tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248866172024-03-13T12:33:44.019-07:00momosarahlife and love in
the cirque de doggettsarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.comBlogger166125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-17218348437796099112014-12-05T01:53:00.001-08:002014-12-05T01:53:33.231-08:00ReapingWhen they were little, we watched them dance around the living room, daily, nightly, all the time. We sat through never-ending plays made up by them, with homemade costumes and sets that fell over. We endured endless evenings of new-violin-player 'music' and Suzuki practice CD's on repeat. And now, they are quite grown up. The 'bigs' are, anyway. Forest is still scheming about how he can get me to be Rudolph to his Santa Claus, and even convinced me without much work to buy a pair of felt reindeer antlers and a blinking red nose tonight. I'm trying to convince him that it looks much better on him, and hoping he goes for some mash-up of Santa and Rudolph so that I don't get stuck pulling a sleigh like the dog in the Grinch. But, those 'bigs' are gone until the late evening every night right now. Rehearsing. This weekend, it's a play. Gus is on the big stage with his much-practiced role of pirate. He was a pirate for about four years running, starting at age six. He dug out his crumpled homemade felt hat tonight to take to one of the final rehearsals before the big nights, Saturday and Sunday. He comes home happy and tired from these practices, looking forward to the next one. I can't help but think of one of his early acting experiences, in which the 'stage' was the area beneath his newly built loft bed, and he and his sisters did a rousing rendition of 'The Elves and the Shoemaker'. Gus was a very grumpy shoemaker. <br />
<br />Eleanor is dancing so much we hardly see her. As a part of the 'company' at her studio, her practices go long most nights, and besides dancing at school, she has six days of dancing at her studio. I remember taking her to her first ballet class, in her pink leotard and tutu. She was thrilled. She still is. I watch with amazement as her formerly chubby little limbs have grown and stretched to miles long arms and legs and as she does contortionist things with them. As a young dancer, I had dreams of doing the things she is doing now, and it is such a treat to watch her do them.<br />
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Lucy is getting ready for her debut in 'the pit'. She cut her finger on a knife the other day, which is making playing the violin a bit rough, but she's excited to be playing the music of The Nutcracker, and finding her way through this first set of long rehearsals, in what will likely be a long line. I watch her confidence grow as she becomes more comfortable with this new group.<br />
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All in all there will be eleven performances in a week and half's time. The Dude is a bit grumbly about the busyness of it all, and the driving for all of these sometimes gets to this Taximama. But I have been reminding myself and him that these performances are something they have been working up to for years, a decade now. All of the encouragement, tears, lessons, dollars and determination that have gone into getting these kiddos to the stages they will be on would have been worth it if they only continued to enjoy playing, acting or dancing. I hope that they will also enjoy the doing of their things for others. sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-21957214124113985432014-06-16T00:53:00.000-07:002014-06-16T00:53:58.728-07:00Schoooool's out for Summer! (Sorta)<br />
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The local public schools ended their year on Thursday, and since I have one child enrolled in middle school, it was her last day of school. As such, I thought the occasion needed to be marked with <i>something</i> and that something wanted to be a baked item. It was rather a soggy day, here, for the first day of summer. I was going to make brownies, but our internet connection was down (OMGoogle! How did we survive?) So, I couldn't get my new fave <a href="http://paleogrubs.com/best-paleo-brownie-reci" target="_blank">brownie</a> recipe. So I picked up one of my old friends, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580081266/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1580081266&linkCode=as2&tag=peacebabiesco-20" target="_blank">The Enchanted Broccoli Forest</a> and turned right to this (I always get my cookbooks dirty.) :<br />
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Oh yes. A new tradition, perhaps? Maybe I was feeling like this kind of treat because the weather was rather soggy and chilly and we had a pint of cream in the fridge. An hour later we were sinking our teeth into some awesome gingerbread!<span id="goog_959580227"></span><span id="goog_959580228"></span> <br />
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This gal was a bit on the sad side, as she said goodbye to friends and teachers after her great 7th grade year. She not be returning to the local middle school, but instead, going on to <a href="https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/schools/acma/" target="_blank">ACMA</a> in the fall. Everyone else also enjoyed the gingerbread, and it was used as bait to get 3 squirrelly boys into the car and on their way home. Yes! Food Bribery! What parents live for!<br />
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With a definite nod to Ms. Katzen, I share with you my reworked recipe:<br />
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(Gluten Free) Triple Gingerbread Squared</div>
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(Because this girl is a math wiz.)</div>
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a little butter or oil for the pan </div>
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6 Tbs. butter or coconut oil </div>
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3 Tbs. grated fresh ginger</div>
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1/2 cup maple syrup</div>
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1/2 cup light molasses</div>
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3/4 cup yogurt</div>
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1 egg</div>
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1 1/2 c gluten free flour (1 c brown rice 1/2 c each tapioca starch and potato starch, 1/2 tsp xant. gum)</div>
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1/2 cup almond flour </div>
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1 1/2 tsp baking soda</div>
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1/4 tsp salt</div>
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1 tsp dry mustard</div>
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1/2 tsp ground cloves</div>
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1/2 tsp cinnamon</div>
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1/4 tsp nutmeg</div>
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1 tsp ground ginger</div>
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1/4 cup uncrystallized candied ginger (We get it at Trader Joes) chopped into bits</div>
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1) Preheat oven to 375. Grease an 8-inch square pan with butter or oil.</div>
