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Painting With Irene: Painting in Georgetown: I love nature and the outdoors, and I have always wanted to paint outdoors.  My first attempts were...well... disappointing to say the least...

Much Anticipated Arrivals

of two healthy baby girls happened on Saturday 21 May - Tahla and Ronan Mittag King are here!  Gemini's like their grandpapa Mittag - whatever that implies.

sleeping peacefully

Michael and I joined Sally and Anna in Ottawa to be there when the new babies came. Clea and Russ were as prepared as they could be as first time parents. Clea was certainly ready for the girls to be born.  We all kind of expected them to be born Friday but it was not on their plan - so we waited and waited some more. Needless to say the wait was not so easy for Clea as for the rest of us. Finally, on Saturday late afternoon, with a bit of help from the docs, the twins were born weighing in at 5.2 and 5.5 lbs - healthy and fine.

Sally and Anna met the twins Saturday evening before they were whisked off to observation (standard procedure). Michael and I missed them but got to see Clea and Russ to congratulate them.

note the green crocs

So Saturday night we hung around and saw Clea get moved to her new baby headquarters in maternity where she was transported with her crocs tucked safely underneath her. She was given a private room so she and Russ were quite pleased.  One of the sweet touches in her hospital were the hand written signs on the babies crib noting Twin#1 and Twin#2 since the choice of who would be who was not immediately decided.







When we returned Sunday, we sat around, held the babies, chatted with Clea and Anna and took the much coveted first baby pictures. As you can see, Michael is thrilled to be a grandpa again!

Clea felt a lot better once they were out...

holding Tahla, such a teeny bundle

Snuggling together already just like they've been doing for months!

Clea calls them her burritos

We are both feeling quite lucky and grateful that the girls have arrived safe and sound and the whole family will get to share in their lives. 

from 2 to 4 grandchildren in a blink!

A very good weekend indeed.

Sam hits double digits

On April 23rd we celebrated a very important event - Sam's tenth birthday. 

There was an early family party in Montreal the week before and a second celebration on the actual day over Easter in Vermont.

the sparklers were a hit!

Both parties included yummy food and Sally made Sam's favorite lemon cake in Montreal.

Ewan and Russ

it's called a cocoon bag -obviously

Camping gear was this year's theme for most of the stuff as Sam wants to go camping this summer - and so it shall be! In fact the official kids party was a trip to Mount Sutton where they stayed in a cabin in the woods - and actually slept outside one night. The boys loved it so we are guessing the next time they stay here they just might pitch a tent in the garden!

Over the long Easter weekend we had good weather, delicious food and MORE presents! Michael arranged a horseback ride for the boys that they both really enjoyed. The horse was calm and friendly and BIG. It was one of Michael's very good finds and I suspect we shall take them back there.

Actually, they built themselves an outdoor structure and if it stops raining they could adventure out there- and be eaten alive by mosquitos.

 

new fort built behind the house

All in all it was a very successful weekend! The next birthday celebration wil be greeting the arrival of the twins in May - soooo exciting...

Grandpa & Sam checking the headlamp

Mocha cake - by request!

Ewan's very clever present for Sam who loves to know everything

on our Monday forest walk

little forest floor flowers

Sam and Ian - chillin'

Water Water SUN

It was a strange week for weather and now I remember why we always seem to talk about it here, because it is constantly surprising us and soooo.... unpredictable. I cannot imagine how pointless it must seem to the weatherman! The week began with chilly cold rainy days- it was enough to depress anyone- some nights it was down near freezing - which is simply not acceptable for May.

view from the waterfront

As a consequence of so much rain, Lake Champlain has reached recording breaking heights and there has been major flooding. No it's not like the South where people have lost homes and worse but it has still been quite a sight for us and our neighbors across the Lake in New York. These are some views from downtown Burlington.

 

the bike path in use, and underwater

but oh, what fun!

floating in the parking lot at Perkins Pier

water's edge, with flotsam galore

fortunately the sun is out again!

Finally on Friday, things started to improve as the sun reappeared. Not super warm but hey, a vast improvement and with two days of gardening to come we were thrilled. These pics were taken Saturday after we volunteered for Green Up Day and before we returned to the garden which demands our attention.

