I miss you, Blog Friends! I hope you are having a wonderful summer vacation! Life is good out here in the sticks.
The Mud Pies are made fresh, daily. In their little bakery that is the front yard, they line up their baked goods on rocks and steps, drying in the summer sun, topping them off with the best blooms from the garden. This week, however, I turned my back for 15 minutes, and the entire bakery staff and their customers decided to use the pies to make Celtic war paint. In fifteen minutes, a mighty battle ensued, wherein many kids were plastered in mud. One child enjoyed this so completely that he covered himself in it. Head to toe. Mud. He was so pleased. By the time I returned, it was clear that my bathroom was going to be the complete and total loser. Sadly, the outside water was too cold for me to turn the hose on them, and when they had all cleaned up enough to go home for supper, the bathroom was a wreck. “Please don’t make me wash!” the dirtiest child had said, with a smile. “I want to show my Mom!” Oh, no, you don’t.
Watch out for mud pies.
They make excellent weapons.
Career opportunities abound here. The laundry pile is climbing half way up to the ceiling, with no signs of stopping. If the average American washes two loads of laundry per week, (a conservative estimate) then it is reasonable to assume that I should do sixteen. Not counting sheets and towels. Those add up, too. The dishwasher runs, merrily, three times a day. It actually doesn’t load itself, though, so good workers are always needed. And for those career-minded individuals with a “Big Picture” mentality, the heavy traffic around here means the floor is always dirty. All of it. From front door to back. Please send help. And some Clorox Wipes.
“Success is when your knees are stained green and brown at the end of the day,” says a local twelve year old. With that ideology in mind, you might be surprised that so far, only one arm has been broken this summer. But it required surgery, with pins, so that child’s status as a Tag-Playing Superstar is quite secure.
Did I mention I am working this summer? Yes, the fridge is empty, unless you want a sandwich. I have given up grocery shopping entirely to illustrate another (beautiful and amazing) children’s book for Behold Publications. It is like entering another dimension for me, drawing the Little Flowers saints and virtues. Very peaceful and gratifying. And no mud pies anywhere in sight.
Well, that is the news from the sticks.
I wish you many days of restful Summer-Vacation sunshine…
Life is good.
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