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2) Place the butter or oil in a small pan, add the ginger and saute for 3 minutes over medium heat.</div>
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3) Combine syrup and molasses in a large bowl, add the ginger mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in the yogurt and egg.</div>
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4) In a smaller bowl, combine the dry ingredients.<br />
5) Add the dry to the wet and mix until fully combined.<br />
6) Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.<br />
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Enjoy! </div>
<br />sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-7563673408803552642014-04-22T10:02:00.000-07:002014-04-28T10:16:04.609-07:00MomoSarah's Stellar GF Pie Crust<br />
I'm a pie lover. I'd take pie over cake pretty much any day, if that pie was homemade. My Mother makes excellent pie crust, and because of that, I'm a pie crust snob. Like her, I can tell right off if pie crust is homemade, and also, if it is made with Crisco. Real pie crust is made with real fat, friends, and for my Mom, that means lard. For me, that means butter, or if I'm making pie for a dairy-free friend, coconut oil. Yes, I have made pie crust with a liquid oil, such as grapeseed or olive, but these 'pat in the pan' crusts are never as nice as the kind you roll out (something about the melting point of the solid fats makes their crusts more flaky and delicious.) One day, while still in high-school, my sister and I wanted to make a pie. I insisted that we needed to learn now to make good pie-crust, otherwise how would we make good wives? (This was obviously, pre-Santa Cruz). My sister insisted that the kind you buy and unfold and roll out work just fine. I ended up making a pie crust using the Joy of Cooking, and have been making pie crust ever since. I'm pretty sure this was also instrumental in my 'catching' of a husband, as the first meal I ever cooked for him (and two equally deprived men who hadn't had enough homemade pie) was Thanksgiving dinner, including two kinds of pie.<br />
Fast-forward 20 years, and here we are, needing a Gluten-Free Pie Crust. What? Impossible you say? Well, I am certain I heard my skeptic of a brother say, "You really got this gluten-free thing nailed," after he ate a slice of the pie I made for Easter. Pie-crust is one of the first baked things I learned to make gluten-free. I got the recipe from a friend and have adapted it to make it even more yummy:<br />
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Stellar Gluten Free Pie Crust</div>
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Makes a double-crusted pie, or 2 9-inch crusts, or an 11-inch tart crust</div>
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PARCHMENT PAPER NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE!</div>
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INGREDIENTS: </div>
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1 cup brown rice flour</div>
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1/2 cup tapioca starch</div>
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1/2 cup potato starch</div>
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1/2 cup almond flour (if you don't have this, use 3/4 cup each of the starches)</div>
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1 rounded tsp xantham gum</div>
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1 Tbsp sugar<br />
1/4 tsp salt </div>
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3/4 cup butter (or lard or coconut oil)</div>
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1 egg, beaten</div>
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1 Tbsp vinegar or buttermilk</div>
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2-3 Tbsp cold milk or ice water</div>
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METHOD:</div>
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Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Cut in the butter (or other fat) using a pastry cutter, fork or your fingers, until the mixture is thoroughly mixed. Combine the beaten egg and the vinegar or buttermilk in a smaller bowl. Add wet mixture to dry, and mix gently with a fork. Add the milk or water 1 Tbsp at a time, until the pasty holds together enough to form a ball. I actually have used a bit more than 2-3 Tbsp, just until it was a cohesive ball. </div>
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Depending on the size of pan you're using, decide whether you need 1 or 2 balls. Roll 1 ball at a time between two pieces of parchment paper. (Yes, I have done it without this, between two plastic bags. You could also use plastic wrap, dusted with rice flour. You could also use wax paper.) Roll the crust evenly between the paper, until it is your desired thickness and size. The crust is quite fragile, but, relax, it will all work out. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper. Invert your pie plate on the top of the crust, then flip the entire thing (plate and crust with parchment) and press the crust into the plate. Now remove the parchment and flute the edges as you like. </div>
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Fill this with your favorite filling and then do the same flip-trick with the other piecrust over the top of the pie. Bake according to the directions you have for your desired filling. I use an edge protector, as the edge of this crust will get dark.</div>
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For a crust to be used later, bake in a apreheated 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.</div>
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Call up your friends and invite them over for pie. But, watch out, you may get more than one marriage proposal.</div>
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sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-85924248348131943962014-02-10T22:46:00.001-08:002014-02-10T22:53:22.446-08:00Snowed in.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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People often ask us, after driving up our lumpy bumpy hill, "What do you do when it snows?" Until this weekend, we didn't know. Now we do. We stay put and have a whole lot of fun. As the snow day turned into snow days, I started to remember what it was like when we were all home, all the time. It's a bit of lovely and a lot of circus. It is also, a lot of SOUND! In and around the many cups of hot cocoa, the piles of soggy wet outside clothes (Just toss 'em in the dryer!), the wonderings of "How will we survive?"--Mostly made by my beloved, who isn't sure 'what all that stuff is' in the pantry. Luckily, I know how to make that stuff (aka ingredients) into food--we have fallen into somewhat of a rhythm... that includes a lot of what we haven't had for a long time: Down Time. I had almost forgotten what staying at home feels like. I haven't done it much since Forest was tiny, and even then, that was short lived. No ballet, no robotics, no piano recital, no horseriding lessons, no grocery store runs, no classes, no school pick-up or drop off. Am I bored yet? Are you kidding? If we had a never ending supply of TP and fresh veg, I'd be just fine. But alas, I do not have rows and rows of canned veggies, or a deep freeze stocked with the fruits of the summer (okay, there are still some blueberries in there). There was time to finish sewing projects, time to make homemade valentines, time to make cookies and bread, pear custard tart and pumpkin pasties. There was time to learn how to dot-to-dot, time to play with Christmas gifts that got put away in the excitement of all of it. I cleaned out a desk drawer! The big kids cleaned their rooms! I did yoga, and made a snow angel, and we all sledded on our awesome toboggan, which rarely leaves the garage. We made molasses candy on snow, a snow man, and new friends of the new neighbors next door. There was time to build a castle in the living room, to play more than one board game every day, to get bored and then get out of it. There was time to build a little of something we have been missing much: cozy homey family memories.<br />
