blue begonias

2011-05-19T00:51:00.000-07:00

2011-05-19T00:49:00.000-07:00

fergit agin

2010-11-11T00:25:00.000-08:00

i almost forgot i started this blog....i could use the excuse that some of the letters on my keyboard are broken and its too frustrating to type anything anymore...or tell you that ive just been travelling all summer and couldnt remember my ogin information...or that facebook is my new blogspot? well, im here ready to post some love up for you family and fer me hearties...this week has been filled with laughter because India is talking up a storm and she says the funniest stuff...today she explained how carrots grow and frogs hop and why and whatfor and whatever and it took a really long time and it was hilariously inaccurate. Scarlett is in her second session of ballet and shes so sweet...she sings and dances everyday and just loves folowing her teacher around and walking on her tippiest toes. everyones hair is longer...our farm share is almost over...the heater gets turned on every morning now...the time change will afford me some moments for blogging. there really is so much...love

bringing the old

2010-04-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

i am amazed at the feelings i process when someone is dying...like a cross between overwhelming release, deep old love, pure joy and appreciation for transitions. Spring is such a time of transition...what a beautiful time to pass...as the green and baby fresh new push their way up and open.... the older, wiser and ready are slowing, sleeping and ready to become earth again. I see images of dear auntie pat before i was even born...running around with three boys, so young beautiful and witty. black and white memories with polka dot dresses and short mowed lawns. faces that look like faces of all of us. freckles, laughter...and such appreciation she had of love and the hearts of people. surrounded by flowers. surrounded by friends. living in beauty and reaching out to family. i will miss you sweet soul!

tomorrow may rain...

2010-04-13T00:16:00.000-07:00

i'll follow the sun. wow almost a whole month since ive posted. ive been so neglectful....but not to my life, interests or kids. here are a few words and you can play word association with them, or just put them together in or out of order to peep into what all we've been up to the last 3 weeks

loops.hoops.singing.painting.pastel.body paint.banjo.synthetic organ.pawn shops.mirah.pink lady.beach.yarn.washing wool.alpaca.sparkle.shoebox.jew harps.spring flowers.marmalade.pastimes.miracles.cleverness.lending trees.psychic plants. lable making and beet soup. and im sure much more...but now for something completely different. scarlett self portraits...and her seed project

winter marsh

2010-03-12T22:37:00.001-08:00

the wind was quiet and the birds were whispering. its always green somewhere in the marsh. i really liked walking to the train tracks and checking out all the concrete and wood and metal leftover from the past and adding contrast to the renewing energy of the marsh. the ebb and flow. its like the moons journal.

mating birds and gnome chones

2010-03-01T10:07:00.000-08:00

it was a fun filled week...finally felt normal after a surprise jaunt up to oregon in search of hot springs. I caught some poison oak using the forrest as a loo...met samson the amazing t-rex at OMSI, fell in love with noodles on the streets of portland, gave a weather report on tv (for real), went to the zoo and saw an amazingly colorful bird (was too spaced out to catch the name) running around crazy with spring fever, got some handmade love in the mail from batik bum, sewed a new cover for my omen quest cards, found something to make me laugh until i pee here, attended an alter ego party and met some great artists, made some new hair and dress for matilda, and probably missed out on some good ole fashioned sleep! last nights dinner: chicken curry soup with coconut lime risotto....yummy!

bike about

2010-02-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

we had a great bike about today...which is my new term for when you know you gotta get the kids in the car, go send some mail, go to the bank, get loads of groceries, and play at the park...but normally we get in the car to do this...but not today...we biked it...it was great! too bad i dont have any pics of the cute littles in the bike trailer...all snuggly and dry while mamas legs burned up that hill to get to union street, which leads to the park...oh my!

wed, again!

2010-02-05T02:51:00.000-08:00

yay for wednesdays! we love going to hands on craft and being surprised by the craft activity and enjoying an hour or so of fun creative energy. Its really different than crafting at home. It seems like it would be the same...but instead of creating the concept for my kids, then setting up and cleaning up...we get to just show up and its all ready to go! So nice. And i love all of the cute ideas Mia comes up with, shes so inspirational and whimsical...very elvin! So this week we made necklaces with found objects and some felt heart cut outs. cute...easy...india mostly tries to color on herself or eat things. good fun. then after we went on a short walk through the redwoods...got enchanted by a shower of rain and spied teeny tiny mushrooms. it was a great morning!

bulking up

2010-02-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Imbolc! I dont really care if winter stays for another month or so, or if Spring comes early. I do care, however, that its about that time to start mapping out the summer festival circuit...and now that my youngest tiny will be 2 this summer...the face of our summer touring and travel has significantly changed. I think it will be easier now that they can both dance and run around...thank goodness I have that double stroller! (i love you BOB)
Our little family is on a bit of a routine now that Scarlett is attending gymnastics, ballet and fairy school. While some things are the same, having to be someplace at a specific time is really different for us. So far so good...and I am diligently working on the website...bulking up supplies and products for the spring/summer launch. I also seem to have many side art projects going on, which is great for me as long as i can remember to take some time out for a walk or workout. Yoga in the livingroom usually means i get a knee in my back while my hair is being raked with a fork. good fun. Fiber batt workshop went well last night. see:

tilly? where are you?

