wrote as a caption, and I quote, "That's me... um tossing some salad". After immersing ourselves in so much "Holiday" lately, I guess we're back to normal here at Three Stories. Enjoy!!

So Long To Come, And Over So Quickly

2011-12-26T19:55:00.004-06:00

Just when the long awaited holiday began, it flew by so quickly. The children were wonderful, the adults were joyous, and the food was great. It was a fairy tale.

The children were very patient. By 9:30 PM the little ones were on their way to bed, dragging their bags of opened presents with them. Christmas Day was our son's Birthday, and today, the 26th is our granddaughter's birthday. So amidst all of the Christmas parties and celebrations, we also had two birthdays to be thankful for. It was exhausting but exciting. And the cousins celebrated as hard as the adults.

As the holiday season winds down with the Holy Days, we wish you peace.

From Our Home To Yours

2011-12-25T00:05:00.008-06:00

After a quiet Christmas Eve dinner and then church this evening, we spent some quiet time taking in all of the preparations and spirit of Christmas. And as Christmas Eve turns into the wee hours of Christmas Day, we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas.......from Three Stories to you.

Tomorrow, after a very lazy morning and a very large breakfast, we will prepare for Christmas night. Christmas night is the time that my husband and I have chosen for the family party. Food, presents, games, pictures, and stories, will continue late into the evening, until the little ones can stay awake no longer. For us, our holiday celebration will not commence until late afternoon. Watch for photos.

And Four Candles Are Glowing

2011-12-21T22:04:00.008-06:00

And the fourth Advent candle was lit tonight. Peace on Earth.

The Fourth Advent Candle

2011-12-21T11:30:00.004-06:00

This evening as we light the fourth Advent candle we think of peace. The fourth candle in Advent is the Angel's candle and it represents peace. Our oldest granddaughter, and fourth in line from the oldest to youngest, will light the candle for peace. In our grand children's eyes, peace can stand for just about anything, and many times the peace that is in the mind of a five or six year old, is the most perfect and basic peace that there is. For children, the preparations that lead up to Christmas are very magical. Advent holds that magic for them. It teaches them gently that there is a larger meaning to Christmas and also to the weeks leading up to that special day. As I am preparing for our Wednesday night family dinner this evening, I am thinking about peace. Peace to all.

Children's Santas

2011-12-20T22:46:00.002-06:00

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There are some Santas in our home that just relate better to children. Here are a few of the favorites. Most of them have friendly faces and little turned up noses. The children can look at them for hours and let their imaginations run wild. The Santas will only be here a short time before they get packed away for another year, only to become a far away memory.

I can remember unpacking our Christmas decorations when I was a child. The decorations were stored in the attic and had a pleasant yet dusty smell. As soon as my father brought the boxes down stairs to the living room, the dusty smell would bring back my Christmas memories of the past.

So the children's Santas take their stand in various rooms of the house, waiting to be discovered by little hands. And after all of the presents are opened, the tree is taken down, and the calendar changes to the new year, the Santas will be a memory that will awaken again next December.

Home Sweet Home

2011-12-19T15:44:00.002-06:00

I was only away for the weekend, but it is great to be back home. Last night, I arrived home at midnight. I climbed into bed, in the pitch dark, with a hot cup of ginger peach tea. Home!!! It's the best.

A Holiday Figure Skating Competition

2011-12-19T09:56:00.005-06:00

Every year, for over 15 years, the last weekend before Christmas, I travel out of state for a figure skating competition. I am a figure skating coach and this is my job. The hardest part of this particular weekend of travel, is the interruption the competition causes in our quests to complete our holiday preparations. On the other hand, this annual competition is always full of excitement and good cheer. The skaters are bursting with the energy spurred by the approach of the upcoming holidays. And so this past weekend, I was preparing 47 figure skaters to compete for the last time in 2011.

A very successful competition, in every possible way. The cutest costumes for the youngest skaters. (the older skaters had exquisite costumes...not pictured).

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And, although there were medals for most skaters, the most important part of the competition was the spirit trophy awarded to all of our skaters for having the best team spirit at the competition. That made the weekend the best of the entire year for our teams. No matter what kind of athlete, no matter what type of sport, the real honor is in how you treat your competitors. No other lesson learned, is quite as important.

The Light of Advent

2011-12-17T13:50:00.001-06:00

The Advent Spiral is a tradition in most Waldorf schools. The light, warmth, and fragrance of this event is humbling to all. From the smallest preschoolers to the eighth grade students, it requires poise, control, and reverence to walk through it.

When it is fully lit and the children process out of the room, the feeling in the room is indescribable. Being a part of this event is my most beautiful present of the season. Its gifts will last long into the coldest days of winter.

Winter Solstice

2011-12-16T23:15:00.005-06:00

This evening, my husband and I took the candlelight walk along the river to celebrate the Winter Solstice, the longest day of the year (which will be December 22nd).

It was a very mild and beautiful evening as we walked in the dark. Candles lit the way for our guide who read poetry at several different stops in the woods. The moon was behind the clouds making the walk darker than usual and the combination of the overcast sky and very little wind, had an unusually calming effect on the walkers. Partway through the walk we were able to warm up by the fire, giving the participants enough warmth to continue.

At the end of the walk there was a warm fire, hot drinks, and cookies and cakes to share. It was a wonderful way to spend a Friday evening. It was also refreshing to see the large number of people who thought that a candle lit walk through the woods and along the river (nine days before Christmas) was more important than spending the evening in a shopping mall.

Three Story Tradition

2011-12-15T21:16:00.006-06:00

Every Wednesday night (also known as family night at Three Stories) is a very special occasion. In preparation for the holidays, we light the Advent candles. And, every Wednesday night I try to add another small holiday vignette somewhere in the house. I think that it is important for our grandchildren to understand how much time and effort we put into preparing for this holiday so that the meaning of Christmas has an even greater importance to them. Yesterday after work, I added a theme to the library table. I always let the children find things on their own. Sometimes they see what I have added and sometimes, as they play around the vignettes, they really do not notice. Yet, they feel the anticipation and excitement of what is drawing near.

Last evening, our three grandsons, in order of oldest first, lit the three Advent candles. Our youngest grandson was ecstatic as he entered the house, exclaiming..."I get to light my Advent candle tonight". The look on his face, and the reverence in which he lit the candle, said it all. I do not think that the pictures below need any words.

