Peach Coglo

Raspberry Picking

People who know me know that I struggle with spontaneity lately.  When I was childless, this wasn't who I was.  I was pretty spontaneous.  I would do a day trip with no thought or plans at all.  I mean I hitchhiked in Mexico.  Now I get the heebie jeebies if I see our precarious routine slipping out of my fingers and think of the chaos that will probably soon reign.  So I try to strike a balance - have a routine my children and I can depend on as our base, with enough leeway to be spontaneous.  Ironically I have found when there is a routine in place for cleaning, work, etc, there is more room (mentally and physically) for fun things to pop up.  I just have to get used to the "popping up".

The other day such a thing happened.  Of course the house wasn't clean, but it was Unplugged Sunday and nothing was planned.  Greg suggested we go raspberry picking so we did.

I am so glad we went.  I love the smell of raspberries in the warm air.  No wonder these things cost you your firstborn at the store, they are not that easy to pick.  So now, thanks to Greg, we have raspberries even though our own bushes went toes up this year-we had way to much rain.  Greg whipped up a batch of raspberry jam that we are all enjoying.  Good things come from spontaneity.

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Bookmark

Today I am linking up with Ginny over at small things for her Yarn Along series.

I just finished my first knitted bookmark!  Of course the pattern came from more Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, lately every thing has.  I love that book.  I learned a new stitch too, the linen stitch.  Can I just say I love it!  Of course I had to start over about fifteen times.  For me at least, the stitch requires some mindfulness.  I would not recommend learning or starting this stitch while having a conversation or several active children around you.  ;-)

It's a super easy stitch.  I would sometimes knit or purl when I was supposed to simply slip a stitch.  If you have a nice chunk of time, say about an hour of straight knitting, you can complete this bookmark.  I even enjoyed the size four dpns.  After the size twos, the fours are huge.  The pattern is easy, interesting and addictive enough that I will be making several more.  Greg actually asked for one, so I am very impressed. 

As for my book this week, I am still reading Buddhism for Mothers and still enjoying and learning so much.

       Can you tell which is mine? ;-)

Even the wrong side looks kind of cool. You can't really see the color here, but the yarn is a dark green with blue, purple, and chartreuse green highlights-very gardeny looking.

What are you reading and knitting?

Seven Times Around the Sun ~ Times Two!

Thank you all for your sweet birthday wished for Elijah and Helena.  They turned seven on Saturday.  I can still remember with much clarity the stormy night they were born.  As I think of it, we have these monsoons every year around their birthday.

What to do to celebrate?  Mama had her own ideas but of course it was their birthday.  I wanted to celebrate them and make sure they felt celebrated and special.  In this day in age it seems like the last birthday party has to out-do the previous one.   At every birthday, I try to find a happy medium-a birthday celebration the kids want and enjoy but nothing that will blow our budget and cause a lot of undue stress.  We all know when mama is stressed, everybody is stressed.

There were requests for bouncy house parties, Chuck E. Cheese, Bounce U., etc.  All of these had been experienced at parties they had attended.  They all involved a whole lotta cash and mayhem.

I told the children that we weren't going to have a big, big party like we did last year.  I said I thought they might prefer being the bosses for the day.  They could decide what to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as the activities for the day.  And of course, we couldn't forget the birthday cake.  Well lo and behold, they had an incredible day.  Helena actually told me unprompted that it was her best birthday ever, "so much better than Bounce U. mom!"  Elijah, a man of few words, looked happy and content all day.  What a relief.   Everyone wants their children to have great birthdays.  I was so glad they had that.

I made sure to buy them both a bouquet of roses and I put a single rose at their places at the table.  I found out from Greg later that Helena was wondering if they would get flowers again this year.  It's interesting how traditions take hold even after they only occurred once before.  There was also card making, present wrapping and decorating.

Here's what they did: lunch at Dairy Queen, ice cream cake baking and construction, playing inside (because of course it rained for the first half of the day), a carousel ride and play in the park, a visit to the planetarium and grits and dad's homemade bread for dinner (true story - their choice).  Elijah had "white" grits and Helena had cheese grits.