So, while I'm looking forward to some fresh vegetables, I believe we have benefited from this snow-day mentality, and I hope we can keep it around for longer than the snow stays!<br />
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<br />sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-16744073260260487682013-06-07T00:52:00.001-07:002013-06-07T00:52:44.678-07:00LollygaggingToday, instead of doing a bunch of errands, Forest and I went for a walk. We parked in a neighborhood. He rode his scooter and I walked. It was a shady walk through the greenspace between two suburban developments. Much of it was boardwalk. Because I'm taking doxycyclene for a tick bite I received, I wanted to stay out of the sun, and this was perfect. At one point, we were standing in the sun and I said, "We can't lollygag in the sun, because I will get a sunburn!" Forest, a lover of words said, "Oooh, what's lollygagging?" I told him I would show him once we got back to the shady part. So when we did, he said, "Now you can lollygag, Mama! Lollygag! Lollygag! Do it! I want to see it!" What a funny kid. I had to think about what active lollygagging really looked like. I slowed down, looked up at the trees, smiled, danced around a bit, and waved my arms. He giggled. So, today, my wellness included lollygagging. It also included listening to the middle school band with Eleanor and doing my workout when I couldn't sleep. Now I'm sleepy. I'm going to go lollygag in bed. sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-1495057712065113902013-06-05T23:53:00.001-07:002013-06-05T23:53:40.497-07:00Wellness colored glasses.So, I decided to do this wellness thing, and then I started thinking about how I'm usually giving myself a bunch of crap for eating X or not doing Y or whatever. I am starting back into doula work, and just thinking about working with new mamas again, has reminded me of all the lovely people that helped me when I was a new mama. One of these people was my postpartum doula. She had a grand suggestion: Rather than make a to-do list, in the weeks following the birth of baby #3 in 3 years, at the end of the day, make a list of all the things you did. Mine would look like this: Nurse baby, stare at baby, change diapers, read stories to toddlers, make breakfast, nurse baby, unload dishwasher, do a load of laundry, nurse baby, eat a snack, change diapers, go for a walk down the driveway and notice all the new daffodils, nurse baby, make lunch, change diapers, change clothes of toddler who didn't make it to the bathroom, dance around the living room, take baby in the shower with me.... you get the idea. It was a long list, and it only took about one day for me to see that I was really getting a ton of stuff done, even though I only felt like I was nursing the baby, which, of course, I was doing a lot. So, right now, instead of focusing on all the crap that I do that may NOT be wellness, I am going to focus on all the wellness things. Like yesterday: I did some doula-related research outside in the sunshine while my toddler played--that falls into wellness. I drank tea and water all day long. I walked the dog. I took my supplements. I practiced gratitude. <br />
Today was one of the last Nia days for the term. It was fabulous as usual. Dancing with those women truly feeds me. We were focusing on body, mind, spirit and emotion, whichever one needed the most focus. I realized that my emotions are all over the place. I'm like Pigpen, except instead of mud or dust or whatever, I am a spazzy ball of emotions, all. the. time. What? That must be fun to live with. Oh, yeah, it's not. What helps? What contributes to wellness? Dancing, breathing, yoga, working out, meditation, drinking water, eating well, enough sleep. Quieting my brain that wants to knowknowknow nownownow. Trees and ferns and moss. <br />
I have also been reading a book by Gay Hendricks called The Big Leap, as suggested by my friend and Nia instructor. Awesome book. One of the things he suggests is moving toward Einstein time, taking responsibility for time in our lives. Never saying, "I don't have enough time, " or other time related excuses or complaints. So, I'm just going to add that in to what I am doing in June and see how it works.sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-42167262594898655412013-06-02T01:25:00.004-07:002013-06-02T01:25:29.854-07:00June: A Month of WellnessIn the interest of inspiring myself to be well in the month of June, and beyond, I am going to attempt posting about my wellness activities here on the blog. I invite any followers I may have to do the same.<br />
Here's what I did today:<br />
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<br />sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-43170627235560472962013-03-14T01:24:00.001-07:002013-03-14T01:24:11.576-07:00In other Birthday news....Gus turned 13--on Monday, and I am, thus far, enjoying being a mother of a teenager!<br />
Several times a day, Big Guy says 'Happy Birthday Mama!' It's everyone's birthday, isn't it? I usually respond with 'A very merry unbirthday to you!' He sort of gets it. All the birthday and unbirthday wishes make for a rather festive air around here.<br />
Right at this moment, four big boys are sleeping out in a tent they set up by themselves. I have a walkie-talkie just in case they need me. I'm not sure any of them would ever admit to needing me.<br />
I successfully baked and frosted a hobbit-hole gluten and egg free cake. It actually tasted good, too.<br />
I managed to lock my keys in the car which is not a good thing, but it meant that I had time to actually make the cake instead of taking Eleanor to her piano lesson--which wasn't great for her, either, but she just took it calmly and practiced for that time instead. What a trooper.<br />
I danced like a crazy mama in Nia today. It rocked.<br />
Daffodils are blooming!<br />
We facetimed with our friend Jenny yesterday and it was so fun. We got to show her all of the little things we were doing, many of which were directly inspired by her--Eleanor was playing the piano that Jenny scored for us. Lucy's daffodil bunting (something Jenny would totally do) was drying on the counter. I had just made 2 loaves of bread in prep for the influx of hungry boys. Lucy and forest were reading together on the couch. Gus and Forest had just finished lining up all the matchbox cars. Jenny's influence is everywhere in our home, and it's so fun to use technology to share! Yay<br />