2010-01-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

i was imagining a forest landscape laden with fog and lush with dew...when i suddenly realized that i haven't seen matilda in months! How could this happen? she rode along to santa barbara with us...which was fun because she always thinks to stop and smell the flowers in the best places! After we got home I wrapped her up in her tiny home and there she hibernated. supposedly safe. reassuringly sound...and now shes missing!
there are only two possible explanations: #1- she got up and walked away. Although this seems like the most unlikely of the two scenarios, its the most logical, i like it. #2- she went home with someone else. not that i can recall lending her out..she may have stowed away in some childs bag or pocket, seeking another lifetime of adventure. whichever the reason, nothing changes the fact that shes just plain missing. and im missing her. so...matilda, if you are out there...come back!

beets beat it pink for free

2010-01-20T21:46:00.000-08:00

dipping the wool

and chased her until she caught him

he understands about bills and charge accounts...tries to be on hand to help in an emergency

cooking beets? why not dye some wool while you enjoy each tender bite of root candy? sure, why not! Nothing beats the pretty pinkish, slightly fleshy...maybe a hint of white peach, but so skin pink of the beet juice! beet juice loves wool anyhow, so let them kiss! And while I get all giddy, pink and fleshy for the upcoming heart holiday, let me share my tiny thrift store score. A beautiful gift book with illustrations that please the eyes as much as they warm the heart. enjoy!

mountain birthdays

2010-01-11T19:09:00.001-08:00

we so love humboldt county! Its so amazingly beautiful here, and on Saturday when the earth rumbled and groaned we were celebrating my dear friend Amy's son Psalm's 3rd birthday! so perfect. so serene. tramploines and confetti rockets. wild gardens and sprawling meadows. circus clowns and painted faces. the big top adorned with streamers. mama hugs and baby kisses. wow...such an awesome experience, and so great to celebrate life amongst such amazing people and vivid landscape. thank you. thank you thank you

super candy willage

2009-12-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

tis the season to wig out with holiday cheer! whoopie!

be sick at the beach

2009-11-17T00:21:00.000-08:00

our 20 minute jack-o-lantern tiger
tiny tissues lanterns in the window, glowing for the new moon and the meteors

new moon sunset

lanterns drying

so first scarlett got a snotty nose, then me, then india...then scarletts went away then mine then indias...then scarletts came back then mine then indias...and so on and so on...so i decided that we need a little break from all the travel and fun and playing and so we have been going to the beach, just us. crafting and hanging out, just us. I like it...its fun...we dearly miss our friends, but we need to get healthy before we do all the snot and coughs all over again. And in about 12 days we will be travelling to nevada to visit our dear cousins, for Thanksgiving!! I have attempted to see them 3 times so far...and each time have not been able to make it due to someone having a cold or too much snot to be in a car for 12 hours, etc. but im bound. im determined. we will not be sick in 12 days. oh no...we will not. liver sleep? is that it rachel? yes...liver sleep it is :) photos of the beach, our tiny lanterns and some random crafting.

pumpkin time

2009-11-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

October was beautified with orange pumpkins and we made our way to the patch, rode on a truck with hay and drank hot cider! It was great to watch the girls just run all around the pumpkin patch. We brought home a few tiny ones and some biggies to carve. They are so pretty i want to keep them around all year!

scarlett found some horses to feed
india was very excited about the huge orange pumpkins

scarlett wanted one of every variety

this is the pumpkin she finally picked!

last days of summer

2009-10-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

for the last few days of summer we tripped down south where the beaches are much wider and the sand much finer. where the wind doesnt knock you over and the playgrounds are sandy. just to get some southern style vitamin d before a scarf around the neck is needed to cope with the chill in the air. what fun it was, indeed.

fix and figs

2009-09-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

sown snails that saved a paint schmeared dress....scarlett now calls it her slug dress...felt and ribbon slime trails....then figs figs figs...wow! Last week when i saw baskets of figs at the co-op i got so excited because figs, like pomegranates...are a favorite rare treat. i only like fresh, i only like real...and they were sooooo delish! Recent photos of India and Scarlett...little sisters!

the little things

2009-08-23T23:12:00.001-07:00

i love...heirloom tomatoes...flowers like paper...ripe juicy (are you kidding me delicious) peaches...brown sugar cubes in cute tiny bowls...tiny succulents, bathing beauties, trashy art, piles of handspun yarn...Russian nesting dolls. just to name a few

let them eat pie, too!

2009-08-14T23:37:00.001-07:00

Grandma is visiting us from Oregon. Naturally, we took her to the blueberry farm to pick berries. We made out with 3 lbs in 20 minutes of picking! Plenty for a little pie...and then some! India made a friend, and fed him more blueberries than any one-year-old should eat, while Scarlett picked. Scarlett by far ate the most berries. Funny enough, she was stealing handfuls from my bucket while insisting that hers were "special pie berries, not for eating" ooookay. Pie today, scones tomorrow...grandma is going to gain 10 pounds this week, easy!

let them eat cake

2009-08-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

Scarlett really wanted to bake a cake, and who can blame her? Doesn't everyone want to bake a cake...everyday? me too! So we have been driving around California, adventuring the roadmap fantastic, and have not baked cake. boo! But today after the farmers market we came home to bake cake. Simple yellow cake, with millet even, and fresh market berries. We call it confetti cake because there are tiny raspberry and blackberry polka dots all over. For a quick topping we combined creme fraiche and aunt Kathy's (who is actually my cousin, but we decided to call her auntie instead) ohmygosh fantastic (how much sugar??) delicious strawberry jam..garnished with berries. Watch out strawberry shortcake! Did you notice that the photo is blurry? That is because after snapping fifteen shots of Scarlett's hand grabbing the cake, i settled for this photo in which India is pulling on me making it impossible to focus. ha!

matilda

2009-06-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

benbow

2009-06-17T09:00:00.001-07:00

we rocked out at benbow. it was really fun...saturday we listened to music and enjoyed the sun...and DID NOT get anywhere near the kids zone...thank goodness me oh my...but Sunday Scarlett jumped in the bounce house, got her face painted, floated down a waterfall with clowns, hula hooped, became a real forrest fairy, and ran naked in the river....while I listened to great music, drank lots of water, ate yummy indian food, conversed with other mamas and danced with India. We camped and were spoiled with real bathrooms and a water spout.

