OUR COMMON HOURS

Kelli Ann Wilson May 26, 2015

newport, r.i.

For my birthday this year my husband got me the gift of wonderful memories — a trip to Newport, Rhode Island! I have wanted to go to Newport for years, ever since I learned about the mansions and the opulent parties of its golden age. In high school I even entertained the idea of attending Salve Regina University (some of the dorms are restored mansions). We made reservations at the La Farge Perry House, an amazing bed & breakfast located in a quiet neighborhood just a short walk from the historic downtown area. I cannot even begin to sing the praises of the innkeeper, Marise, and I would recommend the La Farge Perry House to anyone in a heartbeat (we stayed in the Com. Matthew Perry room). Our little getaway was a whirlwind trip that included: luxuriating at a beautiful bed & breakfast; eating made to order nachos washed down with sangria; strolling through an historic seaside village; trying and failing to buy a bottle of wine after 6pm on a Sunday; drifting off to sleep in a crosswind of cool ocean breezes; six hours round trip in the car with no kids bickering in the backseat; and walking…A LOT of walking. It was one of the best 24 hours of my life. Thank you, my love, for memories I’ll cherish for a lifetime. I can’t wait to go back!

Kelli Ann Wilson May 26, 2015

zane’s baptism

Our little boy Zane was baptized this past Sunday, May 24, 2015, also the Day of Pentecost, at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Walpole, NH. It was a wonderful day for all of us. I hope that Zane will find his spiritual home in the Church, and that he will feel the power of God’s love for him all the days of his life. He wore his grandfather’s bowtie, and also the very same necklace that I wore when I was baptized many, many years ago. The necklace has a cross that belonged to a family friend, and a baby ring that belonged to my grandmother (Zane’s great-grandmother). What is truly special is that my grandmother was actually able to be there for Zane’s baptism, and she and I were able to take communion together for the first time in our lives. It was truly an amazing day.

Kelli Ann Wilson May 22, 2015

20 // 52

“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Lillia: This week our house has turned into some sort of crazy campaign headquarters! You decided that you wanted to run for Student Council as a Member at Large. In order to participate in the election, you have to make and distribute campaign materials, and make a speech in front of the whole school! So far we’ve made: 4 glitter-encrusted posters; 20 flyers with your beautiful face right in the middle; and 48 “Vote for Lillia” pins. If you win, you will be a member of next year’s Walpole Elementary School Student Council. I’m always surprised and amazed by the ways in which you are willing to put yourself out there in the world. You do things I would have been way too scared to do at your age, and I am so proud of you for being so courageous. In fact, I am ALWAYS proud of you. I am the luckiest parent in the world because I have you for a daughter.

Zane: This week we have been very busy! We’ve been outside for a lot of the time, now that the weather has really turned a corner. We’ve also been doing a lot of baking — brownies for Daddy and cupcakes for your baptism on Sunday. As is evidenced by this photo, you were quite the helpful taste-tester (or pot-walloper, as Papa would say). We’ve talked a little bit about your baptism and what will happen, and also why we are doing it. You seem excited, and I hope that someday you will be glad that we made this choice for you. I remember looking down at you as a three day old baby, and something in your eyes told me that you were really happy to be here. I hope you will always appreciate the gift of life that God has given you, and that you will always find the church a place of comfort and spiritual renewal.

Kelli Ann Wilson May 19, 2015

garden 2015 // week 2

Here is a little garden update for anyone who is interested. Growing everything from seed is an entirely new experience for me. I didn’t realize how long it really takes everything to get going. Last year I bought all started plants, so it seemed like the garden just exploded overnight. Starting from seed requires patience, and faith! Today it rained for the first time in ages , and it is such a relief. I’ve tried to stay on top of keeping the baby plants watered, and they are still growing well and are healthy, but I’m sure they were happy to get a nice big drink from the sky this morning! Not too much to report at this stage, but here’s the latest: the peas are now tall enough to reach the twine lattice — I had to add in some extra rows because my original lattice was too spread out; the kale is doing pretty well, though not big enough to eat yet; the beets all seem to be growing at different rates — the “chioggia” variety seems to be the hardiest so far; the carrots are also finally growing (I’ve thinned everything out since taking these pictures). We also planted some mesclun (mixed baby greens) and Zane planted his radishes, too. I couldn’t believe how quickly the radish seeds germinated — I think we saw sprouts the second or third day! The next step is to decide what to plant in the second raised bed. We’ll definitely do zucchini, but I’d love to hear your suggestions. I think we’re going to do tomatoes in containers this year because of blight and the sheer size of the full-grown plants.

Kelli Ann Wilson May 18, 2015

19 // 52

“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Lillia: It’s getting harder and harder to take portraits of you — this is the face I get most of the time! This week your class went on a special field trip to Grafton, Vermont. You visited the Grafton Nature Museum and spent two whole days out in the woods learning all about the forest ecosystem. You also hiked and explored vernal pools. You’ve got a busy couple of weeks coming up, with your dance rehearsals and performances looming large on the calendar. And, after that, the school year will be coming to an end. I cannot believe you will be sixth grader next year. It just doesn’t seem possible!

Zane: This week you had your spring concert! We were all very excited to see you sing, and all of your grandparents came. But, for some reason, once you were up on stage, you didn’t want to sing! I kept thinking, “Oh, maybe he just doesn’t know this song,” but you didn’t sing a single word of any of the songs. You were very well-behaved, though, and I just had to laugh because it was such a Zane thing to do. Afterwards, I asked you why you didn’t sing and you said it was because you were getting squished by the other kids. You’re a funny boy, Zane Wilson.