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sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-34569363459152402382013-03-09T00:57:00.001-08:002013-03-14T01:25:10.519-07:00You say it's your Birthday?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixe9leSN2egzUW5XXwQWcjNdaJmmqCoALtp7QNULjOV6UoKW_bpUO-pOMBlNGya-rYivewGu92Ifl9_VurnGfA9tco0JyUdBdYSg26TlIso8ENDijKdNZgJAIp2yX4qpQ47RMQ/s1600/DSCN8255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixe9leSN2egzUW5XXwQWcjNdaJmmqCoALtp7QNULjOV6UoKW_bpUO-pOMBlNGya-rYivewGu92Ifl9_VurnGfA9tco0JyUdBdYSg26TlIso8ENDijKdNZgJAIp2yX4qpQ47RMQ/s320/DSCN8255.jpg" width="212" /></a>Today was Lucy Sky's 10th birthday. She was very excited about it all week and woke up early to get her 10 kisses.<br />
Many wonderful things happened today:<br />
It was a gorgeous sunny spring day, reminiscent of the day Lucy was born. <br />
Lucy's siblings made her an awesome gift and she loved it.<br />
The kids and I went ice skating, one of Lucy's favorite activities. Forest loved it, too.<br />
We found the perfect pair of boots for Lucy's next riding adventures.<br />
We ate a fabulous sushi lunch with Robert.<br />
We got to horse-riding early (!) and got to cavort with the horses a little before Lucy's lesson.<br />
Forest took a nap (!)<br />
Lucy successfully took her horse, Chester, through a puddle--not the same as riding on the beach, but interesting, nevertheless.<br />
Eleanor got nibbled on by a huge draft horse named Wyatt.<br />
Friends and family called and wished Lucy a happy day. <br />
We all worked together to make the birthday meal including GF Chai Spice cake with cream cheese frosting, and homemade noodles, Lucy's favorite.<br />
Eleanor started practicing a song that I played on the piano when I was her age. Oh the memories!<br />
The cat curled up in the lid to the cake keeper (which somehow landed on the floor) I don't necessarily think this is good, but it was funny. <br />
We had a sweet and lovely celebration of the birthday girl! We're so lucky she came to live with us!<br />
I actually managed to do my workout despite not really wanting to!<br />
It was an excellent day!<br />
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And now, to bed!sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-82061424918691480592013-03-06T00:38:00.002-08:002013-03-06T00:38:17.051-08:00Life is good.Life is good and life keeps me completely occupied doing things others than blog posts. I like writing and updating this blog and I am wanting to move some stagnant energy around in my world. Doing the gratitude practice in November really helped with that so I think I'm going to do something else called "This is the good that happened today:<br />
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Today, I helped two siblings put the finishing touches on a birthday gift for their sister.<br />
We spent a couple hours with friends we haven't seen for a while.<br />
I did my workout. <br />
I got to scratch my twelve year old's back and head for a little bit tonight.<br />
We solved a chore-related issue with no one getting too frantic.<br />
I learned how the koala lost his tail (Aboriginal tale).<br />
Everyone liked dinner (lasagne and salad)<br />
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It was a good day. I hope you had one too.<br />
sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-52456497407180755842012-12-01T01:03:00.000-08:002012-12-01T01:03:13.243-08:00Still gonna be grateful....Today is Nov. 30th, and even though <a href="http://www.afreespiritlife.com/" target="_blank">Shannon's</a> 30 Days of Giving Thanks was a November thing, I only really posted on this blog for 12 days (including today). So, in the interest of seeing the year out with a big gratefulness BANG! I'm just going to keep blogging about gratitude. It's getting some good press from friends and fam, and it's in keeping with this season of light, and my idea of what it's all about. It's also sort of an extension of another friend, Wanita's, project, <a href="http://randomgratitudegenerosity.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Random Acts of Gratitude and Generosity</a>, which has been around for several months now, and is responsible for little notebooks in my purse, kitchen and children's bedrooms where we write the things we are grateful for each day. I have had a gratitude notebook next to my bed for years, ever since I first read <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780446519137-91" target="_blank">Simple Abundance</a> by Sarah Ban Breathnach, or perhaps before. I truly feel like feeling gratitude is a step to being the kind of person I truly want to be.<br />
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Without further ado, today I want to express my gratitude for my Aunt Lisa. </div>
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I don't really remember a lot from the days when we lived 'on the farm'. We moved when I was five, and most of my memories are filled with a sort of nostalgic fuzz. I remember a lot of feelings--I guess that makes sense, now that I have seen four kiddos grow up under my nose. The under 5 set is pretty much all about emotions. They are good feelings, filled with horses and dogs, kitties in Grandpa's barn, swinging on the swingset with my sister. There was the time I stepped on a bee--it flew into my sandal and I stepped on it. But all was resolved by having the treat of drinking the juice from the fruit cocktail. And mixed in with all of these nice, homey memories of Mom, Dad, Molly, baby Tom, Great Grandma, Grandma and Grandpa, are memories of my Aunt Lisa. My other aunts and uncles are sort of in there, too, but Lisa predominates. Now that I've heard some of the stories from Lisa herself, I know that she and Aunt Kathy were our babysitters from the time we were tiny babies. And, that Lisa was my special buddy. When I look at this picture, I remember. I remember THAT feeling. <br />
Fast forward 35 years and I can still feel that. Lisa lives in South Dakota, I haven't seen her since my baby girl was younger than I am in the picture, and yet she is still hugging me from afar. I'm pretty crappy about keeping in touch with folks, but Lisa has made a point to keep in touch with me, and it is a wonderful thing. The miles and years melt away when we talk. Hours pass and we are still yakking away. I am so grateful that she has been reaching out to me, including me in her embrace, sharing her wisdom about so much. Thanks for everything, Lisa! sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-55929354703744114382012-11-28T02:02:00.001-08:002012-11-28T02:02:27.834-08:00Grateful for HomeThere are so many cliches about home and heart and all that... well, they're all true, aren't they. At first, it is just a house, or an apartment, or a room in a house or a dorm. Then, over the weeks and months, it becomes part of you, the place you where you belong, and which you carry around with you. It smells like you and you like it, for better or worse... You do dishes and laundry there. If you're us, you get married, have all your babies, and educate them there, too. In sickness, in health... gosh, I'm a bit attached. I am grateful for all of these things and more. I'm grateful for the views out my windows while doing those dishes. I'm grateful for the sounds of owls, the chatter of squirrels and twitter and zoom of birds that also call this place home. I'm grateful for warmth and warm water. I'm grateful for my bed. I'm grateful for working toilets and drains, and septic tank. I'm grateful for well water that tastes good and is very plentiful. I'm grateful for all the machines that make my life easy: washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, vacuum, furnace, stove, oven, fridge. And... then there are all the intangibles. Too numerous, but so important... the thing that makes me say, ahhhh, when I step in the door.... ahh, it's home, we're home. We can take off our coats and shoes and the layers of whatever it is we put on when we're 'out there' and just be free rangin' crazy naked freaks. Figuratively, and literally, too. Sometimes, at least. So, so grateful for that place to hang my heart and hat, and all the many homes I have had over the years.<br />
