Sunday, October 7, 2012

Coffee Love

It's the first chilly day of autumn.

The shop is full. The line presses against the door. The seats are full of neighbors and friends, newspapers and conversations.

The baristas are friendly and calm as they steadily fill the bar with steaming cup after cup.

I'm trying to pinpoint precisely what it is about this moment that makes me so happy.

So happy. And so thankful.


Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Clarksville

I love our neighborhood.

We had no idea that when (by divine intervention) we were able to lease a space for Medici in Clarksville, we would come to love it so much.

It's rich in history, has nicely situated commerce, is full of fascinating neighbors, has two highly usable parks, and our very dear elementary school is tucked right inside.  And of course there's Medici smack dab in the center of all that. What's not to love?!

But we also had no idea that when (again by divine intervention) we bought our tiny little condo in Clarksville, we would grow to a family of seven.  What, seven?!  Still trips me out.

So now we are at a very interesting crossroads.  Five kids in this cozy 1000 sq. ft. just doesn't seem to be the plan, although we have done it quite happily with four. And I know millions of families around the world have more people and less space.  So I'm working hard not to have an attitude of entitlement based on our kid-per-square-foot ratio.

Bottom line is, my heart's desire is to move.

Options for moving within the neighborhood seem to be very limited.  But after a small freak out, I can now say I have total faith that the right place will come at just the right time.  But will that necessarily be in Clarksville?

I hope so.  There are so many treasurable memories to be made here...like these at Nau's Enfield Drug Store.

This place has been open since 1951.

Elia, her best buddies and the siblings got to drink milkshakes after school.  This is before the sugar rush, believe it or not.

Lauren is a reliably photogenic sweetie-pie.

Isabella, setting the tone.

Hannah, telling me to get out of her face with my camera.

Lauren's sister Kelsey and her mini-me.

Poor milkshake man.  He did more than his share of shaking this day.

Isabella's little sister and Austin's classmate, Andrea.

Bit-o-heaven.