humboldt hack

2009-06-14T23:26:00.000-07:00

yes its back...been a full year since i had the cough that wouldnt stop...no its not whooping cough, thank you very much...but i have these lovely herbs helping me thru it...and its almost gone...lucky me

whats going on

2009-05-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

today

i put my bed frame together, finally. Ive had it for months, but with India being so small, I didnt want her to fall out, so I rigged a small platform and put our bed on top. Now she is so great at getting off and on, I decided to take it higher...so much nicer for me. Scarlett likes it...India is going to have to learn to get up and down. Only the strong survive muahahaha!

yesterday

Our sweet baby friend had her first birthday (and India is right around the corner), we celebrated with friends, the babies had fun eating dinner together, that was super cute, and the older children ran around like banshees.

day before

I watched the pilot of "glee" its hilarious...cant wait to see an episode to see if it will be watch-worthy.

last week

had a great time visiting family and friends in the bay area, Sacramento and hangtown. it was hot, and i was loving it! Scarlett played so much with her friends that shes had since she was super wee, while i visited with old friends as well...that was the best! I got to meet my first cousin Mark, for the first time, that was amazing and very enjoyable...love connecting with family!

Cant wait till Jessie gets back, I want to make some mean mama lovin carnitas for everyone to celebrate the babies turning ONE and the arrival of more sunny days under the Humboldt fog.
looking for

an art cabinet...forget the baskets and bins...im going 8th grade art room! something that locks...something where all the paper, pencils, clay, pens, wax, fabric dye, silk screens, fabric, linoleum, thread, stamps, crayons, pipe cleaners, stencils, paints, brushes, wool, felt and everything else we craft with can go in and live....forever...waiting for its fame, when its gathered for our daily crafting sessions.

today, scarlet insisted (sweetly even) on getting into the Christmas bin. This should probably drive me nuts...(but I "om") because she want to check her stocking....to see if there might be a prize inside. She is 3 1/2 (almost!!) and so she asked me like a kazillion times, so sweetly and quietly "mama, can i please look into the christmas box, my stocking is in there, it has prizes in it" riiiiight...prizes....hm the bin is clear.(if it were opaque this wouldnt be happening) ..so she sees all the sparkle gold fluffy wonderment that is Christmas. same thing happens with the art supplies...opened, spilled, agh blue paint everywhere...really my job as a mom is fun and exciting and full of art and reading and singing dancing making food, etc...but do i really need to be cleaning up paint spills and glitter hurricanes because all the art supplies are within reach? in clean $#?!* bins!! ummm im thinking the locking art cabinet...like miss murry had in 8th grade art class is the best! There will still be playdoh, crayons, paper and pens available at the easel...chalk at the chalkboard, etc...but im thinking a little more structure, less free for all with the art supplies. EXHALE...okay that was about enough of that.

much love xoxoxo

road again

2009-05-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

im on it.

little roadtrip to visit family...see a few friends...and "family"

be back soon...maybe i will bring the sun with me!

portland childrens museum.....aw yeah

2009-04-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

the portland childrens is amazing. here are a few images. here is a list of what you will find there: a huge water play room, complete with smocks; a digger area with shovels, pulleys and dumptrucks; a treehouse with bird perches and log tunnels; quiet reading room; kindergarden activity room; clay pottery studio; co-op canvas painting studio; night walkway with colored lights, babies only room with tidepool touch pool; a big stage with soundboard, lightbox, instuments and bins of dress-up attire;cafe with good eats; a builers room treehouse with magnet room and hammer like crazy room; indoor playground run all over and swing from it thing; and some other stuff.

food blogs

2009-04-21T22:33:00.000-07:00

i found the best food blog. This woman is a knitter and a major foodie and makes beautiful vegan food. There are great descriptions, easy recipes that sound soooo good. There are videos!!! That is the best part...I just watched half a dozen and its so inspirational...not to mention makes me feel like getting new cookware hahaha well check it out

veganyumyum.com

truckin part two

2009-04-19T23:56:00.000-07:00

ohhh k. when we went up to Oregon...we stopped at IKEA. This is something i was looking forward to for a really long time...long story short...we needed some furniture. It was amazing...not only did we get 10% off our entire order due to some in-store special...but we scored in the "as-is" section of the store and took advantage of some store special deals. I guess if you use your debt card, you get huge coupons!! I have only been to IKEA once...mostly because i watched fight club a lot back then...oh by the way...i have a bar of fight club soap...it is sooo rad! okay anyway, yeah its huge and there aren't any sales people...and seriously you can get lost...there IS a supervised kids area, but S is too small...and really she wanted to "play" in the livingrooms and kitchens, etc...it was so much fun. Now that I consider myself an IKEA expert...I have some wisdom to share for those of you heading there anytime soon.

1. call ahead and make sure they have what you want!! This is huge as they had a ton of stuff in the store that wasn't in catalog or online...and vice-versa.

2. do a stock check...and ask them to "hold" it for you...yeah this really works...but only on weekdays.

3. go ahead and break the rules...carts in the elevator, food in the showroom, merch in the cafe, pulled item in the aisles (pull all your stuff, then swing by and get it on the flatbed) break the rules because there aren't very many people working, so no one will stop you.

