Summer Reading: David Sedaris

I'm also currently reading When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris.

I'm not normally the type of person to read 12 books at once. But Sedaris is an easy writer to pick up and put down. If I have a lot of time and energy, I'll read the Shakespeare book. If I only have a few minutes and want a quick break, I'll read Sedaris.

That sounds like I'm putting him down (literally and figuratively!), but I'm not! I mean, maybe I am literally from time to time, but not figuratively. He's a wonderfully funny writer and I really enjoy his work.

Whenever I read Sedaris, I'm reminded of when we moved from Dayton to Cincinnati. When we lived in Dayton, we always had to go out of town for concerts, etc., because bands would choose either Dayton or Cincinnati ... and that pretty much meant they chose Cincinnati.

Until we moved! Then, within the next month or so, we had to drive up to Dayton TWICE to see a show. First was a reading by David Sedaris and then it was a concert, but I can't remember who ..... anyway.

Dayton, David Sedaris? Really?!? And there was this very annoying person sitting behind us who wanted to prove that he GOT Sedaris like no one else did. So he'd try to always start laughing a little ahead of the curve, and laugh louder and longer.

I think Sedaris could write an excellent, scathing essay on this type of person. Or perhaps I should, and send it to him?

Summer Reading: Shakespeare

I thought while I was on vacation, hopefully doing a lot of napping and summer reading during Eleanor's naps, I'd set up some posts in advance. (I know; it's a miracle, compared to the last few months! Remember that time when I posted 3 times in one day because I was so behind? That was craziness!)

I decided to write a few blogs about books I've been reading lately. The first one to come to mind is The Shakespeare Wars: Clashing Scholars, Public Fiascoes, Palace Coups by Ron Rosenbaum.

My mom loaned me this book years ago and, even though the premise seemed interesting, it gathered dust on the shelf. But I found it again a few weeks ago, started reading the first few pages, and got hooked.

If you like Shakespeare and enjoy finding out about some of the information behind the plays, you would like this book. The information isn't really about Shakespeare himself, but about Shakespearean scholarship and some of the academic arguments that have arisen over the years, because of our obsession with the bard and his work.

Did your attention wander off during the last paragraph? This book is not for you. But if it piques your interest, I suggest you pick it up! It's well written and relatively easy to read, for the somewhat heavy matter it sometimes covers. This one is definitely coming with me on the trip.

Vermont!

We're leaving tomorrow morning for a 5-day camping trip in Vermont! We haven't ever gone on vacation as just our small family: me, Keith and Eleanor. But now we're rectifying that! The summer classes are over, Fall semester doesn't start for a few more weeks, and we're hitting the road!

Keith and I spent our childhoods going on family camping vacations, and we're really looking forward to doing the same with Eleanor. We'll be staying at a state park, tucked into the middle of a national park, so there will be plenty of woods, fresh air, campfires, and beautiful starry nights.

My family was also big on visiting historic sites by day, sitting around the campfire at night. We will be honoring that tradition as well, with a Civil War battlefield nearby, as well as a preserved Victorian mansion and more.

Keith's family favors 10-mile hikes, but that might have to wait until Eleanor's a bit older.

I'm looking forward to telling you all about it when we get back!

Image Credit: Wikipedia

In Concert: Laura Stevenson & The Cans

As I mentioned, we went to the Maps & Atlases show last Friday. There were two opening bands, and since no show ever starts on time, even though we got there a half-hour after the posted start, we still stood around for a while until the first band started.

But they were worth the wait! If you like Regina Spektor, I think that you would enjoy Laura Stevenson and the Cans. She has a beautiful voice and the lyrics (what I could make out at a live concert anyway) seemed thought-provoking.

She also grabbed my attention by issuing a challenge to the audience. From the beginning, Stevenson joked about many more songs to come, and all with titles that she would be sure to inform us about. However, only a few songs in, she got to a song without a title, which they had been calling "Cool New Song" for some time. She told the audience that, if anyone had a suggestion, they were welcome to come up to her after the show.

So, of course, I took the challenge personally. One lyric that stuck out to me was about "breaks your heart harder than I could" (or something similar), plus parts of the song were very mellow and others were much more rocking. I wasn't brave enough to approach her at the show, but I emailed later and suggested the name "Harder" for the song.

I composed the email and sat for a few moments with my finger over the enter key to send. My heart was racing. Was I really going to do this? But then again, what did I have to lose?

So I did send the email, and got a response less than a day later:

hey! thank you so much for the suggestion!! i really like it! i'll
run it by the folks.

I was so excited! I emailed back and asked her to let me know if they did end up choosing that as the name, because it would make my day. I looked for the song on YouTube and found it as "Cool New Song" from March 2009, so she wasn't kidding about being unable to find a name!

Now, does she actually like the suggested title, or is she just trying to win another fan? Of course, I'll probably never know. But I do think it's an effective strategy, and even if she hated the idea I appreciate the gentle dismissal.

I didn't post that particular song above, because the sound quality didn't do Stevenson justice. Instead, I posted a song "Nervous Rex" that is already available online. Enjoy!

Maps & Atlases with Bonus Percussion!

So you know how I said that the percussion on "The Charm" blew me away at the Maps & Atlases concert last week? This is EVEN BETTER! More snare!

Yourstru.ly Presents: Maps & Atlases from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

In Concert: Maps & Atlases

I briefly mentioned Maps & Atlases in early May, the last time we saw them in concert. I love it when a good concert falls at the right time. My first concert ever was REM. I had just finished my junior year of high school and taken the SATs AND ACTs in one week. One week! And then I went to my first concert and it was amazing.

In May, I had just finished the Winter semester when we saw Maps & Atlases. This time, the Summer semester ended on Wednesday, I finished my grades on Friday afternoon, and the concert was Friday night. Even better, it was a concert for old people! There were two concerts at The Grog Shop that night, and Maps & Atlases was the early one, from 6-10pm. We could go to the concert AND get to bed on time. Best night ever!

Maps & Atlases was, again, completely awesome. I posted the above video because one of the best things about them is the fact that they experiment with how to make music with their instruments. You would think it's a pretty straight-forward proposition, until you watch.

This time was nice because their first full-length album just came out in late June, so this show was the first time we had actually heard most of the songs beforehand. I enjoyed "The Charm" on the album; I was sucked in by the artful pause in lyrics when he sings, "I don't think that there's a sound that I hate more than the sound of your voice ..... when you say that you don't love me, anymore."

