We've had our moments. While I'm trying to get stuff done the girls come to me with long faces complaining that they are SO BORED! And I snap back - "it's not my job to entertain you! Grrr!" But we've also had lovely weather. I've had some uninterrupted time to read in the hammock. We've been hanging out at the lake with friends and coming home sun kissed and tired. It's all typical stuff for our summers and I feel quite lucky.
VELO STURTZ
I learned a new phrase - I think I have it right. Velo sturtz means cycling accident.
Brian called Saturday morning and said "come get me, I had an accident and I'm bleeding". His pedal broke off as he was coming down a hill and he hit the road hard. Luckily he was at the end of his ride and so I could get to him in about fifteen minutes. He was scraped and bruised and bleeding so off to the emergency room we went. He ended up needing stitches in his elbow and he had to have surgery the next morning to fix a broken thumb.
All the doctors and nurses were very nice and they all seemed to say velo sturtz and shake their heads. He had to stay in the hospital overnight. For a while he couldn't do much for himself since his left elbow was too painful to bend and his right hand had the broken thumb and the tips of his fingers were badly scraped. I kept thinking of professional bikers. They deal with these types of injuries all the time and they probably get right back on their bikes some of those times. Brian was just ouchy all over and still is. Bruised chin and thighs, scraped elbow, cut knees, scraped hip, fingertips with the skin removed, tender feet - uhg.
The doctor said no biking for six weeks - that is the worst part for Brian.
So for Father's Day this year Brian got a screw in his thumb.
We love you dearly - please no more falling off your bike!!!
CHECKERED GARDEN QUILT COMPLETE
I started this quilt on January 20th and now it's all done! Yay! I want to ask Brian to hold it up outside and get some full photos but in the meantime here it is! Thanks to Film in the Fridge for the inspiration and pattern instructions. I love that it is almost obnoxiously bright and exuberant.
THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL...
calls for cinnamon rolls.
SWIMMINGLY
Summer has started off swimmingly. Today we started off with chocolate pancakes. I've been adding a third cup of dark cocoa powder and a bit of extra milk to my regular pancake recipe. Mmmmm.
Later we got to take a dip in Lake Zurich again and it felt so good.
Lake Zurich is so cherished and well used. I just love how the Swiss fit a swim into their everyday. When the water is chilly they don't gasp and make a scene (like we Americans) they just slowly and gracefully get in and start swimming. You can see the heads of older people bobbing along in the water at all times of the day. Then they towel off and tactfully change into their clothes and off they go - cooled and refreshed.
Today we had a sweet little interaction with an older couple. Claire and I were finishing our picnic. We were set up on a steep little hill on the lakeside. Somehow a nectarine got free and it rolled down the hill. The older couple next to us had just finished their swim. We all watched the nectarine bump and tumble down the grass and then across the stone edging and then plop into the water. Claire giggled and that made everyone laugh. And then soon the man was getting into the water - you have to gingerly climb over the big slippery rocks. He dove in and rescued our nectarine! It was so kind of him - I thanked him with my stupid German and some English words too. And that nectarine was good and juicy!
CLAIRE'S PIANO RECITAL
Claire had her end of year piano recital on Saturday. It was held at a beautiful old villa. I'll post a link to the video once her teacher passes it on.
Claire played Waltzing Butterflies, as a duet with her teacher and Rainbow. That's her teacher, Jana, on the right.
She has learned so much in the last few months and she played beautifully. I'm such a dodo when it comes to music so hearing her play just makes my heart super amazed and proud.
JUST A THURSDAY
Not much to report from our house. The girls have one more week of school. Then I hope we'll be spending some lazy days by the lake. Our plans for the summer are set. We'll see friends in Wilmette and family in Michigan and then we have visitors coming to Switzerland. I have a feeling it's going to zoom by.
Just this morning I finished quilting all the blocks and I've started doing the binding. So close!
I bought some pretty pretty peonies.
Brian has been traveling all the time. Claire has the habit of sleeping with me whenever Brian is gone. And she has a habit of filling my bed with her favorite stuffed animals. They make me smile.
I hope you too have something silly to make you smile today.
WELL HELLO JUNE
Brian has been working too hard. He needed this lake-side nap.
CLAIRE'S SCHOOL TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS
One of the cool things about the girls' school is the fact that they get to go on some really awesome overnight trips. Bea went to the mountains early in the school year and then had a ski trip to Davos in February. Well now Claire has gotten her turn. Second graders get to just dip their toe in the overnight trip experience. They drive about 45 minutes away from school and stay 24 hours. They got to have a camp fire and sleep in bunks with their class mates. They even got to ride a chair lift (!) and then hike down the mountain in the morning. The teachers have everything so organized and the little mountain top resort is so sweet. I think she had a fantastic time. Here are some photos that her teachers took:
And we just learned that next year, as a sixth grader, Bea will travel by plane all the way to Italy (Florence I think).
SEWING SEWING SEWING
Brian was traveling a lot last week so I had a sort of sewing frenzy. I made PJ pants for Bea, a nightie for Claire, a dress and a shirt for myself. I tend to let my sewing room get super messy as I sew - leaving bits of thread strewn all over the floor. And then they get tracked around the house.
Time to clean up.
