This little head injury of Mabel’s caused the most hysteria I think I’ve ever witnessed from my little boys. Evidently, Job picked up a large piece of gravel to throw and as he released it, Mabel stepped into the rock’s path. I walked outside just as Jonny was carrying her inside with a sobbing Job following behind. Silas, who shares my issues with the sight of blood had run into the woods. Afraid, and waiting for Jonny to clean Mabel up and assess the damage, I sat down on the couch to comfort Job who was absolutely beside himself. I hugged him and told him that Mabel was going to be fine (reassuring myself in the process) and he replied, “I popped her eyeball!” And then a fresh wave of wails began. I promised him that he hadn’t and then nervously headed to the bathroom to see for myself. Jonny told me that she would need stitches (but her eyeball was fine), so I started preparing to leave. In the meantime, Silas came back inside and was met by Job who said something that caused Silas to start screaming hysterically and race upstairs to bombard himself in his bedroom. At the time, we didn’t know what Job had said to evoke such a reaction. Later I learned that he had told him that Mabel was covered in blood, was going to need hundreds of stitches and was going to the hospital. Once Mabel was cleaned up and ready to go, she joined Job on the couch where she informed him that she didn’t love him anymore. More tears. So many tears. Thankfully, before we left she had forgiven him, and Job’s happiness was restored.
I didn’t take Mabel to the hospital, but to the walk-in clinic down the road. She didn’t need stitches but was patched up with glue instead, to everyone’s relief. Mabel joins Beatrix in the glued up head injury club and Larkspur is hoping never to share that honor.
You probably didn’t notice the little hole in our couch, but in case you did and wondered about it, don’t worry. I patched it up with special brown duck tape (in five places) and it looks great: hardly noticeable. Job is disappointed because he can’t climb inside the biggest hole anymore, but we do have standards around here. The couch has got to look good, and now it does.
In less bloody news, I dyed a stack of cotton velvet with natural dyes planning to make a garland of little mushrooms. The pattern is in the Forest issue of Making magazine and is the reason I purchased it. These little mushrooms are so adorable. I ended up making a handful for gifts last month and still haven’t gotten back around to that garland, but I will.
I got together with some girlfriend’s recently and my friend Bethany mentioned all the puzzles I’ve been working on lately. She told me, “I have dial-up internet, and each photo loads very slowly.” All that waiting for… “Oh! It’s another puzzle.” I’m slightly embarrassed, but I can’t promise that I will stop. I have slowed down as is necessary with most obsessions. I can hardly sit around working on jigsaw puzzles all day.
I’m not the only one with a jigsaw puzzle issue. Lately, my kids have one going most of the time as well.
Their favorites are Charles Wysocki 300 piece puzzles. This one is adorable.
Enough puzzles. Here’s some knitting. It’s just a ribbed hat, and not all that exciting. Jonny needs a new hat and this is a good basic pattern. I’m ready to start decreasing and that’s a relief.
(Larkspur’s windowsill)
(On the Summer Wind puzzle, and our puzzle table.)
Wanting a new shawl on my needles, I cast on this one in some lovely, undyed, rustic yarn.
(Playing school. Job was the teacher. This must have been some sort of nature study, a subject we don’t typically do in a formal way, but it happens nonetheless.)
This was a fun puzzle.
Beatrix knit her first hat, complete with a ribbed brim. She has since added a pompom, and it’s adorable.
I wish there was a nice tidy way to close this rambling post, but there isn’t! My days are quite full, and I am happy if not exhausted at the end of each day. I hope you are as well (happy but not necessarily exhausted)!
Mary Lucey says
What company makes the Bird puzzle with the word “winter” on it? Thank you for sharing your interests and your beautiful family!
Judy says
Your posts warm my heart. Family crisis, recovery, playing cards on the bed, reading on the couch…. Thanks!!!
Tracey says
I bought a puzzle during Christmas, it’s of the South Carolina coast, hoping for snow so I begin working on it. ( One must always have dreams)!
