The Gypsy Adventures - A Week In Review

Hello, from Wisconsin! We are here visiting friends and helping them finish some home projects - you know: trim, paint, and the like. We had a fabulous trip here. We took our time, stopped and saw beautiful things, had grand adventures, and enjoyed time together. I'll try and give you a glimpse of what we did and what we saw; hope you enjoy!

**To see all the pics from our trip go to our SmugMug page:

Gypsy Adventures

Well, we started off Saturday afternoon but only made it as far as Grampa and Gramma’s house for an early birthday party for Liam. Then we visited Mima and Nonno (my parents) Sunday morning for a birthday breakfast for my mom. We officially hit to road around 10:30 Sunday morning.

Sunday:

Our first stop was for a mid-afternoon lunch at a little park near Lake Erie. There were tall oak trees that, with each gust of wind, were throwing acorns down upon our unsuspecting heads! It sounded like hail thudding down, but when you looked up you could see leaves of gold swirling in rapid descent. The grove of oaks bordered a slate-lined streambed. On the far side of the creek were little cliffs that rose to the woods. It was the perfect place for a picnic! After lunch, the kids and Andrew went off to climb on the play set while I tidied up a bit, then off again – this time with a destination of Port Clinton, OH where we caught up with an old friend from a few years back.

Monday:

We had a leisure breakfast Monday morning, then started off, not really knowing how far we would go, just knowing that we were headed to Michigan! We drove for quite a while on Monday, eating lunch on the road and supper at a nice grassy parking area. We camped out in a Wal-Mart Parking Lot for the night – nothing too exciting, but we had fun, none the less!

Tuesday:

Tuesday was fun! We went to a petting zoo that housed goats, sheep, alpacas, a camel, a zebra, bunnies, donkeys, miniature ponies, zebus, and even some wallabies! Liam loved the sheep; Abigail, of course, adored the ponies; Phinehas liked them all; and Lydia – believe it or not – liked the camel! I couldn’t blame her. The camel had funny lips that he nibbled our hands with, searching for a treat. His fur? hair? coat? was SO soft! I was amazed! It was thick and curly, but not to long. And she put a show on for us by reaching her head up and silently opening her mouth and wiggling those oversized lips. I was afraid she was going to spit on us!

After the petting zoo (which was free, by the way!) we went on to Silver Lake State Park where we walked in the Sand Dunes! Incredible! It was like a desert dropped in the midst of a bunch of lakes! (Dani, I thought of you!!) The children and Elroy had a blast running up and jumping down the dunes – well, all except for Lydia. She did not like the sand and protested loudly each time we set her down. Abigail and Phin ran ahead of us and found “rattle snake tracks.” Actually, they were tracks made by two hikers that had recently passed through and had dragged a couple of sticks along besides them. (Abbi didn't believe me.) She and I followed the tracks along for a while, she always expecting to happen upon the rattler just over the next ridge or in the next clump of grass. We saw trails left by wee little mice, prints of birds, and these funny little holes that were surrounded by a ring of sand. In the valleys of sand, there were great carcasses of trees that had died and now lay sun bleached in the sand.

Following another picnic lunch we went to a beautiful brick lighthouse on the shore. It was built in the (I think) 1870’s and, had we come a week or so earlier, we could have climbed the 130+ steps to the top and looked out across the vast expanse of Lake Michigan. As it were, we instead ran along the shore. Abbi and Phin had raced ahead to scatter the sea gulls and I called them back. As they ran to me I heard this incredible sound like sea gulls gaggling in chorus, but when I looked around, the nearest group of gulls was too far off to be heard. It only took a minute for me to figure out it was the sand squeaking! The kids already knew, obviously, and were dragging their feet through the sand causing this strange cacophony of squeaks. It wasn't long until the novelty of the squeaky sand wore off and the three big kids were dabbling their toes in the blue water... then splashing up to their ankles... then dipping in up to their chins! When it was time to go, Andrew carried all three of them across the sand in order to avoid a HUGE mess! That was a super fun day!

Wednesday:

On Wednesday we crossed from lower Michigan into the Upper Peninsula. Before the big bridge, we stopped at a scenic overlook and found Wintergreen! I have sucked on the leaves before, but had never tasted one of the bright pink berries. We all got to try a few, much to my delight!

The trees in the Upper Peninsula reminded us of the Adirondacks, thought the landscape is so much more flat. Not flat like I imagine the Great Plains would be, but definitely not great hills that my eyes are so accustomed to back in NY and PA. For lunch we stopped for PB&J at a little park that had a walkway along the shore. The walkway continued out into to water ending at an old lighthouse, not quite so lovely as the one on Tuesday. The kids enjoyed running ahead on the great concrete pier, jumping over all the white patches of sea gull poop; Elroy also enjoyed running ahead, but he liked to try and roll in the sea gull poop. ugh.

