Peach Coglo

Photographic Friday ~ Thirty-eight

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!

Have a marvelous weekend my friends.

Weekending-January 22, 2012

Joining Amanda for weekending . . . .

The weekend was a quick one.

We watched Lord of the Beans-very funny.

A certain little boy renewed his love of blueberries.  Even though they are way out of season, I got him some.  Autism can do a number on the old appetite, so whenever he is wanting some fruit and I can get it, I do.

On Saturday, we finally had a nice substantial snow.  It was a slow day of going nowhere-no ballet, no errands, just being.

I got to spend some time with Helena working on a jigsaw puzzle.  She rarely sits still so this was a treat.  The puzzle was harder than I thought it would be so we have it neatly rolled so we can return to it another day.  I hope we have more of these times together.

Sunday was sledding in some really cold weather.  Eden decided she didn't much appreciate the outing, but the other kiddos had a blast.  They've been begging for snow.  I have missed it too.  It's soothing to look out the window and see fluffy white instead of brown.  Snow definitely brightens the atmosphere and light.

I tried to remember "to take in the good" several times during the day.  The human brain really does seem to automatically focus on what's not working and dismiss what is.

Elijah got to start tennis again.  He worked on his Legos while Helena "helped".    I was able to get in a row or two of knitting, and for the first time in weeks, I sat at my sewing machine.  I don't know why I have been some remiss.  It was actually fun to sew while the kids filtered in and out to watch.  I worked on a few imperfect cloth napkins.  I have this thing about using fall and St. Patty's Day napkins out of season.  I know, but I had to start rectifying that.

On to start the week.  I am trying to be very positive as we start planning for Doran's middle school transition-uphill battle that one.

I discovered a new addiction-English Breakfast tea.  Oh yes.

And oh man is January rushing by-soon it will be February, Little Eden's birthday and Valentine's Day.  I am almost convinced that there are really 16 hours in a day instead of 24.

How was your weekend?

Finally

We had a fun long weekend.  I hope yours was just as fun and relaxing.

The weekend started off nicely as I delivered a special order to some of the nicest people I have ever met.  It feels great to share my art and to be around such kind folks.

Our Friday night movie was Here Come the Littles.  That had to be one of the most 80's movies I've ever seen.  It was okay though and definitely entertained the kids.  However, I am looking forward to the new Miyazaki movie.  Somehow I think it will be much better.  You probably already know what a Miyazaki nerd I am.  

Saturday was studio time-time for painting and thinking and planning.  There was much lego-building, train-running and game playing all weekend.  We started an ice ring.  It's finally cold enough to do this outside.  The kiddos made gingerbread cookies after Helena's dance class.  It's a new tradition for the kids to find something to bake with their Dad every Saturday.

Sunday we took a trip to a jazz concert at the library.  Anytime I can get myself and the kiddos to some live music, I do.   We also took some time to clean some more.  I finally got rid of those cruddy knob protectors that were broken.  Maybe now I will attack that monster of a craft area.

I found some super cheesy pink twinkling Valentine's lights.  Yes, I went there.  For someone who didn't get why people decorated for almost every holiday, I have gone in the opposite direction.  I love twinkly lights; winter is dark and I miss Christmas lights.  Plus I think we all need more twinkly lights in our lives.

On Monday we took some more time to paint, draw and make wax paper crayon hearts.  I let Elijah go on this one so we may need to do some more ironing to spread out the wax some.  This craft was a little more difficult than I expected.  Oops.

The kids and I talked a lot about Martin Luther King and listened to his speech and biography.  We talked about how our family couldn't "legally" exist.  The kids are a little young so I try to dose out these lessons as we go along but in a sensitive way.  I watched the Meet the Press interview with Dr. King.  You can feel how much they didn't like him.  It's long but interesting.  You can find it here.  It is almost surreal watching Dr. King from 1965.  The questions he was asked are very interesting to say the least.

Then late Monday night we started getting this:

        Finally. 

How was your weekend?

Ch-Ch-Check it Out

No we don't have any snow-just wishful thinking.

Hi friends.  I  am just popping in to let you know that my cyber-buddy Ella at Lifeologia has an awesome list of things to do this winter.  It's quite the cozy list, and I am honored to be included in it.  Ella writes lovely posts about self-care and nurturing our families.  If you have a moment, check it out.

Have a wonderful Tuesday and I'll be back here tomorrow for Yarn Along with Ginny.

Ice Sleds

The weather is changing.  I went outside without a coat a couple of days ago because it was forty degrees.  That felt great.  Most of our snowpack is gone.  There are still mountains of dirty snow in parking lots but in my yard I can see the grass, or rather the mud.  You should see the detritus of Christmas lights and decorations strewn all over people's yards.  Frosty and Santa statues are laid out everywhere.  It can be a little creepy actually.  These are things nobody has seen for months because of all the snow.  What a difference "warm" days and lots of rain make.

Here is what it had been like since December 26th.

Now in March . . .

What's left of the tunnel . . . .

And now thanks to milder weather, then 102 inches of rain yesterday and then cold weather again, we have ice sleds.  These are very fascinating to little people.

Notice we haven't put away the shovels.  We may get another snowstorm or two.  It actually snowed lightly yesterday right after it rained.  I am hoping for one more whopper of a storm to cap off the season.  I know; call me crazy.  Regardless, I probably need to go ahead and take my Christmas/Winter wreath off of the  front door.  Even though it's not officially Spring, the door could use a change to match the new feel of the weather.

Have a lovely day everyone.

