sunday round up

the camellias are blooming



our neighbor horse (nickname: sparky) was moved to the closest pasture along our road. we like this because it is almost as if we have a horse pet. the grass is so good in that pasture that he ignored me when i came by with a bag full of apple slices .



autumn. yes autumn. i love it. yet it is so bittersweet.



yesterday i went to a nice baby shower. great food, friendly people, and an awesome mama to be.



also yesterday, tristan had his first meal of solid food. he has recently attempted to intercept our food and drink before it reaches our mouths. that, combined with the looks of extreme longing and envy he gives us when we eat, convinced me it was time to give him some tastes. i mooshed up a wee bit of banana and mixed a little breastmilk in. i think he was pleased, what do you think?



today i am feeling a little blue. i'm not sure why. could it be the seasonal change? talks of escalating war in afghanistan? too much flu, too many ticks? sadness for those who have lost babies? fatigue? the weekend concluding too soon? miserable dreams? my own babies growing too fast?

i can't quite pin point it. thus, i will bake. when feeling sad, make a coffee cake i say. onward. . .

signs of the season

perhaps the first sign would be the blues i've been experiencing lately. as much as i love autumn, the growing darkness is not just external.

on our walk the other day, signs of the season were bountiful. walks in nature are a great way to let the light in, even if overcast.

i thought i'd share some photos. . .

free form friday: in which i welcome the fall

aaaautumn. it is whispering its way through the forest and into our home.



i feel it slipping through unsealed windows. i see it in the leaves beginning to change. i feel it like a cold hand, a warm shawl, murmurs from the grave, alchemical shifts in the fire.



it is a time of harvest stew, mugs of hearty drink and fresh baked delights.



my late august birthday is a personal shift in season. our wedding anniversary falls around equinox. it is time to face the years' renewal and to remind oneself of commitments.



there are so many things i love about autumn. it is sensory in such a different way than other seasons. spring is aural, summer is flesh. but autumn is wrapped up in the threads of memory, the urge to follow one's quest, the necessity of survival. it heightens the urge to work with yarn & fabric, pen & papyrus, a large pile of unread texts. and so i toast a steaming mug to autumn, pull my hat over my ears and hold my babies close. because the lasting warmth is that which we find in each other.

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.

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!

rare visitor

aunt sue is here, doting on her niece & nephew. we had a picnic in the blue ridge yesterday, enjoying another sunday of bluegrass at humpback rocks.

daily visitors

some shots from our yard. . .

feeling august

happy lughnasadh weekend to all!

it is sunday, so why not post about last sunday?

last sunday we had a picnic under the ancient oak tree. most people that live around here have seen it at one time or another. it is on earlysville road, near an old chapel, just before the airport. we drive past it every day.

sitting under the oak one experiences a remarkable mix of old and new worlds. cars pass swiftly on road below, airplanes roar as they ascend from nearby runway, electrical towers loom close by. yet under big gnarled branches of steadfast tree, one has a sense that faeries are dangling their legs, watching with bemused expressions. there is a stunning view of the blue ridge. wind conducts a symphony of leaves. grasses in surrounding meadow rattle and bend. a variety of colorful bugs and small birds visit. it is a truly lovely spot for a picnic.

weekend ingredients

another pair of hand sewn trousers, based on amanda soule's instructions in the creative family. the vintage pajama shirt was given to me long ago by a roommate, and i decided it was time to transform it.



tristan, in his usual good natured manner, approved.



flowers, butterflies, horses. there was a neighborhood walk to visit our horsefriend. and there was a drive through the deep jungles of nelson county in order to pick up tashi from a friend's rustic homestead.









and pizza at dr. ho's humble pie. mmmm.



hope your weekend was full of good ingredients.

oh deer

tristan and i went on a twilight walk the other evening. there was a deer in the wood and i snapped a photo of her.



i thought i'd try the flash, as dusk was setting in and it seemed my photos were turning out a bit blurry. below is the silly result.

rose petal jam, monsoon, and insomnia

i had every opportunity to be well rested today. but after waking at 4:30am to nurse the baby, i couldn't get back to sleep. what does a mom do? wash her hair of course! then tinker around the house a bit. try to go back to sleep. fail. waste time on facebook. eat some toast with delicious rose petal jam. drink chai. try to go back to sleep. fail. upload photos. make a blog entry.

well, hello.

it's been rather monsoon like around here lately: seriously humid with spells of torrential rain. i'm quite enjoying it, though it makes taking a walk outdoors very challenging. it's either oppressively hot or there is thunder rumbling down the road.





the big fun around here: tristan's smiles. it's hard to capture a photo that is not blurry, because he is always moving while he's smiling and i hate to zap him with the flash.





last weekend we visited humpback rocks for their sunday bluegrass series. humpback rocks is an old homestead in the blue ridge with a view of a granite outcropping in the mountain. it was good fun.









this weekend tashi gets to go to virginia beach with a friend (i already miss her), while the three of us remain landlocked at home. we will probably take advantage of some local weekend events: the festival of the photograph, fridays after five, the farmer's market and perhaps another drive in the blue ridge. along with all the little chores around the house, of course. if you have many chores to accomplish over the weekend, don't forget to take a breather and have some fun in between!