Peek!

and we're off

Here we go, Flora and I, into the great blue sky.  I am so blessed. 

bonne annee

It was quite a journey -- the five of us (plus pillows, blankets, clothes, presents, snacks, water, books, and yarn) cozied up in the Forester.  Looking back, I wish I'd given every last bit of the travel stress to Mother Ocean, but it took days to let go of it all.  But what wonderful memories we brought back!

Blessings on the rest of 2012 ...

christmas past

How lovely it was!

How nice it felt to relax just a little bit and let go of Perfect -- presents, food, decorations, housekeeping.   It was the year of our first yellow pine, and I'm a convert.  The ability to hang all our ornaments (except the glass pickle) made up for the prickly sticklies of bringing it in and putting the lights on. 

Already I'm dreaming of next year:  an early start; handmade, secondhand, and edible gifts; and making it last.  Garlands and paper chains, snowflakes and stockings, candles and singing.  Maybe even homemade eggnog.

And, weather permitting, a walk.

In loving memory of Victor and Jerry Taber, who made Christmas magic each and every year.  And in great appreciation of my dad, who made sure we got to their house in upstate NY each and every year. 

 

 

 

solstice bells

I didn't even listen to the song this year (but oh how I remember listening to it all the way up in the tiny hotel bathroom in Richmond, and I'm about to jump out of my skin to see this for the first time with my honey).

 

But, thanks to Mom and children, I did get to walk in the woods with my sister on the eve of the day. 

And see some sweet smiles. 

And get to look down to see my two favorite pairs of shoes ever.

These things make me happy.

another rainy day

I hope they remember this:  that the rain fell, heavy at times.  That I said yes to reading books.  That we put on snow boots and mittens and went to splash in puddles.  That we had hot chocolate, with double marshmallows for the one who stayed out the longest.

What fades (I hope) are the stinkbugs on the floor, the awkward placement of too much furniture, the litany of things undone.

I am enjoying The Lacuna for lots of reasons:  discoveries about recent history (hello, Bonus Army!  hello, Trotsky!), the world of driven creativity, and the sweet lost language of Violet Brown.  And the fact that all of it is worlds away from the struggles here:  the quest for a loving way to embrace the everyday. 

Quest.  Embrace.  Everyday. 

So be it.