But played live, this song was amazing. The overwhelming percussion just blew me away, and now I'm addicted! I've listened to "The Charm" many, many times since Friday night, and when I'm not listening, I'm humming it to myself. This video starts with "Will" and "The Charm" comes in at 1:35. Enjoy!

Toddler Portrait

Keith took this picture a few weeks ago, when we were visiting a friend's house. Doesn't it look like a posed portrait? I think it's something about the light and the focus.

We've never actually had her picture taken professionally. I think that was part of the point of splurging on a really good camera before she was born. I like all of the candid shots; I think they capture her personality better than a studio session would.

Other parents: Am I going to regret this later? Should we be getting professional pictures too?

Lead Free!!!!

I'm not a big exclamation point person, but I thought this situation warranted it.

Eleanor had her 2-year check-up the other week; this was the last time they would be checking on her lead levels. She had her check-up on Thursday, and Friday afternoon the doctor's office called us to say that all of her levels were normal.

I may have done a little jig. The nightmare is over! We can move on!

There's only one small lead abatement project left that is in process. The 2 doors in the living room are currently being stripped and repainted. But compared to everything else we've already had done, that's small potatoes.

On an unrelated note .... this is a picture taken in the backyard by our friend, Melissa. It makes me laugh because sometimes I think every single picture of Eleanor should be blurred like this. Every picture of every toddler, ages 2-4, should be blurred. Or passed out asleep. It's so hard to catch them still!

Camping Past and Future

I've had a lot of late nights recently, for one reason or another. One night I might have grading, another night I might just be staring at the ceiling for no good reason. It's unfortunate because I'm definitely an early-to-bed, early-to-rise person.

But here I am, past my bedtime, determined to write up a quick blog post before another day goes by without one. I don't want August to be another month like July; 3 posts in one day to meet my self-imposed quota! How embarrassing.

Eleanor LOVED camping, which wasn't much of a surprise. I was surprised that she told me she didn't like the fire. "No flames," she said on the first night, preferring to go to sleep in the tent instead. Of course, once we were in the tent she lifted her head and told me, "Uncle Josh like the flames. No sleep in tent! Go outside!" I overruled her, and once the protests were over she quickly fell asleep.

Now we have our big camping trip to look forward to: Next week, Keith, Eleanor, and I are going on a 5-day trip to a national park in Vermont. Keith and I have been looking forward to this for a long time. I envision all of the hours of naps she'll (hopefully? maybe?) be taking, when I don't have any housework, errands, coursework to do. Will I read? nap? write? The possibilities are endless!

Eleanor is starting to realize that a big trip is coming, and she's excited, too. I would say that, at this point, her top 10 things about camping are:

1. S'mores
2. sleeping in the tent
3. cookies
4. bouncing on my parents' camper mattress
5. chips
6. hiking
7. breakfast cereal in a box
8. eating at the picnic table all the time
9. juice
10. S'mores
    

Are you noticing a pattern here? So much to look forward to!

Camping Weekend

We're heading out to the west side of town this afternoon, for our first camping trip of the year. Eleanor has already gone camping once; her wonderful paternal grandparents took her off our hands for 2 days before the birthday party. She enjoyed camping, they enjoyed having her, and Keith and I enjoyed going on a date and actually getting some things done. It was a winning situation, all around!

But I am sorry that it's taken us until the end of July to get out. At least we're going, though! We're going camping with my family (my parents, sisters, brother-in-law, nephew, and dogs) to a local place. I can't wait to be settled by the fire, roasting marshmallows and relaxing with my family.

This is a picture of Eleanor from camping last year. She was a wonderful camper then, and I think she's going to enjoy it even more this year.

Have a great weekend!

2nd Birthday Success

Eleanor's 2nd birthday part was a lot of fun. There's so much prep work, and then the actual event flies by so quickly. I love that she has a mid-summer birthday. As an April birthday, I've always been jealous of the friends with fair weather birthdays. But at least it works in my favor now, as a mother, that my daughter's birthday is at the end of July. Last year and this year, we had gorgeous weather and stayed outside the entire time.

The only downside to that is that no one eats the food. Pretty much, everyone came straight out to the backyard. We had some chips and watermelon and drinks on the deck, so that was consumed. But all of the other delicious food that was in the dining room went unconsumed and unnoticed until birthday cake time. And at the point, there's cake and ice cream! Who wants a quesadilla when there's cake and ice cream?!? So maybe next year we should funnel everyone through the house? Or bring all the food outside? I'm not really sure.

I think the cake turned out okay this year, although I wouldn't call it "fabulous." At least it's all spelled correctly!


A quick comparison to last year's:
Keep in mind that I had only half as much space as I had last year. For her first birthday, we made one large double cake. This year, I made a chocolate cake with chocolate icing, and also a jello cake—white cake with raspberry jello and Cool Whip frosting. They were both a big hit. The jello cake is just so deliciously cool on a hot summer day.

Eleanor got so many toys that Keith and I have only given her a few of the ones that we bought. The big toys were a wagon from Keith's parents, and a tricycle from my parents. Eleanor and Gavin both enjoyed the tricycle (especially the horn).
Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated her birthday! We had a great time! Now we're breaking the news to her that your birthday only comes once a year, and she's going to have to wait a long time until she gets a birthday cake and party and presents again. One of the first many sad facts she'll be learning about life. ;)

Escape Goat

In class the other day, we were discussing Frankenstein. This is my first time teaching it, and I really wasn't sure how it was going to go. First, I had never read it when I assigned it to my class. It's just something I've always meant to read, so I picked it.

After committing to it, I got/made the time to read it. The language from 1818 (the original publication date) is a lot harder to wade through than today's. The style of a Romantic author like Mary Shelley involved long, complicated sentences, verbose descriptions, and long-winded conversations. You notice the emphasis on "long?" I wanted to read the book, and I still thought it got off to a slow start. Plus it's not at all what you expect from our modern film-inspired view of Frankenstein.

I didn't start teaching the novel until halfway through the class, and was nervous. Would they read it? Would they discuss it, or would I ask questions and just get a class full of blank stares?

Of course, in a class of more than 20 students, there's was a bit of everything. After 2 weeks of the novel, I had students who still didn't know that Frankenstein was the creator's name—NOT the "monster's." And discussion, particularly at 8:00am on Monday morning, could be a bit slow.

But I've also been pleasantly surprised. A few times, the class discussion get very involved. People had strong opinions about the characters and their actions, and it was really refreshing to take a step back and let the students take over and take over the class.