4. ask for HELP...they try not to get involved, but really, ask and ye shall receive. They have it set up to be self serve...but there was no way I could push a furniture flatbed, a cart, carry the yellow bag, a baby and a 3 yr old all while trying to navigate the huge store. That would have been a sight!

thank you Becca for helping us that day...seriously couldn't have done it without you...but wouldn't have had nearly as much fun without you!

another candy festival

2009-04-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

yippee...Easter! This year Scarlett really enjoyed hunting for eggs and finding little candy treasures...painting and dyeing eggs, and wearing bunny ears. We also had a nice dinner and felt very thankful for all the miracles! Oh the sweets. Well, luckily, it wasnt a repeat of Halloween...she is getting better at having a little piece and moving on till later...instead of trying to shove it all down her throat before it gets taken away, like some sort of rabid animal...holy moly! It was a mellow day...what with my broken toe and all, i didnt feel like doing a whole lot. haha broken toe...it sounds so silly, but it is such a bother! A complete inconvenience...simple things like carrying the baby, or sweeping a floor have become skilled acts of balance and i have a new fear of breaking a toe on my other foot. anyway...

truckin' (part 1)

2009-04-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

In the beginning, the idea of a roadtrip up to Oregon to visit my mom for a few days seemed simple. That was in January. In February, I decided to add Portland Zoo and Children's Museum. In march I added Ikea and visit with good friends. At the last minute the Aquarium and so much more. To put it lightly, we had a GREAT time. Scarlett (a seasoned tripper) was well packed with snacks, books, toys, potty and the DVD player...so she was fine for the 8-10 hour long hauls. India was a greenhorn. Overall she did great...after the first 3-4 hours it became apparent to her that she was going to be strapped in for long periods of time...this always makes them cry a little. That little tired whimper kind of cry, awww so sad. Before we even left she had already started protesting her seat, even for a quick trip to the store...ya know the whole stiff like a board thing? So with that behavior on board, i was prepared for the worst...im glad i brought the harmonica. Between it and Scarlett saying "mama" every 2 minutes i was in tears...from laughter luckily. Just imagining anyone else sitting with me in the passenger seat dealing with the "mama's" and the "im hungry" (even though you just ate a whole sandwich) every couple of minutes seemed enough to drive any sane person completely mad...but me, i was just laughing and enjoying myself. Did i mention that i forgot music hahahahaha that was a real knee slapper! We stopped to picnic by the beach, in local parks and found great places to eat and use the bathroom...thanks mostly to my phone. Oh yes, verizon texted me a message saying that i could try out the GPS on my phone for a month...free...a few days before we left...it was awesome. I located all the drive thru Dutch Bros. so i could down mate whenever i liked...and looking for a great taco shop or natural foods grocery was a snap! So...for truckin part one we have pics from the oregon zoo!

It was super! we rode the train...saw the bats...licked the giraffe, waved at elephants, played with penguins, followed a leopard and stared at a crocodile. great zoo!

cat grass fever

2009-03-26T00:51:00.000-07:00

scarlett is so proud of her cat grass (sprouted oats). She planted it herself, and filled the pot with soil, watered it...and waited for something to happen...meanwhile we learned all about seeds, pollination, spring, bees, cats with upset tummies, photosynthesis, etc and luckily cat grass grows so fast...we saw shoots in 3 days! what fun! now she checks it everyday, waters it and cuts it down occasionally. she loves gardening. we also planted some strawberries...i cant wait to see what happens with them.

hit the road, jack

2009-03-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

we are gearing up for a little road trip up to Oregon next week. I am so excited, and a little nervous. I have not driven that far with the girls yet and India is so young she could just sleep the whole time (please please please) or wail and hollar...grrrr. Scarlett was a fine road tripper...so maybe she will follow in her big sisters footsteps? But, oh wait...there's more...we cant have any sugary snacks ("i'll give you a popsicle if you get into your carseat") because S needs to get her teeth cleaned, and she has the beginning of a cavity in her molar. We have been to the dentist twice in the last month, but she wont let them get into her mouth. Its really silly. She has them wrapped around her finger...if I were the dentist the whole thing would be over...but since we got Mr. Bubble and Miss Gas Huffer scooting around holding a water pic and a big scary stuffed animal asking S to open wide we got NOWHERE! duh! do these people even have kids? I swear the dental tech was talking 500 words per minute and the dentist was so over-the-top "nice" it was downright creepy. Im about to order my own set of instruments so i can pick her teeth clean for goodness sakes! Maybe we can just take a trip to Mexico and get her all fixed up..hahaha, you know i kid!

But, oh yeah...oregon...I am going to visit my mom...who has not met India yet (awww) and pick up my Dad's ashes. He has been camping at my moms house for a year now, and I really need some closure, so I am making a plan for his final resting place. Its fun to plan it out...i keep getting all kinds of goofy ideas about dispersing his ashes in the bay...scattering them from the golden gate while no one is looking...yeah right!!! I will know what to do when the time comes...Im taking him to SF in May and I will know what to do then. For now its fun to think of crazy ways to scatter his ashes.

I wonder how many hours it will take me to get to Corvallis? I might just leave at 2am, so that they sleep the whole way...then i can be a zombie the next day instead of having to stop every hour.

Road trip must-have's:

dvd player

cooler with lots of snacks ready to go!

baby bjorn potty

big mug for caffeinated bevies

driving slippers

fairy moon cd

toy cars and trains

Things you might think are great, but are really lame to bring:

coloring books and crayons: they spill and you have to keep reaching back to get them..also kids get irritated trying to color when bumps and car turbulence happen...also, S will hand the crayons to India who will cry if she cannot try to eat them.

peanut butter and jelly: such a huge mess! not worth it AT ALL! cucumber and cheese, or tofu and cheese, or even hummus and carrot sandwiches are way better!

water bottles: i think its way better to drink water when stopped, otherwise too much water means lots of potty stops, and this way they dont get squirted out from the backseat, yay! plus the caps are a choking hazard, and the baby will cry if she cant have it-so again, not worth it!

well, im sure it will all be great...and good thing we are in no hurry so we can take our time cruising on up to grandmas.

a new level of messy

2009-03-13T00:19:00.000-07:00

yes...it gets messy around here.

yes...i stay up late to clean it up.

i dont waste my precious time trying to put toys away, fold clean clothes, mop floors, make beds, etc with these wild ones running around eagar to destroy my neat and tidy doings! have you ever tried to fold laundry with a toddler who thinks shes helping me by wadding up the clothes into tight little balls and a crawling infant who wants to play peek-a-boo with everything your folding??? yeah.