My heart is glowing!

A Few More Cookies, A Little More Wrapping, And A Festive Dinner

2011-12-14T22:31:00.015-06:00

The baking and wrapping continue. Yet in spite of the holiday rush there is time for a family celebration and cookie tasting is part of the fun. This evening, our Wednesday night dinner was about lighting the third Advent candle and seating eleven children and adults around our long harvest table in joyful anticipation.

Dinner was noisy, festive, and delicious. With the combination of the full moon and the approaching holidays, the children had a difficult time sitting still. After dessert, the children scattered to do puzzles and play games. Not too long afterwards, the children left for their separate floors. Moments later, not a peep was heard from them, and slumber came quickly. Goodnight sweet children. Sugar plums will be dancing tonight.

Holiday Cookies

2011-12-13T22:43:00.004-06:00

Baking in the morning and baking in the evening....resulted in a huge mess in the kitchen, sore feet, but three batches of very delicious cookies. I would love to be like my mother and grandmother. They baked for weeks before the holidays and we ate Christmas cookies for an entire month. It was a delicious time of year and the cookies were as special as the gifts under the tree and the friends who stopped by.

Baking takes time, and pastries and cookies can be expensive to make, but nothing beats homemade. Three grandchildren were here for dinner this evening and they were able to try a cookie or two. The smell of freshly baked cookies was everywhere, so while all three children were drawing in the dinning room, I lit a few candles, turned on some Christmas music, and started to read "A Christmas Carol". It was a nice prelude to going to bed.

Let's hope that I can live up to the reputation that generations before me set......pastry chef extraordinaire. I'm going to try.

Heard The Birds

2011-12-13T07:53:00.003-06:00

As I was starting to make dinner yesterday, I heard birds everywhere. I went out to the porch and saw at least 50 birds flying around and sitting in leafless trees. I quickly took this photo. I know that birds tend to congregate late in the afternoons, but this just felt weird. It is unusually warm for December so they were probably enjoying some mild weather.

Never Too Many Books

2011-12-12T16:20:00.003-06:00

If you have books, they will read. That was a motto in our house forever. Really, if there are books everywhere, children will be inquisitive and open them. Many times our children would open a history book and page through it just to look at the colorful pictures. Sometimes a moment like that would come when our children were waiting for dinner.

And there were also loads of children's books around. We had a library in our under croft and our children each had bookshelves in their bedrooms. Reading was an every night activity before bed.

There are books everywhere at Three Stories. We stack them under and on top of tables and I am always able to find the book that I am looking for. There is some order to the chaos. The first thing that I notice when I go into some one's home, are the books, or lack there of. If you have no books, whatever do you do on a rainy day? And as our granddaughter always does...you can read a book anywhere.

A Little Box Of Fancy

2011-12-12T08:53:00.003-06:00

Here at Three Stories, a little box of "fancy" goes along way for our two darling granddaughters. That is why I filled two little tin lunch boxes with hair bands, jewels, rolls of ribbons, a comb and brush set, etc. There are just enough fancy little things to keep them busy for hours. No make- up or fingernail polish though, they can wait until they are a little older for those things. And not that I have anything against "Tinkerbell" products, but the magical fairies in our little one's lives are not from the world of Disney.

Oh, I could get going on Disney, but I won't. I just want the magic kingdom to take place within the traditions of our own homes. When our children were young, our family trips were about geography, history and discovery. That tradition has prevailed with our children's children.

So, our glitter and glitz here at Three Stories is a little less commercial. Our magical fairies live in the gardens and the woods. When our grandchildren build fairy houses out of leaves and twigs, the garden fairies come to stay, and that way, the children write their own fairy tales.

The Best Restaurant In Town

2011-12-11T08:32:00.003-06:00

Pictured: Salmon, pasta, fruit, and broccoli.

The best restaurant in town is at my own house. It happens so often that my husband and I plan on going out for dinner and end up eating "in". First of all, I am a good cook. When I eat out, I expect that the food at the chosen restaurant is as good as mine. Many times it isn't.

The second thing is, that I expect restaurant kitchens to have high standards in cleanliness, many times they don't. And since I cannot see into the restaurant kitchens, my appetite is sometimes ruined before the food is served. My imagination is pretty vivid.

And last, If the restaurant environment or "panache" is not romantic, or eclectic, or does not have enough charm, I would rather eat at home. And my expectations are rather high. I want to feel that the money I spend on dinner is well worth it.

We eat by candle light almost every night. For a long time, I always carried a small candle in my purse and if my husband and I got to a restaurant that did not have candles on the table, I'd put one on it. This was actually my husbands idea. One evening we sat down to dinner at a lovely restaurant and the tables looked beautiful except, "oops" no candle? It was then that my husband suggested that I carry a candle with me. We actually used it a few times.

There are some wonderful restaurants with scrumptious food, clean kitchens, and aplomb bouncing off of the walls. Those are the few restaurants that we like to frequent, but trying a new restaurant can sometimes be a waste of time and money. So when I am too tired to cook, or we just feel like eating out, my husband and I toss a few restaurant names around, and many times end up sitting down at our own dinning room table with our own home cooked food, for a quiet and lovely evening.

Old Christmas Tree Ornaments

2011-12-10T22:29:00.009-06:00

We have graduated to our glass Christmas tree ornaments, some of which are close to 100 years old. In the past we have filled our tree with wooden toys, dolls, carved animals, and handmade felt caricatures. This year we decided to trim our tree with our glass ornaments. They are much lighter in weight and the glass reflects the lights on the tree. It is a refreshing change.

As we hung the ornaments, I wondered how many of our relatives handled the ornaments in the past and how many Christmas trees the ornaments have been on. How many homes have the ornaments had and where did they all come from? A few of them were made in Germany and were probably purchased there by my grandparents. Knowing that my grandmother and mother placed these ornaments on their own Christmas trees makes them extra special.

Gift Wrapping Continues

2011-12-09T22:57:00.005-06:00

Putting collages together on top of wrapping paper can be a great way to customize a gift.

Gift Wrapping Has Begun

2011-12-08T22:28:00.004-06:00

Gift wrapping can be fun, as long as it is not done at the very last minute. By the 15th of December, I like to have as many gifts wrapped as possible. Of course I am still gift wrapping a few days before Christmas, but everything that I have purchased gets wrapped as soon as I bring it into the house.

