Lazing

Nothing beats a Friday afternoon snuggle on the couch.  

Tribute Week - Highpoint 5

This week I'm writing five short tributes to endearing aspects of this quirky, charming little apartment that we've called home.  Five little things that we will miss so much.  Next week I'll do a series of things that we are so looking forward to in Baltimore - so stay tuned!

5) The place itself.  (And the cool pool.) 

I'm not going to lie.  Having access to a private pool was beyond awesome.  The fact that I happen to be married to the attractive pool caretaker only made it better.  

How many evenings did I glide through the water - listening to the silence around me - and thanking God for divinely orchestrating our lives.  (Which He does, and for which I will always, even in a pool-less house, thank Him for)

Living at Highpoint, apart from the wonderful people, view, trails, cats, etc, etc, etc...was really like living in my dream house.  Jon knows my penchant for old houses, full of history - and does this place have a story to tell.  It is a gorgeous home and I loved that Joya allowed us to use her space and bring friends over for baby showers, birthday parties, game nights, overnight stays, and dinners.  She always says that this place is something that should be shared - and share it she does.  

What a beautiful gift it has been to live with her in this magnificent place.  

What a beautiful gift. 

Tribute Week - Highpoint 4

This week I'm writing five short tributes to endearing aspects of this quirky, charming little apartment that we've called home.  Five little things that we will miss so much.  Next week I'll do a series of things that we are so looking forward to in Baltimore - so stay tuned!

4) The Critters

We have three cats.

  

Casanova chose Jon.  As a bitty new kitten he chewed through a screen door and found Jon at his computer.  He has to be one of the nicest, most laid back, agreeable cats ever.  He is love in fuzzy cat form.  Exceptional.  And super, amazingly clean.  The cat is vain.  Vain.  His white fur is immaculate - even though he spends most of his day lounging around outside.   

We got Zoe as a companion to Cass.  I wanted a Calico after being smitten with our neighbor's cat as a child.  My sister and I picked her out at the shelter because she was so cute and feisty.  Later that evening she, in an effort to prove just how feisty she really was, bit down on my foot, hard.  So we named her Zoe:  life.  And she had abundant life.  Until she got older.  Now she just wants to sleep and eat.  If she could sleep eat she would.  

Some fool in a pet store told us that going from two to three cats was a breeze.  And that day they had an adoption drive and there was this adorable little tortoise shell that purred so loud it sounded like an engine.  One thing led to another and Inga came home to us and was renamed Mirabella - Bella for short.  She is a fire plug.  No doubt about it - this cat is a cat.  But she is a beauty and her bright yellow eyes and soft, soft hair can sometimes fool you into thinking that maybe a little cuddle wouldn't be so bad.   Which is when she reminds you that cuddling happens on her terms.  

The cats all love Highpoint.  Cass and Bella love the outdoors.  They are safe here - it is isolated from cars, no other pets wandering around, just sun and bugs and lizards to chase and snap the tails off of.  

They adore Joya.  They spend more time with her than with us.  They eat with her, sleep with her, take walks with her.  Seriously - when Bijou was alive a little line would form - Joya, Bijou, Cass, and Bella - all in a row - taking a walk around the neighbor's house.  They even wait for Joya at the bottom of the driveway when she goes for a walk on the canal.  

Cass and Bella are home here.  We can't bear to take them away from all this cat bounty to a city apartment where they would be stuck inside all day.  And Joya has lovingly accepted them into her life - so they will stay here with her.  And we will take Zoe.  

But they are a part of our family too - so we'll visit.  And if Joya ever needs us to, we would, of course, take them back.  

Our Cass

And Bella

I'm only a little jealous that they get to stay and I don't. 

Tribute Week - Highpoint 3

Slight aside:  Raining, raining, raining, raining, raining.  It's weeks like these when you wonder why our founding fathers decided to build DC on a swamp.