During one such discussion, a student remarked that the monster was being used as an "escape-goat," and I tried to keep my grin to myself. It made me wonder: how is an escape-goat different from a scapegoat? Does an escape-goat get blamed, but then run away from the situation?

Allergic to .. parties?

These lovely flowers were the centerpiece for Eleanor's birthday party.

Unfortunately, Keith made me put them outside the very next day, because he was sneezing constantly. He didn't know for sure if the flowers were the culprit, but it was worth a shot.

Actually, he walked into the living room, vase in hand, and said, "Can I get rid of these?"

So the move to the back porch was a compromise. I missed having them in the house, but they still looked nice in the sunshine!

Summer School

Right, so I had three partially written posts for last week. But I never got to finish any of them.

So for this week, I think the most important post to do first is the one that explains how summer school is kicking my butt.

I was looking forward to it: I'm only teaching one 3 credit-hour class and working a few hours as a tutor. This is less than I've worked ever since I've started teaching. Plus, I'm teaching ENG-101, which I've already taught once, and I thought that summer was going to be a relaxing semester. Almost like I'm still on break.

WRONG. So very, very wrong. Smooshing a 16-week course into 10 weeks sucks. I'm constantly grading, planning, creating assignments, reading ahead ... there's NO downtime in the summer. Plus, 7 weeks into the 10-week term, another professor became ill. So I got one of his ENG-101 classes, complete with different syllabus, different reading and writing assignments .....

I've had a lot of night lately where I've only slept 4 or 5 hours, because I just don't have the time to do all the planning and grading that needs to be done. I've hired some extra childcare, I've once again become a complete slacker on the house cleaning front (which is a luxury in itself, since we're not worried about lead paint anymore), and I'm still feeling overwhelmed.

So yes, sorry about the sporadic posting. The good news is that the summer semester ends next week. The bad news is that, between now and next Friday, I will have about 300 pages of student writing to read and respond to.

If I make it through all that, my posting habits should become a bit more predictable. Fingers crossed!

I'll Hold You Close, My Tiny Dancer

Amy's enjoyment of the other recent Eleanor sunglasses pic reminded me of when and why we got those sunglasses.

I wanted to make sure that Eleanor had sunglasses before our trip to Costa Rica. I stopped by Target to pick up a pair for her. There was a pretty good selection of kids' sunglasses, but as I flipped through all of the options, I realized that the majority of them were branded. They were affiliated with movies or TV characters or those ubiquitous Disney princesses ..... I immediately rejected all of those pairs. She doesn't even watch TV yet! I thought. There's no need to get her hooked on these brands/characters before she even realizes what's going on!

My theory is that we'll have PLENTY of opportunities to fight over that $100 pair of sunglasses that she just HAS to have later. But I'll save myself the cost and the trouble while I can.

Once I ignored all of the branded pairs of sunglasses, there was only one pair of sunglasses left. They were completely girlie; well, to be fair, Keith and several others have commented on her resemblance to Elton John in them. So even though toddlers' over-gendered items are another pet peeve of mine, they were cute and marketing-free and I bought them.

(And determinedly bought them again a second time, after I lost them ... only to rediscover the first pair. Whoops!)

At first she wasn't convinced, but now Eleanor loves those glasses. She looks for opportunities to wear them. I'm sure it's because she loves all of the oohs and aahs she gets from friends and strangers alike. We've gotten so many compliments on those glasses, and it makes me smile every time. For now at least, Eleanor can be adorable AND I can buy products that aren't covered in trademarked images. Everyone wins!

2nd Birthday Party

Today is Eleanor's 2nd birthday party. (She actually turns 2 next Wednesday.)

It's so hard to believe that we're here already! I'm writing this on Friday morning: the calm before the storm. If you're actually reading this on Saturday, I'm guessing I'm running around like a mad woman, simultaneously trying to cook, clean, talk to family, and play with Eleanor. It's a crazy day, and it flies by. But I'm excited!

Here's a few pictures from her birthday party last year. Hard to believe that we thought she looked so big! And of course, we'll say the same thing next year about this birthday .....

One thing I did learn from last year's party: BUY ICING TIPS. I had never really decorated a cake before, so I didn't realize the decorative tips needed to be bought separately from the tube of icing. Ergo, the sloppy, barely legible cake.

Hopefully I'll post pictures of this year's party soon, and the cake will be much more respectable!

Independence Day, Independent Girl

Here's a few pictures from 4th of July weekend. I've been holding onto them, mulling over a more in-depth post about patriotism. Do I consider myself patriotic? Why do I shy away from flag bumper stickers and telling people that I'm proud to be an American? Am I proud to be an American? And if I'm glad to live in the United States, why do overly patriotic people freak me out?

There was an excellent, thoughtful blog post in there somewhere. I'm sure of it. BUT, it's been two weeks and I haven't even started it. So you're spared my patriotic musings, and can just enjoy Eleanor. These are from the small neighborhood parade on Saturday morning; we were in Northern Kentucky, visiting Keith's family. So Eleanor participated in the same parade that Keith and his friends and siblings were in when they were kids. Eleanor shared Ben's wagon—Ben is the 1 1/2-yr-old son of Keith's best friend, Michael, and his wife, Angie. Eleanor and Ben won the prize for best wagon/scooter/other category.

Yay, adorable kids!

No Fun But Very Rewarding

So I realized in my last post that I got so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I forgot to really respond to the original New York magazine article that started it all. Later on in the article, author Jennifer Senior is discussing the research that has been proving that, although parents say they have children because it will make them happier, parents are actually less happy than non-parental adults.

However, Senior makes a distinction between "happy" and "rewarding." She points out that, in one of the unhappy parent surveys, it was "measuring moment-to-moment happiness. It was a feeling, a mood, a state."And likewise, another study in England was looking at "happiness" in terms of mood; Senior deadpans, "As a matter of mood, there does seem to be little question that kids make our lives more stressful."

Senior argues the trials of parenting may take away from immediate happiness, but "when studies take into consideration how rewarding parenting is, the outcomes tend to be different." It seems to me that she's suggesting, although everyone wants to be happy AND rewarded, that may not always be possible. At least for parents, we're forsaking our short-term happiness for the long-term goal of a rewarded, fulfilled life.