<br />sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-63044663078528553402012-11-21T00:36:00.000-08:002012-11-21T00:54:27.842-08:00Day 20, More Sister Gratitude<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, and every day, I am so grateful to call Kathy, Robert's sister, a friend. Right from the start she has always been so kind and loving, and as soon as the nephews and nieces started showing up (bing bing bing..............bing), she has been a most wonderful doting Aunt Kathy. "Where did you get your nice sweater? Did someone knit that for you?" "Yes, my Aunt Kathy!" These works of art have been sported by my children since they were wee chubby ones, a physical reminder of how much she loves them. But we don't love Kathy just for her gifts, although she does have a knack for gift-giving. Kathy has made a real effort to be a part of our life and I am so very grateful for that. I am also grateful for the incredible example of 'in sickness and in health' that Kathy has been since her husband, Greg, had a stroke a few years back. I am not sure how gracefully I might handle it if something similar ever happens to Robert, but watching Kathy has provided me with a blueprint of what that can look like. When Kathy comes to visit, we always have a super time, playing games, doing 'concerts' and 'shows' (she can walk on her hands.), sometimes fabulous outings to beautiful places and ballets, and really nice long visits about life (and helicopters). She just called the other day to ask if she could bring Robert's elderly aunt for a visit. (Of course!) I am always impressed with the planning and care she puts into her visits (planning ahead is a forte of hers---->awe.) And we always have a really good time. Thanks for being such a beautiful bright being, Kathy! <br />
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<br />sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-60278478212350162672012-11-20T00:42:00.000-08:002012-11-20T00:42:40.112-08:00Day 19 Gratitude for my Sister<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I was a kid, (you know, back in the olden days, as my kids like to say,) if you would have told me that whenever I thought of my sister, Molly, I would smile... well, I probably would have laughed! It is true though, and it's not just an outward smile, but a smile that I really feel in my heart. This woman, my big sis, is such a bright light in my life. Doesn't she make you smile, just looking at her? :) We fought like two cats for most of our time living together. It was really not pretty. We did start getting along nearly as soon as she moved out and went to college, though. And, since then, well, it's been a wonderful thing getting to know her. Seeing her as a friend has enabled me to see how incredibly strong she is, and I'm not just talking about the biceps that are slightly out of view there, although they are a force to reckon with. The tenacity that was not so very helpful in an opponent is miraculous in a comrade. There have been times, for both of us, when the tears have flowed so heavily that the other sister could not make out words... only feelings, on the other end of the phone, and we listen and we cry and we talk until we feel better. When we stopped fighting, and started listening, we found, much to our surprise, that we actually have a lot in common. We are very different creatures, but we have found so much that we can share, and it has been a real lesson for me in the rest of my life, to remain open minded about people that I sometimes feel very different from. I used to have a little sign up in my kitchen, above the sink, when Robert was away in Portland and we were living on Slow Lane. It said, "WWMD" What Would Molly Do? It was a reminder that Molly would finish cleaning up the kitchen before going to bed, and that Molly would go for her morning run to make sure that she let off some steam so that she could be a good mama, and that Molly would not stress out over moving her family 100 miles... since she has moved across the country so many times. <br />
Today and every day I am grateful to have such a loving, caring, inspiring person in my life. Thanks Mol!sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-15858996719988154402012-11-17T23:40:00.001-08:002012-11-17T23:45:21.197-08:00The Lost Weekend... er, not really. Day 10.So, here it is the 17th. That seems to mean that I am a bit behind on my gratefulness POSTING. I posted something on Facebook about having a hard time reconciling the decision to spend less time staring at my computer in my 39th year and the 30 days of gratitude challenge. So, it is not as if I have not been feeling grateful for the past week. Oh no. I have just been FEEEEEEEELING it. Not posting about it.<br />
We're gonna go all Dr. Who and time travel back to a week ago right now. I had just seen the Indigo girls. Then there was:<br />
Day 10: I am so grateful for my sisters-in-law. Sally, Jenn and Jaimee. I got to hang out with Sally and Jaimee quite a little bit last weekend and they are awesome. Sally, who has been my sister-in-law for the longest, and thus has had to put up with my idiosyncrasies for a couple of decades now, and I, sometimes get into this 'holiday mood' where we plan elaborate celebrations that may or may not actually happen. By the time I left her house on Saturday evening, we had planned exactly 3 celebrations of light to happen in the next 3 days. Oh yes, there was to be Martinmas, a trip to the Japanese Garden, and Diwali all packed in there. Now, to be sure, Monday was a school holiday, and that always makes things a bit easier on our friends and fam who do that schedule every weekday. Needless to say, I started researching Diwali customs as soon as I got home. While we did not do lantern walks, or meet at the Japanese garden, we did manage a pretty spiffy Diwali evening at chez Hoesing. (Don't get us started on the Christmas house plan.... ) Sally is an awesome mama, a yogini extraordinaire, a great cook, a good friend, and a wonderful sister-in-law. I am so glad to have her in my life and family.<br />
Jenn--It is bad enough living on the opposite side of the country from my brother Pete, but the fact that he married such an awesome woman makes it... well, too dang far. Thank goodness for Facetime and Skype, which by the way we need to do again soon. Unlike Phil, who got to sort of grow up with Jenn at Luther, I haven't spent nearly enough time with her, but every time I do, I end up laughing so hard my sides ache. Funny that--that you can judge a relationship by how much you laugh together. It's a pretty good gauge, isn't it. I used to have fits of laughter much more frequently than I do these days... but Jenn's sense of humor rubs me the right way. I dream of a day when we can live closer to one another, so I can experience that awesomeness more regularly. I think Jenn cemented her rightful place in my heart when, after Gus was born, she sent me some homemade granola. I still have the container it came in and think of her fondly every time I rehouse leftovers in it. She is also the mother of Grant, who the word cute was made for, and I am super grateful for the frequent photo updates of my nephews life. Thanks for being you Jenn!<br />
