Another Day on Owl Lane

Geepers, it's been way to olong...even an old friend recently asked my spouse if I was still doing the blog thing!  He keeps up with us this way, and apparently, I haven't been doing my part to inform the public of our goings on.  Pics from the corn maze at Coppal House Farm in Lee.

Lego camp for CCG

and CPG

CPG with Zach Weiss, his coach at YD baseball camp

CCG with his YD baseball camp coaches...




Tita at 18mos



Not sure why these pics are sideways...this is with the neighbor stacking wood in exchange for cookies!



Why don't I start with the most recent activities.  The fall is always busy in NH, and in our household.  There are many festivals, apple orchards, and fairs.  So we try to do one of each every fall.  Lee held its first Little River Festival and its last Lee Old Home Day.  Somehow it seems like a no brainer to combine the 2 events for the future, since they were only 2 wks apart and offered very similar things.  With the board and Old Home Day committee stepping down without replacements, the only way for it to continue beyond its 50 yr run is to morph it into this Festival, something that was "new" but seemed very much like a duplicated Old Home Day, in a different location.  Instead of a 5K road race, they had a ORYA baseball game, instead of the antique car show, they had an antique tractor parade.  Seems like if they wanted to start a new tradition or get people interested in the new park, they could have gotten a little more creative.  Little River Festival committee, why don't you use your energy on a real tradition, a 50yr old tradition and save the Old Home Day celebration.  Enough of my ranting...

The new neighbors have been very social and ready for sharing.  CCG is smack between their kids in age and grade.  They enjoy having friends living right next door to play with each day.  Sometimes it gets a little crazy but mostly it's a nice addition.

OK, off to a teach conference for CPG...should be interesting as he's a Kindergartener, and it's only for half day:-)
ciao, steph

Test post

Mirasol's Heart of Midnight "Lido" 9/10/200-7/31/2010

When I first laid eyes on Lido as a puppy, there was something about him that made him shine. He was sooo happy from the core, and had the most gentle kisses, touch, hugs, demeanor, even at 7wks of age. I learned that when he was born, he needed resuscitating by his breeder, which explains his love for life. He insisted that any free hand be busy rubbing his body or scratching his ear. As long as he was being touched, he was content. When the boys were born, Lido just became a marshmallow while they poked, prodded, pulled and learned to crawl over him. Not even once did he flinch, he loved the boys because, of course, they were touching him...

Lido's athleticism was incredible, with a lightning speed run, I often closed my eyes for fear that he would slam a tree branch or hit a hole and go tumbling, but his agility and grace maneuvered him through natural obstacles like he built them himself and always wore the biggest smile while making his way through them. His jumping stood out above the rest, too. On a walk with the New England Golden Retriever egroup along the Exeter River, he leapt right over the heads of the wading dogs into the river after a ball. He could jump high and far effortlessly. He could swim for hours with only a speedy stop for a quick bathroom break. He loved to swim and would go as often as possible, even if it meant sneaking out of the yard and high tailing it to the beach (only a few hundred feet down the end of a dirt road-he was safe). Oftentimes he would bring along his partner in crime, Dizzy. (They were a perfect match of love and friendship)

He participated in agility and obedience in his younger years although I hardly had to put any work into training, as he was a natural, and just a great dog, ready to please in an instant. Later on, I was determined to get our therapy dog certification. Even though my work and life schedule didn't allow for us to visit the Harris Hill facility in Concord more than once a month, he LOVED going. His whole body wagged when he saw the TD "collar" and tags come out. He knew exactly who wanted him close, and who didn't mind a heavy lean, and knew which ones scratched in just the right places and ways. He never ceased to amaze me and fill me with joy to watch his gentle touch with those so fragile. Our visits always brought tears to my eyes. Then again, just about everything he did amazed me and brought me to tears.

He has comforted me through many challenges and brought such joy to my life and to every life he touched. He was uniquely special, an angel on earth, for sure. He found joy in everything he did. I can't say what his favorite thing or activity was because he truly enjoyed them all, even being a 64lb lap dog.

Saturday, July 31st, was the most difficult and heart wrenching thing I have ever been through. I never wanted to give up on him and his fight to beat the horrible illness that was taking him from me, but he was exhausted and weak and not responding to the treatments and medications. I think he was holding on for me, to please me, in true Lido fashion. Even in his last moments, his nose was pointing to sky as he breathed in all the scents the summer air carries while he leaned hard against me. I doubt that there was ever or will ever be another dog like Lido on this earth. He was heaven sent. My life was hugely rich because he was part of it. He has taken a part of me with him to the Rainbow Bridge. I love you, Lido, more than words can say.

