Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Summer digging

Sitting on the back porch with a bowl full of strawberries, a glass of cold water, and my current favorite cookbooks... listening to the boys playing, realizing that they have many conversations between themselves... loving summer and all it brings, including the dirt.

It's the compromise of each season. In winter, I spend my time trying to come up with things for the boys to do indoors since the cold and wet only allow for short bursts of outdoor play. In the summer, I spend that same amount of time making sure they take off their shoes before coming in and sweeping up the trails of dirt that follow them all around the house. It's a worthwhile compromise.


For the past couple of weeks they've been archeologists, digging and digging, hoping to find treasure. A quick trip to the thrift store and I found an endless supply of archeological equipment: spoons, forks, ladles, sifters, pots, tongs, and spatula. They work perfectly and can stay outside when not being used.



There's a lot of celebrating when a treasure is found deep in the earth, previously hidden. It takes a place of honor on our nature table and then the digging continues.


I am almost as excited as they are when they discover something. I'm in my own world of archeology and fiction. Thanks to my sister, I've been lost and absorbed in the Abigail Peabody mysteries and just in time too. I had tossed 3 popular fiction books out in a row, never making it past the 3rd chapter because the writing was awful. The more I read, the pickier I am. I can't bear to waste my time on drivel. Thank you Elizabeth Peters for devoting your life to writing, my vivid imagination and my precious spare time greatly appreciate it. (Dreaming of a trip to Egypt now....)

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3 comments:

Linda said...

What a clever idea - finding all those "tools" at the thrift store. It looks like such fun.
I know what you mean about the writing. I love mysteries and anything written in the 1800's and early 1900's.:-) It's so hard to find something new I really like.
Have you read the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series? It's wonderful.

Bonnie and Fred said...

I may be old, but I can remember doing some digging when I was young. It was so much fun to make roads or just pretend you were doing some major construction project. Don't remember finding any treasures though. You are very lucky Ian to find that gem. Maybe when you come east, we will dig in Grandma Bonnies garden to see what we can find. Love, Grandpa

Adam and Raechell said...

My brother and I used to love to dig townsand roads out of the dirt for all our hotwheels cars to drive in. Good times...dirt and kids! :)