Jaimee, the newest addition to the Hoesing fam, and yet somehow, it doesn't seem like that! When she called me and said she was coming to the Indigo Girls concert I was so excited (yet didn't buy my ticket then, why?) that someone else in my own family is a fan, too. Sometimes when I'm dorking out on one of my favorite things, it is nice to have someone to do it with! I'll never forget when I first met Jaimee and it was the night before the BIG DAY for Phil's marching band in his first season in Nampa. He was a bit nuts, and she just sat down and started gabbing with me and I thought--oh this is the ONE! :) It's a little crazy to watch your baby brothers who you have held in your arms grow up and get married, but it stops being crazy when you meet the women they choose and see how lovely they are. I love talking books with Jaimee, because she teaches kids my kids' ages, and so it's totally cool to have a real teacher to talk to about stuff. I loved hearing about her trip to London, and am pretty bummed that I didn't see the photos YET! I love it that she loves to play with the kids and that she said, "Well, they just grow up so fast!" when we asked if she minded being Magic Aunt Jaimee sitting near the kiddos at supper. She is sweet and wonderful and I am so grateful for her!<br />
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<br />sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-5918753680376151822012-11-10T01:36:00.001-08:002012-11-10T01:36:23.216-08:00Day 9 Grateful for the Indigo Girls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Oh Emily and Amy. I still remember the first time I heard your sweet harmonies and rockin' guitars. It was my friend Jim who introduced us, and from then on... you had me. Your music has figured big in the soundtrack of my life. I think the first time I saw you was when my bro Tom and I roadtripped to Chicago for Lilith Fair. Tom was happy to be at a festival with so many beautiful women and so was I. We saw Sarah Maclachlan, Lisa Loeb, and EmmyLou Harris as well. And then, there was a whole slew of shows on the pier in Seattle. It was Emily's birthday around that time, and the shows were always high energy. We went when I was pregnant with Gus. We went the next year with Gus as a toddler, my doula and her family, and me in prelabor with Eleanor. What a way to get a baby out! Rock and Roll mama! She was born the next day. The next year, we went with 2 toddlers! We made spectacles of ourselves whirling and twirling our little ones, rocking them in slings, holding them on our shoulders and dancing and singing. We've seen you in Eugene, and also at the Zoo. We did not go in spring of 2012, because we were busy having a baby that night, one Forest Indigo. I am always amazed at your honesty, your new songs, your liveliness--and how you rock out! <br />
You have been role models for me these past 20 years: doing what you love, standing up for what you believe in, and making such beautiful music. When I got my guitar, yours (and Bob Dylan's) were the first songs I learned. When I need a musical old friend, I just go looking for you, and there you are, telling me how it is, and how it's gonna be all right. When I was far from home, in a land that looked like the surface of the moon, the Baluchistan desert--I belted your hymns out from atop a moving bus. We have some history, gals, and tonight, YOU ROCKED MY WORLD AGAIN! Didn't mean to shout, but I just couldn't help it. Watching and hearing you play with the Portland Symphony Orchestra just brought everything to a new level. Thank you for keepin me singing and daincing!<br />
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<br />sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-5420498998611141142012-11-10T01:03:00.001-08:002012-11-10T01:03:46.433-08:00Day 8 A day Late. Grateful for the Hoesing Bros.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday was a busy day filled with lessons, some sniffles and meeting up with my two of my brothers for dinner. Wow! I love my brothers, all three of them. They were so fun to grow and learn with, and they still are. I remember the days well that each was brought home from the hospital, and how exciting it was to hold their tiny hands and be trusted to rock them. It's hard to believe those little babies are strapping men who I still call my little brothers, although they have towered over me for years. I have watched them grow and change, and do amazing things such as finding lovely life partners who I feel privileged to call my sisters, get and keep hard jobs and projects that would scare the crap out of me, move across country, travel to Africa and get a PhD, become fathers and husbands and some of the greatest men I know. I am so lucky to be their big sis.<br />
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<br />sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-26430160052646057762012-11-06T23:13:00.001-08:002012-11-06T23:13:15.288-08:00Day 6 :: Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I am thankful for my sweet husband, Robert.</div>
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Thirteen years ago today we made it legal... but our love story started long before that. Some of you know it, some of you don't. It has been a fun adventure so far--such an unlikely beginning for two kids from the midwest, and here we are nearly 20 years later, still in love, still having fun. Sweet Robert: I'm so grateful you didn't give up--even when I said goodbye and left the country, twice. I'm so glad I didn't listen to the naysayers who wondered if 20 years was too big a gap in age between us. What does anyone know of the age of two hearts that found each other across space and time? Nada. Thanks for making me laugh daily. Thanks for our kids, and for being a rockin' awesome Dad to them, right from the start--even through all the surprises! Thanks for working hard so we can have a sweet life. Thanks for juggling, and doing dishes. Thanks for being romatic, even still. Thanks for being a Peace Dude. Thanks for your love. </div>
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sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-90766027157269910882012-11-06T01:04:00.001-08:002012-11-06T01:07:23.796-08:00Days 4 and 5--So grateful for my kiddos!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have spent the last two days largely away from my computer. I did look up a recipe for salsa verde tonight, and Lucy Sky helped to make it. In this, my 39th year of life, I am consciously trying to spend less time in front of a screen, and more time enjoying the abundant beautiful world around me. It is a challenge! One of the biggest reasons I want to get my head out of my computer is to enjoy the amazing folks I spend most of my time with: my children. I am so incredibly grateful to be a mother to these four lovely beings. Tonight, while the youngest took over an hour to fall asleep, I found myself becoming impatient, wanting to 'go do my stuff': my yoga, my blog post, my meditation, my down time. Then he reminded me, by saying, 'Can you sing me just one more song mama, about a dump truck?' that lying there with him, helping him to surrender the day, IS my stuff, my yoga and my meditation... and who cares about blog posts! So I just relaxed into breathing and being, and soon, he was asleep.<br />