On Sunday, my parents came by to see the children and to give the birthday couple their gifts.  All in all I think everything turned out the way it was meant to be-we had two very happy seven year-olds.  I still can't believe they are seven!!

 

 

 

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Weekending ~ June 26 2011

Today I am joining Amanda over at the habit of being for Weekending.

 

This weekend was full of birthday activities for Elijah and Helena:

I could not believe that they are now seven, or as Opa says "the age of reason"

It was very exciting to them.  Helena was especially excited to be seven

They chose what they wanted to do and eat that day

There were cards made my mama, a trip to Dairy Queen for lunch, a carousel ride, and presents

There was a homemade ice cream cake.  I baked the cake while Greg assembled the various cake and ice cream parts

The rain finally stopped.  We almost didn't recognize the sun, he's been gone for so long

Sunday was unplugged and slow with raspberry picking and two-wheeled scooter fun

Opa and Grandma made a birthday trip down to see the new seven-year-olds.  We were so grateful for their time and presence

Greg and are are experimenting with taking weekends off.  Since there is no office for him, there is no studio for me.  We'll see how it works out as summertime flows along.  It was difficult for me since I don't get much-needed time to paint already,

But there was knitting and learning a new-to-me stitch, the linen stitch

There was time to catch up with girlfriends

All in all a great weekend to celebrate and rest before the busy week begins anew.

 

How was your weekend?

 

Photographic Friday ~ Eleven

It's Photographic Friday, the day when I share practice photographs from the past few days or so.  They aren't perfect.  What is really?  I'm enjoying the process of concentrating, creating and working up my 10,000 hours of practice.  If the spirit moves you, feel free to share your own creations, photographic and otherwise with a link!

We're getting ready to celebrate two little ones who have made seven trips around the sun.  I wish you all have a  lovely weekend!

School Art Show

Near the end of the year, among the many other activities the school has scheduled, there is the school art show.  The kids' art teacher does a fabulous job teaching them about art and art techniques.  They are very lucky.  Every year the teacher staples up hundreds of artworks onto the school walls-hours and hours of work.  Every child gets at least one artwork on the wall.  It's not at all like the old days when only the "best" gets posted.

I usually don't go to the "art opening" itself due to the crowds of children and parents running through the halls.  Works are spread around so it can be a challenge to find them.  I don't think a crowd would help.  So a few days after the opening, I roam the halls in search of their art.  It is always a delight.  I am so grateful to their teacher for all of the time and effort she puts into their little lives.

Group art work in Doran's class.  I couldn't tell which part he contributed to this time, but I suppose that's all part of the "groupness".  We are very pleased with how far he has come in drawing and expressing himself in poetry and visual art this year.  He has worked extremely hard and he gets so much satisfaction from it.

Elijah's snowman.  Sorry for the fuzz-there was a constant tugging at the skirts.  I am  not sure which technique they were learning about here (pastels and ?), but I really liked it.

Helena's rooster, cats, owl, and other critters.

Elijah's Goat - African Style

What favorite pieces of kids' art hang around your house?  Have a loverly Thursday!

All Sewed Up

Linking up with Ginny today at small things for her Yarn Along series.   Feel free to join in with her and many others.

I finished the seed-stitch bracelet and in time to give it to Doran's wonderful teacher.  I can't believe that it was done in time; that almost never happens.  The project was so simple that I didn't really feel rushed either.  Yay for that!

Next I am working on a linen-stitch bookmark.  The book, more Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, promises ease.  We'll see.  I've been known to muck up really easy projects before.  If it proves true I see many Christmas and birthday gifts coming up with this one! 

On the book front, we finished Striped Ice Cream.  Now we are reading Betsy and Billy aloud just before bedtime.  I have put off Warmth of Other Suns for a bit because I felt a need to read Buddhism for Mothers by Sarah Napthali.  As I realize the children and their needs are changing and growing by the minute, not to mention outside obligations that seem to multiply exponentially, I think this is the perfect book for right now.  As the author says, so many books (which I do enjoy) focus on nurturing the children and not the mothers who struggle as they raise them, keep the house and themselves together.

