Thriving

James' garden is doing very well. Here is the garden today:


Rumor has it that there are a few small tomatoes amongst all the tomato blossoms and it is all I can do not to stand out there and cheer them on - grow, grow, grow! I have already eaten most of the radishes, we've had lettuce and broccoli, and there are shallots ready to harvest.

The garden is thriving, and so are we. Sometimes it hits me just how different our lives are here in New York than they were in Georgia, and those differences are all for the better. We have made friends here and continue to make friends, we adore our village, we know and like our neighbors, we are active outside year round, and there are so many things to do that sometimes we can't fit them all into our schedule. A summer full of fun activities for all of us is ahead and we couldn't be happier. And happy is a word that I would not have used to describe us in that other life.

Art doesn't have to match your sofa

It is almost the end of the school year, and Aidan is bringing home more and more projects. Two weeks ago he proudly brought home a clay pot that he made:


It was made by the coil method, not on a wheel, so the sides were made by adding coils of clay. The pot slumped during firing but that doesn't seem to bother Aidan one bit.

Yesterday he brought home another art project. Aidan's photo was enlarged and three copies were printed, then he embellished the prints in the style of famous artists. I am the first person to admit that I know very little about art in general and about famous artists in particular, so I have no idea if his interpretations are in the style or not.

Here is Picasso Aidan:


Van Gogh:


And Aidan Warhol:


I think it was a very creative project for the students, but I am still glad that Aidan asked for this triptych to be displayed in his room and not in the public part of the house!