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I am famous in some circles for saying, "I don't really think having a baby will change my life much." I get reminded of that statement periodically. How funny it is to think that I ever thought that--and enough to say it out loud! Having these four babies has changed my life, my body, my heart, my very being. Just yesterday I read a quote by a famous actress who didn't believe it when people told her she looked 'glowing' when she was pregnant, that she really looked like a whale and everyone was afraid to tell her. Too bad for her that she didn't feel glowing--I sure did. Being pregnant taught me to love my body in a way that I never had before. What a miracle! Giving birth to these children taught me to trust my body in a way I never had before. Being their mother--well, that sure gives me pause and makes me question everything and challenges my integrity daily.<br />
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They are growing so very quickly. We are on the verge of big changes for the big three, and in the midst of big changes for the little. It boggles my mind to think how fast they have grown and how much we have all learned together in this time. I marvel at the thought of all there is left to learn with them and from them. <br />
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I am grateful for learning how to be calm when a baby is screaming. I am grateful for learning how it feels to be needed 24/7 by another human being. I am grateful for the gift of breastfeeding. I am grateful to have been able to stay home and watch and participate in nearly all of this growing up. I am grateful for the opportunity to see four people learn how to walk, talk, read, write and do so many more things. I am grateful for all of the handwritten love notes, cards and home made birthday gifts--including this years: a beautiful necklace and bracelet, and a homemade flashlight! I am grateful for all of the times when they have forgiven me for being less wonderful than I would like. I am grateful for the chance to do things better the next time. I am grateful for the embodiment of joy and fun and spirit that they are. I am grateful that my heart grows more full each day! I am grateful for you, Gus, Eleanor, Lucy Sky and Forest!<br />
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<br />sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-29909203410330869262012-11-04T01:31:00.000-07:002012-11-04T01:35:20.007-08:00day 3: Gratitude for the Dad.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I am grateful for my Dad
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I can't sleep because I realized I hadn't posted my day 3 gratitude. I have been thinking lately about how you used to come home and play checkers with us. "King me!" And, I was really thinking about you this summer when I tried to play baseball with my kiddos. We really are not very good, but it was a fun experience anyway, and reminded me of walking down to the park to play on Sunday afternoon in Madison. I was just as clueless then, but at least YOU knew what you were doing! You are a great example of hard work, and even if we often have different opinions about stuff, you have a way of letting me be me. Thanks for all that you do, Dad! Here is a poem I once wrote for you:</div>
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When Dad comes home carrying a big lug,</div>
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I always like to give him a great big hug.<br />
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I wish that we lived a bit closer so I could give you a hug more often! </div>
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sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-37884044727131091812012-11-03T01:19:00.002-07:002012-11-03T01:20:19.232-07:00day 2 : : Thanks Mom!<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.afreespiritlife.com/the-giving-thanks-challenge/%E2%80%9D;" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="”_self”"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.afreespiritlife.com/the-giving-thanks-challenge/%E2%80%9D;" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="”_self”"></a><a href="http://www.afreespiritlife.com/2012/11/01/the-november-challenge-giving-thanks/" target="_blank">day two: thirty days of giving thanks!</a></div>
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Today I am thankful for my MOM! On Nov 2, 1974, she did some very hard work and I was born! She then proceeded to do so very much more, there aren't enough different ways of saying Thanks to cover even a fraction. Mom, I think about you every day, many times a day and send silent gratitude to you and all that you are. You taught me so many things, inspired the love of so much. Especially on my BIRTH day, I like to thank you for standing up for what you knew to be true: that your body worked well and that you could give birth naturally. You can credit Johnny Rogers and his 98 yard touchdown for the Huskers, but I know better--it was YOU who gave birth to me, not him! Having that as a beginning--well, it was just the beginning of a life of being a nature girl, I suppose! Here we are on one of our Saturday rambles at Stone Park. Good Times!</div>
sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-92096525986503106822012-11-01T17:47:00.000-07:002012-11-03T01:22:40.488-07:00Thanks Beth! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.afreespiritlife.com/2012/11/01/the-november-challenge-giving-thanks/" target="_blank">30 Days of Thanks!</a></h3>
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Thanks! Today I am so grateful for my Nia teacher, Beth Noelle, who through her crazy sexy fun classes has inspired me to be more fully in my body and also reminded me that I LOVE TO DANCE! Oh yes. And my hips--well they are very audacious!<br />
Sometimes in this life of mothering, I feel like a taxi driver. Dancing reminds me that I am a moveable object--no, that I am a spirit having a human experience. Having a place and a time to dance means that I dance more without a place and time. My body loves me for it, my spirit, well she's on fire when she's dancing. It is awesome to be in a room full of women and girls who are loving moving and at least at some points, dancing as if no none is watching! :)<br />
<br />sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-54419415603967867592012-09-24T00:18:00.004-07:002012-09-24T00:18:45.727-07:00do-over.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's late, and I should be sleeping, but I am not. This is often the truth, lately. I am stealing moments of solitude and quiet after everyone goes to sleep. Stealing them from myself, because of my real need for sleep. <br />