That makes sense to me. Not that I'm never happy right now ..... it's just that I don't have much say in the matter. With little ones, not only is their autonomy not existent yet, but our autonomy as parents is a thing of the past. No more deciding when to get out of bed, what to do for the day, choosing fun or work activities and sticking to it. The child is completely reliant on us, and completely rules our world.

I'm going to keep working on doing a better job of being in the moment. Choosing to be happy that my chaotic life is ruled by a toddler I fondly refer to as "The Little Dictator." (Which was apparently a term used on a Gilligan's Island episode; who knew?)

I understand that parenting can mean choosing life-long rewarding over immediate happiness. But I want a bit of both, and I think I can have it, too!

All Joy and No Fun

"All Joy and No Fun" is the title of a recent article on New York magazine's website, which is subtitled, "Why Parents Hate Parenting."

I really enjoyed the article. It put into words a vague feeling that I've been having lately about parenting—about life in general, in a lot of ways.

When I was living in England, it was a really tough transition from being at my safe, familiar college campus surrounded by friends, or at home with my family. The first two months, in particular, were absolutely miserable. I and the other American volunteer with me at our placement were so unhappy; the place we were volunteering was not being run well, so no matter how hard we tried, we would never make any headway. Added to that, our 3rd housemate was a passive-aggressive psycho. It was not a good place.

BUT, we talked to the program director and told her either we needed to be placed somewhere else, or we would quit the program. That's when I got sent to Liverpool, and my friend got sent to Glasgow. (The crazy roommate quit the program.) And when I got to Liverpool, it was immediately apparent that this was a much better situation. I was working in a school that was well-run. My position and duties were very clear. And my new housemates all got along, which is essential when you have one budget for food and household expenses.

And yet, I was still missing home like crazy. Even though I wasn't totally miserable anymore, I still found myself counting off the days until I could see a familiar face. This was supposed to be an amazing, life-changing experience, and all I could think about was how much I wanted to be back home. I'd picture myself at my parents' house, lying on the couch and reading a book on a warm summer afternoon. It seemed like heaven. My new, exciting reality had nothing on the comforts of home.

And yet, at the same time, I knew that I was emotionally sabotaging myself. I could clearly see, from the beginning, how it was all going to play out. For the first few months, I was going to be incredibly homesick and completely focused on what I was missing. Then I would start getting to know people better, settle into a routine; slowly all the routine tasks of life would start actually feeling more routine, and less daunting. I would start thinking that maybe this wasn't such a terrible idea after all. I would realize that I was thinking about home less, and enjoying my days more.

Once there was only a short time left in my stay, I would really start to appreciate it. When I had only a few weeks left at the school, or one last volunteer retreat .... that's when I would become really sad about how quickly the year had passed. And I would regret all the time at the beginning that I wasted, pining for home instead of fully engaging in this unique opportunity.

I knew this, from the beginning. And it did all come to pass. But I couldn't rush things along. I couldn't get myself out of my homesickness funk any earlier. It drove me crazy that I was making myself miserable, but it couldn't be stopped.

And that's what (FINALLY) brings me back around to my thoughts on parenting, and this article. I've been thinking a lot about how much I'm going to miss Eleanor's toddler days. I'll look back at these pictures, and wonder how she was ever that small. What did she do? What did she say? How did it feel when she snuggled into my arms? Instead of being part of the fabric of my daily life, these things will be a distant memory.

Knowing this, knowing how toddlerhood is so fleeting, I feel like I should be able to use that knowledge to stop myself from getting frustrated all the time. Constantly wanting more time to myself: to read, or to finish that one last task, or just to sit. Every day I tell myself to be more patient. To appreciate just being with her, at this incredibly special time in her life. To focus on forging our bond, and helping her learn about her world. To be in the moment and see it as a gift.

And yet .... I can't do it. I spend the majority of my time yearning for more time, for autonomy and freedom and EASY. Just to not have to be thinking and doing all day long.

Do I accept this as inevitable? Spend my time now saying, "Hold on! Just let me finish this first and I'll be right there!," knowing full well that in 5 years, or 10 years, or 30 years, I will be regretting all of these precious, fleeting moments slip right past me.

Is there another way to do it, and not lose your mind?

It Goes to 11!

Take that, June! You thought I could never do it, but I did! With over an hour to spare.

But I'm not competitive at all.

Flat Light

Just a couple nights ago (Monday, I think? Other Clevelanders might remember.), we had some storms blow through the area. After Eleanor was in bed, Keith was on the couch and I was sitting in an armchair on the other side of the living room.

I looked up from my grading and saw that the sky was the strangest yellow/orange color. Partly what was odd about it was that it wasn't just the sky; it was like the air and everything bathed in the light had turned the same color. It was like the sunset had been turned inside out because of the low storm clouds, and all of the intense sunset colors that belonged near to the sun had been diffused evenly over all.

I'm not sure if I'm doing a very good job of describing it. I had to take a picture to try and convey just how odd it looked outside, but I still think even the picture doesn't do it justice. Do you know what I'm talking about—that odd, flat light that takes away dimension and texture? It's like you're looking at a flat picture, when you're looking out your front door.

Taking the Train for Father's Day

In my memory, Keith's first Father's Day was dismal. I was really stressed out and feeling overwhelmed with everything that just HAD to be done. (What was it? I have no idea. At that point, I wasn't even teaching yet, so it wasn't Work work. Just stuff, I guess.)

This year, I thought about it a lot as the day approached. I knew that I wanted to do something; in general, we tend to celebrate anniversaries by doing something together instead of focusing on gifts, and I have a feeling that Mother's Day and Father's Day will be the same. It just seems like, if you're celebrating a relationship, you should do something related to the relationship, you know what I mean?

During my fretting over how to make it the perfect day, Keith seemed surprised that I was so hung up on it. He informed me that we did do something for Father's Day last year—we went to the city pool. Once he said that, I vaguely remembered it. But I remember it as a quick trip, grudgingly shoved in between all of my other errands and tasks. And it was cold.

Whether my Father's Day shortcomings were real or only in my mind, I still wanted to do something fun this year. When I look back, I want to remember fun, family, relaxation, instead of stress and to-dos. Luckily, Keith came up with his own idea for Father's Day. I may not have been inspired with the event, but at least I'd put away the to-do list!

We took a Scenic Railroad Trip through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We parked and rode a few stops, then got off in a small town. The railroad goes right along the Towpath bike/walking trail, so we had brought Eleanor's jogging stroller and started walking back along the path, towards the direction we'd come from. We figured it was a 2.5-mile walk to the next train station, and we had over an hour to do it in. Even on Eleanor's 20 minute/mile pace, which includes stopping every ten feet to hug trees (literally), sit in rocks, stomp in leaves, etc., we should still make it in time.

