here we are

this is pretty much how and where she's been the majority of the time since sunday night
a sick little one
fever fever (though that is now all but gone), headaches, all sorts of out of sorts....
a trip to the doctor
a call to the doctor
waiting for her body to stick it to whatever it is that's got it down
a bit of motrin when she's been so far out beyond the far edge of miserable
elderberry, vitamin c, fluids, time......


in the meantime (talk about inopportunely timed illness), grandma's visit came to an end and Nichole and her family came to town.  we finally got to meet in real life wednesday afternoon and then later that night she and I got together for a coffee date and a walk around town in the 36 degree night.  it's definitely not Texas.  this is our first real cold spell of the year and the plastic is now on the hoop houses over a couple of beds, the lemon and lime trees are inside, the woodstove is singing a steady hum, and I've got a pile of peppers and tomatillos and basil and such to address.  which is likely not to happen before we leave for the beach in the morning, but that's alright.  or at least, it is what it is.

yesterday morning our families got together to go pick apples out in Flat Rock, NC.  Claire had a good run, probably using up any energy she had and admittedly under the influence of children's motrin, but gosh, how often do you get to meet an online friend who lives a full day away?  (not often)  Bea showed us her stick horse, I climbed on papa's shoulders to reach some Arkansas Black apples, we took photos and talked and laughed and hung out under a clear and sunny fall sky.  we went our separate ways afterwards and met up again later (after a touch and go afternoon around here with Claire, and a pony ride for miss Bea over at our friends' house) at our place for a late dinner and some more visiting before they headed out this morning.

those cider doughnuts had been on my mind for a while, and I will tell you they did not last long.  I am both glad that I didn't buy several dozen, and sad that I didn't.

I often think about this weird world of blogging and online "community".  I shouldn't put that in quotation marks, maybe- because there truly is community to be found, but something about it is a bit odd, all the same.  you know what I mean.  so, meeting Nichole, while feeling like I already knew her, was quite a (wonderful, fun, inspiring...) experience.  I felt somewhere in between "I totally know you! I know lots about you!" and "hey! I like you! let's get to know one another!", and it really was something else.  she and her family are so wonderfully considerate and warm, they came bearing gifts from home and even cooked up a big pot of gumbo to share.  I feel like I could sit and talk with (or sit and be quiet with) any of them for a long, long time and be perfectly content and comfortable.  and that's saying something.  and now I'm thinking of visiting Texas.

but for now, there's a beach trip to pack for.  we are heading to Folly in the morning for a few days, to the same house as last year.  I've got a copy of The Shipping News and the new issue of Kindred to read while we're there.  hopefully while sitting on a sunny porch drinking good coffee or some of our home-brewed Oatmeal Stout, (recently finished and quite delicious if you ask me.  just "okay" if you ask him) depending on what time of day it is.  and with a happy and well child running around laughing and playing.  seafood, salty ocean air, shell collecting and walks down to Bert's, here we come!