 

 

All of a Sudden

Winter Solstice has long since passed.  I know the northern part of the world has been receiving more light little by little, every day, for a few months now.  It's been a gradual, but still noticeable shift in the air and sky.  All of a sudden, though, there is more light-a lot more light!  I noticed it a few days ago.  It's a bright and seemingly unfiltered light.  We've had plenty of dazzling Winter days, but this simply feels different.

 

 

 
I loved watching the light dance and bounce in, through and around some Valentine's Day tulips.  I hope you are receiving more vibrant light in your life too.  Have a lovely and relaxing weekend!

 

Inventions

Since we have had some colder winter weather lately, we have all been inside a bit more.  This gives Elijah a lot more opportunity to invent contraptions.  To my delight (and dismay at times), that boy finds more uses for trash than I have ever seen.  He collects and saves bits of this and scraps of that.  I am in desperate search for some efficient yet nice storage systems for him.

This go-round he augmented some broken binoculars.  Of course they weren't always broken.  I think they were a favor from a party he attended about a year ago.  I am glad he has gotten so much use out of them.  They broke, and now Elijah has repaired them and made them into a "stelascope".  I am not sure what a "stelascope" is but it is used under water.

 
Yes I had to move this tub of water off the hardwood floor!  It's a good thing I checked on him.

This is one reason why I like snow days.  The kids are free to explore and create on their own terms and pace.  Elijah is turning out to be kind of an "independent" learner with pretty firm ideas of what he finds useful at school.  This is interesting and scary to me all at once.  I love listening to his theories and seeing what he makes.  It makes me wish for a few more snow days.

Have a great day everyone!

 

 

Winter Peaches

This summer we collected a few peaches from one of our favorite produce farms.  I specifically made some peach jam for the cold winter days.  Well, we have definitely had some cold winter days lately.  It is the perfect time for some of Greg's homemade bread and some peach jam.  He got the recipe from here.  This book is filled with tasty and simple bread recipes.  They are practically no-fail.  The kids blasted through two loaves of bread in one sitting.  Doran and Elijah ate most of it (with Greg, Eden, Helena and me bringing up the rear), and this was after dinner.  I couldn't have had more than one slice even if I had wanted.  I am raising lumberjacks.  In any case, this is a sign that Greg's bread baking needs to be a more frequent occurrence.

 
This bread was made from a sourdough based recipe-quite tasty.

We would like to have some organic peaches where we can eat all of the peach.  Even thought the orchard sprays its peaches as little as possible, we'd like to try to eliminate it entirely.  One reason I made jam with the peaches instead of something else is that was the best way to deal with the skin-peel it off.  I hope I can remember the 'recipe' next summer, as I made it up and didn't write it down.  Nice move Ang.

In our quest for our own peaches, we purchased a Georgia Peach tree from the Arbor Day Foundation.  They sell trees at reasonable prices and are quite knowledgeable about caring for them in different zones of the country.  They sent us dormant trees and we planted them this past fall.  Right now the baby trees are completely covered in snow.  I am a little worried about them, but Greg says they are fine.  Hopefully we will have our own peaches in a couple of years sans insecticide spray.

It looks like there is more snow on the way for tomorrow.  It's the perfect time for more bread and jam!

 
Do you have any plant or tree planting dreams?

Have a great weekend everyone!

Right before the canning seal was broken . . . .

Ice Dams and Snow Jams

Anyone who lives where it snows a lot can attest to the ice dam.  The gutters get clogged with ice which used to be water melting from the roof and eaves.  I couldn't get to the backyard to show you the huge mound of ice coming out of our downspouts and gutters.  It looked like a frozen fountain.  

There is snow everywhere.  Snowbanks  are waist and shoulder-high on adults and the piles of snow in parking lots look like the Alps-well kinda.  It's times like this that remind me to be grateful for  a snug house, healthy family and great friends and neighbors, and also that I am not living during the 1800's. 

 
The remains of the front-yard tunnel . . . .

 
 Can you see the street?

 

 
Our poor air conditioner. . . .

 
Elijah made this thermometer for his room.  He just decided he needed one.

We're looking forward to a weekend of playing in all of this.  Have a great weekend everyone!

 

Preparing our Hearts

I was recently inspired by Gardenmama's garland.  She has so many wonderful crafting ideas, and she always photographs so beautifully.  We are now making our own heart garlands.  This project has been delayed a bit by other activities like school, and a lack of tape.  I keep forgetting to buy more.  What is it with kids and tape anyway?  I had about 5 dispensers full one month ago!  I didn't even notice it disappearing until it was announced there the tape was no more.  I am sure little people have been plowing through it for one project or another.  The other evening Elijah was trying to make sure his shell floated by taping clippings from his haircut into his shell.  I don't know about the science behind that.  I couldn't believe it when I saw it.  At any rate, the tape has moved to the office supply closet where the little people do not venture.  I just need a tape break, not to mention Doran gets upset when we don't have tape available for his projects.

 

 

Doran had a blast painting his hearts.

 

Finally today we will string our hearts together, much to Doran's relief.  I think the colorful decoration will look fun with our twelve new inches of snow.  I used to not pay attention to Valentine's Day as so much of it was super commercialized.  Now I have found a nice happy medium.  I enjoy getting flowers and giving them.  I think simple decorations brighten up what can be drabby winter days (I am enjoying the vintage cards and decorations because they look a lot like watercolors), and it's fun to make little treats for my husband and children.  I think this year I'll even bust out the Red Velvet cake.  Usually we only have it during Christmas or New Year's, but what the hay. 

I have begun thinking about Valentine's Day as another day to express kindness to others, simple things like letting someone going ahead of me in a line or smiling instead of reciprocating the New England stare down or furtive glance.  How about you?  Do you celebrate Valentine's Day?