If you think I'm setting you up for some momentous event, I must apologize. It was just a really nice, relaxing day spent as a family. The weather was gorgeous and I know I took many deep breaths along the hike, savoring the moment. When we got to the train station we did have quite a bit of time to spare, so Keith ran into a small shop and bought us some drinks and black raspberry ice cream to share.

Even better, Eleanor had passed out in her stroller while he was in the store. I had sat on the front steps of the store, watching her succumb to sleep. Her one little fist was, as ever when she's tired, firmly grasping her hair. Her eyelids slowly fell and jerked up countless times over the few minutes, until the jerks become slower .... fewer .... further between .... and then none.

We walked to the train station and enjoyed our cold drinks and ice cream. When the train arrived, Eleanor woke up and was ecstatic to be riding the train again. At the end of the train ride, the only way Keith could convince her to go to the car was if they said good-bye to the train, and she patted its shining silver side.

I know it's not really about me, but I think Father's Day this year was much better. I'm not happy that I was ever at a point where I couldn't put aside my tasks for one day to appreciate what a wonderful father Keith is, every day. But I'm glad that I learned my lesson from last year and we focused on Keith and enjoying family time this year. I loved the train and the hiking, but I get the sense that, even if we had taken a cold, brief trip to the city pool, I still would have thought this Father's Day was infinitely superb to last year's, just because we took the time to enjoy it.

Bright Light

Keith took this picture a few weeks ago, when he noticed the light streaming in through the window.

This picture gives me the impression of contentment. All is well and good.

Except that there's only one bottle of wine in the rack. I must rectify that...

Stretching Our Boundaries

When we were in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky a few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of taking Eleanor to the Cincinnati Zoo with Grandma Karen and Grandpa Jim. We've taken Eleanor to the Cleveland Zoo quite a few times, and she always loves it, so we knew it would be a fun trip.

First of all: The Cincinnati Zoo is really nice. Just from our wanderings, I think it's a lot bigger than the Cleveland Zoo. Everything is very attractive and well done, from the landscaping to the animal displays to the playground. The Cleveland Zoo is good, too, but the Cinci one raises it up a notch.

It was, as always, a lesson in how unpredictable children's interests are. We saw giraffes, elephants, monkeys, penguins, and more. We visited the petting zoo and Eleanor pet goats (one of which tried to eat my shirt). Even though Eleanor tired out pretty quickly, we did our best to fit in as much as possible.

So what was Eleanor's favorite part? Petting the snake. She made me go back to the snake lady several times. Snakes are not an animal that she has ever shown an interest in before, but maybe that will change now. And maybe, if she could have petted an elephant, they would have been her favorite. But the tactile experience, and being so close to the snake, definitely won her over.

I watch her openness to new experiences and marvel at how she takes everything in stride. I can't imagine being where she is: Why be intimidated by the new? Practically everything is new, and the majority of new experiences are good ones, so every day is an opportunity for a positive new adventure! Never petted a snake before? Let's do it! Why not?!?

I think about how resistant I am to change. For example, I always go to the same grocery store. I always start at the right end of the store, in the dairy section, and work my way across to the personal care products area. I like to go on Sunday afternoon or Monday—early in the week. When I can't get there by Monday night, it very likely throws off my entire week. For the most part, I buy the same brands, in the same quantities, to make the same recipes. And then I do it all over again the next week.

When did this happen? Will this happen to Eleanor too, or have I always been like this? Why did I look at the snake lady and think about how I'd rather be out of the heat, sipping an iced mocha with a book in my hand?

Some light afternoon reading

I decided to pick another couch picture ... because maybe that's a theme? In case you can't tell, I'm really trying to make up for the fact that my June post count is so dismal. My goal this year was to manage at least 10 posts/month (but of course, secretly, I tell myself I should do much better than that). I was doing quite well until all of my dithering about in June, and now I'm seriously behind!

So I'm doing what any semi-serious blogger does: finding some pictures that we've taken recently, and let the image do most of the talking.

Right, so, this is a picture I had to take the other week. Many times, Eleanor shuns her picture books and simple children's stories, opting instead for the adult books on the living room bookshelves. I don't entirely understand this, unless it's just a case of imitation? But if she was just imitating us reading, why doesn't she use her own books?

Unless, perhaps, she doesn't really equate her oversized books, heavy on pictures and light on text, with our smaller, text-only paperbacks. Whatever the reason, I love it and my heart melts every time she picks up a book and "reads" it. It's so important to me that Eleanor love reading, and I hope that this is a positive sign of a bibliophile in the making.

In the picture above, the angle is wrong so you can't get a good look at the book's cover. But not only does Eleanor choose adult books; she often settles on the ones in French, one of my college minors. (Of course, I made sure to put the French books I probably couldn't even read anymore in the living room, to impress all of our guests.) This is one of those books, Le Journal de Zlata, written by young girl in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War.

Another one of her favorites is a blue book with a fish on the cover. For many weeks, this was "Eleanor's book." When we went out to her clubhouse in the backyard, we would have to take her book and another one for me. We would go and sit in the clubhouse and "read." She would page quickly through her book.

I'd say, "How's your book, Eleanor?"

She'd nod, answering with an emphatic, "Good."

After a few minutes, she would insist that we trade books and she would "read" mine, too. Once all the reading was done, then the playing could commence.

I look forward to the days when we really are curled up, side-by-side, engrossed in our own book worlds. But even then, I'm sure these first pictures of Eleanor with a book in her hands will be special—a promise of the many happily ever afters to come.

Toddler Creativity

Why is it that kids never want to play with toys as they were intended? This is Eleanor one Saturday morning, wearing her "armor" that she donned (with some help from daddy). Of course, these were originally meant as building blocks. I don't think she's ever built anything with them; she just turns them into bracelets and wears them for her tea parties.

Why do we even bother getting them specific toys? Maybe, for her next birthday, we should just get an assortment of boxes, blank paper of various colors and sizes .... and what? Play dough? Maybe some cups. I think that should do it. And she'll be one happy little girl!

Comments or questions?

It seems ironic to make this a post instead of a comment, but I wanted to comment on commenting.

