house wren studio

crowded house

Year's end at school. Mo made it safely home across country with three good friends who have been staying with us for several days. I love having them here and the way they change up the sleepy scene. Running back and forth from the train to the shower to the table to the couch, cell phones chirping, hair dryers whining, laptops humming. And all four of them shoulder to shoulder, connected to each other on every little thing, their settled plan, the past and future.

A few posts ago I was saying that one of our houses was too big for us, long ago when we were just starting out. The days of chasing small toys, herding boots, caps, mittens, hauling bushels of laundry. I wished for a cottage where we could be cozy in small spaces sized for our little family. The next house was more like that, especially with its front porch that kept us all close even when outside. Can't really call this present house a cottage, but it is surely small enough to fit that storybook fantasy. The reality is much less tidy than the dream. Stepping over the duffels and handbags and heels, I realize again that we are always chasing something, reaching for that imagined just-so.

I'm off to the stove with another bowl full of pancake batter and a stack of plates. The lovelies are beginning one more adventurous day with us. But first, clear off a chair here at the table, Goldilocks. I think this one is possibly just right.

just there

I walked by our old house last weekend- the one we took on as a neglected grande dame. The one we poured our days and nights into, pulling down falling plaster ceilings, scraping wallpaper, hanging wallpaper, doing what we could. The house that was impossibly huge, way bigger than we were. 8 bedrooms, 5 baths, 2 parlors, formal dining room, butler's pantry, dressing rooms, so much of everything. And the heating cost. Friends kept their coats on when visiting. As soon as it was fixed up enough, we sold it and moved on to Chicago. As much as I loved the neighborhood, I never really felt connected to that house. It was too much for us then.

But this door, oh, this time of year. I carried Maggie through that doorway as a newborn. 27 years ago this week. We put her into the arms of her big sister and watched them fall in love- in the room just there. I rocked her in the nursery chair by the yawning window up above. Tucked her in and tiptoed down the hall just beyond.

And I welcomed spring, swaying with her on my shoulder, looking out for this.

 

Our dependable, magnificent tree- the one that climbed up to us in the early dawn, waved at the window. The one that brought waking birdsong and pink lanterns, whispering each day, "There is so much more. Bring your little ones outside. Come out and see this charming, glowing spring. No more wallpaper, no more paint. Come outside and play. It is all just beginning- this is what you dreamed."

Happy birthday, darling Maggie. The house, our tree- still so elegant, so lovely- just like you. Our sweet little dream come true.

breaking away

I'm so glad we did that- just took off to see Mo for the weekend. She was so happy to be able to show us her sophomore tour of campus, town, her house, new friends and their visiting parents. And it was a touch more spring there, sunnier and warmer.

   

There was a fundraising dinner one night where we were seated at a banquet table full of new parents and freshmen. I watched our Mo brightly engage each one of them, unify the awkward table of strangers with funny anecdotes about adjusting to college life. Stories that made us feel as though we will all survive the experience, and be better for it. She was so adorable. Once again, I was impressed by her effortless charm, her easy style that relaxes and entertains. Later that night I told her so- and that I was really proud of the way she managed the evening. She gave me a wink and a quick hug good night. "Got it from you guys- just like everything else." 

Seriously. Adorable!

related

Isn't it amazing what is inside a camera after a week away, 973 images suddenly fullblown on the screen like a drive-in movie? It feels as if I'm off on a whole new visit there. I had no idea that so many images were related in ways I would just discover now. Does everyone think that kegs on the street and marble carvings are connected somehow....or is that only me?

It was a sweetly relaxed and sunny Easter here. Maggie, Andy, our friend Jane and I stayed on at the table laughing and telling travel tales. Maggie and James recently returned from a vacation to Austin, San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country. Maggie's stories were perfect counterpoints to ours- hilarious encounters with cowboys and critters. And it even looks like we are unwittingly drawn to similar sights, mine in Ireland (above) and hers in Texas (below). Although it is pretty amusing that the kegs would appear in my collage because I have never liked the taste of beer. Maggie, on the other hand,  ......

well, I must say, she has a well-trained eye for detail.

That's my girl! xoC

engaged!

On a quiet Maine beach at twilight, they watched a fox skitter across the bluing snow. He read a poem perfectly discovered for the place and time. And then John Paul asked Erin to marry him, to wear the beautiful antique ring he had chosen for her. 

She called home, her tears and laughter all bundled up together in the warmth of their excitement. Through the phone- we're getting married!!! we're getting married!!

Delighted, overjoyed! All of us!

 

remembering christmas

      

Each year when we unpack the ornaments, there are glimpses of Christmases past when the girls were little. It gets harder and harder to sharpen those memories, layered so deeply, and I will always miss those babies in my lap, thrilled, exhausted, recharging for the next round.

