IX Art Park

Yesterday we wandered through the IX Art Park for the first time. It's a great use of a previously idle space. Open to anyone, quirky, creative, positive, kid-friendly, and full of potential. I look forward to it's continued evolution. Fleaville was also in progress, a really cool artisan/antique fair. I wish I would have taken some photos of the wares on display, but the sun was intense and we eventually found ourselves retreating to dan's nearby office.

Things like this make me so pleased with Charlottesville. For a town of its size, it has a lot going on, and a really great art vibe. Not to mention the beauty of the mountains and the surrounding rural communities. It really is a sweet spot!

I have a few more photos in my Flickr Set.

potatoes, photography, and papa

the weekend started on friday with a playgroup potato harvest. i made a fine batch of homefries and a table serving of mashed potatoes from our small but impressive haul. friday evening brought a lovely night on the lively downtown mall, among look3 festival goers.

tristan and i had a lot of fun checking out "the short happy life of the serengeti lion," a photography/video exhibit by michael nick nichols at the haven. tristan was very excited to check out more exhibits afterwards, but none measured up to the bigger than life images of lions in action.

we also discovered that tristan has a lot more fun going from place to place downtown if he can do it on his balance bike. here he's collecting a little reading material.

if friday was a good opening to the weekend, sunday was an equally good closing, with a very special papa in house. i made a big breakfast and tristan and i handed out some books, a print, and some dark chocolate.

in the afternoon we went to pollak vineyards where we checked out irish music 
by king golden banshee, had a small picnic, and a refreshing bottle of white wine.

it is very pretty there.

it was the kind of weekend that makes me feel so incredibly proud of 
where i live and who i live with!

local inspiration: the urban garden

we often entertain the idea of moving into town. we are about a 15 mile drive into the county, not bad really, but all those winding 30 minute drives to and from town do add up. dan and i both work in town. tashi and tristan both go to school in town. most of my doula clients live in town and birth at the hospitals there. and then there are all the conveniences of town: that you can walk & bike places, that there are parks and pools and farmer's markets and shops and music venues. 

but the flip side is that we have lots of space where we are. we have woods to explore and a creek to wade in. we have vast gardening potential. we have herds of deer, beautiful birds, and the occasional bear. if there is not complete silence, there is birdsong and the sound of trees dancing in the wind (and lately, thousands of cicadas). tristan can ride his bike up and down the driveway and tashi and i can hang out in our peaceful cedar grove where we do tarot readings, talk about herbs, and observe the seasonal changes. the starry nights are bright and healing. we have a very direct connection with the natural world, which is probably the most valued feature. the land we live on, wild and unkempt though it is,  remains a refuge and a creative work in progress.

visiting some friends in town recently, i was so inspired by their gorgeous urban garden. it was a great reminder of the natural connection you can nurture, no matter where you are. their yard features a large vegetable bed, a chicken coop, and beautiful flower patches throughout. there are blueberry bushes, peonies, roses,  fruit trees, and mounds of potato patches. every space is put to good use. there is whimsy and charm and the most amazing handmade playhouse. the fence is also handmade, and has hearts and moons carved in its gates. it is a truly magical natural space. i wish i had taken so many more photos, but here is a glimpse of what can happen in the heart of town, on a very busy street corner!

and the most beautiful flower of them all, their four year old daughter, 

on the gorgeous bench her papa made with his own hands.