Some may think that im okay with the messy...(and thats sweet, but no...) for real- i like the ordered and clutter-free...i like it so much that i dont want anyone to mess it up, which is why i do it at midnight, so's i can enjoy it for a bit...till i finally put the thrilling book im reading down and cuddle up to sleep. and i especially love it first thing in the morning before the baskets get dumped, the third bowl of oatmeal or yogurt gets spilled, or smeared or so "helpfully" dropped into the sink, sometimes breaking...ya know the clean and spotless bathroom before the paper gets unravelled, trash dumped over, toothpaste over-squeezed, dinosaur marching band, stacked of towels used to reach the "kitty sparkles", etc etc...those of you who know...know what i mean. i keep thinking to set my alarm for five, way before the littles wake, so i can drink a cup of mate during one of the tiny slices of time that my home is neat and tiddy.

spring, teeth and reptiles

2009-03-07T22:48:00.000-08:00

the boa

headband!!

oh sweet lovely spring...you are almost here and I welcome you with big open loving arms!
except that i will lose an hour of sleep, and i guess its worth it, but really i dont have an hour to spare, so cruel...so cruel.

T'was a beautiful sunlit day today...wind was a bit chilly, but sporting short sleeves in the warmth of the sun while in the car, complaining of the heat (unheard of, really!!) we rolled our windows down and set out for the natural history museum...reptile day...whoo hoo. I guess I was half expecting Scarlett to fear the cold blooded ones...in the past she would hide her face in my arm as we passed the snakes, etc while visiting aquariums and the zoo. But, oh no...she's not afraid anymore...she's thrilled! She held lizards, geckos (3 diff kinds), a boa, a skink...you name it. If a reptile was out of its "habitat", scarlett was right there, hands neatly opened to hole the creature. so gentle. so brave. Something comes over her when she is the self appointed guardian of the tiny gecko...her face changes...i can see glimpses of her older self...she talks quietly while holding them and feels so proud. It was as much fun for me to watch her as it was for her to hold them. I could have taken so many amazing photos, but alas...the batteries, darn!

and now for the teeth...so here is what has been happening around here...india got some teeth...the usually 12 hour fever, snotty nose, ear pulling, etc...then i got sick...headache, snotty, mild cough, then Scarlett got sick with the same...then India got it, while still teething...so loads more snot and more cough...plus tiny get it worse than us. Then I got better, Scarlett got better...India got worse...she was so miserable...and another fever...then i got snotty again, and achy...then Scarlett got really snotty and another croupy, yucky cough...what the?? and now im feeling great, Scarlett on the mend with a lingering cough, but india still with cough, and 4 more teeth trying to bust through her little tiny gums...poor babe...teething is serious business folks. Hopefully with this sunshine and resting, we will all be able to go out and play without toting handfuls of hankies and warm chicken broth. big sigh.

eye heart ira glass

2009-02-26T20:21:00.000-08:00

seriously. i have loved for a long long long time, this american life. its my favorite show. yeah, i dont have a tv... so for me, radio is how i get my media fill. i listen to the radio as much as a teenager would watch tv if left unsupervised. a lot. talk radio. amy goodman. local radio, reggae fridays, prairie home companion, mountain stage, morning edition, car talk, wait wait dont tell me, calling all pets....oh yeah...im in the thick of it...i love radio, especially talk radio and i love ira glass the best! last night i listened to a show (from the archives) about the rubber room. Teachers that do something...questionable, like yelling at their students, or throwing a chair. They dont get fired but they get sent to the rubber room, to wait for their "hearing" sometimes they wait for years!!! It was a great show...here are some of my favorites:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=350
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=370
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=104
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1249
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1226

enjoy!!!

ps
last night i reestablished my love for nina simone by listening to her for 2 hours!!! I love pandora...i created a station under nina simone and after "eliminating" anyone but her...the station ONLY played nina...live, old, more recent,etc...it was great!

still here

2009-02-19T20:35:00.000-08:00

yes...been thinking about so many different things...unable to post...too many ideas all at once..warp flood...but soon...this weekend, if it be a sun shining in that there sky...we will go to the beach or run in some grass, and ill finally upload some more photos...we had a sweet valentines day, breakfast with dear friends and grandma and grandpa sent the girls valentine cards! Scarlett was very excited...ripped it open while informing me she was not tearing it, just opening it. "is that a cat floating with a balloon in the sky? a heart balloon? is that me, floating in the sky with a balloon? to go see grandma and grandpa with a heart for my birthday?" sweetest 3 yr old dreams! meanwhile, india tasted her card, and bit off a little to chew with her new teeth...(all four of them). Scarlett has been singing her abc's everyday...especially while washing hands..but she enjoys changing the words, and now i think she has forgotten the original version. She prefers to sing her friends names into the abc song...like abcdefghi..caleb...lmnopqr etc etc....and with other songs too, like: you are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skylars grey. its pretty funny. well we love you all...see ya soon...with more pics, too!

bikes to the beach

2009-02-10T21:10:00.000-08:00

ohhhh beautiful sunny winter days. bike trails right next to the beach. we are grateful for beach picnics and beautiful trails and sandy discoveries. Scarlett is getting so fast on her bike, im about ready to pack india into a jogger so that i can catch up! Its perfect...lord knows i need a little jog here and there...ha! India is crawling crawling...faster and pulling herself up to standing on chairs, tables, her sister...you name it. More fun for scarlett who now loves to call her over to play, or run from her laughing, screaming and yelling..."aaaaah she loves me, look mommy, she tries to get me!" and she is teething, big time...poor girl...4 teeth at once, just like scarlett...couple of tops-couple of bottoms...soon im sure she will be trying out her new power:the bite! look out scarlett! and sweet india is getting bigger...now wearing mostly 12 month size...some of which scarlett just outgrew last spring...oh my! i have been using bits of my spanish and french with the girls...hey who knows, maybe they'll catch on? we are also loving the winter greens and veggies, thank you lovely friends and local market!!

