Thoughts on a Thursday

It's so easy to not take care of yourself. At the moment I am slowly reading through the on-line workshop put on by Heather from Beauty that Moves. I read so much on food, I know how important it is, but I still tend to make very poor food choices. It is interesting to me that I work this way. I know when I eat better, move more, and get enough sleep I feel so awesome, like I am not even myself. And yet still I choose to eat stuff that is not so good for me, not go on a daily walk, and stay up too late and drink coffee to compensate for my total lack of energy about mid-day.
I know I am not alone in this, I wonder what makes us do the opposite of what we need?

knits

Finished the sweater, almost... just needs to be blocked and buttoned. LOVE IT! Lulu will be so sweet and cozy in it this coming fall.
Found the perfect pattern for the socks, so excited to get on these things.
I've been reading (I KNOW! shocking) to the kids, a book written by a man in our neighborhood, Story Girl. We are all loving it, it is such a great concept. Can't wait to read it every evening before bed.

Weekend in Verde Valley

beautiful grasses

fiona and i decided they were fairies

back in the water

fiona in the creek

the girlies on a walk

playing in the creek

caelan

sagan in deep thought

rowan, as challenging to photograph as bigfoot

fiona and the bullfrog

could it be a frog prince?

crossing the river after the rain

It was our annual homeschool trip to the Verde Valley.

* Gratitude Sunday *

Joining Taryn from Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday. Sunday's heartfelt tradition.A time to slowdown, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.

~ So grateful for the rain over the weekend
~ My garden, it is doing so well after a shaky start.
~ The kids for working together so well lately
~ Sagan's friends, for being so awesome.
~ A few more cool days before we hit 100 degrees
~ Bull frogs
~ Our beautiful neighbors
~ Chocolate covered almonds

{ This Moment }

Joining Soulemama for This Moment. A single photograph from the week. A moment I wish to pause, savor, and remember.

Thoughts on a Thursday

Last week was a rough one, so much emotional drama. After about a year of not dealing with something, it finally came to a head. I couldn't just ignore it any longer, and so it got dealt with. And you know, I didn't realize what a weight that whole mess was until finally it was gone. I wish I had had the courage, the strength, the whatever it was, to deal with it a year ago. Maybe NOW was right time, even though it was a hard time, maybe I needed that time for growth?
Whatever the reason, what's done is done. And I am better for it. I worry too much about what people think of me, if people like me, if they want to be my friend. Instead I should be wondering should I allow myself, my family, my children to be treated this way just so I don't upset someone? This time I decided that "Nope, this isn't how we deserve to be treated". And so we worked it out. And it was good, really good. Suddenly I realize that we are worth more, my kids deserve better, and it's ok that not everyone likes me. It is a totally freeing feeling. Not that I'm going to turn into a jerk or something, but I am surely not going to sit back and allow us to be hurt again just to not make waves. Waves work to make change, and change is good.

Crafty Yarning

Oh the knitting that has been going on here! I started and finished the Plain Tunic for Nuala using Noro Silk Garden #87. I don't know if I need better lighting or a better camera, but the yarn is so so much more lovely then in the photo. It is a bit big on her which is good, because she won't need a wool tunic dress until fall, but man, oh man was it fun to knit. I love Pickles Plain line of patterns for children. I need to order some toggle buttons from Wooly Moss Roots for this cute little tunic.
As soon as the tunic was off the needles I started two new projects, another Plain Sweater by Pickles using Wool of the Andes in Wonderland Heather. Which I think will be lovely. I am sure I have enough yarn to make one for Nuala and Fiona, so maybe this fall they will be all matchy matchy in their blue sweater vests.
And finally I cast on a pair of socks (well the first sock of a pair) using Araucania Nuble in colorway #21 which seriously looks like Easter and spring time. The yarn is so beautiful to work with. I am not sure I like the sock pattern for this yarn since it is such a fine fingering weight yarn, I am going to have to search Ravelry for another pattern I think. I want these socks to be extra special because I am making them for a dear friend.

Joining Frontier Dreams and Small Things

Weekending

Joining Pumpkin Sunrise for Weekending.

The weekend started with illness, MY illness. Some sort of yucky sore throat, cough, fever thing. But there is just so much stuff to do around here: laundry to wash and hang on the line, the garden to water and weed, the chickens to feed, food to prepare, house to tidy. I swear if I don't do it all it doesn't get done and then this huge hot mess is waiting for me when I get better. So I plugged along, occasionally mumbling under my breath, getting done what needed to be done and letting the rest just fall to the sides. I listened to "This American Life" podcasts and knitted, drank either ice cold water or hot tea depending on what felt best to my throat. And seriously, that was my weekend. I had so many plans, so much to do, but I guess the universe had other plans for me.

* Gratitude Sunday *

Joining Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday. Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slowdown, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.

~ My friends who listened for hours
~ Owning my truth
~ The garden which is doing so well
~ Warm days and cool evenings
~ Getting sick now, instead of next weekend when we will be off in the woods
~ This American Life podcasts
~ Having a full deep freeze
~ Naps (for the girls and for me!)

{ This Moment }

Joining Soulemama for This Moment. A single photograph from the week, a moment I wish to pause, savor, and remember.

