random

Usually when I sit down to write, I have something in mind to write about. Not today. Nothing big is going on.

Actually that is not true. J is building a fence as I type – that's big. The idea of our backyard as a habitable place is huge. I'll have pictures soon.

Until then, it's just the little things. Pleasures found, not planned. Like putting the borrowed child seat on the back of my new bike, strapping Iris in, and setting off on our maiden voyage to the sprinkler park. Like stopping by the thrift after a meeting on Friday and finding that someone had dropped off a raft of Mini Boden, size 3-4 years. Like they knew we were coming! I also found a vintage Pyrex mixing bowl, avocado green. You can never have too many of those.

Actually, since we've been working in the backyard, we have been spending time there as a family even though it is still pretty wild and woolly. It's not a very big backyard, but it's terra incognita for Iris, who often explores it in a pink dress, Chuck Taylor high-tops, and tiara. Today we found cicada carapaces on one of the fenceposts. Here are some other treasures that have turned up as we've been digging and turning over the dirt:



There was also a little rubber Charlie Brown figurine. Whatever happened to him? And a fork I finally threw out because decades of dirt had somehow melded to the metal and it would not come clean. And countless old coins. I love this kind of urban archaeology. Someday I'll do a whole post on things that were left behind in our house when we bought it. (That will be a long one....)

Not today. J and Iris are shucking corn on the porch, and I'm going to help.