crack attack

2009-02-05T20:55:00.001-08:00

see the three birds?

joan miro?

sweet gesture...or pure evil?

well who knows why, but when i stood in the pantry gathering ingredients for "muffins" i had more cocoa and chocolate chips, less carrots and raisins.... um chocolate muffins? okay okay...they ARE cupcakes...not one bit healthy...just pure sugar crack. so flippin' addictive and good, that i sent them to a friends house...as a gesture...a 'thank you' if you will...but is that really very kind? Demented, maybe? I mean, they have kids...and this is just like a bomb waiting to go off...did I really deliver to their doorstep a recipe for kids screaming, running through the house yelling "NO!! I wont go to bed...more cupcakes!!!" bouncing off the walls, pushing, wrestling, crying, smiling, laughing...more screaming... ohhh dear...i think an apology is in order...but at least I warned them...and unlike their mail carrier who just left some candy...i put the plate of sugar crack in a boring paper grocery bag...was tempted to label it...but then i thought, well, do the kids read? Undoubtedly, i bet they can read the word 'chocolate'...i know i could at an early age...and 'coca cola' (another form of legal crack) was recognizable to me years before I could read...in fact, when i was tiny, I drank disgusting chemical infused water from a "coca cola" glass that held flowers at the floral section in a safeway cooler...just because I recognized the brand. gross. the floral departments used to keep flowers in glasses of water...with some kind of "do not eat" package of chemical poured in for "freshness" i wonder how many other kids drank that gritty water? Anyway...im sorry about the delivery of sugar crack to your house friends, it'll never happen again!

I had fun making the cupcakes...designed with chips for polka dots...and i drizzled batter on some parchment and baked for a few minutes, let it cool and made cool designs...that part was super fun...scarlett helped me make the birds...and she made a few faces, but before i could get a picture, tiny fingers had already smeared and dipped their way through the icing, o well.

rhythm, baby

2009-02-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

rhythm...i kept looking at the typed word, thinking that it was misspelled. But thats it, I guess. We like rhythm...we thrive on it...if we skip a beat...we feel like square blocks in a round peg world, and nobody want to be that. Our day usually looks like this:
(or you can skip right to pictures of the week)

6:30-7:30 Scarlett wants breakfast...mommy blinks with heavy lids (because i was up too late reading, again!) and stumbles into kitchen, lights fire under kettle...first thing is first! i cook up some oatmeal with raisins or frozen mangos or chocolate chips...wait those looked like raisins, dang!! No wonder she's so excited for breakfast. Mama drinks yummy mate
8:00 baby wakes up. nurse. potty. crawling time...straight to the pile of wool or dollhouse, her favorite place in livingroom. mama washes dishes and gets dressed (maybe a shower if im lucky)
8:30-9 chase scarlett around to get dressed. bribes of visits to museums and beaches if she gets dressed. ill give you vitamins!! "ok mama, ill get dressed"
9-9:30 dress sweet baby who smiles and laughs at me while i wiggle her little body into whatever...maybe give her a little bite of rice cereal after nursing.
9:30-10 make pb&j's throw apple, orange, water bottle, crackers into bag with diapers, wipes, etc and head out! Park, hike, beach, appointment (drat!), friends house, playground, etc
play and run and enjoy outdoors...or if rainy: museum or library or grocery store or thrift store or zoo (which is actually great when rainy), or pet store (fun) or any other option that sounds fun. nurse..hand out snacks, etc
2:00 home, for resting! baby needs a nap in a bed, even if she has been sleeping at park or in car or in carrier...scarlett needs a book, snack and paint or playdoh or handwork (wool, water, sand)
3-4 depending on weather and energy...out again for 30-45 minutes, maybe just in grass...or on an errand...listen to music and dance...sing abc's read books
4:30-5:30 making dinner. nursing. scarlett helps measure and mix...makes a big mess while im in kitchen...India crawls around grabbing scarletts toys that she just made a mess with
5:30-6 light dinner candle...thank you...eat dinner, yum!
6:30-6:45 bath, brush teeth...baby in pj's and nurse...mama reads good book while nursing (yay!) scarlett plays quietly until she crawls in bed for a book (7:30)
baby out (yay)! Read Scarlett a book with no pictures...3 pages and shes out! Double yay!
8-midnight or longer (oh my!) mama reads, cleans, check email, blog, talk to a dear friend if lucky, make lists, put clean clothes away, toys away, great ideas for crafting, spin some yarn...or process some wool for spinning...read again then zzzzzzzzzzzzz
masterpiece...scarlett is drawing great spirals, eyes, mouths, noses, faces, polka dots, etc...this is her and her daddy...he has a beard.

yay! fun with wool!

yummy peace dove tartlett!

mercury direct

2009-01-30T21:51:00.000-08:00

January is coming to an end. I will forever enjoy my cousin's birthday (31st) because it marks the end of one of the most difficult months for me. January is full of cold winter days, sagging desires...and saggy guts...all that holiday feasting just wears me out! January is my month to reflect and manifest greatness for the whole year to come...i dream about spring summer and fall more in january than any other time of year. Today, we hiked for 2 1/2 hours in the redwoods...it was amazing and supernatural. Surrounded by giants, mushrooms and sharpened senses. Trailing in and out of the shady fungus covered nitches and basking in the sunny, clover covered bends. While India slept, Scarlett and I shared unspoken gazes and giggles. I love it when i feel face to face with her soul...we stare at eachother and laugh. We celebrated mercury turning direct- in our own way...and blessed our year with grandure, grace and satisfaction!

orange you glad i love chocolate?