And with the sun's emergence, so came the azalea blossoms - this tree had only buds a few weeks ago- and it is why we love Spring- the evidence of renewal abounds and reminds us every day to be grateful.

In the title photo, this shrub is bare :(

A cheery welcome in the back garden - sometimes I wish tulips would bloom all summer!

Meanwhile we harvested asparagus both Saturday and Sunday- using most of it to make a delicious risotto for dinner tonight. Sorry there was not enough for everyone.

What's with the name?

One of the more amusing and contrived bits of nonsense that is practised in South Africa is the custom of giving names to homes of any and every size and shape. Must have adopted it from the Brits who do it all the time. Nonetheless, driving down the R63 from our home in Constantia, over Constantia Nek and down the long hill to Hout Bay, we would drive past home after home with names -  lofty, descriptive, imaginative and sometimes downright dumb - but hey, I figured if they can name their homestead just because... so could we.

The search for a name for our Vermont home was simple and, to be honest, I came up with it years ago after earlier visits to South Africa.  Now seemed the appropriate time to launch it officially - Asparagus Ende - because, yes indeed, we have an asparagus patch in the back garden. It was a selling feature back in 2001 and a source of annual delight since. We also happen to live in the last home in our section at the far end of our homeowner's association so it's kind of accurate and I like to think it evokes a romantic image of a charming cottage in the countryside- so what if this is suburban Vermont?

This Spring we are bolstering the longevity of the patch with some new plants (new kind in fact!) ready to go into bare spots. If it would just stop raining for a day or two I'll get out there and plant.

View from the back patio

does not look like much yet!

but look a little closer

These are the first spears of 2011- growing slowly after the bitter winter and suffering from 2 years of relative neglect while we were away but still popping up in old places on a daily basis. We are reassured!

beautiful little purple tips a'sproutin'

pushing up through last season's stalks

and a few days later-  almost ready for harvest

Tomorrow we plan to have our first dinner featuring our own asparagus- yum! If you time it right you might even be able to share in our bounty- so stop on by.

PS I still have not come up with a good name for the house in South Africa so those with ideas, let me know.

It must truly be Spring

Because the daffodils abound!

This past Saturday, I invited a few friends to join me to visit a hillside full of daffodils that I had been told about and long wanted to see. This was it - the weather was beautiful, the owners said they were away so I knew we would not disturb  anyone and we were game for an adventure - so off we drove to Hinesburg - okay so that's not so far but even the briefest of journeys can feel like a getaway!

And it was well worth it - I cannot wait to return to see the next blooms of tulips, irises...

view from the meadow with Lake Champlain visible in the distance

fearless bunch Henry, Michael, Aimee and Sophie,
flanked by  Brooke,  John,  Helen and baby Willa
with Miss Emma guarding us all

Emma tiptoeing through the tulips- oops - daffodils

path led around the hillside and through the woods

there must have been at least 30 varieties of daffs

But the best one must save for the last, which had to be Sophie in her princess dress, sparkling in the sun,  curtseying down to smell the flowers - she thought these smelled like pancakes or was it flour?

the Duchess of Cambridge has got nothin' on our  Miss Sophie!

We're back &

Yes, we are staying

Over the past five months since Michael and I have returned from living in South Africa any number of people ask us the same question: are you back for good? They got used to the idea that we traveled back and forth from Cape Town and seemed to think that we were going to continue doing so. Having heard  glowing stories about our lives there, they seem confused about our return to Winter, and freezing ice and snow. After this particularly long and brutal winter, I sometimes wonder why myself.

But the answer is simple. So we have patiently explained that despite our wonderful house and garden, terrific friends, and good fortune to live amidst incredible natural beauty, there is still no replacement for being closer to family and our old friends and of course the asparagus patch. We are lucky to have had the opportunity to live in Constantia for two years. And I know we can return to Cape Town in the future not just as tourists (well that applies to me, Michael's experience having grown up there is much more complex but he'll have to write his own blog to explain all that).

bulbs springing to life with most welcome Sun 

Vermont is our home and we are thrilled to have been able to celebrate Christmas here with our family, with a proper evergreen tree, even if the pictures were not yet hung on the walls (and still are not.) Perhaps I shall do a backwards looking entry to share a few of these newer memories.

Meanwhile, the recent popping up of the flowers, finally, in the front garden gives me hope for warmer weather and the lushness of summer!