Spring in Maine!

So perfect for right now

i began as the mother of babes.

and i mean that, for i was born then, too.
all of the me that had begun,
the wonderings and wanderings of my first three decades,
melted away in the faces of those new babies
and i was born anew.

i spent the next decade tending.
and tending, i did well. it was my thing, apparently.

i grew into it, and i loved every minute.
well,
you know that to be a gentle lie.
there were quite a few minutes of awful. of anguish, even.
and so much comedy, uncertainty, dishevelment.
you know.

but now...
some of my babes are almost grown.
do not kid yourself about how quickly that happens.
do not kid yourself and do not miss a second wishing those
wonderfully intense, delicious early years away.

for it happens even as you are watching them.
they grow.

and as much as you need to lose yourself to care for those newborn babes, those littles-
when they have grown to your size almost-when their feet may be as big!-
it is then that you need to find yourself again.
you need to grow.

for then, as they come upon ten; at twelve maybe...fourteen certainly;
then you must find yourself in order to know how to guide them. you must be the you
that you want to be,
so that the you they are growing up against and alongside, is the you that you want them to know.

for here's the thing:

in the end,
what you want for them most of all is to leave you.
to leave your house to become who they will be.
and when they are gone
who do you want to be left with?

my wish is that my own answer
is the me that was born out of mothering them.
and the man that's loved me all along the way.

~ ~ ~ ~

tara thayer lives with her husband, tim, and their six daughters in a little yellow house that has recently acquired a clothesline.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow

After going to the tailgate market and then the library, the girls spent the afternoon absorbed in their books. C has read three books in a day. The fire has been lit.

Business as usual.

The Italian garden at Biltmore. Sweet sisters who have so much fun together.

Snack time by Diana.
Celia ran down the hill as fast as she could and, of course, wiped out at the very end. All I could see was a speck giving the thumbs-up from afar.

Now - it's your turn. I'll tell you how!
We love you!

July 7

Rainy, rainy, and rainy.

And cold.

And the day was made more dreary by my turning on the radio and hearing "Sister Golden Hair" playing. Blech.

I got out to an amazing store that I have visited in the past, but forgot how nice it is. Rooster Brothers has a great selection of cookware and foods. Too bad I'm not the best cook ever, but I can dream. 

Fire in the wood stove and games inside.

The girls made "clay dough" creatures and baked them in the oven. Many games have been played with them since.

I took one for the team and made it out to a beach at nearly 8:00p.m. last night. It was lame, but it qualified for my challenge - feet touched the rocks, nose smelled the salt air. Also, note my vintage CB ski jacket, straight from 1986 high school making a reappearance in my wardrobe. Control your envy, people.

Beach visited: Blue Hill Town dock

July 6

Nice day, visited the camp that the girls will be going to next week. Seems like a fun place. While we were down there, we popped over to a beach near an old inn on Eggemogin Reach. Love that name. Despite the cavorting nature of the girls, it was very chilly with the air blowing off the water. 

Beach visited: The Punchbowl

July 5

Headed out to Branch Lake up past Surry today. We visited a fantastic house years ago called "The Boulders" that is on the same lake. This is a small public picnic area and was very nice. D & I nearly froze, while the girls, who were skeptical at first, ended up jumping right in, wading out to rocks and having "the best Slidey game ever". 

As for me, I perhaps reached a new low in rock picking because I picked rocks off the beach with tweezers. Really, I did. Only my husband would not think anything odd of it.

C worked very hard on a little book with Carol. She very proudly told us the story about a skunk and a hawk. 

D and I ran out on a little jaunt together and ended up at Central Harbor by the Brooklin Boatyard. Really, really astonishing to look out at all of those beautiful boats. Such love gone into them.

Beach visited: Branch lake

July 4

Happy Fourth of July! 

We had a great time with the girls riding in the Brooklin town parade with friend Jordan. After the very charming parade of old Mainers in their antique cars and cute kids on bikes, we had lunch at the town park where they had games and stuff. 

Since we were nearby, we had a lovely stop at the always wonderful Woodenboat school and offices. I never tire of seeing those beautiful wooden boats at their moorings. The girls watched some sort of critter in the water - looked very much like an eel.

The girls made a cake for the cookout and then we took a very quick kayak from the town dock and scurried home before it stormed. Good time had today!

Beaches visited today: Wooden Boat beach, Sand Beach by the town dock