Fine Day

The weather has been gorgeous here lately, so at the risk of contracting bed bugs again we sat out in the front garden chatting with the neighbors yesterday afternoon. They were minding their grandson, 2 year old Jack, who just loved playing with Silas. He'd roll the ball to him and bring trucks to him and dance for him. He was a very sweet little boy.

However, he also liked to throw dirt clods. Which did not go over well with his neat-nick grandparents. When the woman found out that he had thrown a bunch of dirt into the cul-de-sac road that we live on she actually got a brush out and swept it up. I couldn't believe it. Maybe if it had been the footpath, but the road? That's a little much.
But they did say something I really liked. They called him bold. They meant it in the way I think Americans would use the word naughty or mischievous. I just think it's really cute, maybe it was just the Irish accent, but saying sternly 'Oh that's very bold, Jack, aren't you a bold boy?' just seemed so pleasant and fresh and not a crusty, frustrated, 'Why are you being so naughty?!"
Another family came out with their little energetic puppy who licked Silas in the face. Suprisingly, Silas started crying. He really loved our dog Sophie, which made it so hard to leave her in Minnesota with friends. Of course Sophie gave new meaning to the word mellow, so she was more like a stuffed animal. But my sister Rachel's dog was more energetic and Silas seemed to think she was great. So I hope not being exposed to dogs for a month or so hasn't made him afraid of them. Of course this little puppy was pretty ill-behaved, and stinky, so maybe that was it.
Anyway, it felt nice to be outside and nice to have a chat with the neighbors, makes it feel a little bit more like home.

But here's a quick illustration of how it is still not quite home:
I was making granola tonight and I needed apple sauce. So I thought I'd just buy a jar at the supermarket. But the applesauce comes dried in an envelope. It's like a gravy mix, half dried apples, half some kind of thickener. Hmmm...

(Notice how I'm incorporating the local words, like garden instead of yard, brush instead of broom, footpath instead of sidewalk. )