Withywindle Wanderers

Our friend Anna who is eleven and lives in Oregon made these 100 paper cranes as a symbol of peace, in response to the beautiful story of an eleven year old Japanese girl named Sadako . She sent them to us, and Eowyn and Coco hung them around our Seattle Sadako statue's neck, joining a beautiful chain of peace and sorrow all around the world.

Eowyn went as Rita Skeeter from the Daily Prophet, Coco was Ginny (Go Gryffindor!), Bens played Tom Marvolo Riddle (before he became Lord Voldemort!) and Megs dissembelled as Nymphadora Tonks (Go Hufflepuff!!)

That's our big orange sun from the solstice party on the wall in the top left, the girl's wonderful library in the top right, my exotic purse in the bottom left and Eowyn and Cosette's multivitamins in the bottom right - you know, a bit of vitamin C so's to absorb the non-haem iron in their brekkie cereal! Love you Seren, and love to all in the blogging community, Meg

We toasted you over lunch of oysters, stuffed mushrooms, crab and artichoke dip and South African 'herding cats' chenin blanc chardonnay! That's little Sam, who just celebrated his first birthday, in the arms of Katie!

Wonderful blogging community, I'm posting this statement with two purposes. 1. It kind of summarises where I want to be going, which I want to share with you 2. I'd love feedback! They've asked me to: "Include your purpose in pursuing graduate study, any research you wish to pursue, and your future vocational goals." Thanks for reading this - I feel honoured by your interest in my life!! I want to write a novel, with beautiful sentences and adroitly crafted chapters. Since preschool I have read voraciously, and appreciate exquisite writing in multifarious forms. I have natural writing talent, and derive deep satisfaction from creating prose, yet I have spent my life longing to write novels and not doing so. The work I am submitting came into existence because I was applying to attend the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Belonging to this writing community would enable me to be disciplined in producing literature. The tutelage and mentoring I would receive is something I y...

I love her little sideways upwards glance...

An Ady family hike is not complete without LOTS of hiding behind trees, jumping out and SCARING each other!

Yesterday we ventured forth unto Lake Coco and Lake Eowyn (AKA Boardman Lake!), a hike the girls have been doing all their lives, to which we have also escorted Grandma, Gump, Uncle Sam, Great Auntie Nancie, 2nd Cousin Mim, 2nd Cousin Taylor, 2nd Cousin India, 2nd Cousin Ethan, 2nd Cousin Abigail (in utero!), 1st cousin-once-removed April, 1st cousin-once-removed Dave, AND we would like to extend an invitation to YOU, as it is indeed very beautiful! As ever, our friend the chipmunk was too speedy and evaded our camera! Oops! All the pics of our hike seemed to have evaded our camera! You'll just have to come and see it for yourself/ves!

This is my wonderful friend Josephine, whom I met in Germany, lived with in Argentina, was with me when I met my future husband, together were initiated in crossing-the-equator-for-the-first-time-aboard-a-ship traversing the Atlantic Ocean, from Brasil to West Africa, & was reunited with in England, at Tom & Anita's wedding and Sam & Becca's wedding... I love Josephine very much and hope the next time we're together is SOON!

A little, green camping spot, two yearling dear curled up sleeping alongside us, inside our cosy camper trailer. A tall, buzzing tree, filled with humming birds and naughty blue-jays and yellow butterflies. A fire, alive with orange molten energy, buffer of warmth against the cold, starry night. Lake Ozette, calm ripples venturing forth to explore distant shores, lines of fluffy green pines trees. A forest, every inch teeming with curling, growing, seeking, earthy-smelling life. Curly roots creating little caves beneath trees, where once a nurse-log slept. Dense woods, huge trees, delicate moss, and suddenly an increasing span of light, getting closer, bursting into the forest ... the coast! The Pacific Ocean, waves curling in, reflecting sunlight, bold, bright, gleaming. Into the icy sea I dive, catching a Pacific wave for the first time since Australia! Eowyn and Cosette, delighted, play in the sea, seemingly not noticing how chilly 'tis. Bens and I discover a delightful haven wh...