When I was crying out for positive feedback a week ago, several commentors promised to try harder to write more and better comments. But I swear I wasn't trying to guilt trip anyone into constantly writing on my blog. As long as I'm doing my job, you shouldn't have to provide the content :)

Jonathan mentioned not commenting with "I do that" or "That happened to me, too," but really I do like those kinds of comments. Those comments, and comments in general, do show that my writing has meaning for people and that's what I want to see.

Really, what I'm trying to say here is: Comments mean a lot to me. So if you would like to leave a short comment (or a novella) every once in awhile, I would like to see that. But if I talk to you or email and you also tell me that you enjoy what I write, that counts, too. Like some of my readers (Amy), I do a lot of my blog reading in Google Reader, and I don't post comments nearly as often as I should (say, on Jonathan's blog).

So I promise I'm not going to come back and chastise you all if, two weeks from now, I have many commentless posts. It took me 4 1/2 years of blogging before I felt the need to harangue my readers, so by that logic, you should be safe until 2015.

Now the question is, how many comments will a post about commenting receive? Or has it all been said?

And ... we're back!

Okay, I have to keep this short because today is Keith's birthday and he's been patiently waiting for me to get some grading out of the way before we relax and watch a movie.

But! It's already taken me too long to post this, so I didn't want to wait any longer. Thanks very much for the kind words in person and in the comments. I really did just need some assurance that this blog wasn't merely a vanity project, and I am connecting with some others "out there." You gave me that.

Bob also made a good point that I was underestimating how many times my blog has come up in conversation with family and friends in the "real world." I was discounting that when only focusing on the zero comments, and that was an oversight on my part. For the most part, I think my most regular readers and commentors are people that I know personally (in person? Not sure what the best phrase for that is.) So the fact that they don't comment doesn't necessarily mean anything, because they may have already emailed/called/talked in person about what I was writing. Except for Jonathan, whom I feel like I have met! (And would love to buy a pint someday, the next time we get to travel to the UK....)

So right. Didn't mean to leave you in suspense. The Gapenest will be back in all its glory, whatever that may be. And Laurie, I do enjoy writing the blog. So I appreciate your consideration of my enjoyment, too, but that's not a problem!

Now I just need to continue trying to find time to blog AND write for publication. But I'll tell you all about it as I go.

Why Blog?

Right, so. I wrote a post on June 4 ... and haven't been back in almost three weeks. I know this is very unlike me, and hasn't happened since Eleanor was just a wee babe. But I've been pondering.

To be honest, I was incredibly disappointed—even more so than I would have anticipated—that I poured my heart out about our problems with the lead paint, and ...



crickets. No one had any response to my concerns, despair, emotions over what was a very huge deal to me. One person did comment on the contractor aspect of it (thanks, Jonathan;) but that was all the response I got.

And it really stung. It absolutely made me take a step back. Why am I blogging? Initially I started blogging because I thought it would help me write on a more regular basis. But I've realized, over the years, that the writing I'm doing on the blog is really a separate beast from writing to be published. The entire process, from initial conception to actual drafting to the final piece, is different from what I would send out for publication.

But I thought there was another element to writing a blog. Even though it now seems like writing a blog actually takes away writing time from writing to publish, I still thought it was worth it because people read it. There's a connection between myself and my readers. There's a shared experience there that is worth pursuing. If someone reads my blog and finds something in it that makes her laugh, or that he empathizes with, or that makes her realize something about her own life .... then in that sense, it is equal to being published. It's the idea behind all writing: the sharing of ideas and emotions that connects people.

I've worked hard to keep my readers over the past few years. I may not have many of you, but those that I do, I appreciate! Thinking about "my adoring fans" (said completely tongue-in-cheek, of course) has helped me to keep thinking of new post ideas, and just generally has kept me writing.

But to put myself out there, in a way that is beyond what I would normally do .... and then get no response .... that has made me question my basic premise. Is that connection really there? Is anyone really reading? Is anyone getting anything out of this blog?

I know there's some people who read that don't often comment. But if you want me to keep writing this blog, now might be a good time to mention it. Because, honestly, I'm still on the fence. If people aren't reading and enjoying what I post, then I don't think a blog is worth it. I can jot a few ideas in a personal diary, and then spend most of my time working on pieces for publication. But if no one is getting anything out of this blog, then it might have reached its useful end.

The Sweet Sound of Distant Hammering

As I write this, Eleanor is napping in her crib. I am sitting on the porch swing, enjoying a warm breeze and sunshine. Since we found out about the lead last July, the side porch has been off-limits. But now with the siding and indoor/outdoor carpet, we can again swing in peace and tranquility.

We are done hiring contractors. The only lead abatement item left is stripping the two living room doors/frames that we weren't willing to replace. I've ordered some paint stripper and we are going to take care of that ourselves. (And of course, pictures will be posted!)

I said that we're done hiring contractors, and I desperately hope that's true. We are done with all the work that we were planning on. But of course, it's the unforeseen that always gets you!

But the contractors finished the siding in early May—just in time for my month off before summer semester started this week. It was perfect timing. I've greatly enjoyed being home with Eleanor, and again feeling safe and healthy in our home.

We did one more massive cleaning, top to bottom, after the contractors were done. Since then, we've let the cleaning slide a bit. We're not on a total cleaning strike, but I am enjoying the feeling that I can see a little bit of dust on a picture frame without worrying that I'm poisoning my child. Now that it feels like the danger has passed, I do want to institute a saner, gentler cleaning schedule. I'm sure I'll get around to that soon.

Eleanor's lead levels have been normal since last November, but she does get tested one more time, at her 2-year appointment in July. I feel like we've done everything we can to protect her since we realized the magnitude of the problem, but I will be reserving my final sigh of relief for when I hear her levels are still okay.

But for now, I'm enjoying the peace and quiet. I'm enjoying being outside without guilt and fear. In particular, I'm enjoying that a house on the street behind ours is getting a new roof. I hear hammering, chatter, nailguns, the radio, and miscellaneous clatters. Which reminds me that we had our roof replaced the week before Eleanor was born. They finished on Saturday, and Eleanor was born on Sunday morning. So the whole contractor ordeal started even before she was born.

And now, it's over. Or at least hopefully on a long hiatus. Working on the garden around the deck felt like we were moving on. Getting back to projects that we wanted to work on, instead of being in disaster-containment mode. I know that the list of house projects never really ends. I just hope that, in the future, the projects are ones of our choosing, on our own timeline.

A Mother's Release: Permanent Solutions

When weighing our lead-abatement options, we had a county lead inspector come and look at our house. According to his findings, none of the interior paint was a problem. The only issue was the old windows and exterior paint on the house and garage. The soil right next to the house and garage was also contaminated.