Here are a few wrapping rules: I only buy wrapping paper and ribbons at 50-60% off and I buy it a month before Christmas. I do not buy everything at the end of the year and store it for 12 months. I save baskets and boxes that have unique shapes to put gifts in and I like to mix and match colors. Every season I purchase a roll or two of zebra print paper because the black and white makes the greens and reds stand out (color theory class 101).

Although it is a time consuming project, I feel as if I put a part of myself into each and every gift that I give.

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-08T14:20:00.005-06:00

Son-in-law Joe trucked in three Christmas trees for Three Stories. Just two days ago Joe carried one of the trees into our living room, placed the tree in the stand, and when he cut all of the strings, voila.....we had a spectacular tree.

Last year our fully decorated tree fell over twice. The first time it fell, we were enjoying it's beauty from dinner at the dinning room table when it smashed to the floor. Many ornaments broke and a few branches bent, but no one was hurt. So, our son untrimmed the entire tree, including 15 strings of lights, and started over. As traumatic as it seemed at the time, we still had to laugh over it. It was just a tree.

This season we will put a few less ornaments on it and wire it to the wall just in case. The upper part of the tree is too tall to reach without a ladder, so it takes the better part of a week to decorate it. We still laugh over last year's beautiful tree on the floor of the living room. This year it should be more stable.

Lighting The Second Candle

2011-12-07T22:18:00.007-06:00

The second Advent candle was lit this evening. Where has the week gone? Our second oldest grandchild lit not only the Advent candle, but all of the rest of the table candles as well. The evening was noisy. Even though there were crafts to do and games to play, the children preferred to run around after dinner. It was an early evening for everyone and the children were asleep by 9:00 PM.

Second Advent Candle Tonight

2011-12-07T06:38:00.001-06:00

Today is Wednesday and tonight just before we sit down to dinner, the second candle of Advent will be lit. Our second oldest grandchild will light the candle this evening after our oldest grandchild lights his. We will let the two candles burn until we have finished eating.

And, last evening our son-in-law delivered and put up our Christmas tree, so the holidays are creeping up very quickly. This is the moment in time that I would like to stop. While we are all so busy working and preparing for Christmas, there seems to be so little time to enjoy with family and friends. I will take this moment.

Foot Baths

2011-12-07T00:20:00.002-06:00

We have been giving foot baths for a long time. Our grandchildren love them. For a while, it was a Wednesday night ritual before the children went to bed. Just last Wednesday, I asked the little girls if they would like to have a foot bath and they squealed with delight. And, just as we were finishing up, our grandsons were in the bathroom doorway asking when it was going to be their turn. Usually they all get their foot baths one at a time, but last week they got them in tandem.

I use a 32 ounce water bottle to fill the foot bath container. Slowly, I increase the heat of the water as I pour it over the feet. The children love the feel and the sound of the water flowing into the container. I think that it adds to the suspense. After the water is above the ankles, I add a few drops of lavender oil and let the children soak their feet for a few minutes. I add warm water as needed to keep the water from getting cold. At the end of the soak, I use a naturally scented handmade soap and wash and massage the children's feet. Then a quick rinse and dry and the children sleep like babies.

Two years ago while I was in Maine, I found a little tea shop that gave foot baths. People would come in to have a cup of tea and a foot soak. There was internet available so that professionals could come in during lunch, have tea and a sandwich, work at their computers and get a foot bath all at the same time. It is a wonderful way to relax. It is 12:42 AM as I write....I would love to have a foot bath right this minute. Good idea!

Let The Light Shine

2011-12-05T22:14:00.001-06:00

I love this little candle. Daughter Liz made this candle with her children by carving out a tangerine. It would make a perfect candle for each place setting at a special dinner.

Gifts For Two Little Girls

2011-12-04T22:03:00.003-06:00

What little girls do not love sparkles and glitter? My two little granddaughters do. I can picture them dancing around in their little ballet skirts doing twists and turns and leaps and hops. They will love these skirts.

Two soft soled little slippers for two adorable little granddaughters. I call these slippers "fairy shoes".

I love how the shoes go with the skirts. Purely coincidental since I purchased the shoes and skirts three months apart and in two different cities. I couldn't have matched better if I had tried.

"Two little dolls, two little girls, all quiet now in a little doll house". My two daughters will understand this favorite song of theirs. No hard plastic Barbies here. My granddaughters will sleep with these dolls.

Black Friday

2011-12-03T18:24:00.001-06:00

This is purely my own personal view, but I truthfully do not get "Black Friday". I have worked in retailing long enough to know that nothing is a real deal. For instance, when I was a retail buyer for a large department store, our big sale merchandise was marked up before it was marked down. It was mostly end of season stuff that customers expected to get half price anyway, so our store bought the merchandise for next to nothing, marked it to it's original price and then marked it down to half price. And we were still making a 50% mark up.

I do think that there are great bargains on Black Friday and I really respect the customers who are buying things for their home that day. But to wait in line for 5 hours to pick up one or two special toys, is beyond anything that I would ever do. I have friends who went Christmas shopping from Midnight on Thanksgiving, until 7:00 AM on Black Friday. These friends did absolutely all of their Christmas shopping for their entire family in seven hours. When I asked someone what they bought, they said that they couldn't remember everything and they hoped that they remembered who the gifts were for when it was time to wrap the presents. I can only say, "WOW"!

I love to shop for gifts for my family and close friends. I take pride in finding the perfect gifts, spending time wrapping the special gifts and seeing eyes light up with delight when the gifts are opened. I feel that the wrapping is part of the gift and my family deserves the best wrapped presents ever. As I lay each gift under the tree, as it is wrapped, the beauty spreads a love from me to the gift recipient. Christmas has a special meaning. Remember the Wise Men?

Electronics for Christmas? I don't think so. Children do not need electronics, they need books, drawing paper, puzzles, and yes of course, toys. I think that my adult children can purchase their own electronics. I try not to "enable" my children and grandchildren, but "able" them. The beautiful lace shawl from Portugal, the hand knit fingerless gloves made in the USA, the beautiful handmade doll dresses, sewn by my granddaughter's kindergarten teacher's mother. I only wish that I had many more hours in which to find the perfect gifts. It does take time.