This week I'm writing five short tributes to endearing aspects of this quirky, charming little apartment that we've called home.  Five little things that we will miss so much.  Next week I'll do a series of things that we are so looking forward to in Baltimore - so stay tuned!

3) The Joy of Joya

Joya started off as our landlady and ended up family.  In all seriousness, she is one of the most thoughtful, generous, loving people that we have met and probably the reason I will most miss living here. 

We have formed a little tribe here: Joya, the kittens, Bijou (while she was still with us), Owen, Jon and me.  We look out for each other, have meals together, go to the store for each other, talk and laugh together.  

Joya was so excited for us when Owen was born.  She made a sign to welcome him home and had it waiting for us on the front door.  I left that sign up for three months because it made me so happy.  

Owen loves Joya.  He gives her the biggest wide-open-mouth smiles.  She, in turn, sings "hush little baby" to him and makes him laugh.  

We have absolutely adored Joya.  We've loved listening to stories of her past, we've loved sharing meals with her, we've loved meeting her family, being able to help when she's sick, seeing her everyday...we've loved being accepted as a part of her family.  We've looked out for each other and I will miss that so much.  Thinking of leaving Joya is the one thing that starts those tears dropping.  

But, as we've told her, we might be moving out, but she can't get rid of us.  We'll be back for visits.  And then we'll chat and she'll watch Owen grow and it will be like old times.

Maybe I'll even get her to teach me to knit like I've been wanting for 5 years now.

Tribute Week - Highpoint 2

This week I'm writing five short tributes to endearing aspects of this quirky, charming little apartment that we've called home.  Five little things that we will miss so much.  Next week I'll do a series of things that we are so looking forward to in Baltimore - so stay tuned!

2) Highpoint's View

Seriously.

Photo courtesy of Describe photography.

Every day we wake up and see this.  It's a south facing view down the Potomac River toward Washington DC.  It is stunning in the spring, summer, fall, or winter.  

Talk about a view that nourishes and inspires the soul.  When Jon and I drove up the driveway for the very first time and saw the river I thought for sure that we were in the wrong place.   Now, each morning, on the way down, I pause for a second when the river comes into view - just to appreciate the day and the beauty that I could easily take for granted.

Almost 2,000 morning since we move in, I can't get tired of this view, and probably never would. 

And this is just one of the scenes from our unique perch.

How awesome is that?

Tribute Week - Highpoint

The boy is asleep, Jon's playing hockey, and the house is finally quiet - minus the ever present hum of the dehumidifier.  Summery weather plus basement apartment equals soggy living quarters.  After five summers of this though, it's become a homey sound, kind of a soothing white noise.  

This week I'm writing five short tributes to endearing aspects of this damp, quirky, charming little apartment that we've called home.  Five little things that we will miss so much.  Next week I'll do a series of things that we are so looking forward to in Baltimore - so stay tuned!

1) The trails.  

We are fortune to be located steps away from two amazing trails - and just a short hop to several more hiking and jogging paths.  

The C&O Canal towpath is right outside our door.  It is an absolutely stunning trail that runs from Georgetown, 184 miles north into Ohio.  I have been on that trail literally hundreds of times.  I trained for the Chicago marathon on it - a few times Jon drove me up north (very) early in the morning and dropped me off to run the 13 or 15 miles home.  I've seen more deer, beavers, birds, turtles, fish, snakes, geese, etc on the trail than anywhere else around here.  I've waddled along it while very pregnant last winter and taken Owen for walks along it every week.  

If you visit DC it should definitely be a stop on the tour.  Drive up to walk along the trail near Great Falls - or just pick it up in Georgetown and walk until  you can't see the city (not far - about 500 feet should do it!).  

Another favorite trail - seen on many, many bike rides and training runs, is the Capital Crescent trail.  It branches off the C&O canal about a mile from our house and is a beautiful paved path that heads up into Maryland.  I promised myself that next time I'm training for a long run we will come back here and do the C&O, Capital Crescent, Rock Creek Park loop again.  Breathtaking - and not just because of the running.

