the mailbox is full

I got home from Georgia and guess what?! There were letters waiting for me. I was very touched and it made me thankful for the power of the internet. So thank you! And check the mailbox soon!

I am in Georgia visiting family. I am in the room of my childhood. I am cleaning out my closet because I don't think we will have a need for my 10th grade Biology book or the remnants of my college wardrobe ever again. Goodby Mia sandals and Girbaud jeans. Sad but true.

I did, however, find a treasure among the 80's memorabilia.

A bag of letters.

It was not so long ago that we invested ourselves in the letter writing process. We had a conscience about the length of a long distance phone call because long distance was expensive. We couldn't read the paper online or know what the weather was elsewhere with exact accuracy. We did not have cell phones wired to our person and the need for immediate gratification. Instead we wrote letters. Long letters.

I read all the letters that I received while at college. From my mom, my dad, my grandmother, my younger sister and brother, my friends at other schools. They are filled with news of home or where ever, mundane and witty at the same time. They are pages long and express feelings and thoughts that we no longer express so eloquently because we talk constantly.

The writing is delightful. My sister would illustrate hers. My sweet little brother was so grammatically polite...still is. My mom would write of her very full schedule and who she had entertained. My dad wrote of business ('your car insurance has gone up') and the cats. And my friends were sarcastic and hilarious in their descriptions of their new room mates or fraternities.

And then there are the love letters. More than a few. And it is painfully clear why I chose the one I did. Eee Gad, he could write a letter.

I am sad for this endearing and enduring lost art. I want my boys to be able to write a letter that will SLAY!

Bah humbug to email and texting and such. (for fair measure blogging should be thrown into that group, but....)

Today I begin my letter writing campaign with a plea.

Give me your mailing address, please.

And go here and order some monogrammed stationary that will make you feel official from my fabulous sister in law, Haile.

And read this fabulous book of letters....The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Yes, I realize that I am behind the curve on this one. (Thank you, Brian! I didn't forget and there was a letter from you in that stack of treasures!)

Soooo, if you read this and you live afar and you would like for us to put you or your children on our correspondence list then leave your particulars in the responses.

Or feel free to write to us!

The Patton House
P.O. Box 3313
Durango, Co 81302

Ha Ha

I struggle when it comes to buying birthday presents for my children's friends. Most people go waaaay overboard with gifts that are too expensive. Truth be told, these kids usually already have too much stuff already and the gifts are quickly forgotten.

So I am always on the lookout for the perfect little gift.

And if you have a boy in second grade then take heed.

This is it.

The perfect gift.

It's only $6.95, it's timeless, and it's good for lots of laughs. My Lewis (age 7) will pick it up and walk around the house offering up jokes and riddles to whoever will listen. It goes to school. It sits by the toilet. It goes to recess. It goes camping. He is the arbiter of funny to friends and family and who doesn't want to be that?

Max (10) likes it too and I'm sure that one day Della will scoop it up and start reading.

There are lots of good joke books out there. I like this one because it's not neccesarily just for kids. He doesn't always get the play on words that are a tad over his head, but he will ask and move forward. There is lots of room to grow with this book and he loves it right now. He says he wants to keep it for when he has kids and that is praise reserved only for the very special.

It will not cause mass hysteria when it is opened at the party, but it might just be around 25 years from now with lots of memories and laughs hidden in the worn pages.

Pretty good for $6.95.

poetry

Max sings in a soprano choir. They had a small concert this past Sunday after their annual fall retreat. As usual, it was wonderful and I think I cried for every song. I'm like that though. The song choices are achingly beautiful. They are old fashioned. One of them was this Robert Frost poem set to music. Oh my goodness. I wish you could have heard it.

The Pasture by Robert Frost

I'm going out to clean the pasture spring;
I'll only stop to rake the leaves away
(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I sha'n't be gone long. You come too.

I'm going out to fetch the little calf
That's standing by the mother. It's so young,
It totters when she licks it with her tongue.
I sha'n't be gone long. You come too.

I am a sucker for a good poem. There is nothing that compares to a simple verse that sings to the soul. Matt loves poetry, too. And, of course, we have foisted it on our children. They have several 'poems in their pockets'.

This is one we are working on right now. Love it, I do!

SOMETHING TOLD THE WILD GEESE

By Rachel Field

Something told the wild geese

It was time to go,

Though the fields lay golden

Something whispered, "snow."

Leaves were green and stirring,

Berries, luster-glossed,

But beneath warm feathers

Something cautioned, "frost."

All the sagging orchards

Steamed with amber spice,

But each wild breast stiffened

At remembered ice.

Something told the wild geese

It was time to fly,

Summer sun was on their wings,

Winter in their cry.

lewis.

Something is missing.
It doesn't feel 'right' around here.
It's quite quiet.

Tiggy is away at camp for the week.
We will all feel SO MUCH BETTER when he gets home on Friday.

The other day he said that if he had one wish, he would wish that it would rain Mercer Mayer books. That's sweet, isn't it?

We'll have enchiladas to celebrate his return.
And read some critter stories that night.

Love my Lewis.

why not?

Sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat....absolutely overwhelmed by the the wealth of knowledge that I must pass on to three eager and receptive little souls. If I stop and really think about it, it freaks me out.

There is always basic daily maintenance to attend to... the feeding, clothing, watering, and sheltering. Making sure they have all the proper gear is a full time job in and of itself. Then of course, there is their EDUCATION. That is a huge category and I'm always worrying that they aren't getting enough, except for the times when I have worried that maybe they are getting too much.

They need to know some language other than their own and whine-ese. Should it be french, spanish, german? What about latin? It forms the foundation of all the romance languages, they should probably know that, too.

They need to play an instrument. Which one? Or two? I want them to also know how to sing well, to harmonize, to know all the great broadway show tunes, to be able to dance to those show tunes. To know and appreciate classical music, opera, hymns and James Taylor.

And then there is literature and poetry and fine art. That's a lifetime of learning, alone!

Classic movies and plays.

What about sports? They need to know the basics of the biggies...soccer, basketball, football and baseball. Then there's lacrosse and tennis and golf and jai alai. Let's also throw in mountain biking, skiing...water and snow, track, skate boarding, ultimate frisbee, swimming, and juggling.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. And, of course, it comes together gradually over time with the help of many. But I still sometimes feel the responsibility of it all sitting on me like an elephant.

So right now, today, Max is working on a very important piece of his musical education and we are sharing it with you.

Because it's very important that we all know the classic hits of the eighties.

Rock On.

P.S. We are both having a hard time with Steve's pants? Were we all OK with that look, I can't remember?!