Stephanie

Dizzy, CGC at the Rainbow Bridge

Lido, CGC, TDI at the Rainbow Bridge

Partita, the pesky pup

Long time , no wirte!

Well, so much has happened in the last few months, I don't know where to begin. The links I've attached are to 2 performances by the Strafford Wind Symphony. One is of my friend, aubrie Dionne, our guest soloist (sorry we haven't put together the video yet, for you, Aubrie!) and the other is a solo I played at the same concert.
The school year has almost ended, next week! Cavan will no longer be a first grader...wow! he had a great year with his class and teahcer. Mrs. Burke was probably the best teacher he could've been placed with. She has such a gentle and compassionate way about her, that Cavan just took to her and adores her. With his ADHD diagnosis half way through the year, she really got involved in helping him adjust to his focusing needs. Since the diagnosis, his reading and writing abilities have florished! He stays up late with a flashlight at night to read chapter books!
Cayden fought pneumonia all winter (4xs). In the end, it is believed but not confirmed that asthma may be the underlying cause of his recurring pneumonia. He has really become quite an athlete. His football throw is AMAZING! You should see the spin the ball gets. He excels at so many sports. He has also taken a liking to reading his own books..trying to keep up with his big brother.
We lost our beautiful Dizzy in April, suddenly to what the vet believes was a heart aneurysm. Luckily, she was romping with her family and having fun, she didn't suffer and she wasn't alone when she died, but the shock of it still hits my heart like a ton of bricks. The waves of sadness come so strongly that I am barely able to move. It's the little reminders of her, like finding the box that I kept her baby teeth in, or a random picture that was stuck in a book years ago that I opened just by chance as I unpacked boxes. Sometimes, i feel her around me, or see her in Lido. it's not like Lido is doing something"dizzyish" but rather, he actually LOOKS like Dizzy (we all know that they had very different features). Even while I stare at him, knowing that it is supposed to be Lido in front of me, it is still Dizzy that my eyes and brain sees. People have told me that this kind of thing may happen, but I didn't understand that actual "realism" of it. i wanted to reach out and touch her, but my mind knew that if I did, I would lose the view of her, so I just stared at her for a long time. anyway, she certainly left a big hole in our lives.
With that said, life has a funny way of providing when it's necessary. Our friend and Lido's breeder were the folks we called when Dizzy collapsed because we knew she'd have the vet's home phone #. We chatted about what happened later (Lido's brother died similarly 18mos earlier) and she asked us to come for a visit. She had 2 litters, one of which still had a puppy unplaced with a family. It's not for a lack of interest (she has a waiting list as long as the Great Wall of China), but she didn't feel that any of them would be a good fit for this little pup, and told us that it would be an honor if we took her home with us. She couldn't think of a better home for her puppy, so we did. Partita joined us on April 18th. She is adorable and has many Dizzy traits, but still is definitely a Mirasol dog, for sure. sweet sweet sweet yet mischievous and sly. She is smart and is very driven by affection and food, which is good on the one hand and CRAZY on the other:-)
Lido has also been ill, fighting something that is causing him to be anemic. he has fainted twice, and has been not himself for a long while, but all the test the vet's been doing are inconclusive, although their preliminary thoughts were Auto Immune hemolytic Anemia which may havebeen caused by the Anaplasmosis he had at the end of March, but some test results aren't jiving with that diagnosis. The next step may be a bone marrow biopsy. My poor love dog. It's heartbreaking to see him this way.
Steve won 2 more Emmies, this time for a documentary he shot/produced with Phil Vaughn called Journey of the Broad-Winged hawk. His work is finally being recognized. It's a silly ritual, but for the individual, it verifies and solidifies what you know about yourself deep down, but don't always feel sure of outwardly.
Well, I'll put a couple pictures up and hopefully, will get back to this again soon.
ciao
Dizzy, our princess 12-20-98 to 4-8-10

Diz with Cavan

Partita is quite photogenic. born 2-15-10

Partita enjoying the dirt.