Thoughts on Thursday

Some friends and I are doing The Artist's Way. Or at least trying too. Life is so busy, full of busyness. It seems that more often then not I can't even get a few minutes to myself in the morning to do the 3 pages a day of writing, let alone the time to do any of the other activities. You would think with 24 hours in a day I could eek out a few minutes every day to do the few things I need to do for this. But the busyness can be overwhelming, so many little things to be done everyday, let alone all the bigger things that seem to take up so much time everyday. I can't imagine what it is like for families where both parents work, the kids are in school, and then there are after school things like sports, dance, tutors, etc, etc.
When did we all get so busy? And why do we keep being busy when so many people seem unhappy with the level of busyness? It is like there is a shame in just being, I feel it sometimes myself, well if I am honest I feel it a lot, even in a homeschool community. Why aren't we able to do all the things everyone else is doing? Is there something the matter with me? Why can't I do the farmer's market, hit the park, do the book club all in one day and then hop over to soccer practice in the evening? Why can't I get all the kids into swimming lessons, then summer camps put on my the library, do all my cooking from scratch, and make time to do all the things I want to do? I have no idea how people do all of that stuff and stay sane. My hat goes off to them, because if I am truly honest with myself I can do one thing. I can do park, or library, or hit the pool with all the kids, but not all three. I need to be ok with that, and not try and push myself because I feel like I am failing in my motherly, homeschooling duties.

Yarn Along

Joining Small Things for the weekly Yarn Along.

Finished up the socks that were a birthday gift for my mom, of course she probably won't wear them until December since our temps are already getting to 90 degrees, haha, and the socks are a nice thick wool... but they turned out lovely and are super cozy.
I started and almost finished this sweater for Nuala using this yarn, but one row left and then binding off I unraveled the whole thing and I'm thinking I might make this for Nuala instead, maybe in a size 2 because again she won't be wearing a wool tunic until November at least. I am also planning on making both Nuala and Fiona these tops again since they have outgrown the ones I made last summer.

Crafting (AKA trying to work out yet another rhythm)

It happens every so often, I am just overwhelmed with our lack of rhythm. It creeps in slowly things are fine and over time it just slowly falls apart. I don't notice until everything is a hot mess. Kids staying up too late, too much time on the computer, too much fighting between the kids, not enough focused time. I guess it is too much breathing out, not enough breathing in. So have been working over the last couple weeks to come up with a rhythm that suits our ever changing needs. It feels good, like spring cleaning our life.

Inspired by Wee Folk Art's Homeschool Curriculum , decided I would make one for us and our environment. As much as I love all the woodland, beachy, summer fun stuff our reality is... We live in the Sonoran Desert, our summers aren't filled with loads of time outside because it is 110 degrees mid day, for weeks on end. And that is ok, I need to just let go of my fantasy of being at the beach every day. So this summer we have a whole heap of great books to read, fun trips to take, and new things to learn, all related to this awesome place we live.

Weekending

Friday was a bit of an emotional mess, but it was remedied with some retail therapy. Took all my girlies to do some shopping, I don't do that often but it sure was fun. Saturday was full of family, an impromptu family gathering which included some grilling and sitting outside under the tree,while the kids played, and the grown ups sipped beer. I'm so glad my dear hubby talked me into it because I was stewing over personal issues and it was nice to just lay that mess aside. Sunday is pancakes, and pretty much doing nothing but watching the grass grow, so you know perfection!

* Gratitude Sunday *

Joining Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday. Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slowdown, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.

~ I am so grateful for friends who listened to me process some of my "stuff" this week.
~ Coffee, I know I say it a lot, but it's true.... ahhhhh coffee
~ My husband's awesome cobbling skills, he whipped up a sweet chicken playpen for our still smallish hens so they could be outside, but not pooing all over the yard.
~ Impromptu family get togethers
~ Sunshine and lots of time outside
~ Flowers from Trader Joe's. I love having flowers in the house and Trader Joe's has them at a price that I can pick myself up some everyweek.
~ Having a freezer full of meat. We were able to fill the freezer for less than $500 and it will last us about a year, makes me feel like a rich woman.
~ The garden finally doing ok. We might actually get some food from it!

{ This Moment }

Joining Soulemama for This Moment. A single photograph from the week, a moment I wish to pause, savor, and remember.

my beautiful 17 year old boy 

Thoughts on Thursday

I often think about how our society is set up to keep us all from each other, children put in schools all day, parents in separate jobs, grandparents hold up at home or locked away in nursing homes. Families separated from other families because of the idea that we should independent. We are all at this craziness alone. It is hard, because we shouldn't be parenting alone. How much easier would mothering be if you knew the neighbor had your back and wasn't going to call CPS on you because your two year old was running around outside naked on a sunny day while you hurried to grab the water? Or at the grocery store when your 4 year old is in full on meltdown over the candy set RIGHT BY THE CHECK OUT LANE, instead of people giving you the stink eye, maybe they help put the groceries on the conveyor belt.
How much more family togetherness would we have if families could survive and thrive on a single income, and that income could be made in any manner of ways like mom working full time, or dad working full time or mom and dad both working part time in jobs that inspire them and fill them up rather than deplete them and wear down their souls.
What if schools could be set up in a way to help children follow their own path and help them focus their strengths and joy into areas that would truly bring them happiness?
What if our elders where actually active in our lives? Offering wisdom and a different out look on life.
Yes, this is what I ponder while driving, or while I sit outside with the kids as they run about the yard. Heather Cushman-Dowdee has written about this very stuff in her comics over the years, some of my favorite are when she does ponder these very questions and gives her thoughts on the solutions. It was always so nice to read her stuff and know I was not alone in my wishes for the world.

knit bits

I started sock number 2!! Broke through the SSS and once I did it has been scooting along pretty quickly. I'm at least one pattern block further than this photo, which means I have about 13-ish rows left until I can start the heel flap, so it is working pretty fast!
Honestly I put the book in the photo because I was shamed by my total lack of reading, I have been thumbing through my old copies of Hathor the Cowgoddess comic books, so it isn't totally staged. haha

Joining Small Things for the weekly Yarn Along.