Replacing the rest of the windows was a given—that we would find a different contractor was also a given. We also needed to do something about our 4 exterior doors, and then make the big decision: whether or not to install vinyl siding.

The two doors in the living rooms have gorgeous, beveled glass panes and would cost a fortune to replace. We tried to find someone who would strip them and repaint them, but didn't have much luck. While we continued to look at our options for those doors, last Fall we went ahead and hired someone to replace the two doors that don't face the road and that weren't particularly attractive.

It was a miracle! It was only a small job, but the contractor showed up on time, kept the work area very clean, and finished in a timely manner. So when it came time to get quotes on the rest of the replacement windows and possible siding or repainting, that contractor was at the top of the list.

We found all of our contractors on the list of state-certified lead abatement contractors. It was a pretty random, frustrating process. I'd search on the state's database for contractors with current lead abatement licenses. I'd get a lot of results that were irrelevant: contractors from all across the state (I couldn't figure out how to narrow it to just our area), or contractors who only did inspections and not actual abatement work. I had a goal: every week or so, I'd call 5 more contractors. Of those 5, 2 might never answer or call me back. Two might talk to me on the phone, but never get around to actually coming to the house. If I was lucky, 1 would actually come and look at the house and give me an estimate.

The estimates ranged from under $2o,000 to over $40,000. In the end, we did decide to get vinyl siding over our original wood siding. We preferred the look of the natural wood, but it was just not cost-effective or particularly safe to stick with the lead-painted wood. We would have to repaint at the very first sign of cracking, which meant a recurring cost every 3-5 years, instead of 5-10, which we had originally planned on. Plus, it would need to be lead-safe painting, where the painters put drop cloths on the ground to pick up every paint chip that falls so that it doesn't further contaminate the soil. The paint can't be dry-scraped, because that would also release lead dust, so the whole process would be much more time-consuming and, of course, costly. It just made more sense to get the vinyl siding now and be done worrying about it.

We also hadn't realized that we would need to replace our garage doors and windows. The garage and the doors were painted with the same paint, and any friction surface creates lead dust, so that added on to the total, too.

Unlike the first window replacements, everything became much simpler once we made our choices and hired a contractor. We used the same contractor who had replaced the two doors, and again they did an amazing job. They worked diligently, cleaned up every night, and the job was done in a few weeks. So although we've had some very bad contractor experience, at least now I feel like I have one contractor that I would want to call again!

A Mother's Torture: Cleaning

Before Eleanor's elevated lead levels (ELL), I had never really cared about dusting. Keith would notice if things were dusty before I would. I just never saw the dust gathering, and, therefore, certainly never did anything about it.

That particularly held true for the first year after Eleanor was born. I was wearing myself out, trying to keep up with everything, and enjoy time with Eleanor, AND get some sleep, too. Something had to go, and I made the conscious decision that housekeeping would be it. So there were tumbleweeds of dog hair blowing through the living room on occasion. So what? I just needed to stop running myself into the ground and let the house get a little messy. No one ever died from a little dust, right?

But post-ELL, everything changed. Suddenly, we were bombarded with information about how to clean our house, from top to bottom, and do it repeatedly. Once again, I felt overwhelmed with new information and incredibly frustrated. Why did I not hear anything about this before she tested above normal? Prior to the testing, anything I'd ever heard or read focused on incredibly expensive fixes—replacing windows and doors, installing vinyl siding over lead paint, removing tainted soil down to 2 feet and filling in with clean soil. We did what we could afford and what we thought was most urgent when we replaced the majority of the windows. But we couldn't afford to do all of it at once, so we stopped and kept our fingers crossed.

But just now, at this point, I'm learning about all of the low-tech solutions? Why the hell wasn't this info available before?!? If I had realized that the solution (at least a part-time one) could be so cheap and easy, of course I would have done it! Again, I blamed myself for not being well-informed. Somehow, I should have known this.... but now, nearly a year later, I wonder. I have an MA in English. I and my web developer husband spend a lot of time online. In my prior hours of searching for lead poisoning prevention, if I had never really come across this information, then surely it's not just me?

And thus, our cleaning purgatory began. In the short-term, we closed all of the old windows, never to be opened again. We forbid wearing shoes in the house, since they could track in lead-contaminated dirt. That patio project last August? That was to cover up the bare ground outside the house that was Beckett's landing spot off the back porch, because bare soil is a big "no no." We took down nearly all of the blinds in the house, because blinds hold a lot of dust. The only blinds that are still up are in the bedrooms, and those were washed and re-hung.

While we started looking at all of the expensive long-term solutions mentioned above, we cleaned exhaustively and repeatedly. At first we were advised to use Dawn powdered dishwasher detergent because, for some reason, it picks up lead dust particles better than your average cleaner. So we did use that for a few weeks, but then switched to our regular cleaners based on the advice from the lead inspector who said it wasn't necessary to keep using them on a regular basis.

The cleaning schedule went through many revisions. At first, we tried to clean the house from top to bottom, every week. This takes a serious amount of time and effort. Think of every knickknack on every surface of your house. If you have kids, picture all of the toys on every floor. Now imagine handling every single one of those items, carefully washing them down to get rid of any possible dust ... doesn't leave much free time, does it?

Additionally, we stopped sweeping because sweeping could kick up lead dust, and instead we started used our HEPA-filter vacuum everywhere. The main problem with this switch is that it meant we couldn't clean while Eleanor was sleeping. We could wipe down surfaces, but the vacuuming would have to wait and, therefore, so would the mopping.

A few times, Eleanor spent the night at my parents, which gave Keith and I a whole day to clean. It felt like the only way we could get it done. By the end of the day, we would be exhausted and frustrated. Was it even doing any good?!? We had implemented so many changes—how could we know which ones were effective? Was it really the monotonous cleaning, or was it simply the fact that we closed the old windows, and all of the cleaning wasn't really necessary? There was no way of knowing, and we didn't want to take any chances.

It quickly became apparent that we couldn't keep up with cleaning the entire house on a weekly basis. Plus, it was pretty hard to believe that a significant amount of lead dust was entering every floor, all the time, especially once it got colder and we closed all the windows. By this past Spring, the cleaning schedule had changed to:

• The first floor vacuumed and mopped every week
• One other floor vacuumed and mopped each week
• The additional floor also has all hard surfaces wiped down

So one week we might vacuum and mop the first and second floors, and then wipe down everything on the second floor. We moved from basement one week, to first floor the next, then to second floor and attic. That meant each floor was getting extensively cleaned once a month. We felt like it was a decent compromise between our original, massive amount of cleaning, and a more reasonable schedule that still left us feeling like our home was relatively dust-free.

