Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Jenny's - Our fall tradition

Its the quintessential just have to do it or it is not the perfect fall if you don't make a visit to the farmstand. We discovered Jenny's atleast 4 or 5 years ago now and have been going ever since.This year we managed to sneak our visit in before the end of September which I was thrilled about, right after Max's 2nd shutout soccer game. The weather here this fall has been rather perfect and it feels like we are getting a rather long stretch of cool crisp days.

Jenny's is located in quaint little Dexter Michigan and right in the Y of 2
country roads and is a picturesque sprawling farm stand dominated by a mountainous straw maize that the kids love to crawl thru. Its pitch black in the tunnels and kids of all ages love the squealing fun of bumping in to each other in the tunnels and ending up at the various exits around the bottom of the massive mound. Such fun!

Probably our best memory came though a few years ago when we decided to ride the horse drawn wagon and as the horses began to trot
up the hill my husband and oldest son almost slid right off the back end of the wagon. Not sure how I did it but managed to grab hold of them with the yougest on my lap and prevent them from landing on the muddy hillside. The kids tell the story to anyone who will listen of how they almost fell off the wagon and we splashed thru the puddles and trotted so fast down the hills we were sure we would be bounced right out of the hay wagon. We were all in histerics by the end of the ride and its one that will probably never be topped! 

I just love how beautiful the mums and apples, pumpkins and gourds mixed in with the tastiest donuts, jams, pies and cider all are eye candy. I managed to snap a few pictures before my camera battery failed as usually happens when I want to take pictures. How I always manage to leave the lense cover open or
forget to check and see if its charged I don't know but I'm really good at it!

This place is so New England, we even have to pass under an old stone railroad track which remind me of all the stone walls that ramble along the paved cowpaths I learned to drive on in Massachusetts. I so miss New England but love the little pockets of it I find here and there in Michigan.
    
I wish I had put in some mums along my front walk this spring or atleast some annuals so it would be lush and full out there like the flowers at Jenny's but the flower thing didn't happen here in our yard, unless it was the hardy perennials out back, for the 1st time this year. I did manage to buy 1 large mum for an empty pot out front but it sits alone compared to these lovely plantings at Jenny's.
Ofcourse I don't have the stone surrounded pond or farmland rolling away from my front yard or a sweetly painted wagon either. There's something for everyone at Jenny's because as much as I love, the quaint, the boys love the giant staw monster that towers over one of the entrances. We've been to the orchards with the rides and the scary haunted houses and all the hullaballoo and I just love the simple country elegance not to mention the free fun at Jenny's.

What do you all do for fall traiditions with your family's? I think its my favorite time of year for weather and decorating around the house. Next on my to do list is the slightly dreaded fall closet switheroo. It seems an endless swapping out process with 6 people in the house and the limited space, but it must be done. Hope yours is a happy and healthy fall!
                                              







Monday, September 13, 2010

Back to School

Well the kids are into their second week of school now and I still am not believing I am now a mother of a High schooler, Middle schooler, and 2 elementary schoolers. The amount of paperwork is staggering from the 4 of them and I know before long I will be buried, but for now I think I am on top of everything. Being responsible is my goal this year for all of them. Not just to lessen my stress load but to help them be in charge of their own lives as much is appropriate for each age. The blame game is popular with my 7 and 11 year old boys and I wish for them to learn more of what the consequences are when they aren't on top of or even just committed to their own responsibilities. (If they only knew how hard it is to sit back and let them fail in order to learn being responsible for their own work, Sigh.)
Here's to a wonderfully educational and fulfilling year at school for all! And lots of Studio time for me!