The Good Life 10.27.2013

the good life is about being grateful

  being present in the little things

remembering to breathe

resting in the seat of joy

it's Fall!

leaves are turning. mornings are CRISP COLD!

we're nearing the turn from hours upon hours outside, 

to hours - upon hours - inside.

it's an adjustment for all of us, and one that i only just realized.

Fall - the season of transition.

the season before the dormant.

the season to reflect on the bounty,

and prepare for the barren.

i love this season. 

through the death of life, 

comes the beauty in life. 

mother nature is so damn smart.

these four

these are the people that fill my day,

my hours, 

my minutes...

my moments.

these four are the reason there is little time for writing.

no time for writing, 

but abundant time for 

dreaming,

being,

learning,

listening,

celebrating,

loving.

living.

through them, i will live the life of my dreams...

dreams that have little to do with money,

or profession,

or location, 

or recognition.

  

 this is me, dreaming

WHAT IF?

yeh, what if?

what if it all turns to shit?

what if all my fears come true?

what if the world is that dark, scary, irrational 

pit of doom most of media wants me to believe?

what if?

or..... or..... or..... or.....

what if it turns out beautifully?

what if my fears can be given some space - 

a breath,

a thank you,

a 'don't worry - i've got this...'

what if i just don't listen to the 'pit of doom' coverage?

am i naive?

am i irresponsible?

is my head in the sand?

perhaps. 

i'll just be here...

giving some space to my worries,

and witnessing them 

as they blur

into simple flashes of color and thoughts,

 as i dream of a life...

a life i am living.

  

this is how we do it

forget the lists.

forget the formality.

forget the measurements.

remember the fun.

remember the creativity.

remember the learning.

the learning

that happens

when you 

just live. 

thank you, mother nature

found on an old tree

lining the road to the farm.

a rolling road

that always gets the kids giggling when their bellies

head into their throats. 

most days i drive a little fast

on this back country road.

until now.

until we saw this.

this lichen.

it's magnificent.

strong.

sturdy.

as big as dinner plate, if not bigger.

amazing how it can be so strong,

yet so far out from the tree.

this lichen,

just reaching.

growing outward.

this is how i feel some days.

just reaching.
growing outward.

a solid connection to a grounded life,

but reaching just beyond...

 i love this lichen.

the small, in the big
someone recently reframed my thinking.
when things feel HUGE, find respite in the small.
when you are weighed down by the small,
find respite in the big.
the yin & yang of life.
i love seeing this in my day.
he may not be reading,
but he just offered his sister his love, and his hand.
she may still panic,
but she just told me exactly what i can do to ease her worries.
life goes fast.
life plays fierce - all for keeps!
some days you have to focus on that one small spot,
to regain your balance.
other days,
you simply have to throw yourself off that edge,
blissfully filled with the unknown.
these small, warm lights 

offering a gentle start...

to another big day.

the small, in my big.

 

it's a good life, in these moments.
in trying to understand myself,
while understanding my kids.
in trying to create a life for my family,
while making sure there is play-dough and paint.
in trying to breath,
while having my breath taken away.
such a lucky life.
it's a good life.

The Good Life 6.19.13

the good life is about being grateful

  being present in the little things

remembering to breathe

seeing joy

stomach flu

 i've always been terrified of the flu.

that image from Stand By Me 

(when everyone is puking after the pie eating contest,)

this is the image that comes to mind.

four kids.

four buckets.

spewing stomach content. 

blech.

and then me, getting the pukes.

i'm breaking into a cold sweat just thinking about it.

we got the stomach flu this year. 

four kids.

FOUR WEEKS.

it was a long month.

but in the mess, i gained some confidence.

i have a pretty good routine down,

and it involves a shit-ton of Clorox.

(graphic lower GI pun intended.)

Drew

Calum

confidence

it's a dance, of sorts.

nurturing the confidence of children,

while getting out of their way.

i believe children are inherently confident,

clouded only by the fear of adults.

she wanted to make an apron for her doll.

 i'm so proud of myself for not getting in her way.

grateful for the awareness, in the moment, to quiet my need for:

order,

a plan,

agreement,

and a clean floor.

she wanted to make an apron for her doll. 

so, she did.

 breathless leaps of faith

if you're lucky, you've experienced these.

most of mine have come on the heels of my children,

but there are a few that came before.

that moment when i'm infinitely aware that i am terrified,

yet life is happening and it is GOOD! 

that moment when all i can do is watch, and breath. 

i am still.

i am quiet.

i am frozen in thought.

i am alive.

i am engaged.

and in the fear, comes the brave. 

because sometimes, being still and present is the bravest thing i can do.

