in, out, and around the house

the fairy tree

the fairy market

luna and the melting pumpkins

morning time inside

playground, castle, village

tinker toy dragster 

textures & light

sibling collaboration

blankets to be

view of living room from my sewing room 

(we don't know why there is a window between the two rooms, but it can be beneficial)

market ready

for the love of oats

i have always enjoyed oatmeal but never so much as i do now that i've been inspired by local food/mama blogger, kath of kath eats real food. her tribute to oatmeal will completely rock your bowl of bland oats. 

last night i went to bed thinking, mmmm, i'm going to have me a bowl of kath classic creamy banana oatmeal when i wake up, and indeed i did. watch the video and check out the recipe on her tribute to oatmeal page, along with a lengthy photo essay of tremendous toppings. her blog is quite wonderful and she's got an extensive recipe page too!

here is my bowl of creamy whipped banana oatmeal, with a modest topping of raspberry preserves, almond butter and golden flax seeds. have you ever had preserves in your oatmeal? it's better than a jelly donut!

and when you have left over oatmeal, make muffins!. i always add cranberries and a little bit of vanilla to the mix.

another great oat heavy snack are these homemade granola bars! how is that i've never made my own granola bars before? i used this recipe last night to cook up a delicious batch of delightful bars. i was even rewarded a text from tashi today that said in all caps, "THOSE SNACK BARS ARE GOOD. . . om nom nom."

this is all that was left after some munching last night, and some lunch boxes this morning. 

 i used dried blueberries, cherries, golden raisins, and cranberries. they are quite sweet but i am glad i decided to pick up some turbinado sugar as the recipe suggests. there is something very distinctive about turbinado as compared to refined sugar.

and finally, this homemade granola is so delicious. soulemama shares and earlier version of the recipe from cynthia lair's feeding the whole family, and having tried both, i do prefer the earlier version. it's divine, and as kath suggests, sprinkle your granola on your oatmeal!

cheers to you (holding up an oatmeal stout)!

the days, mostly

sewing, playing, moving inward, finding the new balance, cuddling up, seeking books,

indulging in movies, treasure hunting, piecing together patch by patch 

election digestion

these days

a historic hurricane ~ 

yet another reminder of the coming of the future

super storm: the rapture
it will all lead to elsewhere

coming together to help one another survive

then an election.

a day of single pointed focus. a day of extreme stress and massive hope.

i was expecting delays, recounts, voter fraud, corrupted electronic machines. but before midnight we learned that our president was re-elect. a collective sigh: relief and despair. it was a close election.
but my sigh was of relief.

our president has a broad net of compassion; his decency is apparent. he has wisdom in relations -- international and environmental. he appears to be sane. he is a global child, an intelligent representative.  he is a fantastic orator, with a terrific sense of humor, and a disarming smile. he is likable.

he is not everything to everyone. some think he is radical to an extreme, and others, not radical much. i am mostly with the others. though i do think he holds a radical place in history. thus far he has been a man of the middle way, which is sometimes not enough. but i prefer the middle way to far right leanings.

i breathe easier today knowing it is he at the helm, though the ship itself has many weaknesses.  

and there is so much on the shores, and in the center margins, that exists unattended in the wake.

i hope that the masses will come together to work for a better good, and that he will enable, not obstruct.

i hope that all roads will lead to a healthier people and planet. 

halloween revisited

it's been a while since i've posted, but i would be remiss in not mentioning halloween on the u.va. lawn. i think this is one of the zanier public events that charlottesville has to offer, and each year i fall more in love with it. yes there are crowds, and it is indeed a frenzy of sugar, but it is definitely the best masquerade party this side of the blue ridge! tashi offered to take tristan around to the dorms lining jefferson's historic lawn, and i must say, a big part of my heart melted seeing teenage she-wolf leading toddler jester door to door. we came home with way too much candy and at least half of it was set out to appease the candy goblins. now i am just dealing with the daily question upon waking, can i have some chocolate?