Sunday, August 30, 2009

sunday round up

while we have not reached autumn equinox, the beginning of tashi's school year tends to mark the end of summer. this year tashi's first day of school is august 31, my very own birthday. so it seemed appropriate to have an end of summer celebration this past weekend.

it was tristan's first party in his very own home. he had ever so many fans.



and there were music jams of the best kind. our house was blessed with the amazing sound of an indian sitar.



tashi said her goodbye to a dear friend who is moving.



and aside from the gazpacho, guacamole, beer, sangria, lemon rice, potato salad, pesto pasta, peach cobbler and etc, there was watermelon.



a perfect ending. and beginning. cheers!

suitcase poem XIX



tug the essence. single stitch nudged. keen acknowledgment. soul rearranges molecules. flesh by flesh she explores the deeping tale. aromatic drift rustles oatstraw. beyond the particulars, conclusion is embroidered. she trots toward opening thread. texture makes no uncertain announcement. tapestry is discovered where cloth she nuzzled. a quickening breeze ripples linen across line.

Friday, August 28, 2009

thing thursday


the hammock's the thing, finally hung at summer's end! it got some serious wear at our last residence, but is still strong. a new place for tristan to sway and tree gaze.




Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Monday, August 24, 2009

monday round up



my daily themes are a little boggled here as we had an internet free weekend camping in the shenandoah national park.



in the end it was a lovely weekend, though there were a few challenges along the way.



first there was the rain. friday brought some on and off torrents of rain, while our saturday was largely spent in our friends' vw vanagon as a relentless downfall showered the afternoon away.





as far as challenges go, rain is a positive force. we had no choice but to relax, play games, converse, drink a couple of beers, nap, draw, read and listen to the tink tink of water play upon all surfaces. there were certainly moments of longing; the view of the blue ridge from our campsite was breathtaking and completely shrouded in fog. but when the rain finally ceased around 4pm and the clouds lifted, all life was a sparkling wonder.











the negative challenge that befell us involved a group of clueless, rude and ignorant guys (and one girl) who arrived in the campsite next to ours around midnight friday. i awoke to the sound of their hatchet relentlessly chopping for the next three hours. mixed in with the chopping was a lot of cursing and the sound of some sort of weapon. i was paralyzed by fear, as were -- i learned the following morning -- the other campers around us. our friend, who hadn't heard the gun sounds, climbed out of his vanagon and told them off around 2:30am. they grumbled that they were going to sleep and shortly after that a huge downpour snuffed out their party for good.



we were so looking forward to revenge the next morning, as well as having them evicted. but they left by 6:30am. when we looked at the reserve tag on their campsite, we learned they were squatters, as the folks who actually reserved the site were not due to arrive until later that day. we also learned that the gun had been a paint ball gun, leaving green pellets and splashes of paint on the ground and the trees. there were wood chips all over; they had chopped bits off of the trees surrounding the site. and if that wasn't enough, they downed a whole tree further in the woods. suffice it to say, the ranger was furious. so we had a little crime scene investigation unfolding next to us all saturday morning.



i'm not sure what would possess a people to come into a major campground in a national park and do that sort of thing. but what is really disappointing is that they got away with it.





of course, the event will make our camping excursion particularly memorable, for better or worse.

but ** nothing ** can beat

* chili and bratwurst and eggs and bagles and coffee and chai cooked or warmed on a fire
* three young bucks grazing so close that we could practically reach out and pat them
* tashi and her best friend skipping around arm in arm and building fairy houses
* tristan's absolute wonder with the trees, the tent, the van and the sky
* the golden post storm sun and moon set
* the incredibly bright stars on saturday night
* orion on the eastern horizon
* a few meteorites
* the changing face of the blue ridge throughout the weekend
* and an invitation to our friends to become tristan's god parents













now that the wee bairn is properly initiated into the wonders of sleeping outside all weekend, we will surely do it again.



and again. and again.

but hopefully never again to the sound of paint ball guns and after hours hatchets.

Friday, August 21, 2009

free form friday





not camping yet, just a typical early morning scene in our yard. wishing you all a wonderful weekend with a scene or two that fills your heart!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

thing thursday: a camping we will go



as dan grinds coffee beans soon to be percolated on the campstove, i'm taking a break from packing everything from canned beans to diaper wipes, flash lights to board books.

preparing for camping can take as long as the camping excursion itself, but once you're lying on a blanket in the blue ridge, you find that the hub bub was well worth the effort.

there is nothing like being outside all weekend long.

when ever tristan is having a fussy moment at home, all i have to do is step outside. he calms, cranes his neck to look at the trees, and whoops a little. i think our wee lad is going to love camping.

to add to the fun, we're camping with friends. tashi gets to sleep in a tent with a her pal, while the parents sip adult beverages around a camp fire.

things, yes, things. camping things. lanterns. cookware. sleeping bags. tents. canned goods. produce. dry goods. ice. diapers. books. socks. sleepwear. rope. plant guides. binoculars.

and off we go. . .

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

work wednesday

i forgot the camera at work this afternoon! so i will have to share some photos form last week. i knew the extras would come in handy. . .

::before::

::during::

::after::

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

self portrait: tuesday



this afternoon i used some dark belgian ale in a marinade and proceeded to finish off the beer in a goblet. the dress i've had for ages, a vintage find when i lived in san francisco. this photo was manipulated in picnik and i love how the tree is the focal point.

Monday, August 17, 2009

homemade monday



my brother -- danny -- who is visiting, asked if i could sew up some bibs for a friend of his who has a newborn. i said, "sure," and had him pick out some fabrics.

and so that is my small homemade accomplishment for today.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

sunday round up

it's been a busy week, but busy of the best variety. dan's sister visited in the beginning of the week, and my brother arrived at the end of the week. so there have been drives through the beautiful countryside, picnics whilst listening to live music, investigations of the downtown mall, forays into the university of virginia, giggles with tristan and games with tashi.

in the mean time, tristan has started to roll over, is just a couple ounces shy of seventeen pounds and has evidenced much interest in the ice cream cone. it will be quite a while before he gets to devour the sweet stuff, no matter how much his sister wants to give him a taste. oh, and we're pretty sure he can say, mom. but of course.

today we visited the new mudhouse in crozet, a light filled, airy and elegant coffeehouse that has been a long time coming to that community.









a camping trip is being planned for next weekend, so in between everything else, i will have to inventory our camping supplies and prepare for our first tent adventure with tristan. i am very much looking forward to a little weekend escape into the blue ridge.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

suitcase poem XVIII



scent of sunrise. clatter and clink of opening. mixed with sand. overlooking municipal market. taste of waking. day might provide. possibilities captured and released. single focus upon star. swallowing sky.

Friday, August 14, 2009

free form friday

today i removed all the blinds in our living room. every window in our house has metal blinds. they are embedded between double panes. they open and close but don't lift. with some urging from aunt sue, i found that they were easier to remove than i had thought. so the first to go were the ones in the living room. ahhhhh. it is so much better to have an unimpeded view of the green world. next is the kitchen.



also today, uncle danny arrived. we took him to fridays after five where we ate gazpacho and listened to brazilian music.