Hello! Just wanted to let you all know that On The Willows published my piece on gifts vs. fame, as interpreted through Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. (Yes, I know: another post in which I draw heavily on children’s literature for my philosophy. Sorry, but that’s about as highbrow as my references get these days!) Click here to read it.

It’s been crazy busy here in the woods lately: last week we had 5 family members from California staying with us — Erick’s parents, his brother, sister-in-law, and our almost-two-year-old nephew. We dragged them all over central Vermont and had a blast. Now we’re down to grandparents-only for the next week, but the weather’s beautiful which means we’re usually outdoors in the wading pool, with three girls, three chicks, a dog or two, maybe a couple of friends…and a partridge in a pear tree.

Here’s a picture of the Gong Girls leading their beloved cousin Aiden into Green Mountain National Forest:

Hope you’re all enjoying the outdoors in your neck of the woods!