Alison Hodgson

Expert on the etiquette of perilous times.

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Summer’s almost over.
As I write, Lydia is away at a cottage with a friend.  Christopher is hunting pests in the garden.  Eden and Paul are at her Chinese Camp and I am sitting at Christopher’s desk since my computer has needed to be within three feet of the router to have “wireless”.  Last night I was able to go online in my living room which I haven’t done in months.  It was a heady experience, but Christopher and Eden set up shop here this morning and I didn’t considering moving it.
Today Christopher and I painted almost all of the front of our house.  We ran out of paint, but we’re probably 3/4 of the way there if you discount the roof of the front entry, the eaves and any highlighting of trim; I wish you would since I am.  I would love to replace the garage doors with more “cottage-y” looking ones, but financial priorities trump aesthetic ones, so I painted the standard ones we have.  I’m very pleased with the color I chose which is a creamy white.  Anyone who has seen our home knows that the difficulty would be in NOT improving upon existing conditions.  Not everyone can classify home improvement as community service but we can and are.
I’ll keep you posted…ish.

https://alisonhodgson.com/2009/08/274/

The Fair

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This year I decided to cut the big kids loose.  Christopher will be 13 and Lydia will be 11 in September.  Lydia, I could have allowed to go it alone about five years ago, and I’m almost serious: she has incredible boundaries, good intuition and a willingness to ask for assistance.  Christopher, on the other hand, has been willing to go off with any stranger since he could walk, but I decided if he doesn’t have the smarts to make it at this small fair populated almost entirely by young suburban mothers and their progeny, then he’s not going to make it any where.
I am pleased to tell you that he and Lydia had a wonderful time buzzing around the different tents each at his or her pace, following their separate whims.  
The Legumes, with me as their escort and wrangler, had to rely on negotiations.  With my help, these went fairly well. There was that dark moment when only Ren won a cupcake in the Cake Walk, though she quickly offered to share.  And then there was that even darker moment when Ren was given a balloon after having her hair painted, but Eden wasn’t.  That Ren almost immediately let go it, was no comfort.  When we tracked down a girl with a huge bunch of balloons, there was only one pink one!  Of course both wanted it and I encouraged Eden to let her cousin have it, which she did and then, miracles of miracles, we spied another girl with a bunch of balloons and Eden was given a pink one from her.  Minutes later, Ren let go of her second balloon, but Eden held onto hers until we made it home.
It was a hot day and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  We were all sweating profusely and I made it my mission to find a square of shade to stand in at each tent we visited and occasionally I was even able to score a chair and gratefully sat.  At the especially interminable coloring tent, there were no chairs and I had to lean forward awkwardly to keep my head in the shade.    I mentioned to the volunteers the idea that had occurred to me early and, as the day wore on, was fast becoming an obsession.
“What this thing really needs is a wine bar.”  
It was not quite noon, but each volunteer nodded excitedly.  Since the fair was sponsored by the area business owners, I suggested a fancy, local grocery, which has an extensive wine selection.  Every other person I mentioned it to agreed that a wine bar would be a brilliant and NECESSARY addition to the day.
Later, at the grocery in question, I informed the staff that I had been conducting an informal survey on their behalf and reported the entirely enthusiastic response.  The owner and several of her employees who heard all laughed.  
“That is a great idea,” she said.
“Listen,”  I said, “On average, I have less than two ounces of wine a week.  Now and then, a glass sounds really good.  Today I was positively salivating at the thought of a chilled Chardonnay.  If I was panting for a glass…”  I just let them think about that.   They were all laughing as I drifted off to shop. 
When I returned to the register to pay I approached the owner, “Look, don’t play with me.  I have to know if this is a possibility.”  She went on about a lot of boring things like licensing laws and the very real difference between selling a bottle of wine and serving one.
“We could always sell an individual a bottle of wine,”  she looked at me meaningfully.
“I don’t think I’m ready to be the mother standing at the edge of a children’s fair with a thermos of wine,”  I thought for a moment, “but I might be.”
We all agreed it would certainly be a service and maybe even a ministry.
I wonder if I could get 501(c)(3) status?

The Lake

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It’s been a busy week of constant get togethers with friends and family.  We’ve been outside all day, just about every day.  Today we sort of collapsed.
Fortunately it was a day of rest.

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Kids, I’ve been taken out by a terrible cold, at least that’s what I thought for a couple of days as I gulped immunity drinks and took my vitamins.  Then I woke up with intense sinus pain and thought, “Oh it’s my allergies!”  and began to take something for that.  After a  couple days of pain and exhaustion it occurred to me that last year when my allergies flared within a couple hours of taking my anti-histamine I felt fine.  The next morning I went to the doctor who diagnosed me with a sinus infection exacerbated by allergies. 

I was barely on the mend when Torey came down with a plague, so I brought her and the girls to my house.  I’d rather not write about that as Willa has been engaging in some sort of scream fest generally, combine that with hours without her mama and it was ugly, my friends.  I was being pulled in so many directions it was comical.  Fortunately I just kept dealing with things (read: the other children) as they came up, “I know you want to swim, but have you noticed this small person?  Yes, this one with the red face, who is shrieking, I’m a wee bit involved with her right now, but I will certainly attend to your needs as soon as I meet hers.” 
I never met hers.
Repeat the above conversation, adding different outrages, atrocities and needs about a thousand times, throw in several trips across town (lessons, classes, parties!) and you have my experience last Wednesday.
The summer is a flying.  It’s been fairly low key and that has been good.
We are alive and well and, most days, having a lovely relaxed summer.
I’ll keep you posted…eventually.

https://alisonhodgson.com/2008/07/420/

Monday Monday

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I started the day off with a physical. In the words of an anonymous Publisher’s Clearing House Winner, “Whoopee! Thank you!”

I am thankful that I get to go to the doctor and yet sitting around in paper garments whilst being poked and prodded is not my idea of a good time.

The pool is green and we are trying valiantly to get the chemicals balanced. It’s that time of year.

It’s overcast and the kids are squirrelly.

We’re going to have a bite of lunch and then work outside. Nothing like a little physical labor to get the blood pumping on a doldrummy sort of day…or so I’ve heard.

I can’t even tell you how much the dog is shedding. The vet told us there are two big stages of shedding: in early Spring and the Fall. Here we are in July with a carpet of black fur, despite constant sweeping, Swiffering and vacuuming. If this is normal shedding I don’t think I’m going to make it. He has been limping since Thursday. I think he’s getting nervous that we haven’t spent any money on him in a week.