Ode to a Thank You Note

Handwritten
Sent from the heart
To let you know
"you made my day"
"it arrived just fine"
"you made me smile"
"it mattered."
Thank you
Merci
Grazie mille.
Even if
I waited 3 months
I am grateful.

 

Families with Animals/Les Familles avec des Animaux

Good dog, Tuxy, is taking his morning nap in his bed, on the sofa by the window. He is wise beyond humans. It is pouring down rain and he has the very good sense not to stir out of doors or in until it becomes absolutely necessary. At 6am, he finds no reason to do anything but nestle down in his cushion and wait.

Le bon chien, Tuxy, fait sa sieste matinale dans son lit, sur le canapé, pres de la fenetre. Il est sage audela des etres humains. Il pleut des cordes et il a le bon sens de ne pas sortir jusqu'a ce que cela devient absolument necessaire.

When Compulsory Schooling Looks Like a Good Idea

School is an excellent choice for some children, though the form it takes could stand to be improved upon. When I make this statement, it is from the perspective of a modern, free from warfare, civilized country. I will be the first to defend my right as a parent to take responsibility for my child's well-being and education.

Snow for the Homeschooled

Yesterday we woke up to a beautifully white world and children all over the city who were hoping and praying for a snow day. No such luck, those plows had been vigilant and the buses were on time. I felt very sad for them, it had seemed like a sure thing; a winter storm came through, but it petered out during the night.

Catchin' the Early Snow

For once we were the first ones to the slope; fresh snow!!!

Double-sledding; Gaël borrowed Daddy's biking gear.

Charles in his Cowl

 

Back Up the Hill

 

Valentine a Little Discouraged

 

The Best Soup Ever...(if you can keep from gagging)

The image below is not straight out of a book of horror; it is of the ingredients to make the most scrumptious and nutritious chicken broth/stock ever. These are chicken feet donated from chickens who, up to that one fateful day, lived a good, happy life of barnyard bird, free-roaming and even loved, in a  funny sort of way.

Shall We Shake on It?

 

The Pianists

 

Dog News/ Nouvelles du Chien

In some odd quirk of Blogger, the service I use to publish this blog, my last post did not get published. This left a couple of pictures with odd titles and no explanation, unless you happened to have heard of the winner of the Winchester Dog Show.

The Best Dog of the Year inspired our family to greater love of our own dog who has a lot in common with Banana Joe, this year's winner. He is small. He is black. He is adorable. That's about it. We, nonetheless, had a day of celebration of smart, cute, sweet, spunky, small, black dogs everywhere.

Banana Joe's Got Nothing on Me