on deck

as summer approaches i have been spending a lot of time outside on the deck with this little guy. there is nothing that can cure a cranky morning better than time outside.

water. snack. toys. sun. shade. no clothing. we're good to go!


any day now we will get a real toddler pool and move the fun to the ground. but the deck is mostly free of ticks, sharp stones and tasty acorns. our yard is full of trees, moss, wild grasses and patches of bare earth -- a wild zone -- nothing close to a well groomed lawn. this can have mixed results for a wee fellow still on all fours. as soon as he starts walking (any moment we think), the yard will definitely be the place.

in general we prefer wooden toys and toys made of natural or recycled materials. but there are a few exceptions. the deck is a good place for plastic toys. i have a storage tub outside that i stash them all in for easy access. i also have a soft spot for older and vintage plastic toys. i found this cute set at a neighbor's yard sale.


tristan can fill the little tubs with twigs and stones and grass. he can spend minutes at a time occupying himself with the spinners and squeakers and shakers that are built into the bottom of the tubs. he can stack them. and knock them over, of course.

oh and, no batteries required!!

now & then

this weekend started off with a wonderful production of good masters! sweet ladies! by tashi's sixth grade class.

tashi played barbary the mud slinger, a feisty big sister of twins who threw a dung filled clod of dirt at the lord's daughter. it was amazing to hear her passionately deliver so many lines, including an impressive soliloquy on the plight of women in the middle ages.


tristan and another baby sibling in the class, taylor, played tashi's twin brothers. so very cute.

the sixth gradrs were fantastic. i think it is my favorite play in an impressive line of waldorf theaterics.






tashi's last week of school is upon us. summer is around the corner. we are trying to make things a little more friendly for tristan on the deck and on the ground, as he wants nothing more than to be outside all day long.

in between dramatic thunder storms, that is.

ye merry old days

what a busy bunch of days it's been. aside from parenting a couple of rather busy children, working my day job, making and marketing my wares, uncle tom arrived friday after six months in india. saturday we had a largely unsuccessful yard sale. and yesterday we spontaneously jumped up and drove to the small virginia renaissance faire in spotsyvania.

i love the photo ops at a ren faire. so many rich colors and characters.













what did you do on your three day weekend?

yay for yia yia

yia yia recently sent tristan a lovely sweater that she knit.


it came just in time for a cold, wet spell. while i love it that he gets to wear his new sweater, i really would rather it wasn't so cold right now.


watching these two warms me, however.




the little guy has figured out that his sister will laugh riotously if he tickles her.


he is in constant motion!


thanks yia yia, for keeping the babes warm and in style!

recent colorings

i hope everyone had a fabulous mother's day. unfortunately i came down with a nasty virus on the special day, and am still fighting it.

tristan tried his hand at coloring on mother's day. that was a special gift indeed.





tashi showered me with cards and hugs, while dan cooked the meals and gave me a very special bracelet. we did leave the house for a short while to check out a nearby craft festival. i'm glad we went, but i think i returned home just a bit more ill than i had been before we left.

my little business has had a great start. out of the eight bib & blanket sets i've made thus far, seven have sold. i'm not sure i'll ever be able to open the etsy shop, as i can't seem to keep them in stock long enough! if i could sew a couple of blankets a day, i'd be able to build up my stock. as it is, i'm lucky if i manage to sew one blanket every couple of days. hopefully i will become more efficient with practice.

it's a rainy day here today, much needed i think. tristan is eating lunch as i type. he is a very good eater, i might add. i can't seem to keep up with him. today when i said, i love you to him, he returned the phrase, in a sort of sing-song chain of tones. another amazing mother's day gift!

breezy update

oh it has been so very long!

dear blog, i think of you often, yet you are not page turning with events of late:

a visit from my father and his wife, shirley.


sharing our corner of the forest. winding country drive followed by antique mall. short walks in the thicket. downtown excursions: fridays after five, farmer's market, tashi's soccer game, dinner & lunch & shops.


and april 26, the shared birthday of both dan and my dad. how likely is that? chicken lasagne. chocolate cake with mocha buttercream.


work whorled on and then the thursday farmer's market arrived. first time sitting it. first time peddling my wares.


having a taste of that much desired gypsy artisan at-the-faire life. yes. and the wonderful online response that followed.


and then a double birthday party for two of tashi's friends, on the downtown mall, watching our 12 year olds find some independence.


our growing tristan wanting to climb stairs, eat petals, clap, push trucks, watch music and scramble out of any open door.


more soccer, clovers, cute dogs, and victories. many babies at a dear doula's fairwell. watching small ones interact and hearing snippets of stories: birth, music, milk, sleep, diapers.


and sewing. and watching tashi create. the two of us to sit together at the market, with tristan toddling. the two of us. cutting fabric. tracing patterns. picking combinations. and always, always trying to perfect the stitch.


and thinking about poetry. and capturing the pictures.


in the season of thunderstorms and perspiration.