Katherine Nicolai

when the walls got to their third or fourth layer of blocks, we realized we'd forgotten to leave a space for a door and had fun kicking one out. Also, a ceiling stymied us. And as we started to make plans to swipe tarps from our sheds and basement, we got hungry and all trudged to the nearest of our houses to be fed soup and sandwiches while our snow pants dripped dry by the back door.

Overnight, the snow turned to rain. And by morning, our ice palace was a lake with a few small square icebergs floating in it. I'm sure we hadn't just given up we changed tactics again. After all, what's better on a rainy day than a blanket fort? I'm sure we'd regrouped in someone's basement or living room and stacked couch cushions

Overnight, the snow turned to rain. And by morning, our ice palace was a lake with a few small square icebergs floating in it. I'm sure we hadn't just given up we changed tactics again. After all, what's better on a rainy day than a blanket fort? I'm sure we'd regrouped in someone's basement or living room and stacked couch cushions

Overnight, the snow turned to rain. And by morning, our ice palace was a lake with a few small square icebergs floating in it. I'm sure we hadn't just given up we changed tactics again. After all, what's better on a rainy day than a blanket fort? I'm sure we'd regrouped in someone's basement or living room and stacked couch cushions

and bed pillows into a frame and draped blankets and coverlets over the whole thing. We'd probably had enough room to set out a board game and huddle around it to roll the dice. and mark down on the tiny pads of paper. If we thought it had been Professor Plum in the conservatory with a lead pipe, or Mrs. Peacock in the billiard room with the candlestick,

and bed pillows into a frame and draped blankets and coverlets over the whole thing. We'd probably had enough room to set out a board game and huddle around it to roll the dice. and mark down on the tiny pads of paper. If we thought it had been Professor Plum in the conservatory with a lead pipe, or Mrs. Peacock in the billiard room with the candlestick,

and bed pillows into a frame and draped blankets and coverlets over the whole thing. We'd probably had enough room to set out a board game and huddle around it to roll the dice. and mark down on the tiny pads of paper. If we thought it had been Professor Plum in the conservatory with a lead pipe, or Mrs. Peacock in the billiard room with the candlestick,

Years later, when I was a teenager in the last year of high school, I'd been on a hike through the woods in the back acres of my grandparents' farm and found a tree with flat wooden rungs nailed into the trunk like a ladder. I'd looked up and seen a little house, a platform balancing on a broad branch with a few walls of mismatched lumber nailed together and a small square window cut out.

Years later, when I was a teenager in the last year of high school, I'd been on a hike through the woods in the back acres of my grandparents' farm and found a tree with flat wooden rungs nailed into the trunk like a ladder. I'd looked up and seen a little house, a platform balancing on a broad branch with a few walls of mismatched lumber nailed together and a small square window cut out.

Years later, when I was a teenager in the last year of high school, I'd been on a hike through the woods in the back acres of my grandparents' farm and found a tree with flat wooden rungs nailed into the trunk like a ladder. I'd looked up and seen a little house, a platform balancing on a broad branch with a few walls of mismatched lumber nailed together and a small square window cut out.

The wood was bleached by the sun. And when I reached up to test the strength of one of the rungs, it came apart in my hand. So treehouses were real. Someone had made this one. and played here. And though I couldn't climb up to see it myself, I bet there was in a corner under a pile of dried old leaves a toy or a book or a box of treasures.

The wood was bleached by the sun. And when I reached up to test the strength of one of the rungs, it came apart in my hand. So treehouses were real. Someone had made this one. and played here. And though I couldn't climb up to see it myself, I bet there was in a corner under a pile of dried old leaves a toy or a book or a box of treasures.

The wood was bleached by the sun. And when I reached up to test the strength of one of the rungs, it came apart in my hand. So treehouses were real. Someone had made this one. and played here. And though I couldn't climb up to see it myself, I bet there was in a corner under a pile of dried old leaves a toy or a book or a box of treasures.

Even now, I'm still looking for those little places to tuck into. Maybe less a clubhouse and more a nest. Today was a day like the one that had turned our ice house into slush. rain coming down over the crunchy drifts of snow that were slowly shrinking. Water ran off the roof, drumming in the gutters and rushing in rivulets down the sidewalk and into the storm drains.

Even now, I'm still looking for those little places to tuck into. Maybe less a clubhouse and more a nest. Today was a day like the one that had turned our ice house into slush. rain coming down over the crunchy drifts of snow that were slowly shrinking. Water ran off the roof, drumming in the gutters and rushing in rivulets down the sidewalk and into the storm drains.

Even now, I'm still looking for those little places to tuck into. Maybe less a clubhouse and more a nest. Today was a day like the one that had turned our ice house into slush. rain coming down over the crunchy drifts of snow that were slowly shrinking. Water ran off the roof, drumming in the gutters and rushing in rivulets down the sidewalk and into the storm drains.

I'd wanted to get out for a walk, but it would be a chilly, muddy mess. And so I'd reframed my thoughts a bit. If I couldn't go out, could I make staying in even more tempting? Was I too old to make a pillow for it? It turned out I was not. I chuckled to myself as I took the cushions off the couch and spread a tartan blanket over the living room rug.

I'd wanted to get out for a walk, but it would be a chilly, muddy mess. And so I'd reframed my thoughts a bit. If I couldn't go out, could I make staying in even more tempting? Was I too old to make a pillow for it? It turned out I was not. I chuckled to myself as I took the cushions off the couch and spread a tartan blanket over the living room rug.

I'd wanted to get out for a walk, but it would be a chilly, muddy mess. And so I'd reframed my thoughts a bit. If I couldn't go out, could I make staying in even more tempting? Was I too old to make a pillow for it? It turned out I was not. I chuckled to myself as I took the cushions off the couch and spread a tartan blanket over the living room rug.

It took a few tries and I had fun along the way. But soon I had a little structure with cushions as walls. I got creative and wedged a broom between two chairs. so it stood upright. Through the hole at the end of the broomstick, I threaded a strand of dental floss, which is sturdy stuff, by the way. When you need to hang something heavy, get thee to the medicine cabinet.