Some of my favorite C&O pictures (I have enough to fill a whole album)

Two steps the other direction out our door is the Potomac Heritage Trail.  It's a 11 mile stretch of hiking trail that we are pretty much smack in the middle of.  Jon and I have hiked south all the way to Roosevelt Island, and just a little bit northward - it's one regret I have - not finishing the north leg.  It's a pretty rugged trail but has some incredible views of the river and the winding little streams that feed it.  

Here is a view of the north hike...

And the south one.

There are a whole series of little trails that run through parks along the river.  They have made for some wonderful trips with friends.  Here is a group of us a Turkey Run park.  

I thought of putting a little poem here but I realize that my words couldn't capture how my life has been enriched by the opportunity to wander through such vivid landscapes.  So, so many silent and spoken prayers have gone up that it's become second nature to converse with God the moment my foot leaves pavement.  How could I not feel a little twinge at leaving that?  

Anyone know a good trail mover?

Moving

Thanks to Dad for the cool picture.

Ah, yes.  It is true.  We are moving.  After more than 5 years here at Highpoint (the house, not the blog) we are pulling our roots out of the soil and re-planting them elsewhere.  

Oh, and I've grown some deep roots.

Apparently I've grown a little too comfortable here on our cliff-top perch.  The seclusion, the proximity to so much nature, the running trails where I poured out my blood and sweat (so, so much sweat) training for Chicago, the pool, the company, the VIEW - oh my stars the view.  This place, like no other, has become home to me.  I'm not sure how we'd manage to live in the little one-bedroom basement apartment with a few kids running around but gosh darn it, I probably would have tried.  (Poor Jon is cringing right now).  

We are moving to Baltimore so I can go to school for a year.  We are living in the city.  In the middle of a row of townhomes.  Neighbors so close that you can smell what they're making for dinner.  It is a beautiful neighborhood, we have a little yard, windows, much more room (and closets - oh my stars the closets!), and no mountainside to shovel if it snows.  It is mere blocks from school and a short walk to a cute coffee house and other small shops.  I can feel the old, forgotten sense of adventure well up inside when we visit.  A complete change!  How will we grow and progress under the pressure of the new environment?  It excites me and I see the possibilities as endless.

So, in an acknowledgement of my sentimentality, and my deep love of our situation here in Virginia, I'm going to pay tribute to our lovely nest here.  The place Jon and I made our own, where we first snuggled our son and settled ourselves.  Next week will be Highpoint week - each day I'll post about a little something I loved from this place.

And the next week, in celebration of our new abode and our excitement and anticipation for the future, will be Fairmount week - with a new post each day detailing the neighborhood's charm and the house's nooks and crannies.  

Hopefully it will be a fun way to say goodbye, and hello, to some wonderful places that we call home.

Four Happy Months

Monday marked four months of Owen.  

Four months ago I had absolutely no concept in my mind of what life would be like today.  I couldn't even start to picture it.  I had no reason to because life was so full and happy where it was, in that moment.  

Happily, I'm still living in the moment and life is still full and happy.  How could it not be when you have a little smooshy face like that to love on!

So here's to the quarter-year-old boy...

• Whose smile is the biggest open mouth he can manage.  
  
• Who is still trying on laughs for size - before he picks the one that fits best.  
  
• Whose angry squeal only makes me laugh, which makes him squeal louder (o vicious cycle!). 
  
• Who is fascinated by his kicking and picking up ability - especially with the red block.
  
• Whose hand, or pacifier, or bib, or shirt, or...ohmygoshpeople just put something in my mouth NOW! (we're drowning in drool...need some?)
  
• Who thinks that other baby in the mirror is so dang funny.
  
• Who makes me think that nothing is better than watching those sleepy eyes look up at me until they slowly close for the night.
  

Happy Owen.  

PS:  All Mac owners know about Command-Shift-4 to capture a select screen shot...right?  Seriously...know it, use it, love it.

PPS:  Is it just me or is Owen's favorite blanket growing with him?