And budget? I set a budget before I start shopping and some years it is more, and some less. I save the money ahead of time and crunch the $$'s as I shop. I may overspend a trifle, but not much. Everything is purchased with cash so that I do not have any credit card debt after the Holidays. When I buy "on line", I have the cash on hand to pay for the purchase when I receive the bill. As we open our Christmas gifts on Christmas day evening, my heart really does skip a beat when I see eleven family members opening gifts that I know were chosen with love. And that is what Christmas is all about.

Watch for some of my purchases to show up here on the blog, and please dear, lovely, wonderful grown children.....do not look, or you may see things that you shouldn't see. Ah... the magic, suspense, love, and true meaning of Christmas!!!!

Blue Two

2011-12-02T21:54:00.002-06:00

A favorite cupboard full of more blue.

Our Jenny Lind Children's Furniture

2011-12-02T17:31:00.002-06:00

Based on a design from the early 1800's, our Jenny Lind table and chairs for children was well crafted and made to be handed down for generations.

Since we do not have loads of play space in Three Stories, the placement of our Jenny Lind table and chairs was very important to my husband and I. Creating a station where our grandchildren could write, draw, paste and paint, was a luxury. All we had to do was give up a little space in our living room where our young children could be creative.

Used for frequent tea parties, art projects, and children's dinner by candlelight, our little table and chairs has served us well. The best part??? We've had it for 40 years and it is now a discontinued style. On Wednesday nights, our grandchildren love to have dinner at this table.
And in the photos above, it is being used for cartooning.

Ready For The Symphony

2011-12-02T15:52:00.003-06:00

All dressed and waiting to leave for the symphony. I guess that ladies aren't always last to get ready. This little lady happened to be first and came upstairs to visit with us.

These Children Can Knit

2011-12-01T20:45:00.007-06:00

All five of our grandchildren, ages 4-10 are able to knit, so it was not unusual for them to join the adult knitting group that I hosted last week. The children, dressed in their pajamas, brought their knitting upstairs and downstairs. They moved their chairs in a circle and sat at the edge of the room, involved in their individual knitting and crocheting projects. For over an hour, the children sat quietly, busy with their needle work. After having their tea and their sweets, they
packed up their knitting and went to bed.

Lighting The First Advent Candle

2011-11-30T21:52:00.016-06:00

The candles are ready for Advent. Since we light the Advent candles on Wednesday nights because our family shares "Wednesday Night Dinner", tonight we lit the first Advent candle of 2011.

First we lit the candles at the dinner table.

After the candles were lit at the table, our oldest grandchild lit the first Advent candle. We have five grandchildren and there are five Advent candles, so there is one candle for each child to light. The oldest child will light his/her candle every Wednesday until Christmas. Each week during Advent, the next oldest child lights a candle until the youngest lights her candle on Christmas.

A very special event.

After all of the candles were lit, it was time to eat dinner.

At the end of dinner, the child who lights their Advent candle for the first time, gets to put out all of the candles at the dinner table. It was a wonderful celebration this evening.

Advent

2011-11-30T16:27:00.002-06:00

Today is Wednesday. Tonight our oldest grandchild will light the first Advent candle.

Our Violent Lake

2011-11-30T13:02:00.009-06:00

With the heavy winds yesterday, came the rumbling waves. Almost ten feet high, the waves looked as if they were tearing the lake apart piece by piece. The noise was almost unbearable and it sounded as if a freight train was approaching me head on

How can the lake look so peaceful and quiet one day, and then change to a fearless enemy the next? Although it's changing personalities are what I love most about living on the lake, the dark and ferocious waves are anything but inviting. Yet it was exciting to walk along the shore and feel the cold spray that every once in a while found me. How can a person not be energized by the tumultuous movement of the water? Water is revitalizing, therapeutic and hypnotizing all at the same time. I love my lake!

If You Feel Like Dancing

2011-11-30T10:40:00.005-06:00

"Dancing is like dreaming with your feet", a quote by Constanze, I can only imagine how free it must feel to just close your eyes and get lost in the dream of dance. This is a photo of daughter Liz dancing at the Art Museum and the photo seems to fit the quote. So if you feel like dancing, dance.

"If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Have Baked A Cake"

2011-11-28T21:56:00.002-06:00

No need for words. Just an adorable photo that I took of my granddaughter.

Why Art...

2011-11-27T15:10:00.006-06:00

This is our third trip to the symphony this season...with all three of our children. Last night, just as we expected them to, our three children sat through both halves of the performance quietly listening to the music. They were so quiet and studious that, at various times in the night, many different people sought me out to tell me how impressed they were. And it certainly is impressive to watch three children (ages 5, 8, and 10) study an orchestra at their young ages...but maybe not so impressive if you know all of the shaping and forming that has taken place over the last ten years so that moments like these are not exactly rarities. And so it happened that, after I graciously accepted all of the compliments of our children after the first half (and silently prayed that they would be equally well-behaved during the second), one of the couples with season tickets in the row behind ours asked if I would write an article describing how my children learned to sit through an entire symphony. Well, here it is...

So how does one begin to cultivate an early love of music and fine arts? The truth is that it isn't very difficult: just like growing a garden of vegetables or flowers, it takes a certain amount of love, care, and consciousness and, over time, the blossoms will begin to unfold. Just like growing a garden, however, there is no exact recipe for having just the perfect flower...in fact, there is a great amount of serendipity in the whole process.

I wish I could say that there was at least an exact recipe for those perfect moments that give us an overwhelming (albeit brief) sense of parental pride, but there is no exacting recipe for anything of true beauty and worth. Just like cultivating a love for the arts, there is a certain art to cultivating life.  Indeed, the world's greatest philosophers have all found that perfection is a balance: the golden mean, the middle path, the yin and the yang.

The art of parenting is very much the same. It isn't necessarily what you do, but how often you are able to find the serenity of the balance. Especially in the city, that balance can be difficult...but each cultivated art begets its own advantages. I attribute much of the culture of my children to that of our urban life. When my boys were only toddlers, it was not unusual to find them playing in the grass at a garden concert or driving matchbox cars underneath the table at the bistro. Outdoor gallery nights and wild-space dance performances, pastel-decorated sidewalks, streetcorners of spontaneous music, open mic nights, exquisite gardens, open markets, patisseries, and used bookstores were their cultural playgrounds...and the park, lake, river, and our own private garden, their quiet retreat.