Right now we are adjusting to a new schedule of no school, me working at the studio for half a day (loving this) and Greg as usual being at work a lot of the time.  This makes for some adjustment in expectations, goals and attitudes.  It's a good challenge to have.

I hear yelping so I am off.  I will leave you with this quote that I read in Buddhism for Mothers:

We are what we think.  All that we are arises with our thoughts.  With our thoughts we make the world.

~ the Buddha

 

 

Weekending ~ June 19 2011

Today I am joining Amanda at the habit of being for her Weekending series.

 

Ah this weekend was the last of the super busy weekends for a while.  It started with a bang and then slid into a nice languid pace.  Yay!

Saturday Elijah went to his birthday party by himself.  He and his friends checked out a movie, had ice cream cake and present opening.  His friend loved the mouse Elijah made.  Then of course there was a water gun  fight

While this was happening the other three were at a birthday party for our friend Ben.  His mom, Darlene, is amazing. She has turned their house into a sensory sanctuary for her son

There was swimming and cake.  Elijah returned from his first party to join in on the swimming.  One borrowed swim trunk later, he was good to go.  Too bad I left his bag with his towel and his shoes somewhere between their backyard and the street.  It's been a little busy

Sunday was "unplugged".  Though I tried to convince him otherwise, Greg spent part of the day installing new windows.  I must say I am happy he did

Greg harvested the first and possibly last of our strawberries.  We moved the patch a couple of years ago and they are still recovering.  We were elated to see several strawberries.  There's always next year

The kids spent the day making gifts and playing in mud.  Elijah sewed a bookmark; Helena wrote a few books, and Eden and Doran and I gave Greg a book he had been wanting

Elijah took two showers he was so dirty.  Then he, Helena and Eden soaked their feet in warm water with some Dr. Bonner's lavender soap-separately of course

Greg took a nap-a miracle in itself

A summer bucket list was considered

We ate lunch and dinner outside-a new tradition on a new-to-us table that the whole family loves.  There are plans to take as many meals outdoors are possible

I'm looking forward to some time in the studio this week-several hours in a row on the same day

The day ended with a broke-down Father's Day cake.  I don't know what happened but the second later fell completely apart.  Hey but it was still tasty and everyone ate it.  As Eden put it, "I need dake!"

Helena wrapped a brownie left over from Friday's Movie Night as part of her Dad's Day gift-very resourceful.

 

I don't know what happened here.

I hope everyone had a wonderful and restful weekend.  I'll be back at this space on Wednesday for "Yarn Along" with Ginny. 

Photographic Friday ~ Ten

It's Photographic Friday, the day when I share practice photographs from the past few days or so.  They aren't perfect.  What is really?  I'm enjoying the process of concentrating, creating and working up my 10,000 hours of practice.  If the spirit moves you, feel free to share your own creations, photographic and otherwise with a link!

Through the greenhouse window . . . .

Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Father's Day to all the dads and special dudes out there!

Date Night

Okay this never happens.  The other night Greg and I were able to go out alone-the silence was wonderful.  I mean we talked to each other but it wasn't over yelping and screeching children.  How did they get to be so loud?  They are delightful, but yes they are extremely loud.  It occurred to me that Greg and I are rarely able to hold a conversation that is not being drowned out or has the potential of being drowned out by some sort of brouhaha.  Did I say it was nice to get out alone already? 

So we took a trip to Elizabeth Park.  It is an old-fashioned Victorian rose garden-simply beautiful.  Unfortunately we have been having Georgia-style thunder storms around here-lots of wind and cray-cray lightning.  Consequently many of the roses showed a little wear and tear, although given the weather, I thought the damage would be worse.

The haze made the garden look even more romantic and Victorian.

After a leisurely walk through the park, we went to a local restaurant for some appetizers.  It was a fun break.  It is oh so obvious that we need to get out more.

Do you get out much, and if you do what do you do?