Old-Fashioned Week

At the beginning of summer, our family always sits down and makes a list of what we'd like to do before fall. It keeps us focused, and doesn't let the summer run right on by us. We also read to our kids every night before bed, and we've been steadily working our way through Anne of Green Gables ('til she got older and less appropriate for bedtime reading), Little House on the Prairie (oh, those exciting Indians), and Heidi. So coinciding with our list-making was the idea of living in an old-fashioned way, and boy gee whillikers, wouldn't that be fun? One of the things the kids voted for was to spend the first week in August living without electricity, playing old-fashioned games, such as marbles and - my husband's favorite - the "Seen And Not Heard" game. I made them old-fashioned dresses, started a garden, and we waited. Honestly, time slipped by, like it always does, as the summer is always so busy. When it was the first day of August, I started with my normal "Happy August!" and they reminded me of old-fashioned week. Whoops! Today? Really?

So we turned off the breakers in the basement, and the kids pitched in and spent the first night canning beans. I had more help then I could believe, and I began to understand why I really had had children. One of them was snipping ends, one was snapping to the correct size, and I was hot-packing them into jars. Oh, baby. Then we read by candlelight, the kids put on their nighties and went to bed, and my husband and I snuck down to the breaker box so we could play videogames on the t.v. We're bad, and sorry, and I'm sure it won't happen again, because the guilt wasn't worth conquering the galaxy.

What I didn't take the time to think about, but should have, was how peaceful things were going to seem this week. I laid down for a nap today, since washing dishes had made me crabby, and when I got up, I found my youngest playing with her stuffed animals. My second oldest was playing a kazoo, and my oldest was dancing in the living room in her long dress. Holy cow. I think I'm going to enjoy this week after all. I'll let you know for sure after I hang out the laundry...

Here They Are Playing Marbles

Fortunately, my spinning fits right in with this theme, so I can guiltlessly participate in the fun with the kids. I've gotten a fair amount done, but not just in the last few days, though it does seem to be all I feel like doing lately. Awaiting for washing in the tub, either before or after the kids are through with their baths, are the final amounts of the Marjoram colored wool, some purple and pink BFL, and a merino/bamboo mix that I scored at the fiber festival , but will blog about later. It's still on the spindle, but I've already begun another spinning of alpaca and French Angora. Life is good.