We went to the Portland Homestead Supply Store this morning. Got a couple Weck jars, a little knit chicken for a baby we know who's turning one year old this weekend, a plastic bag dryer (I'm behind the times and tired of throwing away plastic bags, so I've been trying to wash and keep them), a book on wreath making (I might have time in five years to do this!), and I forget what else. [Edit: I remember now-- an allspice trivet (will smell good when a warm pan is put on it) and a jar of meadowfoam honey.] Hard to leave there empty handed. Our main purpose for going there is to visit the chickens and goats. Baby loves it. We went to see them two or three times and when we were back in the store to check out, Baby kept signing for more. I told her they were taking a nap.
I'd like to have an outdoor clothesline (yes, for the month or two out of the year that I can use it). Not sure where it'll go. I found this tutorial on Mother Earth News. Too much building and wood work for me but maybe Husband would be willing to rig something up.
We've been going down to the river. That's Pug, above, smelling the smells down there. The day before Mother's Day, I took the kayak out, rowed upstream for a bit, and when I got back to the path we use, there was a bald eagle standing right on the bank! Bummer I didn't have my camera with me-- I'd even almost taken it too! I watched it for about a minute before it flew away. Sometimes I see the sea lions out there too, but not this time.
Our dear little guinea pig, Guinevere, passed away yesterday. She was the sweetest pig and she came from Pleasantville, NY. She was getting old and I guess it was just her time. Husband will bury her in the backyard near Molly (our other pig from NY). I think we'll be guinea pigless for a while now. Having a baby and pug alone is quite a bit of work. When D is older and wants something (rat? bunny? guinea pig? I'm saying no to snakes) we'll get a critter then. She understood something happened to Guinevere, since at one point during the day G was there and later, she wasn't. Unsure and undecided on how to talk to D about it, I said Guinevere was sick and died and went to guinea pig heaven, and that she was with other guinea pigs now. When D seemed to want to know more, I liked the part about G being with other piggies and so I kept telling her that. From what little I know about talking to kids about death, it seems honesty is best. I know you don't tell them someone or something has "gone to sleep" because it can make them afraid to fall asleep and cause sleeping problems.
In other news, I'm still "napping" by D some days. Today I am, and the last two days I did as well. I'll play it by ear depending on how she's doing and how I'm doing. If I really need time to myself, I'll put her in the toddler bed. But some days I just still really want to be by her, and as long as I can sneak away at some point during her nap and my back isn't killing me, I'll keep doing it.