My children were not always quiet and they did not always sit through performance after performance. Sometimes they would sit and listen...other times they would lose interest and opt for running and playing.  Concerts that could accomodate both of those extremes were our favorite, but sometimes stretching our parenting (and grandparenting) talents was necessary too. A carefully-thought-out diaper bag usually carried a surprise and a snack, and quiet times for concentrating or even napping were combined with concerts and museum excursions. No, it was not always perfect.

It still isn't perfect. This year our season tickets are in the very front row. We are so close that you can see beads of sweat on the musicians and hear the conductor take a deep breath. But we are so close that those beads of sweat, that empassioned breath, the magnitude of the sound, and the hours of work that pull it all together--all of those profoundly humanistic qualities reach out and carry the children (and some adults too!) through the performance with ease. At the end of the performance the musicians often stop to talk to the children...and thank them for their attention. Such an experience can hardly be recreated through an ipod.

Children learn by experience. Just as much as they need to see vegetables growing, chickens laying, and cows milking; parents building, cooking, sewing, and fixing; families loving and communities sharing...they also need to find ways to experience the vast and enduring aspirations of the human spirit.  Within those experiences they need to learn to be a lover and a critic, a seer and a doer, a student and a teacher--and within those extremes, they must learn to find their balance.

There certainly are no perfect parents.  Some days all of our hard work pays off and we find ourselves shining and shimmering in parental glory.  Other days surprise us with much less aesthetic excellence. On our own quest to achieve that balance, the guidance and inspiration we find through the arts becomes a value to us all.

Our daughter at two, with her first violin.

Our Light House

2011-11-27T09:11:00.005-06:00

When I say "our" light house, I do not mean that literally. This magnificent light house is just a short walk from Three Stories. It was a functioning light house not too long ago, and I can remember watching the spot light from miles away. With many years of community support and fundraising, this light house has been restored to it's natural beauty. My husband and I walk past it often in the morning to see the rising sun as a backdrop.

A Light House Moment To Remember......... Last Spring while driving my grandchildren home from ballet, they asked if we could stop to see the light house. Although it was dinner time, we quickly parked the car and ran to stand in front of the light house. Large in size to me, I can only imagine how tall it looked to a four and six year old. We three stood in front of the light house for a moment and then walked around it before getting back into the car to drive a few short blocks home

This special sight seeing experience took all of 10 minutes and it almost did not happen. When my grandchildren asked to stop at the light house, I almost told them that we didn't have time. However, I had a feeling that this short delay in our schedule would be appropriate. It's not every day that we take the time to make a memory, but when we do, it's so very special. And, just three days ago, my grandson asked me if I remembered running around the light house. I am convinced that we must take a few minutes to pause and look around us from time to time.

Winter Trees

2011-11-26T20:07:00.005-06:00

Although the trees surrounding Three Stories are not quite as old as the 105 year old house we live in, they have been here for many, many years. When the leaves fall from their branches, the trees look haunted. The tree limbs resemble the bones of a skeleton. The branches creak as the wind blows and I can hear the squeaking from my bedroom windows, even when the windows are closed. The noise sounds like background music to a ghost story. When I am up alone late at night, it is very eerie.

The trees are like old friends. When one tree has to be cut down, it is rather sad. In winter when the leaves are gone, I can see every individual branch. The squirrel nests are visible at the end of the high branches and the nests can be seen from blocks away. On one block, my husband and I counted ten nests, looking like big ornaments hanging on Christmas trees.

When the summer leaves appear on the branches, their skeleton bones are covered, and one tree looks just like another. I cannot tell where one tree ends and the next tree begins. It amazes me that as the seasons change, the trees take on different personalities. I have been enjoying the bare trees lately and I am astonished to see such beauty in their bare branches. It makes me wonder what season the trees like best. I almost think that I enjoy the artistic look of the bare winter trees better than the green trees of summer. It just proves that there is beauty everywhere.

The Zebra In Me

2011-11-26T09:15:00.013-06:00

Our zebra bathroom began to take shape months before we even got to the bathroom renovation. As my husband and I were discussing colors for the bathroom one day, my husband said that he would love zebra wallpaper on the walls. I think that I laughed at first, but after realizing that he was serious, I started to visualize a zebra bathroom.

The original tile in the 100 year old bathroom was black and white. Not only was black and white easy to work with, but the tile was in perfect condition. When our plumber was fixing and installing pipes at Three-Stories, he kept commenting on the beautiful tile. There was no question that we would tear out perfect vintage tile and replace it with what was available in the stores today. Of course we would keep the black and white tile, and that was when the zebra idea was sold to me.

Easier said than done, finding what we were looking for was more difficult than we thought it would be. Search hard enough and you will find exactly what you want. The bathroom turned out perfectly. The zebra wallpaper has been up for eight years and it still looks great. What a fabulous idea. It's certainly an improvement over the "Tuscan" decorating below, don't you think?

A Gray Friday...

2011-11-26T08:35:00.000-06:00

Friday was a day of rest and relaxation. The boys walked to the park for some pickup football and then we all took a walk down to the river.

We always bring two bags: one for collecting and one for cleaning...

Even during the late autumn the river is a meditative place to be.

The colors are muted and the ground crackles and brushes wildly beneath your feet. It is such a magic sound that hardly anyone talks. The grasses, though pale and dry, are taller than the children. While I sit and listen to the beauty, the children create impromptu mazes or play games of hide and seek.

Even in the colorless autumn, the city river has character and flair...

Rosy cheeks abound...

...and on the busiest shopping day of the year, we were all thankful for the quiet and the peace.

Happy Thanksgiving...

2011-11-24T21:28:00.000-06:00

...with love from Three Stories

Perfect!

2011-11-24T21:26:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving, The Preview:

2011-11-24T13:20:00.000-06:00

Because so many of us already live together, and because every Wednesday night at this house is always a night of family, friends, and thanksgiving, our special details are what bring the holiday season to life.

Preparations begin early in the week and pick up speed the day before. Yesterday was spent cooking side dishes, desserts, setting tables, making centerpieces, and creating the spirit of celebration. At 9:00 p.m., when most of my work was complete, I went upstairs to catch a few photos of my mother's work.

The "Cape Cod" Thanksgiving table for the children...

And the French Provincial for the adults...

After taking photos and enjoying the quiet moments observing my mother's art de la table, we sat down to a perfect espresso.

