the day after

it's a quiet post christmas morning with over a dozen deer grazing outside. i think i hear tristan upstairs, awake with dan, doing his usual grouchy morning pleading. they will come down soon.


i am happy for this week between christmas and the new year, with dan at home, and no school related stress for tashi. it will be a nice week of spending time together, with no strict agenda, lots of food, and twinkling lights.


our solstice was quiet and well lit. our christmas was indeed merry. tashi and tristan were very happy with their fresh infusion of stuff. and we were happy to see them so happy. we had a wonderful feast in the late afternoon followed by a walk. and then i spent the rest of the evening fading in an and out of naps. the weeks prior to christmas contained way too many late nights and the time has now come to catch up on sleep!





while i can't say it was a handmade christmas by any means, there were a few things. tashi made tie dyes for dan, and i made one too. she also made me some sweet smelling soap designed with celtic knots.


i ran out of time to make tristan anything! so i pulled a bib from my holiday market stash that he'd told me a few days before was his favorite. and i gave him one of my blankets that has trains on it. it is a simple rectangular blanket with fleece backing.


for tashi i made a log cabin pillow. it is my first attempt at log cabin. i followed the instructions from patchwork style for everything but the back of the pillow. rather than a zipper i just made a tucked in enclosure. for that i followed amanda soule's instructions in handmade home. i didn't plan it ahead, just grabbed fabric scraps as i went. so it is not the most color coordinated piece, but i'm still quite pleased with how it turned out. the back is made from a soft blue chenille, same as the center patch on the pillow.



i have wandered away from my december challenge at moments. some nights have gone by without the sit ups and yoga. i have found myself crawling into bed at 2am and at that moment, remembering, yet refusing to pull myself back out of the bed! also, the three mile walk just didn't happen. something has got to be done about that! once a week for a walk simply should not be too much to ask. regardless, i felt the benefits of even a minimal exercise routine, and i plan to carry it on, with even stronger resolve as the busy-ness of this time fades. writing did happen, with great satisfaction. the back room has been transformed into an inhabitable, somewhat cozy, though busy, space. we have been spending much more time back there, using it as both a playroom and a computer space. and as for minimizing my time with technology, let's just say some days were better than others!

overall, i feel quite fortunate. and i am so very delighted by this cozy week we have in front of us.

wishing you all a wonderful time of rest and reflection before we embark on a new year, a year that is sure to hold much action, change, challenge and surprise!