climbing out of the sinkhole into the cicada sun

a negative sinkhole was developing today with my four year old hurling a torrent of unsavory phrases at me. this is nothing new, and sometimes it can be quite a challenge to rise to the occasion and redirect things. but once i do manage to redirect things, his sweet heart usually opens, and there is no end to the hugs, enthusiasm, and terms of endearment.

snacks help, especially when served outside. there were a few of his favorite things: blueberries, mango, and goat cheese. and a few of my favorite things: goat cheese, garlic scape pesto, hummus, and olives. a loaf of french bread from the bread machine rounded it out. 

have you tried garlic scape pesto? some dear friends gave me a sack full of scapes from their garden recently, and i've been making batch after batch from the recipe at the bottom of this link. 

served with a refreshing glass of nettles infusion = wellness!

sometimes when there is a lot of negativity coming out of the small one, it is really difficult for me to want to play with him. i know that probably i just have to get over that, but some sort of craft or cooking project is often a good middle ground. 

today we made sun prints. we collected blossoms, leaves, cicada wings, stems, and toys! 

arrangements were made and sun prints were developed. and there was a much rejoicing. 

then dad came home and they set out for an adventure while i made dinner. phew!

all of our outdoor activity at home lately has unfolded before the cicada symphony. nothing like real life catches the height of volume these critters have reached the last few days. the buzz is amplified!

slipping into summer

it's been a topsy turvy time. schedules are altered, logistics are challenged, coughs still linger, and summer is approaching like a steam train. all the while cicadas are filling our forest with their siren song which is absolutely stunning in its volume.

i haven't much to share at the moment. trying to formulate my summer goals which include going through every room in the house with a fine toothed comb and purging stuff. i feel like we are at max capacity and there is just so much accumulation, in the garage, in the bathroom drawers, in the game closet, in the crawl spaces, in baskets, on the book shelves, in each room. tashi has been interested in switching bedrooms, and tristan recently requested his own room (his bed has been set up in ours), so the time has come for a big switch-a-roo. the question is how to find the time, and energy, to make it all happen.

speaking of topsy turvy, i baked this very fun rigatoni cake the other day. i snapped a couple of quick shots on our kitchen counter, and then carried it over to the table on a cutting board, remarking at what a wonder it was to behold, when it slid right off of the cutting board and onto the floor. luckily it remained mostly on the base of its springform pan, with only an edge touching the floor and the wall. it remained round-ish and there really was only one visible dust bunny clinging to it. it was delicious and odd; i highly recommend it (without the spill).

alive on earth

shots from this afternoon in the garden

i am my mother's daughter and my daughter's mother. . .

the best kind of mother's day is one where you've been granted the opportunity to sleep in,

only to awaken to the savory scents of a fully prepared breakfast. 

and what a breakfast it was! popovers & jam, prepared by tashi. 

eggs, potatoes, sausage, coffee, juice. so much food that we skipped lunch.

 

and there were homemade cards!

with chocolate and gifts!

and flowers!

followed by an absolutely amazing talavya tabla performance. 
if these guys ever come your way, do yourselves a favor and check them out!

 

the performance also provided an opportunity to walk inside the new common ground healing arts center in the renovated jefferson school city center, a quite lovely building.

 

followed by a stroll on the mall where i indulged in one of my favorite activities, photo taking

it was a fine day, concluding with a dinner of the left over pastitsio i made saturday. 
and call the midwife. and a game of dan's vintage version of lord of the rings.

 i leave you with some images of my own gorgeous mother through the years. when i was a child, she was the most beautiful and most mysterious woman i had ever encountered. she lives far from me now, a distance which phone and skype really can't bridge. if we lived close, we probably would have shared in a picnic today, a favorite activity of hers. 

i love you mom, and hope that we have many picnics yet to come.  

thank you for making me the mother that i am today.

 

 

charlottesville blooms in spring

i am always really proud to show off charlottesville to visiting friends and family. 

we had the opportunity to do that yesterday. 

farmer's market day often guarantees a lively downtown scene. 

i was also recently gifted with a new zoom lens that i took these photos with.

the farmer's market often features great acoustic music

this area is home to some awesome producers of kombucha. nugget's and barefoot 

are two favorites. i love the stuff and would like to try making my own sometime.

the farmer's market is the best place to find free range, organic, grass fed meat.

dumplings are a new feature at the market. 

we tried some out and they were terrific.

family!

whisper hill is one of my favorite produce farms. i picked up some tomato plants 

yesterday and put them in the ground right away when we got home. i also scooped 

a bucket full of compost out of our bin which was really satisfying!

strawberries already!

steadfast is another one of my favorite farms, producers of organic grains, beans, and beef.

it's also owned by friends and there is nothing more satisfying than buying 

local, organic food produced by friends!

whimsy

beauty

another favorite, and very close to home

rest break!

and then off to the downtown pedestrian mall. . .

you never know who or what you'll see there!

there are some great views from the parking garage too!

charlottesville blooms in spring!