2009-01-27T22:49:00.000-08:00

winter citrus...oh thank you! When its cold, and rainy, and you've got no place to go, or friends to call on...a beautiful ball of sunshine is at its peak of perfection and the market is overflowing with every variety of citrus right now...a sphere of bliss awaits us in these cold dark months. The satsuma, or seedless mandarin, is my favorite. Easy to peel fleshy, oily, beautiful smelling skin, with large aroma popping pores...mmmmm so perfect! I was inspired to eat the skin, loaded with bioflavonoids...to ward off that common cold, right? and truth be told, it was really tasty! So, to celebrate this bit of heaven in winter, i sliced up the peel and dipped it in melted dark chocolate, and ate it up...yum.

ode to joy

2009-01-25T22:38:00.000-08:00

aaaaaahh sisters!

how sweet and cute they are together, playing. Now India is beginning to crawl (o dear me!) and what fun, thinks scarlett...who is enjoying her permanent playmate. some of you may already know...but in case you dont...scarlett has been at odds the past few months...wondering why this baby is hanging around for so long...she has finally accepted the fact that India is here to stay, and is ultimately happy about that.

meanwhile...mommy is frantically clearing lowland clutter and tossing "chokables" into shoeboxes and stuffing closets! mopping floors, carpet cleaning, rearranging pantry...mental note: shallow garbage pails and root baskets are no longer acceptable. shes roaming...brave and open mouthed, ready to "test" anything in hand...sigh

and also....thinking about starting another blog...just for yarns...so will have that update soon, until then i will post them here. only one more week until mercury corrects itself, lifting this invisible burden, and relaxing the flow of communication. hooray

new yarn: meloncolony...hand dyed and carded merino, polypay and hampshire lamb cross...some sparkle...55 yeards of peachypink, candystriped combos of pinks, blues, browns, greys, etc....greens with lavenders...some big poofy puffs, too.

crazy batt channel

2009-01-22T22:45:00.000-08:00

love this batt...its merino, sparkle and this crazy kinky super gold wool that we got in the fall at the fiber festival in redway...some new sheep or something...but the kink is off the hook...and it looks like dolly hair, lovely!

we still love pizza...and the greatest thing is...scarlett eats more veggies now...i have been putting spinach, chard, squash, onions, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, even beans (yeah i know sounds weird, but twas good) and im still crazy about the pizza...the crust, really, its a charmer!
4 cups flour (unbleached white and wheat mixed is my fav)

1 1/2 cups warm water
yeast packet

pinch salt

2 TBS olive oil

throw the salt in with the flour, add yeast to water, when yeast bubbles add olive oil then add to flour and salt mixture....wooden spoon in bowl or food process...knead a bit on floured board...split in two...make pretty balls...place each ball into a Ziploc for 45 min or an hour...then roll as thin as possible...viola! (thank you ellie for recipe and tips)

AND....i have been washing, dying, drying, teasing, blending and carding a fleece of lovely merino and a polypay blend....oh boy it smells like sheep in here...but its been so fun, and scarlett has been helping me "tease, not break" (her words....my little spinner in training) the locks and crank the drum carder....such a great introduction to color theory! we have created every color of the rainbow and then some...about 20 batts down, 20 to go...then we'll dye some roving and get to spinning...cant wait! Scarlett also gets to help with the dying because i let her dye with kool-aid and vinegar...super fun.......and she agrees that kool-aid is pretty weird because it dyes fiber. she finally quit asking me for a taste.

India started eating food this week...avocados...yum! (thank you jessie for the yummiest avocados ever!)

we have also tripped to the beach with our friends...and have enjoyed all things sand and surf.

with mercury still in retrograde we are focusing on appreciation and fortune, of which both we seem to have in abundance....a photo montage for you:

digging a tunnel to china

the babies, dylan and india

india so happy to get that stick by herself

yummy avocado...exciting first food!

playing in scarletts kitchen...sushi and peaches!

eating plastic sushi

blending the perfect peachy pink...with sparkle!!!

helping to card wool...of course she is without any clothes!until its time to go outside she refuses to dress....and as soon as we come home, the clothes come off. "i love naked, mama"

grocery outlet...20 for a buck...really pretty!

dye pot...kool-aid colors

i love pizza

2009-01-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

now that scarlett is 3...she is changing...here come the wild and wonderful years. it seems like shes so much older now and a totally free thinking person..we have full blown conversations. i am loving it. im witnessing her spirit define itself and grow increasingly more detailed as her vocabulary and personality explode.
India is growing so fast. she sits up on her own and rolls over, scoots and gets all around! She laughs and squeals at her sister...and they love entertaining eachother...they are a sweet match.

ohhhkay. so, the sun is still a shinin' and were out in it everyday (its been in the 70's)...riding bikes, playgrounds, grass splashing (something new to me...its warm like june, but the grass is soggy...no puddles but lots of grass to get the job done) which keeps me busy. winter = the pile. the huge pile of stuff by the front door. I have baskets, bins, bags, hooks...tried it all...cant keep that pile from creeping up...whats in it you ask? muddy boots, the shoes we need when the boots get muddy. and still more shoes. longsleeves, hoodies...more hoodies we need when first hoodies get wet and muddy. extra socks. more socks when cant find pair. extra pants, yup you guessed it, MUD. bike helmet, knee pads, hats hats and more hats, jackets, scarves, bags...water bottles, popcorn (hmmm still tastes good after a week hmm)

nevermind...onto more interesting things. Ive been staying up late dying wool...start massive carding of wool after weekend. sweet accomplishments.

pizza by scarlett

i love pizza. one thing i love about being me is my predictability for phases. im now in pizza phase. last night good friends made pizza from scratch...cant recall when i even ate pizza last, but im hooked. got recipe for crust, made some...well actually let scarlett roll it out and top it...it was delish. am making more on sunday. will most likley make about 5 more pizzas until im so sick of pizza i wont eat it for a year. phases im currently enrolled in: mate no coffee, stevia no sugar, baskets not bags, library books not movies, and in staying up late with yarn phase, awhile ago was in quiche phase, that was fun.