Steve with Phil Vaughn at the NE Regional Emmy Awards, winning 2 awards, for Journey of the BroadWinged hawk. may 22, 2010

HURT

Ever been "stuck"? You know, the kind thing deep inside of you that you KNOW is keeping you from moving forward or tapping into a pool of potential within yourself.
That is where I stand. Stuck, or maybe paralyzed is a better term. This deep hurt and resentment in my soul that has developed over the course of my entire life has a firm grip on me.
How do I come to terms with it and accept it as part of me, woven into my being from the beginning of me life? Fear doesn't seem to be the reason for the paralysis, although I am not sure that I could recognize fear for what it truly is. Could it be a comfort zone thing? That doesn't seem logical because my comfort level at this time is quite unsettling. It feels like my body is a pressure cooker and my soul is trying to burst free from its steaming clutches.
It's times like this when I turn to the kabbalah Tree of Life and Buddhism. both philosophies or practices are very intriguing to me,yet they seem to be soooo far from my reach. To understand them at a deep, personal level appears unattainable.
How do people fit their practices into thier lives and build their knowledge their meanings and insight into their own souls.
One thing that continually presents itself as I search for my inner being is the concept that one must accept these hurts and pains, before moving on. They can't be taken out of the soul but rather become the catalyst for bringing about positive results, whether it presents itself as a physical or emotional change. This idea is very overwhelming when I consider how to go about applying the whole practice to my own soul and life. On paper, it makes complete sense, in lecture, I totally get it. But to reflect on the philosophy and propose attempts to myself becomes behemoth, too large to take on. I guess finding the first step is the first step.
Wish me luck...no, wish me peace.

Summer fun

My efforts to keep summer at a slow and relaxed pace always seem to be a lost cause. We've had lots of fun, though, meeting up with friends and exploring mountain tops. Here are some of the highlights.

A view of Mt. Pisgah in VT, not far from our alma mater, Lyndon State College. It was July 4th and was raining at the cog. I was desperate to find sunshine so we headed north, and found the golden rays!Our little outdoorsmen. They did such a fabulous job keeping up and climbing higher. This is not such an easy hike at over 3.5 miles, and they totally ROCKED (no pun intended)!

At one of the overlooks to Lake Willoughby.

This speck in the sky is a hawk that flew up from a ledge below us, and circled around us. Watching it fly up from below was dizzying.

Not pictured is our old girl, Dizzy. She is with us, just tethered to me. A little height phobia had me paranoid about everyone being so close to a ledge...ugh!

Our visit with Tiffany was filled with lots of play and exploration. We always meet in New London. Colby-Sawyer College has a great little playground and it's an easy walk to town and Peter Christian's Pub for lunch. Recently the town created a fund raising event. These Gnus were sponsored by area establishments and decorated/painted, etc. by local artists, including Tomie Depaola, the famous children's author and illustrator. The gnus will be auctioned off later this year. Tiff and the boys are with Tomie's gnu.

At the entrance to the pub, with its gorgeous garden.

The Colby-Sawyer gnu, done by the students in the art dept.

Gotcha, Tiff...she was busy snapping photos of the boys, and seemed so comfortable and particularly bright (as in happy and joyful) that I couldn't resist.

CPG burned off the lunch and HUGE sundaes running around the front lawn of the college, after he rode his bike all the way back there from the pub. He had such a blast.The playground has a pirate ship and great jungle gym slide. The boys could play there all day and never get bored.

Hope your summer days are filled with laughter and outdoor air!

Ciao

Fairy world and then some...

This has been a typical spring...lots of wet ground, with lots of mud and really dirty snow, but today we managed to enjoy the outdoors a little bit. CCG was insistent that we make fairy houses, so off we went through the trees in search of the perfect building materials. The photos are our finished products. Tomorrow CCG will be up at the crack of dawn peering into the little doorway hoping to spy a fairy who has just moved into the neighborhood.

SJG came home one evening with a bag from a dept store. Inside it were dress shirts and neck ties (clip ons) for CCG and CPG. He told me that CCG whispered to him, "Daddy, can I wear a tie to school?" Apparently Charlie Brown's thanksgiving special prompted this tie wearing idea. So, that week, both boys wore their ties to school and received numerous compliments and praise...What can of worms did SJG just open:-)?

Ciao!

Winter Fun

We had some great snowy days with our friends from LTG and the CSDC. Here are some snapshots.

The girls on the wagon for which the hill is named...sporting their identical outer wear...this was their first meeting.:-)

Me and my bud CS,
The whole gang preparing for the big race! Somehow, CB and her daddy were consistent winners by a mile....hmmmm seems fishy to me. The losing streak was starting to get to KS, so he took matters into his own hands and ran me and my sledding partner off the trail! Jeesh!



Almost the whole gang...on the second sledding outing. This day was quite warm and melty. Everyone was completely soaked by the end of the get together.

Grass! yet the hill was still offeringup a good ride.

Ciao!