At the little house in the big woods this will be a busy weekend. Dee is coming from New York for a visit, and much of the time will be spent going to movies at the Maine International Film Festival (MIFF). That is, for Dee and Clif, who, to put it mildly, are keen on movies. They can start at noon, which is when MIFF starts on the weekends, and with only a few breaks, they can watch straight through until midnight. Our son-in-law Mike is in the same category, and he will be joining them on Sunday and Monday for some marathon movie viewing.

I am a more casual move watcher. I like to see one movie a day, in the evening, after a day spent doing things, many of them outside. Therefore, I have selflessly volunteered for dog duty. We only have one car, Waterville is twenty-five miles away, and the dog cannot be left from noon until midnight. Besides, it’s an ideal time for Dee and Clif to do a little father-daughter bonding. (I will be seeing one movie—Tumbledown—on Friday night.)

Shannon is a lot like me when it comes to movies—one a day is just fine for her. On Sunday, while Mike is watching movies with Dee and Clif, Shannon will be with me, and we’ll have a nice supper together. I’m planning to make potato salad, stuffed bread, and homemade strawberry ice cream.

Mike, Shannon, and “the girls”—Holly and Somara—will be staying overnight, and on Monday, before the movie viewing begins afresh, there are plans to tour Winthrop’s expanded library. I can’t wait to show off what feels like my baby. (I certainly realize the expanded library is a baby with many, many parents.) I am so proud of our beautiful library.

So, I’ll be off until Tuesday, and between kids, dogs, and cats, there will be merry confusion at the little house in the big woods.

In the meantime, here are some pictures taken of the yard this week. What a beautiful time of year. The weather has been nearly perfect. It has rained just the right amount. It’s been warm and sunny during the day and cool at night. The gardens are thriving.

Oh, if only we could have eight or nine months of this.

I might be exaggerating. It hasn’t snowed every day, but it’s starting to feel that way. Clif and I are beginning to wonder where in the world we are going to put more snow. Our driveway is a tunnel, and backing out, I’m more than likely to hit a snow bank.  Fortunately, snow is soft, which means no damage is done.

We did have a break on Friday, when friends came over for minestrone soup, cornbread, and strawberry bars. We had many things to discuss, but we did manage to slide in some book talk, which always perks me up.

We had another break on Saturday, and Clif and I just piled on the activities while the weather was good. In the morning, we went to Railroad Square for Cinema Explorations, a winter film series. (Clif and I are on the planning committee.) We saw On the Way to School, a delightful but thought-provoking film about the long journey some children must make to get to school. Children from Kenya, Argentina, Morocco, and India were featured, and they traveled many, many miles, some by foot, some by horse, and one boy was even pushed several miles in a wheel chair. Sometimes the way was dangerous—elephants in Kenya, treacherous terrain in Morocco—and these children received blessings from their parents to get to school safely. The French director Pascal Plisson has worked for National Geographic, and the film’s gorgeous cinematography reflects this.

My friend Margy Burns Knight—an author, teacher, and former Peace Corps volunteer—led a discussion after the film, and when the official discussion was over, it spilled into the parking lot and then to Grand Central Café, where we had pizza. Even though the subject is serious, the tone of On the Way to School is as light as a Mozart aria. Nevertheless, we spent as much time talking about the film as we did watching it. Despite the film’s light tone, it means business.

After the movie, Clif and I came home to celebrate Mike’s birthday. We are of the firm conviction that every birthday, anniversary, holiday—you name it—should be celebrated. Celebrations add spice to life, and they don’t have to be elaborate or expensive to be fun. Our celebrations are always simple and at home, with meals cooked from scratch and small presents. There’s nothing big or showy about our celebrations, and we thoroughly enjoy them.

Mike’s birthday celebration was no different, and we stretched it out as we always do with appetizers—roasted pistachios and chickpeas as well as popcorn; followed by the main meal, homemade pizza—I did cheat and buy the dough; and dessert—ice cream cake.

It was a good thing we celebrated Mike’s birthday on Saturday because on Sunday, more snow came, and here it is on Monday, snowing yet again.

It just doesn’t have enough sense to stop.