Soak up the sun
affirm life's magic
be graceful in the wind
stand tall after a storm
feel refreshed after it rains
grow strong without notice
be prepared for each season
provide shelter to strangers
hang tough through a cold spell
emerge renewed at the first signs of spring
stay deeply rooted while reaching for the sky
be still long enough to hear your own leaves rustling.
Have a lovely weekend.
See you back here on Monday, if not sooner.
Because of my morning of misgivings, all I really wanted to do was sew. Just have a moment to push that pedal full throttle to the floor and create something. Anything...
My sidekick joined me in the sewing room. He and Bobby Acorn (his squirrel) drew pictures of rainbows and trees full of juicy red apples. While my budding artist was busy at work, I was making pants... finally.
Then the silence was broken, "Mama, I want to stuff something. Something with wool. I want to use this fabric. Bobby Acorn needs a pillow." Jasper's otherwise sweet voice sounded like the roar of a lion as I fell out of my meditative crafting state and back into reality.
When I hear the words "I want to make", it is my natural inclination to drop everything and facilitate the creating. Jasper chose all of his fabric from the scrap basket. He cut his own "patches" for the front of the pillow and stuffed it full of wool and love.
Bobby Acorn was overjoyed at the sight of his gift. After a cup of chamomile, he sunk his head deep into his fluffy pillow and quickly dozed off. We were sure that he was dreaming of rainbows and climbing trees full of juicy red apples.
As for the pants, there's always tomorrow...
A little "love in the mail" for our shell collecting friends in Ireland. I told myself that I would not post about these bags until they arrived at their new home, but honestly, I am so excited about them, I had to share.
The inspiration was a Kathy Kruse shell bag that Samantha received for her birthday (pictured at the bottom). As I opened the closet in Samantha and Jasper's room, the bag (full of walnuts and rocks) clocked me in the head. At that moment, I had an epiphany... "What a perfect gift and what fun they will be to make."
The fabric used was all from my stash. I did, however, have to visit the local hardware store for the screen material for the bottom of the bag. Oh, the look on the clerk's face when I told him what I was going to do with it; unforgettable... I'm thinking I should go back and show him as he was unsure I would be able to pull it off.
Here is our collection as of today. After Jasper saw the gnome bag, he requested one for his very own. Samantha is perfectly content with her birthday bag but has been eyeing the new fabric that just arrived from Superbuzzy. I'm sure more beachcomber bags will be in production soon.
This winter has been a season of soups. The coldness has brought many pots of carrot ginger, split pea, garden veggie and chicken with barley to our table. Today, we decided to delight our taste buds with a new recipe from the Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen cookbook. With so many delectable recipes to choose from, we settled on this Yellow Pea with Coconut Milk soup.
With the perfect music to set the mood, the children and I began preparing our meal. Jasper was in charge of spices. A little turmeric and cardamom sent our senses into overdrive and had us giggling with delight. Samantha helped chop the cilantro but quickly fled the kitchen as the onion rolled into sight.
The preparation brought such warmth to the house. The exotic smells and the anticipation of our meal had the children dancing and singing. On a couple of occasions, I was greeted with songs and gestures from Jasper's nursery class. How I love to get a glimpse of his school life.
The soup was poured and garnished just as John walked in the door. The children and I were excited to share our afternoon's creation with him. The conversation was light as we inhaled the food in front of us. That was until it happened.... First a scream, then a little blood and then a huge smile.
With Samantha's second bite of soup, her tooth fell out onto her spoon. She was so delighted that she turned to me and said, "Mama, we made magical soup. Soup that makes teeth fall out". We did indeed...
So, here it is. The pile that has been calling to me for a few days, "hey Lisa, remember us?". If the fabric is not reminding me that I really need to focus and start sewing, it is Jasper each day as he trots around in what I call his "knicker bockers". Is it possible for children to grow inches overnight? Well, today was my day to make pants. The fabric was washed, a new pattern was made and I had ideas flowing out of every crevice, but again, life took over.
It was the holiday that kept us within arms distance of each other today. It is not very often anymore where I have both children together at home all day during the school year. I truly cherish these moments and how they empower and connect us.
Rather than try to get my sewing done as the children played around me, I thought it would be so much more fun to get some fresh air and head to Multnomah Falls outside of Portland. We had never been to the Falls in the winter and were delighted to see a rather frozen world around us. Small mountain streams had turned into ice palaces, steep trails became slides (no kidding, people were actually sliding down the trails on their bottoms), and the bridge an ice skating rink.
Today, our goal was to get all three of us to the bridge with everyone carrying their own weight up the trail. Despite the conditions, we all manage to make it to the top. As we faced the waterfall, the fine mist tickled our noses and froze our cheeks. Samantha said that her mouth was so cold that it would be the perfect time to pull the tooth that is literally hanging by a thread.
Soon after we reached the bridge, the chill set in and we headed down the trail. We left the Falls with great pride, a warm steamer and one extra loose tooth still intact. Sammy thinks that tomorrow will be the day..... stay tuned.
Today was slow and sweet, giggly and lighthearted, warm and evolving.
