thrift thursday

we had about ten minutes before library story time to do a quick walk through my least favorite goodwill, located across the street from the library. this small haul is not particularly remarkable, but also not bad for ten minutes. the thing that gets me is the unintentional color theme. 

little pyrex baking dishes are always a good find, especially when they are under $1.

cords & a stripey shirt for the tot as autumn approaches, why yes!

i rarely pass up a mushroom. there was only one of these sweet bowl sized cups.

cute comfy skirt. and a brand new kinda cool dave matthews t-shirt. the hubs, not being a huge fan, will be appalled i'm guessing. but i don't mind me a little local dave, and frankly, quite enjoy his work. and this crafty t-shirt? love! it's kind of freaky that it even matches the skirt.

a decent ten minutes of orangey delights. i'd call that visit a win!

where i am wednesday

it's amazing that i can live out here in the beautiful countryside, with woods and creek and decks and hammock, and sometimes not go out into our yard for days. tristan and i are still trying to find our rhythm at home in the new season, and sometimes we spend huge chunks of our time hanging around inside, lining up cars, playmobil characters, and blocks, eating snacks, reading books, and sneaking peeks at the internets way too often.





sometimes i'll say, tristan, let's go outside, and he'll say, no, i don't want to, and i'll say, well, ok, in an effort to spare one more battle. but then there is usually a battle of some sort anyway, because, let's face it, we drive each other nuts when we are inside too much.



so today i said, we're going outside, and i walked out there. he followed. the autumnal light filtering through the leaves was exquisite. we collected fallen leaves, twigs, and acorns. he silently made mudpies for a good half hour. he rolled a brick around. i hula hooped.









we walked down into the woods, collected tree-stuff in a bucket, waded in the creek, observed the changes in the forest, and felt, quite simply, at peace and in bliss.

autumn equinox really speaks to me, the oppressive heat and humidity of summer mostly gone. the beautiful quality of light pooling on surfaces covered in leaf and nut. warmth appreciated, punctuated by breeze and rustle. and a great sense of transition into a time of reflection, rhythm, and survival. sometimes the summers around here are so intense, that the call to nature is strongest in the autumn and the spring.



i'm looking forward to spending more time really appreciating where i am. i hope to share some of that reverence with you!

owl in a day's work

just a little note to say, i really haven't abandoned blogging! i am trying to think of ways to be more consistent about posting. i will probably go back to matching days with themes, so stay tuned. there will surely be a handmade monday and a thrift thursday. . .

in the mean time, autumn is slowly making it's way back into our world. the days have been blissfully comfortable, with perfect light and a sweet breeze. i am settling back into routine. tristan has playgroup three times a week. there is story time at the library. there are crafts to be made and acorns to be collected. and there is sewing to do. 

my machine was broken for quite some time and the expense of fixing it was unfortunately way low on the ladder of immediate concerns. but for my birthday dan sprung to have it repaired and i can now sink into those meditative and sometimes maddening moments of stitching. i plan to sell my wares at the holiday market again this year, and so must begin to rebuild my stock. i am so very behind schedule! i finally had some time alone today to sew up this sweet set:

those owls are pretty silly and remind us of one of our favorite books, little owl lost, by chris haughton.

during one break or another today, i enjoyed this salad. i'm loving salads these days. have i mentioned that i've lost 10-15 pounds? i'm never quite sure because our scale is very wonky. but i know for certain that i can fit back into things that have been too snug for a couple of years. i have a long way to go yet. i would love to lose another 15. that is where the real challenge will come in! portion control seems to work best for me. i love to cook and i love to eat what i cook. but that is not always a good thing. portion control paired with exercise usually have immediate results for me. hula hooping has done wonders. but with the onset of autumn and all that warm winter baking to come, i need to definitely add in some more exercise.

speaking of clothes, or dryer is currently broken. and so another part of my day was spent hanging laundry, another task that is meditative, and perhaps a bit maddening!

wishing you a wonderful week filled with opportunity to hang around in the fresh air!

vineyard bliss

we enjoyed a free concert at jefferson vineyards on sunday afternoon. we brought a picnic snack, sipped pinot gris, basked in sun, shade, ladybugs and relaxation. i am constantly astonished by the beauty and history that surrounds us in this magestic part of virginia.

 

creature round up

i thought i'd share some of the impressive creatures we've seen around our house this summer, from the scary to the sensational!


 (fishing spider)

 (io moth caterpillar)

 (you can't see it, but there is a gigantic black funnel web spider hanging out in there)

 (lizard on our screen, why naturally!)

 (moth hanging out behind the owl trinket!)

(black widow)

 (just another pretty moth)

 (red toad)

 (big moth)

 (beautiful butterfly)

(another black widow)

(another magical moth)

there are many more of course, but these are a few i've captured on camera.

my moment of fire spinning

last yule season i went on an inspiring hike along the rivanna river with my family. when we got back to the car i picked up a sturdy stick and started twirling it. tashi's eyes opened wide and i realized she had no idea i once was a majorette. 

i was not an exceptional majorette. but in 7th and 8th grade i twirled a baton, tossed it around sometimes,  made up a routine to a pat benatar song, and marched in a couple of parades.

raise your hand if you did this sort of thing when you were an adolescent: batons, flags, pom poms, line dancing and acrobatics :)

well, so anyway, as i was twirling & tossing that stick to the surprise of my daughter, it occurred to me that perhaps i could twirl a fire staff. it was a pretty big hit of inspiration. i mean, i already had the basics of twirling. it would just mean learning  how to twirl fire. 

so i kept that little urge in my mind, especially while watching on occasion, scintillation, the fantastic local fire troupe, and marveling at their grace and daring and skill. 

paired with my urge was a little voice that said, scary! never! you can't! that's dangerous! you have nice hair! your kids need you! impossible! you'll embarrass yourself! your skills are too limited!

and then by the luck of the planets, almost three quarters of a turn later, i had the opportunity to twirl a fire staff at a gathering.

a dear sweet mama friend of mine made sure the unlit staff landed in my hand, and after seeing me give it a few twirls, urged me to finally dip it in the white gas. 

believe me, i hemmed and hawed and made sure most of the onlookers were gone before i finally gave in. 

but i said to myself, girrrl, just go for it this time! 

i am not an x-treme person you see. and there have not been many occasions where i have really dared myself to step into my biggest fears and/or urges. like jumping off a high cliff into water? i doubt that is in my future, though it is probably one of my very biggest fears.

i am about to turn 45. it feels definitively mid life. and spinning fire? after the urge hit me last solstice, it became a thing to do before i die.

and so i had my staff dipping lesson in the matter of minutes. dip it for about three seconds. spin off the drippy excess gas in the cans. do the same on the other end. step away from the humans and give it a few more good shakes. and then stick it into the flame of the tiki torch.

unintentionally write your initial in the air

and spin. smile big. because twirling a stick that is on fire at both ends is really, really fun!

live really large and pass it behind your back! pass it from hand to hand! (but maybe get some more practice before throwing it in the air)

spin some more

and love it. completely fall in love!

experience the thrill. the grace. 

feel the amazing element of fire swooshing past: the warmth, the bright, the breeze of fire. 

feel it on your skin. in your heart.

fire as friend, not fright. 

but to be respected. care. awareness. caution. 

and some awesome adrenaline!

this was my 45th birthday present to myself! 

thank you to kate, tashi and dan for urging me on. 

when your own daughter begs you to just do it. . . well, you gotta love that!

(thanks to dan and tashi for the photos of my big moment!)