Connie says
hi ginny…….simply lovely post with beautiful photos. real life is the best to write about!
Lisa says
I’m interested in your puzzle board. Will you share where you bought it? Thank you!
Ginny says
I ordered it on Amazon. Here is the link: https://amzn.to/2UeD43G This is my favorite thing right now!!!
Larissa says
Head wounds do bleed so much – they are very scary! Glad all is patched up: heads, couches, relationships ❤️ I love your writing and photography, and the way you have curated your home life so simple, so very beautiful!
I am so inspired by your resilience and creative pursuits. I am crocheting again (terribly! But I enjoy it anyway ?). Thanks for the encouragement you are to this mama heart.
Melissa says
I love your blog and have been a stalker for a while. Your photos are so amazing. The real “life” (children, animals, plants etc.) that they capture is very calming (even if your real life isn’t). My kitchen window looks very similar to Larkspur’s window. I wanted to ask where the little beehive candle came from? It’s adorable. Thank you Ginny!
Ginny says
Thank you, Melissa! We made the candle using a mold from Mann Lake. 🙂
Shannon Dennis says
Nice to know I share the same couch standards with you. Honestly, it makes me feel like I’m creative and not eccentric, which isn’t a bad thing either, unless it comes to couches, then creative is better.
I’m so sorry about sweet Mabel, and sweet hearted Job, our home has been there a hundred times; everyone is losing it at the same time and it’s all I can do not to lose it myself. We had a glue fix on our RubyRose about two years ago. Definitely better than stitches.
All my best to everyone there.
ASHLEE TOTT says
Have you tried family puzzles with the little ones? We do them all the time and are our favorite. They have 3 sizes of pieces to little ones do the big piece side of the puzzle while older kids/adults do the small!! I would highly recommend!!
Carolyn Svell says
Loved catching up with your blog, and as always, your photography is a delight. I’m so sorry for your losses, and so glad to hear that career wise, things worked out for Johnny as you’d hoped. I know that from afar, life as pictured seems idyllic, but as you write, it’s full and exhausting and as a homeschool family not too many years behind you, I feel it filling more and more- but hopefully with the right kind of things.
Eva says
Love you couch! And the mushrooms! And the knitting! Lovely post as always, Ginny. Thanks for sharing.
Eva says
*your couch*
Barbara says
Beautiful hat Beatrix. Glad Mabel is alright and on the mend. I’m also glad she forgave her brother ?
Mae says
I have to admit, I, too, am a jigsaw puzzle junkie and Charles Wysocki is also my favorite. I am on a small fixed income and live in a tiny apartment so I try to not go over 550 pieces as i can’t tie up my table too long. I also can’t afford to feed my puzzle habit except from the thrift store so my choices are very limited and occasionally they are missing pieces but I make the best of it. I’m so glad Mabel’s injury is minor.
Anna says
That couch makes my day. Gonna have to do that to the holes in mine…
Sue A. says
Glad everything worked out well. Although, I must say I was laughing out loud reading your post. I particularly like Your description of your couch. From someone who tries not to throw anything away anymore, I really appreciate your tenacity. And, I think you have finally pushed me over the edge in the puzzle department. I am heading to the thrift store tomorrow. They have many. Probably not as pretty, but who knows….
Becky says
Life is grand isn’t it!
Pam says
Thankful your Mabel is going to be fine. Tell Beatrix she did a great job knitting her hat! I’m a 500 piece puzzle lover (mainly Springbok jigsaws), however, several years ago I discovered Charles Wysocki 300 large piece puzzles and couldn’t resist the gorgeous pictures……I now have 42 and rework periodically. I do hope you keep sharing pictures of your worked puzzles.
Marilyn says
Hi Ginny, Nice to hear from you. Happy that Mabel is fine. Glad that Mabel has forgiven Job and they are friends again. Beatrix, congratulations on a nice hat that you made.
Marilyn
Kate says
What do you do with all your puzzles when they are completed? I’m not really a puzzle person, but you’re making them very appealing. Legos are hard enough to keep in order.
