good feelings

Yesterday Frances (age 5 1/2) wrote a book for me. She's written books before - have I talked about them here? Her first was about a princess who had everything. Then a robber came and took her things, and then she had nothing. She was sad. Then she had an idea. She would go to the robber's hideout and get her things back. But first, she had to get her equipment. She got her stuff back.

There were pictures for every page. Her equipment was her purse.

The book she made for me yesterday didn't have any pictures. She told me that's because it was for adults. While she was making it she asked me how to spell many words but not enough so I knew what she was writing. None of the lines came from me, certainly. All her words.

It's called Good Feelings, and when she gave it to me she said she thought it could help me if I didn't know what to do. Here it is:

You should spend time with your family and not just hanging around. You should play with them and talk with them tell jokes and go places with them. 
And have fun with them. 

With boys you should wrestle and tell them to push things and tell them to kick a pillow. 
With girls they just will draw a picture. 

And with grown people they will keep a eye on themselves but under the age of 16 you have to take care of them.

The people are all different.
Some are rough and some are gentle. 

Oh my goodness. Oh the joy it brings me.


The german university student arrives Monday. The kids are so excited. We skyped with her a couple of days ago and the kids love her to death already. I am hopeful it will go as well in person.

It's the heat of summer here and we have no air-conditioning. I love it. I love it as much as I love the deep snow, and both of these things are probably my favorite about living here. (no sarcasm) In the south the heat is so staggering that you can't not live in air-conditioning. And you have to carry a damn sweater with you although it's a thousand degrees outside because every restaurant / grocery store / indoor-facility-of-any-kind is kept at 50 degrees. Right now as I write this all the windows are open and the crickets are full on in the dark. I hope our German friend doesn't wilt up in the attic bedroom. But never to fear: we provide fans.

Full service, that's how we like to think of ourselves.