Calum

Ella

thirteen years

it's been thirteen years since:

our marriage-celebrant dropped the f-bomb during our vows, while

we stood by a pond brimming with turtles, as

it rained a soft, gentle Spring storm, and

we drove off for the next 13 years.

it's been 13 years of growing, and

laughing, and

loving, and 

learning, and

creating a life that serves us both, so

we can serve our children.

it's a good life in all the middle moments...

between the vomits and the cleaning-up.

between the overnight hauls when someone is hurting, and

the coffee on the front porch while it rains, before the house starts to stir.

and the drifting weeks in between when i'm yearning to write but 

life has a different priority.

the good life lives in those moments between -

'i'm sorry you didn't get any sleep last night mommy...'

and

'that's ok, love. i'd rather spend the night holding you...'

it's a good life.

The Good Life 3.20.13

the good life is about being grateful

  being present in the little things

remembering to breathe

seeing joy

quotes
i'm a quote kind of girl.

they are everywhere, in our home.

 my kids will have memories of quotes on the fridge,

on the mirrors,

on windows,

on the clothes washer,

in my car,

and in their lunch boxes.

 not in all these locations at the same time, but...

quotes are BIG, in these parts.

and this quote, this one, speaks especially clearly to me.

there is alot to parenting, and our lives, that are intangible.

  the best i can do is

hold the vision, trust the process.

 

my four
 ha! THESE four.
four blankets.
four different teas (must be to taste.)
four mugs.
four seats.
four sets of hands.
four sets of feet.
four needs.
four joys.
four gifts.
four dreamers.
these four.
my dreams, to the fourth power.

  

 what leprechauns do
in this house leprechauns live on sticks,
and are the cobblers to our beloved fairies.
these three popped-up in various places in the house,
throughout the week of St. Patrick's Day.
merry-makers, these little guys. 
i just smile looking at them.
something about their little hands on their hips...
as if to say, 'come on...what could go wrong?'
not that my four need any nudging;

 there's plenty of mischief, regardless of green clothes and gold buckles.

it's a good life. even with a late winter snow. a blustery first day of Spring.

a diagnosis of Strep after an entire night awake.

it's a good life BECAUSE of these things,

not in spite of them.

it's a good life in all the middle moments...

between the call to doctors and the trip to the pharmacy.

the bird-watching from the sofa, in the morning...

before the warmth of the bed-covers has dissipated from their young little bodies.

the good life lives in those moments between -

'please put down your toy before you spill your milk.'

and

'would you like some help cleaning up your milk?'  

it's a good life.

#fridayfaves 2.8.13

Friday is about being grateful

seeing the little things

remembering to breathe

finding joy

it's been a busy week but without that overwhelmed feeling of too much, too little, quick-quick-quick! this is the part of our life that i love. we control the schedule! maybe this encourages a hermit's life but for us, it encourages harmony, and healthy control, and health - both physical and mental! by taking it slower, choosing quality over quantity, we stay in rhythm. 

i am so grateful to BE among the rhythm of my family. 

imbolc

this was our first year celebrating the festival of imbolc, 

the halfway point between winter solstice & spring equinox.

i love ritual, and ceremony, and the kids love fire so...it was a natural fit.

  i love that my children are learning new traditions,

all the while fueling my spirit.

signs of spring 

this tiny clay flower adorned my kitchen table this week.

out of scraps, and chaos, and turbulent moments, 

beauty & creation, color & life - PREVAILS!

just like the blooms in spring. 

notice the lady bug on the petal. 

i may never part with this.

signs of another kind

my calum.

my first son. 

my heart, in form.

he is taller every day.

strong. emotional. a force.

and he does the dishes...

his father - incarnate.   

time

we can't hold our rhythm without time.

time. 

time to be. 

time to serve.

i am eternally grateful for time - 

time to love, to nurture, to nourish, to learn, 

to be WITH my life, and my family!

and a little extra time to make sweet little strawberry hearts for the lunchbox. 

love

 the love of sisters.

the love of glue, and scissors, and construction paper.

the love of creating. 

the love of giving.

the love of sharing...of oneself,

to those we love.

5 facts

a fun exercise in learning the unsaid -

a few facts about me, as answered recently...

1.  sometimes, most times, the sunrise makes me speechless.

2. i happen to believe in fairies, and most things curious in nature.

3. the full moon makes me giddy.

4. i love a good quote. words can change your life.

5. three must-haves...a firepit, a favorite coffee mug, and my family.