Then we continued on to a remote campsite in the Hiawatha National Forest. We arrived in time to gather fire wood and have a nice fire to warm up chilly fingers and toes, cook a batch of yummy soup and pop pop-corn in the whirly-popper over the warm coals. Night came quickly and found us all in bed by 8:30. It was so quiet! And so dark! The stars that shown through the windows were pin-pricks of steely light shining brightly down from jet black heights. We live in what I would call the country, back home, but still the night is polluted with sounds from the roads, the highways, airplanes flying above. Light from neighbors near and distant always finds a way to mar the beauty of the night. But not in the Hiawatha Nt'l Forest! The darkness and silence was complete.

Thursday:

Thursday morning we woke to crisp chilly air and our breath hanging blowing out in puffs. After a yummy breakfast we bundled up with sweaters and hats and took off for a hike up to the falls - Haymeadow Falls. They were disappointing - nasty bubbly detergent of some kind had foamed up in the creek and the falls were jam-packed with leaves and branches. But the walk itself was grand! Abbi and I found some more wintergreen, but couldn't locate any berries. The leaves were lovely and we all got some energy out before continuing on to Wisconsin!

We finally arrived here in Withee, WI shortly after suppertime on Thursday night. The kids have been playing outside, the Carpenter has been working his magic, and I have been chasing after the kids and bustling around the house with my friend Shaina!

There you have a glimpse of our gypsy adventure, thus far!

Rain, Children (and Ennio Morricone)

"Its Raining, Its Pouring, The Old Man Is Snoring!"

That was Liam's song for the day - a very applicable one at that! The drips started falling sometime while we slept last night, letting up just enough for the kids to run around in the drizzly gray this morning. The gray steadily thickened as the day went on and we cozily read books and drew pictures, drinking tea and eating crisp apples with soft cheese. At one point I had three wild horses scampering through the house with numerous troughs scattered in various locations throughout the downstairs. Lydia, hanging in her jolly-jumper thought they were hilarious.

This evening I went out to the library and was amazed at the vibrancy of the leaves as they shone through the hanging mist. The yellows and reds were especially heart stopping.

Speaking of heart stopping, I've just discovered Ennio Morricone - an Italian composer who writes incredible pieces of music! Just try and find the song "Deborah's Theme" and you will see what I mean. Morricone writes scores for films. I can't vouch for any of the movies, but the music is wonderful!

So, with lovely children, passionate music, vibrant leaves, and the cozy gray of autumn rain I had a lovely day! One of my ambitions is to ENJOY my children - rather than get lost in the never ending lists of things to do, thereby merely co-existing with them. I want to savor the precious moments, grab ahold of the teachable moments, laugh at the laughable moments... and quickly pass through the crazy moments when my ears ring because of the high decibels and my mind spins with trying to figure out what I was just going to do. I have been oh! so thankful as the Lord has faithfully been guiding me in my journey as a mama. I know I've a long way to go, but I have had more 'good' days lately, less 'bad' days. And, having tasted this sweetness I am loath to give it up! I want to continue in this journey of laying myself aside and watching my children blossom.

Fall is here (or will be in another day!). The air is cool and crisp, nipping at my fingers as I hang out the laundry. On the wind the earthy scent of dry leaves reaches my nose. The ash tree, once so completely green, now has brick red emerging at the edges, replacing the verdant color of summer. The sky, behind the scurrying clouds, is deep, rich blue that takes your breath away and begs to be gazed at. A bit ago, as the wind threatened to tear the sheets off the line, I looked up and saw golden leaves swirling away from the grasp of the walnut trees, rising higher than the highest limb that once held them fast. Then down they fall to litter the ground with bits of fallen sunlight. The hills transform before my eyes – a patchwork quilt of new reds, yellows, burnished bronze, all sewn together with the remaining greens that desperately hang on till the end.

With the death of summer comes a glorious season that fills me with life. Autumn in NY is wonderful. Not only is it a feast for the eyes, but the grapes hang heavy on the vine, apples fall from the trees, harvest is at its peak – a feast for our bellies!

I love the fall!

Friends and Fall and Fun

We just had a lovely weekend! Some friends from PA came up for a visit and we packed the time full of fun fall festivities: we went on a field trip to the local fish hatchery; we picked grapes; we took a scenic drive near the lake; we chased kids around; we shouted at each other in order to be heard above the laughter and play of children (there were 11 kids all together!); we ate good food; we did LOTS of dishes (we? we? DARLA did a lot of dishes! Thanks, Darla!); we had a great time. We let all the kids skip naps... then put them to bed early. They ALL went withOUT a fuss and us 'old' people sat up chatting for a couple of hours eating ice cream with brandy-soaked black raspberries for a topping. The air was crisp and cool - but not cold; it rained a little - just enough to get everyone wet; the sun shone brightly and clouds scooted by on the breeze.