today after scarlett was ordering around all the wild pony pirates at the park with her big stick we stopped off for frozen yogurt. such a treat. i dug up the 1.50 from my center console and she got a huge cone. i love redwood yogurt...i love that its a buck an 4 bits. i love that they have couches and a piano. scarlett played piano and rattled through her repertoire...the traditional nursery rhymes...about 10 of them. people clapped...i tried to make like i wasnt laughing myself into a stomach cramp. mental note: bring video camera next time.

i still dont have a calendar for january...and lately ive been feeling stuck...apprehensive and slooooow...i know the moon is waning...but feel disconnected with out knowing all the phases and sure enough mercury is retrograde...could have guessed that. mental note: get calendar by new moon!!!

mini-mantle and zoo-poo

2009-01-09T23:26:00.000-08:00

I haven't even made the time to organize MY photo album to include the memories of this past year...but I sure-have-made-sure that the new dollhouse makes good use of its mantle with photos of aunties and sisters! I don't know about you, but i adore index prints...those little itsy bitsy pictures of your pictures...so cute. but really, what to do with them...clutter much? S likes to cut them out...so I put them in her dollhouse, real cute like!

and this week we went to the zoo...dollar Wednesdays make me feel obligated to go, come on...a buck? its always a lot of fun...and s likes to brush the goat, who wants to eat my camera. its a great day as long as I don't have to go into the petting zoo (where all the poo is) and we "forget" to go to the gift shop, ha! on a side note: the tiny one is getting big...not even 6 months old and a whopping 18.3 pounds, no wonder my arms are aching...she gets around just fine, scooting and rolling and sometimes getting a "ride" from her sister, who likes to pull her around on the blanket. This makes everyone laugh outloud for a few minutes, especially India...so we add years to our lives daily!

presto...pasta

2009-01-04T23:28:00.000-08:00

we love to make our own pasta...every once in awhile...its super easy, clean up is a breeze, especially since the instructions literally say...wait until morning to clean it up...haha my kind of machine! so its really super fun now that the three yr old can pretty much do it all by herself, but the machine is so loud...(and I'm serious, i think the neighbors hate pasta night) that she wont really do much except pour and cut...but she loves calling it "worms" or "look mom its growing...aah!" yum..organic, tastes great, costs pennies...equals about 6 hours of school learning, if anyone wants to borrow this for a week, please do so!

hidden wonders

2009-01-02T20:11:00.000-08:00

what a great Friday we had! after story time at the library we met some good friends and shared a picnic in the back of her Volvo while enjoying the blue sky view above the turbulent coastline in Trinidad...we even enjoyed some delish hot cocoa. ya know, living here makes me feel like a suncatcher: someone who chases the sun, and when it warms my skin i feel like a million bucks. soon the littles created some sort of game and began to trek out to the sand...some sun, driftwood sword sparring, letter writing and all this in January?!? how lucky! we were about as far as we could have been from the car when a few sprinkles of rain tickled my nose...oh sure, lets head back before it starts to rain...or hail! hail bounced up at us as hard as it was falling on out back...laughing, the girls and I slowly trudged back to the car and peeled off the soaked clothing, turned on the heater, and read library books. Then we drove a little south to a beautiful trail walk that led straight to the sea. lots of running and fairy spotting, for it was sunny the whole way... and I truly love these adventures because when the children are busy expanding in nature the mamas get to share great uninterrupted (well mostly) conversation. weather forecast today was rain all day... we went out anyway and were pleasantly surprised!

fairy bedding and cushion discovery

a long and winding trail

bluuuuue sky sunshine

hard to see...but she is wielding a Japanese long sword, invisible of course

i love rock n roll

2009-01-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

i used to collect colored vinyl records...god help me, i still have a few left...but they have been with me through thick and thin...i cant bring myself to chuck 'em...not only that but i dont think the thrift store would take them coverless and scratched (what to do!?) make a beautiful bowl! impress your friends! fill it up with cuties and save it from the landfill! makes a great gift (next holiday) and works with plain ole black vinyl as well.

heat up the oven about 275 or 300, you pick!

on a cookie sheet place an oven proof glass object (bowl, pyrex measuring cup, etc.)

put record on top..dont walk away..open windows and turn a fan on, would ya?

in a few minutes, or so, you will have a cool bowl shape...um with an oven mitt or tongs put it outside to cool...stinks. have fun! dont fill it up with water for a cool way to display your floating candles, as there is still a hole in it!

new year

2009-01-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

dreams and wishes....wishes and dreams...we got cracked out on sugar one last time before 2009 and talked about our dreams for the new year. positive and magical.

sugar bog

2009-01-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

ya know how olive oil thickens when you saute with it? well that is how my blood feels after the holidays...thick with residue of sugar, caffeine, wheat, yeast...well you get the picture. So my solution? mate all day...shots of apple cider vinegar, doses of rescue remedy and grapefruit seed extract, extra rest, dark leafy greens and stevia. Although immediately successful, in a few weeks i wont feel like sugar is seeping out of my pores.

double christmas

2009-01-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

...and just when we thought that christmas was over...santa claus came back via grandma and grandpa who drove all the way from Arizona on their way back home to the northernmost tip of Washington...whew...makes me nervous just thinking about that long drive. but they ride in style, comfortable and warm in their cozy RV. The kids think santa comes on a weekly basis now...hmmm I wonder how long that will last. we had a fun visit and the girls couldnt get enough of grandpa! maybe they thought he was santa claus with that beard.

sunshine daydream

2008-12-30T22:03:00.000-08:00

we are tired of playing indoors! our cabin fever got so bad, that we played out in the rain and water logged two pairs of boots and soaked 3 outfits. what a mess...so we were jumping up and down when the beautiful blue sky paid us a visit! hurry hurry slam down that oatmeal...get your shoes on and lets go!

we had a nice happy birthday breakfast with a great friend and then hit the trail!

pit stop with all the other bikers, snack and ocean view...thank you sun for the vitamin d