Clara's Window

OK, the tagboard peanut gallery asked for it!

What I Did On My Summer Vacation
by Clara
For Mrs. Brown's Third Grade Class

This summer I was really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really busy.

I picked dozens of quarts of strawberries. I ate dozens of quarts of strawberries. I made strawberry freezer jam. I froze bags of whole strawberries. I canned strawberries. I made strawberry jam. I made strawberry ice cream. I made strawberry yogurt. I made strawberry shortcake. I made strawberry pie. I made strawberry pancakes.

I had lots of strawberries this year.

I went sailing on a beautiful wooden boat. I went swimming in a big freshwater pond in the evenings and was serenaded by loons. I went skinny-dipping in the ocean at high tide.

I celebrated my father's retirement from the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, joining him and the rest of my family at the Bravo music festival in Vail, Colorado.

I celebrated my brother and his wife's wedding in Boston. I later celebrated the news that they are expecting a baby.

I discovered rot in the front of my house and had to have the entire thing stripped, re-sided with new cedar clapboards, and repainted. And I got my first crown. Both were equally painful processes.

Let's take a break to look at a pretty picture.



I rejoiced in finally getting my hollyhocks to survive the winter and bloom the second year.

I stocked and staffed my little shop in my town, while filling online orders, writing newsletters, changing forum usernames and deleting rampant spammers, resolving increasing numbers of forum spats, putting together the 2006 KR retreat, designing and writing the 2006 Year in Yarn calendar, playing hostess to a visiting mother, and still finding time to be a good parent to Casey the Extremely Patient Cat.

And best of all, I had the great fortune to be surrounded by smart, thoughtful, creative, funny, and equally patient friends who didn't take it personally when I had to fall off the face of the e-earth to get this all done.

Fall looks to be an exciting time with some new developments and changes that are immediately stressful and terrifying but ultimately very good. I promise to be better about keeping you all posted.