While we were sipping and celebrating, the kitchen door peeked open and in through the door came a very curious little girl, eager to join in the fun. Rather than shooing her out the door and back to bed, Nana decided to put those tiny hands to use...

...learning the secret to Great, Great Grandmother's cranberry sauce.

Already, the smells of stuffed turkey are filling my own house and creating such a festive presence. My children can hardly wait to see their table and join in the fun...

Thanksgiving Preparations....24 Hour Countdown

2011-11-24T12:51:00.004-06:00

At 8:30 this morning I was ready to put the turkey into the oven. After all of these years of roasting turkeys, I still check my cookbook to make sure that the bird is perfectly cooked.

Stuffed mushrooms are on the menu. I checked my last minute recipes. The house was quiet and I was able to sip my coffee as I prepared my stuffing.

At 8:36 AM our 27 lb. turkey was placed in the oven. Now I can empty the dishwasher and clean up the kitchen so that I can begin making breakfast. Son Chris offered to make omelets and I went to check the tables.

Dishes put away.

Glassware back in place.

I set the tables last night. The children have a blue and white "Cap Cod" theme this year.

The adults' table theme is "French Provincial", and everything is in place. Even with all of the advance preparations, no doubt I will be missing something at the last minute. That's all part of the fun. The real meaning is not in the food or the table settings, it is in the family sitting at the tables. It is about sharing a special meal together. It is in the conversations that take place at the tables. And knowing that everyone who comes, really wants to be here, warms my heart and soul. Thank you family! Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Hostess,

2011-11-23T13:07:00.002-06:00

I am so excited... Last night at midnight, I heard extra footsteps going up your stairs...the houseguest from Phoenix must have arrived right on time!!! Right now I can hear your vacuum cleaner working double-time...you must not be able to hear your phone ringing. The laundry is going...I am sure it is your last-minute linens.

I woke up to this on my kitchen table as a reminder that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done...

The only problem I have is this: what am I supposed to be making??

Sharing

2011-11-22T06:33:00.001-06:00

I grew up in a house with two brothers and a sister. My sister and I shared a bedroom, and on really cold nights, or when the holidays grew near and we wanted to talk ourselves to sleep, we even shared a bed.

Yesterday, as we were going to sleep, I asked all of my children what they were thankful for. "Having a warm home," or "Always having food to eat" were ubiquitous (the other day I bought food for a homeless man and gave him my son's hat...that lesson did not fail to impress itself on any of the children). But when my daughter said "I'm thankful that I have my own room," I had a sudden twinge of sadness.

There were certainly days in my youth when I wanted my own room--it wasn't that my parents couldn't have made that happen. In a three-story (coincidence?) addition that renovated our house when I was a child, I recall one of the sets of plans giving our home two or three more bedrooms. Instead, however, my parents opted for making our current bedrooms bigger and keeping our sleeping arrangements the same.

Though sharing a room wasn't always perfect, the memories of that time are. By the time I was a senior in college and lived by myself, I realized how lucky I had been: before that, I had never slept alone! I remembered telling my sister that, when I had children, I was going to make sure that they shared a bedroom too--and she agreed. Today, my two boys share the same bedroom and Liz's two children share theirs...and all of us share the same house.

Yesterday, when my mom and dad came home from the grocery store (bringing with them a few specialty items that I had asked them to pick up for me), my mom stopped in and listened to my children practicing the violin. She was only there for a few minutes--just long enough to hear a few songs and give the children a kiss. But in that moment I saw that my children had just made a good memory--we all had. These, I thought, are the moments they will remember when they think back to their life in this house.

Now that I am older, and a little bit wiser, I recognize all of the things my family has the opportunity to share. Not only do we share a home and a garden (and a lawn mower, a power-washer, a snow-blower...rakes, shovels, tools...the list could go on), but we also share all of the work. We share grocery errands (thank you!), food, laundry detergent, music, laughs, the ovens and the ranges (especially during the holidays!), warmth, noises, ideas, and fun.

Sometimes, in our busy world, we forget how nice it is to share things. It is certainly ecological! But, in a down economy, it could even become necessary. During these times, we are all thankful that we hardly feel a difference...that is the power of sharing.

As I was turning out the light in the bedroom that my boys share, my son asked me, "So, Mom...what are you thankful for?" My answer was just two words: "Three Stories." I am thankful for all of it!

Vintage Knits For Vintage Dolls

2011-11-21T16:00:00.008-06:00

When I was a little girl, my best friend Peggy and I would play for hours underneath my dinning room table with our Ginny dolls. Our fathers had built us wardrobes for the numerous outfits that our Ginny dolls owned. One Christmas, my father took a wire coat hanger apart and made my Ginny dolls miniature hangers on which to hang all of their party dresses.

A while ago when my husband and I were at a fundraising auction, some kind woman had generously donated four of her collectable Ginny dolls to be auctioned off. I was so delighted to see the dolls, that the past became the present, and I was a little girl again, sitting on the floor under the table with my best friend, setting up our little Ginny doll spaces.

Well the dolls came home with me after the auction and two Ginny dolls went to each of my granddaughters. This morning, my daughter Liz met me in the laundry room with Babette's two Ginny dolls. Both of the dolls were dressed for cold weather. Babette had brought her dolls to her mother and complained that her dolls were cold. Babette also said that the dolls had to get ready for their Christmas party. Liz quickly knit the dolls their hats, sweaters, and scarves. And, to add a little more love to this story, Babette was so very thankful that her mother had knit warm sweaters for her dolls, that Babette asked if her mother could knit one for her too.

The new little sweaters brought tears to my eyes. It was as if Liz had knit the sweaters for my Ginny dolls of the past. Memories of my childhood came flooding back to me throughout the day today. The warm sweaters hats and scarves will be treasured by Babette, and I am sure that very soon, Babette will be wearing a sweater and hat to match her dolls'. The above photos were taken by Liz and are on her website, ragademalion@flickr-photo sharing. You can also find Ragademalion on Etsy.

Three Stories In Two Places, A Winter Farewell

2011-11-21T09:41:00.011-06:00

As we say goodbye to " Three Stories In Two Places" until April, we remember the things about the cottage that we love. As the sails come down and the boats go into storage at the end of the month, we do not say" Good bye", we say "See you later".

And, as the gathering rooms cover the outdoor furniture, as summer residents go back to the city for the winter, Three Stories in Two Places gets an occasional guest or two who would like to ski or snow mobile. Since we do neither, we take one last look at a special cottage in a special place and we look forward to Spring when we return.

