The finished basement is the space that we evidently don’t know what to do with yet. Mainly, we really need furniture, as you can tell. And that will come… in time! For now, this is what it looks like, post-move:
Previously: Main floor tour and top floor tour.
Just getting around to uploading these photos now, because, you know, moving.
We are a provocative and weird family.
(Many thanks to beautiful Cousin Emily for many of these spectacular photos.)
Pyrrha wanted no part of any of it and was instead content to patrol my parents’ neighborhood from their bay of windows.
We did have a lovely meal. It was so good to be with everyone. I really like these people that I happen to be related to.
Last Saturday, we had perfect weather, and so James, Sara, and Silas took us with them to Shenandoah, where we hiked to the Rapidan Camp. Beautiful day in the woods.
Love my sister and bro: Kels and Alex came to stay with us this weekend, with the intention of camping, which was downgraded to hiking, which was further downgraded to just “a walk on the Rivanna Trail.” Not complaining: We had the perfect peaceful weekend with them, and we even got to eat the first meal from the long-awaited cob oven. As you can see, they are an exquisite couple, and we were so pleased to have them. It is so nice to have such beloved family so close by.
Dear old Caleb came to stay with us this weekend. We had a very peaceful time, as you can see.
We spent more than week away from the “real world,” which was magical.
First, we spent a little time in the Pines with Nettles…
and left Pyrrha at doggy summer camp with Guion’s wonderful parents, and her puppy BFF, Georgia.
And then we went to Hatteras and ate lots of food and talked and wandered around on the beach.
I didn’t get any glamorous beach shots, because I didn’t want to take Louis in the sun and water, but these two photos give you a general idea of what we mostly did (ate and talked and ate and talked, and sometimes watched appallingly riveting television, such as “Swamp People”).
You guys, I love these people that I happen to be related to by blood (and marriage).
These are the two things that keep us busy these days.
What’s been occupying your life this summer*? (I’m calling it “summer” now because it’s been 85–90°F every day this past week.)
More and more, I find that I take after Pyrrha.
For example, we both:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
We are also still adapting to the presence of the snuggly little baby Laszlo. He is adorable and all, which I think she acknowledges, but he can really be a pain sometimes. But he makes up for all of his crying and all of his antics by falling asleep on my lap in the evening — a joy that Pyrrha will, however, never experience.
In other news, my current obsession: Studying French style. What is the secret? How do all French women look so beautifully and effortlessly stylish all the time? Is it something in the cigarette smoke–filled air?
We had a lovely, peaceful weekend with Kelsey and Alex, who are just the best and were supremely helpful with all the dog-wrangling.
(On Friday, just moments after they arrived, Alex came with me to drop off Brando and Vera the puppy with their new foster while Kelsey stayed at home and managed Pyrrha and Laszlo. Such a blessing! I could not have handled Friday without them!)
They loved on and cared for our new foster, Laszlo.
On Saturday, we took the dogs on a short walk at Pen Park (where these photos were taken). Sunday, Laszlo spent much of his day sleeping on our various laps and being generally adorable.
We were lounging around, eating good food, watching TV, discussing current events, playing with dogs, and NOT running the 10-miler (which may have been one of the best parts). Perfect.
It’s really about time these two high-tailed it out of DC and moved to Charlottesville! I will be a tireless campaigner for that move to happen. How nice it is to have a sister and bro-in-law that you just adore!
Come back soon, K and A!
As one who was raised in North Carolina, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much snow before.
We both got the day off, which was spent doing all of the lovely, lazy things we don’t do on typical weekdays — walk the dog in the middle of the day, paint one’s nails (me; I keep offering to paint Guion’s and he keeps declining), read several books, make real oatmeal, host Chelsea and her pups (Annie and Nell) over for a midday play-date.
We were also among the lucky ones in that we never lost power. I think we’re still on the hospital power grid or something, which surely helps.
The big decision we made this week is that we are going to become a foster home for dogs from Pyrrha’s rescue, Southeast German Shepherd Rescue. We may have our first foster this weekend, and I am very excited and nervous about it. I have wanted to foster for a long time now, and thanks to Guion’s support and our wonderful landlords’ approval, I think now is a great time to accomplish that item on the Life List. (If you care even mildly about following this fostering adventure, you can rest assured that I will be blogging about it at Doggerel.) Antsy with post-cabin fever energy, I set up the second crate in the “dog room” tonight and started getting really excited about this challenge.
For now, though, I am thankful to have had an extra day to just spend with my husband and my dog. I do love them so.
Little Stories 