leaf turning

the blog posts have become so few and far between. 

i find that amidst processing photos and trying to come up with the right words, i sometimes spend several hours pouring over a single entry. those are hours i simply don’t have any more.

this blog has been a place to share my domestic world and my community. crafts with children. light filled corners of my home. baked goods fresh out of the oven. thrifting finds. play dates. travels and travails. the seasons. thoughts on the peacefulness, and sometimes the struggles, of a family life. 

but those long daunting and delicious days of parenting have diminished as my five year old boy comes home five days a week tired and titillated by kindergarten, and my sixteen year old girl curls up on the couch with her head deep in text books & online assignments & formulas & figures.

my job fulfills some of my creative inclinations. as product photographer i am learning things about light and settings and photoshop i've never had opportunity (or real interest) in prior. as social media coordinator i find myself stimulated by engaging content having to do with art, animals, conversation, and reuse. there is repeated opportunity to turn a phrase and bring my writing skills to the page. and if i am going to learn about marketing at least it is through an original and awesome product designed by artists. 

my doula work is something that keeps my heart open, involves me in the most nourishing aspects of life, and keeps my hands on the true pulse of creation. i am so grateful for and honored by each experience that comes my way in the realm of childbirth and healing work.

but how to make this blog an active creative outlet again? how to do it so it remains thoughtful and honest when days are so filled to the brim? perhaps some of what i have mentioned will work itself into themes, brief though the content may be. 

kids on two opposite ends of the school spectrum. a new career unfolding. continued healing and birth work. a secret reading series. trying to find peaceful moments in the tumult of activity. 

as the leaves  begin to change and the acorns knock, 

may a fresh perspective and tune ring out from these pages!

(all the photos but for the family photo were  conveniently taken with my phone!)

work wednesday

::before::


::during::


::after::

work wednesday

::before::


::during::


::after::

work wednesday

it's back to the routine. . .

::before::

the enduring mounds of icy, dirty, snow continue to make travel slightly tricky

::during::

he doesn't do a lot of this while in my workplace, but a little is better than none at all

::after::

reboot. it's not like the work ends when i leave my office.

work wednesday (the day after)

::before::



dark winter mornings. . .

::during::


does bringing my baby to work mean he'll become addicted to coffee?

::after::

a window, on the way out. . .

work wednesday

::before::


dropping tashi off at school

::during::


a phat burrito for lunch

::after::

in the pick up line at tashi's school, watching the rain fall

work wednesday

it wasn't a typical work wednesday, but one that involved preparations for the grateful feast.

::before::







::during::







::after::

work wednesday

::before::



::during::



::after::



visit my flickr set for more work wednesday shots.

wet work wednesday

::before::

it rained

::during::

it rained and rained

::after::

it rained and rained and rained

::before::

i had a smoothie

::during::

i had a burrito

::after::

i had a brownie

::before::

it was dark

::during::

it was dark

::after::

it was dark

::before::

tristan slept

::during::

tristan didn't sleep

::after::

tristan still didn't sleep

::before::

dan drove me to work

::during::

the car sat in the parking garage

::after::

while waiting in the pick up line at tashi's school, i turned off the engine and pulled up the emergency brake. tristan was unhappy so i joined him in the back seat. and then the car started rolling. i jumped out to try and stop it, but it hit the car in front of me before i could do anything. luckily, there was no damage, injury or anger, just surprise.

::before::

i felt optimistic

::during::

i felt distressed

::after::

i felt gloomy

i have no photos from work wednesday, but because this brings me light on a day that is dark and slippery, i thought i'd share a piece tashi made from oil pastels.

work wednesday

no before or after photos today. just during, during and during.

work wednesday

every wednesday after work i pick up tashi and her pal rachel from school. sometimes we go to the thrift store. or a cafe. or straight to rachel's house. but yesterday we went to the library. and then we had: cupcakes! i didn't manage to take any before or during pictures on work wednesday. but here is what we did after.

work wednesday

::before::


::during::

(tristan wasn't very happy hanging out on his lambswool while i clacked away at the computer. until i took all his clothes off. he's one content nuddie!)

::after::

work wednesday (a little late)

:: before::


(well, what i see as i enter my office: a piece tashi made when she was in 2nd grade)

::during::



::after::


(we hung out at rachel's house until her mom came home from work)

work wednesday

oh oh. i forgot my camera. so the before, during and after posts will have to be verbal this week. to give you an idea what my work wednesdays are like. hmmmmm, i guess i can use some extra photos from last week!

:: before ::

rise at 6:30am with the baby. nurse. pull on clothes and brush teeth while dan burps the baby. change the baby's diaper & damp clothing. make tashi's lunch while dan holds the baby. nurse. eat pbj on toast. change diaper again. drive to work with baby while listening to wtju, wnrn or 106.1 the corner. spend far too long looking for parking while the baby starts to whimper. walk half a mile once parking is found, wearing baby and carrying two big bags. observe the buildings, the trees, the students, the trash, the gardens, the businesses. kiss my baby's head. crave chai, but skip it.



:: during ::

put tristan in the bouncy seat while i turn on computer, get his sleeping area set up, fill my cup with water and wolf down a banana. nurse while checking email. change diaper. put tristan down on the lambswool for a nap. work like crazy while he naps. hope that he naps for three hours. if he doesn't, live with it. if he doesn't, bounce him on my knee, nurse, sway, kiss his cheeks -- while working all the while. sit on the floor with him if stuffing envelopes or reading documents. change diaper. bring him wide awake to a meeting but it's ok because he does nothing but smile. nurse some more. put him in the sling so that he falls asleep again. work. eat lunch. work. distract him when he wakes up again so i can continue to work. hand him off to eager arms. work. glance at facebook. work. prepare for departure as it's time to pick tashi up from school.



:: after ::

walk back to the car with lighter bags because lunch has been consumed and diapers have been used. observe the buildings, the trees, the students, the trash, the gardens, the businesses. sense tristan drifting into another nap. drive to tashi's school and hang out in pick up line way too long while baby gets restless and starts to whine. tashi jumps into car and makes both tristan and i smile. run errands, hang out at a cafe, visit a thrift store or drive straight home. if lucky, follow horses.