"back-to-the-land"

We are here and we own land. Ten acres of real land. We have a lawn that leads down to some woods, which lead down to a meadow. I thought having 3.5 bathrooms was exciting... but then I saw the meadow and I realized that this new home is all about the OUTSIDE and not necessarily the inside. (Well, the inside is incredible to... but wouldn't you rather hear about a meadow?) I mean, when was the last time you saw a meadow? (A Central Park meadow does not count.) Once I find my camera I'll take a picture of the girls standing in the grass. It might reach their chins, and is probably filled with ticks, but we'll head out in the tall grass so you get the idea.

Ruby and Eloise have adjusted really well to this new place. They have helped me set up my herb garden, they have taken a couple of good walks in the woods looking for snails, mushrooms and deer tracks, they have written letters to friends from school... it's been pretty great. My friend's sister already scored us a nice babysitter last night and Myles and I went out for the first time in about 6 months. I'm actually waiting for something terrible to happen because I'm feeling extremely lucky. Maybe this brief moment of "happiness" is just payback for the turmoil and uncertainty that we've been presented with Myles' career path over the past few years. Whatever it is - I cannot describe how elated I feel when I wake up in the morning to birds chirping all around, and I can see nothing but trees, hilltops and sky. Our bedroom makes me feel like I'm at a spa. I kid you not.

Maybe my dark cloud lurks just around the corner, when I'm stuck managing 3 kids and Myles isn't home for 30 hours at a time. But owning this property is a crazy crazy treat. I suppose I should enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.

Oh, speaking of treats... Miss Penny has figured out how to walk on her tiny, pudgy feet - and she's fast! She also has discovered how to hold a crayon and vandalize when nobody is looking. Perhaps she was watching Ruby drawing "E"s with craypas all over the Little Tykes play house and decided she wanted to play naughty too. Which leads me to ask, did Ruby really think that I'd be fooled with the E's? (That kind of cleverness deserves it's own post. My girls have become quite the smartasses.)

So to punctuate this entry I am going to invite any of you to come and visit whenever you can. There is plenty of room - and I'd like to take you for a little walk in our woods. By then I'll have learned how to forage for wild leeks and morels... savory tarts all around! No really. The best thing about our land is that I get to share it with people. So call now to book your weekend.