 

Christmas week goes by so fast- the whirl of it all is a little dizzying, too wonderful and vast to view at once. Like the big bear hugs my dad used to give us, the holiday seems to wrap itself tighter and tighter around us until we're ready to dissolve with joy. As the girls get older, it's no longer about Santa and his toys, but the gifts are even more important in the sweetest way. Each has become a master Santa trying to divine the best secret gift for her sister, boyfriend or parent. The thoughtfulness and love that goes into their choices for each other - and for us-  is just amazing, so creative and adorable. I think being part of that dear and generous affection is the best gift - only outdone by the gift of time. The hanging out, just being together, jammed into the too-small couch, squeezed around the tiny kitchen table or hovering near the magic stove. It's crowded and cozy in here, elbow-to-elbow, so merry and bright. Nothing more to wish for. It's all right here. This. is. it.

   

 

Celebrating family is the happiest way to end a year and then to begin a new one too. From our house to yours, wishing the same for each of you. xoC

hey, santa!

Thanks for stopping by! (Click image to enlarge.) Wishing everyone a safe and cozy Christmas. And a very happy birthday to Andy and Nicki!

xoC

treetime

 

Our Noreaster hit late last night with sleet and ice. We could hear it slamming against the side of the house like someone was throwing handfuls of nails at a metal dartboard. I got up to look outside and opened the window to get the cool, wet air indoors for awhile. It was kind of exciting. First thing this morning, up-and-at-em Andy suggested we get out to the tree lot while the rest of the county slept and surveyed the ice storm through their windows. Um, okay, that sounds like a good idea. He watched me tiptoe around with another cup of coffee, looking so un-ready to do much more than gaze out the wintry window, like everyone else. I mean there was no one out, not even the squirrels or birds, nothing except for a few hard-working plow trucks. Finally he announced that heck, he'll go get a tree and bring it back. How hard is it to pick out a tree these days, they are all perfectly grown, right? O, yay, thanks, sweetie! And I'll clear a space for it. And brew another pot of coffee. And find the treestand....

So we have a tree, all set up and indeed, perfectly shaped and standing straight as a pine soldier. I always think we should just leave it that way, bare, unlit, a huge air freshener and tribute to the quiet forest. But we have so many decorations. And of course, we must make lots more. It's what we do- a handmade Christmas tradition since the children were little. Yes, we are a crafty bunch through and through. One of my favorite gifts ever is this stack of handmade ornament boxes they made for me over 15 years ago. Using recycled cartons all painted up with their artsy, homegrown snowflake pattern, they even lined them with plush white lamby fabric scraps. I love them so much- and aren't they just so cool, so contemporary? My crafty, clever, little loves, and the dear man with a fine plan. It's a wonderful life ....snowed in with coffee and crafts. And a slowly warming tree. xoC

saint nick night

I was checking up on my friends in Omaha this morning and saw Teresa's post about her effort to comfort her family with the traditions of the season. She wrote about St. Nick Night which brought back a happy memory for my family too. That was one of the traditions we picked up from friends in Chicago when the girls were little. Putting their shoes by the door with the promise of a little surprise the next morning seemed such a gentle celebration of excitement and holiday anticipation. And one year, it was the memorable tale of the season for us.

Mo was three that year. After dinner, she watched her sisters each bring down a pair of shoes and set them by the front door. Fascinated, perplexed, she asked Why? An excited Erin explained the reason- St. Nick would stop by late that night and leave a treat that they would find in the morning.  Mo spun around and rummaged in the closet for her snow boots and put them next to her sisters' shoes, much larger versions of her own tiny feet. We went on about our evening routine, Mo playing with toys while Erin and Maggie did homework in the kitchen. Suddenly we heard little footsteps going up and down the stairs- more than once, up and down, up and down. We all got up and went to see what the little mischief maker was up to. And there she was- putting the finishing touches on a tower of shoes, every pair she could locate. She lined them up two by two from the front door to the kitchen door. The delight in her face completely revealed the logic of her plan- no need to even give it words. Yep, let's put out every shoe we own! Why stop with one or two? You just never know how generous the guy might be, right? Let's find out!

That dear little pixie with her wild plans and big ideas, always surprising us with something. Our favorite St. Nick Night ever. It was so nice to remember that today. Wishing you all a cozy weekend of holiday celebrations, of any size or sort- where those you love stay close, the very gifts we cherish most. xoC

(P.S. forgot to mention that my December class is tomorrow at Tinsel Trading. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by and say hi. We'll be in The Store Across the Street, making felt ornaments. I think the class is sold out, but the store is so, so fun to visit. A snowy Saturday in Manhattan at Christmas-time, kind of miracle-ish on 38th Street. Come see.)

a few more

We had such an easy, casual holiday weekend here. Erin and John Paul went to Mexico to visit his family and we were fortunate to have that impromptu all-together day the Sunday before. On Thanksgiving we enjoyed having Maggie and Mo at home, coming and going, cooking and relaxing. Gratefully, there were not any fire calls this year to pull Mo away and overall, it seemed a generous stretch of time to be together. We love that luxury always.

The days were sunny though chilly with warmer afternoons to walk out and see the town colors. It was quiet around the village which meant that I had the post office almost all to myself Friday when I shipped a super-sized stack of kit boxes. A new guy was in training at the counter under the watchful eye of a supervisor. He actually, cheerfully appreciated the repeat process of all my packages. Best way to learn the system, he said, by repeating each step. Same here, love that repeat part. Thanks to everyone- I'm going back with more this afternoon. xoC