But now, there are so many things to do here in the city. We have our Thanksgiving menu to finish, shopping to do, house guests to prepare for, and busy work schedules to juggle. Winter may come...we are ready. We have said our last Good bye. We will see you later, Three Stories in Two Places.

Little Builders vs Push Button Entertainment

2011-11-20T09:34:00.004-06:00

The families here at Three Stories believe that there is way too much "push button entertainment" today in childrens' lives. Movies, video games and television have taken away the child's ability to think and feel for himself. So at Three Stories, books, drawing and painting, and building with unfinished wood blocks, keep our grand children busy and entertained for hours.

Although legos are a favorite for all of our grandchildren, wood blocks are many times the toy of choice when building houses. Even very young children are smart enough to know that houses are not made out of plastic and are not red, yellow, green, and blue. When allowed to choose between plastic legos or unfinished wood blocks, the blocks win most of the time.

Our five grandchildren here at Three Stories, go on a "media fast" during the school week. Movies, television, video games, and computers are restricted on school nights (although there may be the occasional exception to the rule). Doing puzzles, reading aloud, singing, putting on magic shows and skits, sewing, knitting, and building with blocks, are activities that produce artistic, creative and free thinkers who are able to brainstorm and problem solve on their own without the media doing it for them.

Martinmas

2011-11-19T06:33:00.000-06:00

May warmth, light, and love be in your heart now and throughout all of winter...

Our Three-Stories Morning Walk

2011-11-17T22:00:00.015-06:00

Most mornings my husband and I rise early to take the dog for a walk. We usually walk towards the lake where we can go through the park to the woods and watch the sun come up. Our first stop is the waterfall. Some mornings the sun sparkles on the water like tiny jewels as we look from below. Then we head to the lake. If we have time, we walk down the hill to the water. The lake is just as beautiful from the bluff as it is from below. Then we head back through the woods and home to get ready for work. Our morning walks take us many places....to the river, the lake, to the university campus, or when we are short on time, to the corner coffee shop. It's a great way to start the day.

Dinner, in a snap...

2011-11-16T18:25:00.000-06:00

I always try to shop at the local co-op grocer. Not only do I appreciate the quality of the food, but I enjoy the practice of bringing and filling my own bags from the bulk food aisle. About once a month I bring at least one of my two pasta bags--large plastic bags which each hold up to three lbs. of pasta--and fill them to the top. We don't eat pasta very often, but buttered noodles are a comfort food that we indulge in once in a while.

Last night was one of those buttered-noodle nights and so, when I went to my cupboard to find my three pounds of pasta missing...well, naturally I retraced my steps...

Hmmm....two Tuesday's ago I made Bison stew and sent my children, a box of corn-bread mix, the stew, and my bag of noodles up to the second floor while I went to a meeting. I'll just call my mother.

Mom says she sent it down with the leftover stew but rechecks her cupboards: still no pasta. While we're still on the phone I recheck my shelves and my mother suggests sending one of the children up for some of her penne. Ok, I say, and send my oldest son up to fetch it.

My son returns with the pasta and we hang up the phones. I boil some water and make a salad, only to remember that I forgot to buy olive oil. No problem, mom buys it by the gallon so I call once more. Sure, she says, and I send my next son upstairs to fetch some. Down comes the olive oil and the salad gets finished, noodles are on the stove...and I'm out of butter!? No worries...everything's going to be alright, I'll just call my mom and I'll just send someone up to get some butter.

Good news! The butter is there...but... What? None of my starving children wants to run three flights of stairs again to fetch the butter? Someone, call Nana quick! Tell her to throw it down the clothes chute...I'll be waiting!!

I catch the butter, the noodles are finished, the dinner is served, and the children are happy. The night is saved and the children go to bed with their stomachs full, their backs rubbed, and their stories read. What could be better than that, you ask? Well, I'll tell you:

Later in the evening, while putting all of the next-day's water bottles into the freezer, I noticed a familiar bag in the back of the icebox. Sure enough I pulled it out and realized that I must have, in some post-meeting exhaustion, put the pasta bag "away" in the freezer. Pasta recovered; mystery solved...

Thank you, Mom!!! I owe you some pasta... (And some butter, and some olive oil, and a tsp. of salt, and a cup of sugar, and...)

Love, Maggie

The Last Leaf

2011-11-15T08:36:00.013-06:00

The last leaf has fallen at Three Stories. Last weekend the yard was cleaned up, outdoor furniture was either put away or covered, and the gardens were put to sleep. The porches have been swept clean and there is no sign that Three Stories was once full of a spectrum of color. Within a matter of thirty days, the leaves have changed from green, to orange, to yellow, and have fallen to the ground.

There are still a few pink and red roses blooming as they hang on tightly to their branches, a true sign that they are resisting winter as much as we are. The change of seasons amazes me. Although we all talk about how wonderful it must be to live where it is warm and sunny all year, I know that we would miss the different weather personalities that Mother Nature presents to us. I promise myself that I am going to photograph these changes and be happy that I can take part in this changing experience.

Jill

Garage Art

2011-11-15T02:43:00.001-06:00

We have art on our garage. The garage wall that faces our courtyard at Three Stories, fills the backyard with color. Little did we know that when we (Three Story women) hung this huge canvas on our garage, that it would last for years. We would have been happy to have it last for a year, but season after season, our garage mural remains vibrant and colorful. Our son-in-law, Joe, planted vines at the base of the canvas so that the leaves that climb the garage wall resemble live seaweed. At the height of the summer season, one really feels the impact of that art-garden.

In the middle of winter, with snow piled high against the garage, the colors on the mural stand out even more brilliantly than ever. Each time that I pass a backyard window from inside the house, I am drawn to the beautiful 48 sq. ft. ocean canvas. The bright blue never fails to invite me back under the sea. Because most of our summer mementos disappear in the winter, it is quite special to have a few splashes of color that don't change with the seasons.

Little Hands, Lots of Work

2011-11-14T05:21:00.000-06:00

An art closet without rules sometimes means that you have children sculpting and painting all afternoon (and well into the evening). It also means that the rooms in your house may be suddenly overrun by wet clay slip in the cracks of the hardwood floor or watercolored fingerprints all over the bathroom. Nonetheless, spending an afternoon with the muses of beauty and truth is worth all of the mud and mess in the world.

