We ate breakfast at Jean’s this Sunday, as usual. Scott was drawing heavy machinery on Bob’s placemat with crayons, as usual. Scott got finished one particular beauty and Bob pipes up: “Daddy you forgot the hydraulic rams.” And so he had. Where has my baby gone?
We live in one of those places that can only be described by describing the places around it. We live outside of the town of Kincardine. We live down the road from Kinloss. We live right outside of Kingarf (population by my estimate, 4). We live in the middle of nowhere. When you live out here, you are never lacking for things to do for entertainment. This week 3/4 of our family made it in the paper doing fun stuff.
Here is Bob at one of many fall fairs that happen in our area. (Typo on his age, he will be three very shortly!):
Maggie and I attended the most recent Bervie Women’s Institute meeting. I gave a brief little talk about making cheese, the institute got some money for some badly needing siding, and some birthday tidings were put out to another WI member in her 90s. If you live in the Kincardine area and are interested in coming to a WI meeting with me (or without me) give me a holler, ok? I will admit the meetings are a bit dry (treasury updates and meeting planning and whatnot) but they are also totally great. They do the “ROSE” program thing (Rural Ontario Sharing Education, rad) and their general mission is to help women promote and develop integral family life skills (I will admit publicly I want in on their recipe books); to assist and encourage women to become more knowledgeable and active citizens; to discover and stimulate leadership; to identify and resolve diverse needs in the community. Long story short: let’s not let the WI’s continue to die off. Join me in becoming the next generation.
Scene: Family driving in our little red Focus down a country road.
“Oh look. A dead squirrel in the middle of the road. It looks pretty good, let’s turn around.”
“WHAT?! You’re serious, you want me to turn around?”
“Well, I mean why NOT?”
“WHY NOT?! Shouldn’t the question be WHY?”
“Well. I mean. It’s a perfectly good squirrel.”
And so I got out of the car and fished out an old newspaper to wrap it in to take it home. My darling husband decided to get out too and he picked it up and laid it on the paper. See? Chivalry is not dead. (It’s just resting. Har. Har. Har.) If you’re curious, I just want a cute little squirrel skull to add to our growing collection. (Or SQUID-DEW skull as Bob would say, who can’t quite work out his Rs or Ls yet).
I made Meeps a little dress the other night out of one of Scott’s old teeshirts. We do enjoy Mike Giant and the cut on the dress made the woman’s face look like a baby Stewie, which only makes it rock harder.
Here’s some yummy mouldy cheese I made recently. Meeps painting. Bob waiving one of his found feathers. And me in the bathroom of despair and disarray.
No point wasting a perfectly good squirrel I guess! Those WI meetings sound pretty cool, I wonder if they have stuff like that down my way. Also that pic of meeps painting is TOO CUTE for words!
We also live in a place that is only described by the places around it. Usually my description begins with “Well, it’s near the North Washington rodeo grounds, but if you get to the farm with the Clydesdales you’ve gone too far”. And I have to say that I’m pretty relieved to see someone else with a bathroom in as much disarray as mine. No matter how often I neaten it, it perpetually looks like a tornado struck. A tornado named Finn.
Hey Ashley, do you guys have people present at the WI meetings at all? I would love to come to a meeting, but I would also be interested in spreading the word about my workplace – elearnnetwork.ca. Sounds like it might be just the thing with the sharing education bit!
Joelene, yes they do have speakers from outside of the WI membership regularly.
Ashley, love the Clydesales. For us it would be the Percherons. Ha.
So I’m not the only one turning old t-shirts into dresses for my daughter? Rock on! those meetings sound great and oh so purposeful which I love!!!! I really do wish to “pop in” and completely inconvenience you next time I’m in Kincardine………..
P.S. You look waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy better then me!!!!!!
you won the hair-growing race. again.
can’t wait to have a littleMeeps of my own. no offense to the rest of the family, but i think she’s my favorite duncan.
Twwly, I’ve been reading your blog for about a year, and I’ve resisted the urge to say a bunch of sappy stuff, but I can resist no more:
Reading about your current life and the seemingly winding path that brought you here inspired me to stop abusing drugs, get serious about my career path, and ‘create my own reality’. I’ve even started gardening, and though I haven’t found God under my lettuce plants, having my hands in the soil makes me feel more connected to the world around me. I love reading about your beautiful family, and I appreciate your thoughtful posts and the time you devote to your blog.
Twwly, you inspire me greatly. I love your tattoos, insightful opinions and appreciation for all things good and wholesome (cheese, gardening, goats…). We have the CWA in Australia, which stands for Country Women’s Association, and seems to be the equivalent of the WI. I think more young women need to join, as well as women from different ethnic backgrounds (CWA women tend to be anglo and highly conservative).
Describing where you live makes it sound like you live in the Scottish highlands with those place names!
I lawl’d at 3/4 of the fam being in the paper, for being cool in the middle of nowhere. And then I had to scroll quickly past the squirrel qui passé.
goodness you have a beautiful family! those kids are getting so big!
awwww, look at meeps’ pinky fingers! too cute!
one of the best blog posts ever! if i were to hit all the points i love this would turn into a long boring novel so i’m just going to say this: the photo of you with the WI warmed my heart! small town folk never cease to surprise. i’ve heard my own parents go on tirades about what’s becoming of youth and their crazy ways, as well as criticizing pretty much everything and anyone who is foreign to the routine of their village. when it comes right down to it though, if you can show that you’re a good honest person they don’t care if you have horns growing out of your head, they’ll take you and yours in to the fold and you’ll be able to count on them for anything.
“Daddy you forgot the hydraulic rams.”
adorable
Love the t-shirt turned into a dress…
Scott was raving to me about how much he loves the lens you guys have for your camera, but I have no idea what it’s called anymore. Can you tell me? <3
I saw a dead fox this morning and it made me think of you. I’m sure you know what I mean!
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Gillian — lens is a Sigma 20mm 1:1.8
Are they real tatoos? Wow! My dad has made one on his palm when he was young – but I don’t dare to give this to the older myself )))
Thanks for posting pictures! Very nice to see a person I am reading!
Shocked by a comment from your reader who ceased to take drugs after finding motivation in your blog. Maybe I should blog more…
When you will be looking for a good book to read – have a look at “Living on Love – The Messenger” by my friend Klaus Joehle. It’s available online.
Good luck!