Mother Nature can be cruel

The pictures you are looking at show the very old tree in our backyard that fell sometime Sunday night. We had some pretty strong winds and when the tree fell, it smashed our swingset. (Indeed that is a swingset underneath it all) Can you imagine? We were shocked to find it like this on Monday morning. I kept waking up throughout the night because the winds were so strong and loud, but I had no idea this had happened. Olivia, who one would think is a little too old for the swingset now at 10 years old, cried. Alot. This is a kid who never cries. Seriously. You could push her down a flight of stairs and she wouldn't cry. But over the swingset? Bawling. Go figure. I guess she has many pleasant memories on that swingset and I have lots of pictures to prove it too. (I don't even want to mention the fondness she had for that tree!)
Putting things into perspective: if that's all we have to suffer is the loss of a swingset compared to what those poor people in Texas have lost, I'd say "the swingset is yours Mother Nature. Take it and enjoy."

Back into the swing

Looks like we are headed back into the swing of things. I've returned to work, the kids to school, and soccer is being played on Sunday as per usual. It appears the usual routine is finally starting to settle in. (Unfortuately, I didn't realize until this morning that this is my last day of the weekend and I should have cleaned the house yesterday so I could relax today. Oh well, so much for the swing of things!)

Our very old little pear tree has provided us with a bushel full of the sweetest pears I have ever tasted. Truthfully. The sweetest. As a matter of fact, I made a pear pie last night and the pears were literally sliding out of my hands when I was peeling them because they were so slippery from being so juicy. So Delicious! I've never had pears this tasty. And to think that a few years ago, our very old little pear tree was hit during a bad thunderstorm and much of it was split apart. I made John salvage what was left although he really wanted to chop it all down. I guess I made a good call. Maybe these exceptionally tasty pears are the trees way of thanking me from saving it.


I hope you are all settling back into your routines as well. Hope it's a good week ahead for all.