Of course, all of this was just an interim solution while we figured out what the long-term solution would be, and how we would pay for it.

A Mother's Confession About This Old House

If you were looking carefully at the landscaping, you might have noticed some other changes around the house.

When buying an older home, we knew that lead paint could be an issue. But what did that mean, exactly? Where was the lead paint? How much of an issue? Since lead has been outlawed in paint since 1978, surely it had been resolved by now, right?

And then, when we were painting the nursery, we used an at-home lead paint tester and discovered that all of the old windows were testing positive. This completely threw me off balance. At this point, I think I was already 7 months pregnant. There was no way we could figure out a solution and have it implemented before the baby was born.

We did our best, but I felt completely overwhelmed. No matter how much research I did, I still didn't feel like I really understand what was needed. I kept trying to get companies out to test everything around the house and tell us our options, but it didn't go well. Some refused to do any residential work. Many just didn't call me back. One company sent a guy out who looked around, told me we should probably replace all of the windows, took a soil sample, and never called back.

I felt underinformed, in over my head, and like I was swimming in a sea of knowledge and experts without actually having a clue about what was useful, relevant information.

We did the best we could. We found a local contractor to replace the majority of the windows, and took out two loans to do it.

He was horrible. I've already blogged bitterly about this experience here and here. It was just such an awful experience, and it dragged on for over a year .... which was, of course, the first year of Eleanor's life.

And then, after Eleanor's one-year well visit, we found out that she had an elevated lead level.

When we got the phone call with the results, I was so shocked and horrified. And, instantaneously, so very, very guilty. This was my innocent baby that, through shoddy, ineffective parenting, I had allowed to ingest poison. I think I spent the next week in tears. It was constantly weighing on me. Everyone knows that lead is a hazard; how could I not have known exactly what to do to protect her? How could I let this happen? What kind of defective mother am I?

So yeah, you can understand why it's taken me nearly a year to admit it publicly, that my daughter had an elevated lead level (ELL). It's been this deep, dark secret that I carry around with me, that I think about every time someone compliments me as a mother. I smile and nod, but inside I'm thinking, "You might think I'm a good mother now, but if only you knew the truth ..."

Here's the good news: Eleanor is okay now. A normal blood lead level is <3 micrograms of lead/deciliter of blood. What is concerned the "Action Level" by the CDC is 10mg/L or more. At it's peak (that we know of), Eleanor's was a 7. So she was in the "warning" stage, and wasn't actually considered poisoned. A month later, she was down to a 4, and by her 15-month appt, she was back at the normal level.

The bad news, and what I will always have to live with, is that we are not meant to have any lead in our systems at all, and there is no safe level. We will never know how even that brief exposure has affected her brain's development. If she ever has a learning disability or even is a particularly unruly teenager, it could be caused by the lead. I'll never know.

And we'll never know what caused the elevated lead level. Were the original windows the culprit? Or did replacing them make things even worse? Even though we made it clear to the degenerate window contractor that we were doing this because of lead paint concerns, I know now that he didn't take any of the precautions he should have to prevent lead dust from contaminating the work environment. You know: Eleanor's nursery, playroom, living room--all the rooms where she spends the most time. Is it his fault? Or is it our fault, because we didn't replace all of the windows? Did she just chew on some defective toy from China? We have no idea.

All we do know for certain is that her level was elevated, and there will always be a risk with that. We didn't do enough before she was born. We've done everything we could since to remedy the situation (but I'll get more into that in the next post). I am now fully aware of how impossible it is to be the perfect parent. No matter how hard we try, I have to believe that some failure is inevitable. A letting down of the guard here or a misstep there. I can only hope that I do enough things right to make up for that.

Landscaping Project: After BONUS!

So the main project was definitely the backyard, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much better the front looks, too. Both in back and in front, we've been working slowly on making changes over the years. Here's what the house looked like when we bought it:

First, Keith took out the overgrown bushes by the steps. My Mom gave me some irises which have filled in the space nicely. My sister gave me some amaryllis bulbs; they really need more sunlight that they get by the big bushes, but they are surviving. We tore up the weed barrier and got rid of the large wood chips that were down‐I much prefer living ground cover to a blank canvas. Therefore, I've been trying to coax myrtle to cover the planting beds, with limited success so far.

We put railings in for safety purposes, because the front steps are really too tall to not have a railing, but they also added a bit of visual interest to the entrance. Finally, this year, we split our enormous hostas to take them to the back, but also kept a few of the new plants to even out the front. Lucky for us, our neighbor was also thinning out his daylilies, so we grabbed some of those, too. Here's the new and improved version:



We still need to cut the bushes on the right way back, which has been part of the problem all along. There's no symmetry between the two sides, because those bushes on the right just totally overwhelm the smaller hydrangea bush on the left. I don't want to move the hydrangea and risk killing it, so I'm thinking of adding some height to that side with a small, ornamental tree.

Anyway ... I do like that gardening is an ongoing process. We're certainly not finished yet, but I like what we've done so far!

Landscaping Project: After

After a solid two days of work, I do humbly declare that our deck/patio area has been transformed!




We've talked about this for such a long time and I'm really excited that it's actually done. Now I'm just paranoid that the plants that we put in are going to die and we'll be back at square one. It is a bit more of a gamble than building with inanimate materials or slapping on some paint.

One of the nice things about this project is that we bought a few plants, but a lot of them were just transplants from the front. We had one ridiculously large hosta (the green leaves edged in white) that I've been meaning to split for years. So we finally did, and every hosta plant in the pictures above with white-edged leaves is from that ONE original plant. We turned it into 9 separate plants, total, including two still in the front of the house. Then we split another blue/green hosta into three plants, and completely took out a second blue/green hosta, split it, and used that, too. So every hosta now in the back came from the front garden.

My parents helped immensely; my dad drove the mulch-transportation truck and helped shovel, and my mom kept Eleanor busy so that we could finish everything up. We owe them some hard labor! There's no way we could have finished any of these projects without help from my family. It's a good thing to live near family.

Now we'll just have to have a fabulous backyard cookout to say "thanks!" And of course, there's the rest of the yard ....
...to worry about next year.