Fall is coming! Hooray!

A Cheeky Fellow, A Winter Clothes Line, and Lydia Grace

Meet Rufus, our resident chipmunk. He has a vast underground domain beneath our back porch which, I am sure, is packed full of delicious tidbits for his winter enjoyment. Have you ever watched a chipmunk stuff his cheeks? It is unbelievable! Today I watched him pack at least half a handful of sunflower seeds into those amazing expandable pockets! Before that he shoved leaves, yes LEAVES, into his mouth like a naughty boy left alone in a candy store. Finally, I watched as he crammed a whole hickory nut into one cheek, leaving ample room on the other side for more sunflower seeds. Yes, he sure is a cheeky fellow; I want to try and feed him from my hand, so I’ve been sitting quietly outside in a wee little chair while he scampers around. We’ll see what comes of it! More than that, I want to feed a chickadee from my hand. Which brings us to “A Winter Clothesline:”



This, my friend, is how every clothesline should be used in the winter! It totally makes using the drier completely justified, even on semi-warm days. This morning I saw a red tailed hawk (not at the feeder) and my favorite: a lady cardinal! This afternoon, during naptime (as I was luring Rufus), I was quietly sitting and enjoying the birds flitting to and fro. Within 30 minutes I saw chickadees (TONS of them!), juncos, a pair of downy woodpeckers, a chicken sparrow (they scratch their feet like a chicken), tufted titmice, nuthatches, blue jays, and a lowly mourning dove (or is it morning dove?). I couldn’t believe how LOUD their little wings are when there are no other noises! I had one junco fly right by my head, only to land within 3 feet of me! How fun! It was food for the soul!

And, here is Lydia Grace. She is almost 4 months old. In the mornings, usually I am downstairs holding her when the boys get up. Phinehas always asks, “Where’s Papa?” but Liam usually rushes to Lilly with a delighted, “BeBe! Lillila!” They are sure fun!

Autumn in its Splendor

One of my favorite smells is the smell of Autumn – the deep richness of the crisp crinkly leaves that have left their summer heights and have fallen to the ground, the sharp cool air that fills your lungs with life, the subtle warmth of the afternoon sunshine as it stretches its last rays in a lingering farewell. Contrasted with the vibrant green scent of Summer – the freshly cut grass mixed with the soaking heat of the summer sun that races across the sky in all its glory – the smell of Autumn is full, deep, loudly silent.



Yesterday, the kids and I took an afternoon walk in the woods, searching for yummy edibles to nibble on or collect to save and store. We were not disappointed! We collected an abundance of wild rose hips. They are bright, ruby red gems shining out from masses of tangled brambles and thorny hedges. Silly me, I had brought no scissors to snip off the fruitful ends of the branches. But I discovered that the ends have no thorns! If you grasp just behind the bunch of rose hips and gently pull they all come popping off into your hand. I filled my pockets. (Somehow the multitudes that I picked didn’t seem so many when I poured them out on the counter at home.)



The other glorious find that we eagerly snatched was the ripe Autumn Olive. In the spring, the Autumn Olive bushes fill the air with a sweet heady scent; they are in the honeysuckle family. I remember wishing that I could bottle the heavenly perfume and either wear it or drink it mixed with honey mead. Now, the branches hang heavily down, weighted with red little berries dotted with white specks. Weeks ago I started collecting them; then they were tart and tangy making your mouth pucker with pleasure. Now they are rich and juicy, sweetly succulent – a dessert fit for kings! We enjoy them in salads and muffins – or, better yet, fresh off the bush!



I also eagerly picked an Autumn bouquet. Most of the flowers have faded, smothered by the frosts that blanket the ground in the early morning, but the leaves are lovely! I found some oak and maple branches that still had a firm grasp on their decorative foliage and happily arranged them in an old broken pitcher; I managed to find a few daring sprigs of asters that had escaped the cool clutches of last weeks frosty mornings as well as some nice red-leaved bushes that I don’t know the name of. I’m pleased with the outcome! I’ve never been really proficient at decorating my house – mostly because I can’t bring myself to purchase things for mere decoration. I guess I’ve also never really settled; we’ve never felt as though we were going to remain in one place permanently. However, I do delight in beautiful things, especially things that cannot be created nor harnessed by man. I love bringing bits of the wild outside into my home where I can enjoy small portions of this wondrous creation throughout my day.