Ever so often my two oldest kids have an exchange about their childhood that goes like this: “You hit me on the head with a croquet ball.” “Well, that’s because you hit me on the head with a hammer.” Over two decades later no one has resolved whether these were accidents or intentional. I think the ambiguity is a bonding experience for them.
Ginny says
I take a photo, and then we immediately take it apart and put the pieces back in the box. I have a shelf in a basement closet that is filling up. Puzzles that I think my kids will want to do again in the near future go in a cabinet in our living room. And-legos are currently banned at our house. Puzzles are much tidier.
Joan says
Interesting post. Mabel I am happy that you are alright.
Joan
Marion says
Happy to hear from you Ginny. So glad that Mabel is okay. Poor Job. Beatrix did a great job with the hat. Congratulations Beatrix on a very nice hat.
Marion
Shari says
The hat Beatriz made is lovely. Are you able to share the source for the pattern?
Pamela Hans says
So scared about Mabel at first but thank goodness she is one tough lady. You are certainly an inspiration for me! You manage so many things in one day. You’re a great Mom and that’s the most important job. Thanks for giving us a peek into your busy life. All the best to Mabel and Job – hopefully their healed and back to loving each other.
Kris S. says
Ahh, the head injuries; they do bleed profusely, don’t they? Of my four kids, only the youngest made it past 4 years old without having stitches somewhere on her head. There was the falling just right face first onto the corner of the (wooden) toy box (that my grandfather made for me when I was tiny), the standing on the couch backwards and slipping off the edge and landing on the corner of the coffee table with his upper cheek bone–very near the eye, the flipping head first out of the grocery cart (oh so embarrassing for mom) after being told not to stand on the seat. . .
Followed by, at later ages, getting smacked in the head with the snap on the dog’s tie out (he was warned not to swing the tie out around but seven year old boys know more than their mothers. . .), and the slipping and falling while exploring a cave on vacation.
The joys of raising active children!
Pamela Wandel says
Ginny, I am not sure if I have ever left a comment before on any of your posts. But never the less, I look forward to each and every new one in my email notifications. You are a delightful writer and talented photographer, loving mama and wife. Been following you for many years.
Mabels boo boo brings back memories of my youngest daughter when she was in grade school (homeschooled and soon to be 36) incident with one of her older brothers. She got in the line of sight of a sling shot with a small rock. Rock hit her just above the eye in the eyebrow area near the top of the nose. No stitches but butterflied. Lots of screaming, tears and blood!!! So thankful her eye wasn’t hit…. God’s grace of protection.
Wendy says
You live a life of high drama–thanks for sharing it with us ?. Glad Mabel and the boys have recovered. Those mushrooms are gorgeous!
Rene Abner Klein says
I’m so relieved Mabel’s alright! The boys as well 🙂 … and thank you, your post describing the trauma in your clever, humorous way alongside mending the hole(s) in your couch was exactly the salve my soul needed today!! Pure enjoyment when getting a glimpse into the life of your sweet family <3.
Dawn Harris says
My 8 year old just received a similar injury from his 7 year old brother – though in our case it was a stick not a rock. His wound did require stitches which made little brother appropriately remorseful and everyone got a soda (a rare treat for us) on the way home from the clinic. Yet another story to bond us all together though I like the less traumatic ones better. Thanks for another post! Rambling ones are just as welcome as any you write – love them all!
Norma says
Awww poor Mabel! My daughter too had a brother incident when she was 3.
A real child size golf club to her eyebrow same as Mabel. Just as the words “Watch out for your sister “ came out of my mouth there was already contact!
SO much blood! My husband was on a bike ride with our neighbour…
He returned and we made our way the the urgent care. She asked for a donut if she was brave! Boston cream, her favourite. Thank goodness for freezing gel!
All said and done we were back home in a couple hours with chocolate covered cheeks! It is a story my kids still bring up every once in a while. She is now 21.
Emily DeArdo says
Oh, poor Mabel! I’m so glad they could just glue her up!!