Chicken Blog

Here is a link to the beautiful Lighthouse photo taken by Janece's dad: Point Loma Lighthouse. Inside it is set up as it was when the lighthouse keeper and his family lived there. The boys and I were imagining what it might have been like living far, far from town, and in such a wonderful spot. Geoff and I took the size in to consideration, and were reminded that it is possible to live in a smaller space. But honestly, I wouldn't want the burden of finding crawl space for a baby in a home as small as the Lighthouse.

Crawl space is a premium around here. Upstairs is dangerous because of the stairs, and putting in a gate is necessary, but still technically unresolved. The railing is metal and slim. I don't think we will easily find a suitable gate. Downstairs is mostly safe, but it leaves me with a limited area for getting things done; the kitchen and school gear being upstairs. Of course summer heat will change things too. As it warms up we will suffer too much living and cooking upstairs, and like last summer we may find ourselves retreating to the family room and the tent in the yard. Wouldn't life be dull without these minor challenges?

Right now Maria is playing at my feet. I was cooking... albondigas are simmering on the stove and I am half-way through making corn tortillas. Masa is caked on my fingers. But Maria was through with her swing in the kitchen, and since she can practically fling herself out of the swing, it seemed like the right time to let her crawl around downstairs. Alex and Max are building with Legos and William is finishing a math assignment. All their friends have left on vacations. Geoff is at work.

I should have mentioned that my brother, Bill, was in Coeur d' Alene doing the Ironman. I should have gone there to help Alison cheer him on. He swam 2.5 miles. He rode a bicycle for 112 miles. He ran a marathon. He did all of this in the light of a single day. He regrets that he "didn't train for the event." ?! He says he rode his mountain bike a lot, took a few swims, but never ran. He says he did climb stairs behind his taqueria, but that he also ate a few too many Trader Joe's cheesecakes. ?! I may be closer to triathlon condition than I knew. Now he and Alison are home, and hopefully recovering from an Ironman is as easy as the training was.

As a recurring theme this may get dull, but I must again express shock and awe: Next week is 4th of July! If time is going to insist on hurtling us through space at a pace that cannot be reckoned with, then I had better hang my Christmas lights this Saturday. I can't keep up. I can only reflect and say, "Huh, was that last week?" Well, happy birthday Phil, Julie, Bill, Hans, Delia, Jared. Happy Flag Day. Congratulations graduates. And while I am thinking of it: Happy birthday Adam, Gretchen, Ruth, Eunice, Sophie, Jola, Henry, Becky-Sioux, Nancy, Corm, Alison, James...