lucy comes into the world

On May 5th, 2007, Lucy Margaret Rados came into the world. She is my husband Bill's granddaughter, his third grandchild. Of course, she is beautiful, as you can see. She will be three months old when we get to see her, hold her, greet her, coo.

I liked Jenny's (Jenny is Lucy's mother, and Bill's daughter) comment: "She is the most easygoing of our babies so far--though maybe we just finally have a vague idea of what we're doing!" A few weeks later she said, "We can't wait for Gilmanton [N.H]. Am thinking we need to instate the 5pm cocktail hour!" So that's it, and Drew Farm will have to participate.





Years ago when there were no grandchildren Jenny and I (with help from others...) gave a cocktail party at Green Pastures, a place where we stayed, that was "in the family," because Drew Farm was being rented. We endured strange evenings there listening to the high-pitched songs of the skunk litter in the basement. Anyway, Jenny and I rustled up prosciutto and melon (we were ahead of the curve) and my mother's cheese puffs hot from the oven. A good time was had by all. Now we have our own recently remodeled bee-yoo-tiful kitchen at Drew Farm. Should be a snap. Let the word out, 5pm, come up to Drew Farm. You won't be disappointed. And Lucy will be on display, fresh from her nap!

slopoet meditates on the saltbox

Nice saltbox for sale in Guilford, CT. [This isn't the "saltbox"--it's a historic house in Guilford, the Whitfield house, very near the Village Green]. Back to the house for sale--vintage 1970s, so it wouldn't be an ancient structure with low counters for Revolutionary War-vintage short people. Don't want to be hunched over stirring the pot on the stove. Pond on the property. Brings up the mosquito issue. How do you ask people politely how the mosquitoes are, well, year-round. Only bad in the summer? Only at dusk? Can you spend time in the backyard between May and October?

Houses in the East seem primarily to be 2-story. All the nice ones, at least. Some ranch houses. Who likes a ranch house. Too Californian. Then again, what do we do about our knees? Can they be trusted to behave? For me, the left one keeps giving way, all of a sudden, halfway up or down the stairs. The other knee gives me grief when I sit down. They are feeling better this week, not sure what to think. When will the "giving way" start to manifest itself?

We'll just have to save up money to install an elevator in whatever charming house we decide we have to have. It'll be a two-story one, I guarantee it. Maybe we can find one where our predecessors were old, too, and lame. House comes with...elevator.