Painting after painting...

Little fingers...

making little beads...

And bowls...

to paint...

and decorate...

...and put things in.

Wait...is that a clay handbag? ...naturally, the highest form of truth and beauty!

Outside Comes In at Three Stories

2011-11-13T10:53:00.000-06:00

In November, before the first frost, the outside comes in at Three Stories. We bring inside as many green plants as possible over the winter. By Spring, most of the plants go back outside looking more beautiful than ever. It is wonderful to start the month of May with mature greenery on the porches. It leaves less to buy and plant for us at Three Stories. This season we have brought much more inside than usual. It will be fun to see how this works. We will let you know!

The Rhythm and Beat of Blue

2011-11-12T05:24:00.003-06:00

I am sometimes obsessed with color. When I snapped the photo of the deep blue early evening sky, I knew that I wanted to see more of that beautiful blue. As I was glancing through Liz's photos the other night, I was immediately drawn to the color blue. Although here are just a few of the photos that were so brillianly blue, I had fun putting them together.

Rhythm implies a flowing quality of movement from one place to another. The tides have rhythm. Speech, writing, and music have rhythm. The heart has rhythm. Before we were born, we heard and felt the rhythm of our mothers' heartbeats. We felt rhythm before we felt anything else.

I recently read that rhythm brings forth a healing that we need in our busy lives. Rhythm is therapeutic and has a calming effect on our souls. When my work schedule changes (as it often does) it takes me several days to get into a rhythm. As soon as my body is used to the new rhythm, I flow through the days and weeks until there is another change. To me, the color blue, flows smoothly like small waves in the ocean or like clouds in the sky. The rhythm of blue is calming and quieting. Smaller rhythms occur within larger ones. The rhythm of the hour, within the rhythm of the day, within the rhythm of the week, within the rhythm of the year. Our lives are made up of rhythms.

Cutsie Tootsies

2011-11-11T06:19:00.001-06:00

Cutsie Tootsies are warm hand knit, wool socks from Ragademalion aka daughter, Liz.

Liz decided to make these wonderful "warmies" because her feet were getting cold in the dance studio. I can picture these socks in all sorts of color and in all sizes. I think that all five of the children living at Three Stories would love these little warmies on their feet this winter. There's nothing better than warm feet.

My "Cutsie Tootsies" wouldn't even have to match. As many of my skating friends know, I often wear mismatched socks under my boots, especially if the mismatched socks are from my favorite pairs. Years ago I actually bought Liz and Maggie socks that did not match. That was when I decided that I could pair up some cute combinations. So, Lizzie, if you ever knit a pair of "Cutsie Tootsies" for me, any of your beautiful yarns would suit me fine.....even leftovers from your many knitting projects. This is one way to make winter fun!

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries...

2011-11-10T21:00:00.000-06:00

"November 10, 2011" is what my father-in-law would have painted on the wall of his business. Every year since he opened his manufacturing shop, he always painted the date of the first snowfall, high upon the wall, for everyone to see. Year after year sat an ever-growing list of usually November or December dates, marking the passage of years, one flake after another.

My father-in-law is no longer here, and his list was sold along with the machine shop several years ago. Nonetheless, that sentimental list still remains in my memory and every first-snowfall I imagine a man that I never met climbing up on a ladder with his brush and that special can of paint that had not been opened since the year before. I picture him up on that ladder ceremoniously marking that bit of magic that floats down like fairy dust from the sky.

Today at school, I was passing by one of the rooms and heard a sudden exclamation followed by chairs sliding on the floor and then little running feet. "It's snowing!" exclaimed one of the young second grade students. "It's almost Christmas!" squealed another. Although I was pressed for time, I could not do anything but keep my feet planted in that magical moment--a moment of both beauty and truth that is only visible to children or the young-at-heart. I savored that youth.

Each time one of my own three children saw me in the halls, they shared with me the news that I already knew: "Mom, it's snowing!" On the way home, the scent of the icy air and the chill of the gentle flakes reminded them of the upcoming holidays and of the joys of the season.

I came home to a delicious "Bowl of Cherries" gift basket (from the second story) filled with cherry salsas, cherry mustard, Havarti cheese, and a delicious cherry tea. We ate a cherry mustard with pretzels, and cherry chipotle salsa on Havarti nachos. Simple, elegant, and heavenly. That, along with the last seven chapters of Around the World in Eighty Days was our supper. The chocolate-covered cherries were our dessert.

Later on in the evening, as we were winding down and getting ready for bed, my oldest son looked over at me and said "Mom, I think we should write down on the calendar that it snowed today." I just nodded at him...and smiled. Somehow, I am sure that his grandfather did too.

On certain days, the clues for living the best life are everywhere: life really is a wonderful bowl of cherries...all we need to do is stop and savor a bite or two.

A Special Wednesday Night...

2011-11-10T12:02:00.003-06:00

Every Wednesday night my mother hosts a dinner for everyone at Three Stories. She didn't just start doing this when we moved to the city--this tradition actually began more than ten years before our move when my grandparents and so many other dear friends and family members were still with us.

Many people have come and gone from our lives during the past twenty years and so our Wednesday Night Dinner has undergone many transformations. Friends often take the opportunity to stop in on Wednesday nights--you can count on our family to all be there!--and you never quite know what other excitement (violin concerts, dance recitals, magic shows) the night has in store.

Bob, a family friend, often stops in to deliver small presents to the children (and sweet treats for the adults!). Dressmaker Ellen comes to discuss fabric samples or the latest fashions. Caretaker Renee brings laughs and warm conversations, and Teacher Michele brings her presence of mind and her calm understanding. These are only some of the interesting friends who regularly light up the rooms of Three Stories.

Last night we were lucky to have a very rare guest: the master teacher and magnificent painter from the Netherlands, Leo Klein, was brought to Three Stories to partake in Wednesday Night Dinner. Along with his charming personality, Leo graced Three Stories with stories of his own--from the World War in Europe, from his many years as a Waldorf Teacher, from personal stories of his own artful life--and he even surprised the children with a special story and some magic just to keep them on their toes!

After some stew and apple crisp, many of us ventured back out into the cold rain once again to attend Leo's lecture and watercolor painting workshop. There we spent two hours, guided by the gentle encouragement and bright inspiration that only years of thoughtful experience can provide. It was a glorious Wednesday Night!