Tonight, I'm wondering how other families do it, and whether or not that matters for us. The 'it' tonight is regrouping after a fallout between siblings, or family members. Tomorrow IS another day, with no mistakes in it, yes. But, sometimes we get in these ruts of reaction, and the next time a little bump comes in the road... how will we do it differently? Do we just forge down the path some more making mistakes, forgiving each other, only to bash again, like two billy-goats, the next time our feathers are ruffled... yes, I know mixing metaphors. <br />
Seriously, though... I could spend hours trolling the net, luxuriating in gorgeous photos of perfect lives, handmade, homemade, and thrifted. What I really want to know is--what helps you and your family out of self-created ick.<br />
<br />sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-5101886371504390562012-09-21T17:34:00.001-07:002012-09-21T18:08:54.009-07:00upon equinox<div style="text-align: center;">
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"Equal dark, equal light <br />
Flow in Circle, deep insight <br />
Blessed Be, Blessed Be <br />
The transformation of energy! <br />
So it flows, out it goes <br />
Three-fold back it shall be <br />
Blessed Be, Blessed Be <br />
The transformation of energy!" <br />
- Night An'Fey, <i>Transformation of Energy</i></div>
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Here it is, September again. And yet, how can it be so? The wheel of the year spins ever more quickly it seems, like a German word I learned from a book about fire trucks that Forest chose at the library today: (who am I to say no to ridiculous library choices--there is no such thing!)<br />
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<i>blitzschnell</i></div>
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Yes, fast as lightning (that's how fast the German firefighters go down the pole). Gus even translated it on the spot, remembering our German classes of several years ago, when we sang "My Hat it has Three Corners" fast and slow, loud and soft, back when they were all <i>kleine kinder.</i></div>
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I am forever writing about this: time is quickening, they're growing so fast, I haven't blogged in forever. It's my big theme, it would seem. Well, as we used to say in junior high, (which my children would go to if they went...) "No Doi!" They're kids! They grow fast. Blink, and they'll be in college. Enjoy them now. And my question is, "How?" I think that's why I keep the theme going, because I seem to be on a quest--no Clark, not a Quest For Fun. That's probably the quest I should be on. And, if I had conceded to changing my last name to Griswold, I would be on that Quest. Instead, I am on a quest to find out <i>how</i> to Be Here Now as Ram Dass encouraged so long ago, and as all those many books which line my shelves urge with their yoga and meditation and mantras and prayers. And, more importantly, I am on this quest with these kids at this time, with imperfect me, and all of that stuff that's waiting to be done... and so much else.</div>
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Sometimes, when I am doing some mundane task, my mind will wander into writing a blog post or status update about what is going on here and now... and then I chide myself for living in the crazy mixed up world of online social media. But, seriously, that is a part of the story of this family and how it got started, anyway, so I may as well bond with it on some level. I decided tonight while folding the laundry, that I should just write the post, and then I could get on with <i>being here now</i> with the laundry, and the dog, and my tea. </div>
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here. we. are.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdfKek7xJSoAgLIpmHEOZk64JT59UmPJFWY3iamYS6kTu0i1NqF3U77ahfBxB217YdKoZ8XCJINHGwwXWZ0ba-k5WUnBPOmknFUmDzAzEgyzpPdpW4lKoMCNLIcw31OCZRRGj/s1600/IMG_4488.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdfKek7xJSoAgLIpmHEOZk64JT59UmPJFWY3iamYS6kTu0i1NqF3U77ahfBxB217YdKoZ8XCJINHGwwXWZ0ba-k5WUnBPOmknFUmDzAzEgyzpPdpW4lKoMCNLIcw31OCZRRGj/s320/IMG_4488.JPG" width="320" /></a>Forest: 2.5 next week, he prefers to be called 'Big Guy' He corrects me when I call him Forest. He asks everyone their name and then tells them, matter-of-factly, that his name is Big Guy. They look at me like I'm Pikabo Street's mom, and I just nod and say, "Yup, Big Guy." He is definitely a product of the fast paced, noisy world of 3 bigger siblings. He is figuring out how to do puzzles. He loves vehicles of all kinds. (Sing me a truck song, Mama) He likes to run with scissors. He asked me the night before last if we could cut his hair, "So it is brown like Gus'" He told me it was his birthday the other day, after we went to the zoo. I asked what else we should do. "Eat ice crean and chocolate!" He just met his biggest brother for the first time, along with his girl friend, and now he talks about them all the time and wonders where they went. I'm still pretty amazed that he's here at all--but definitely glad that he came to live with us. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCF5MQb43beG4QsnkJsFyVo_Wn1LdkN-AGJYZC6F8h7bsHORCj7QTrfigqO7cnCadPu_kwqqjtGSGLDu8dRwh1xct-aR70J4w39-CzeYdV0tknvmLUGmrtEqoaRf5XQz0ABYE1/s1600/IMG_4519.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCF5MQb43beG4QsnkJsFyVo_Wn1LdkN-AGJYZC6F8h7bsHORCj7QTrfigqO7cnCadPu_kwqqjtGSGLDu8dRwh1xct-aR70J4w39-CzeYdV0tknvmLUGmrtEqoaRf5XQz0ABYE1/s320/IMG_4519.JPG" width="320" /></a>Lucy Sky: 9.5! Lucy, like all of the 'big kids' is coming out of a year of adjusting to living in a new place. She is finding her own place, and it is definitely among the four-footed. She is enjoying riding more and more, and it is a true pleasure to watch her canter on any of her equine pals at the nearby barn. She knows way more than I do about horses, and is learning more every day. She doesn't discriminate, though, she seems to have a fondness for all furry friends, and Dex is included. She and Eleanor take really good care of our shiny black friend, and love to teach her new tricks. Lucy spent some time at our friends' farm this summer and got to hang with sheep and a new puppy as well. It is amazing to see the transitions in these young friends of mine... the transformation of energy. Lucy has taken a real interest in Japanese, and so it is now a part of what we do together. It's pretty fun to share something that I love so much with someone I love so much. Today we read a book about a wiggly tooth. "Ha wa guragura!"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxtM1F6i9YWTUNJ-qm4pHFM6wJ-mH1auzx8IaCSRxxIaOH59do6jFZ8GOvjrakp4wK_ZqoPipipPaZiQA1pl5AeMROyl-1F4Ag5frpG8vnJ3XbkNNt1_8qxpB0wnIGcR-wSMGD/s1600/IMG_4526.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxtM1F6i9YWTUNJ-qm4pHFM6wJ-mH1auzx8IaCSRxxIaOH59do6jFZ8GOvjrakp4wK_ZqoPipipPaZiQA1pl5AeMROyl-1F4Ag5frpG8vnJ3XbkNNt1_8qxpB0wnIGcR-wSMGD/s320/IMG_4526.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hAe_Iw9ExF3P2egH42Gx-G6mCO43S-BxN3R_YODrMe7kwBZ9Npos2GT3tP06bSUivtm5JAYkNdJHYuQlESi8EGyJ4b4Qx0GWXvXibHKs7zTxi2aAw8hT9cxvLjSI-ABlPXCp/s1600/IMG_3937.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Eleanor: 11! These are the rapidly growing/changing years. All of Eleanors teeth seem "guragura" lately, and she is growing so tall, she's almost caught up with Gus! This summer she did a ballet intensive at her new studio, Portland Youth Ballet, and LOVED it. She is doing more ballet than ever, and glows when she comes out of class. I wish I were 11 and in her classes, too. She just got jazz shoes last week for her first Jazz class, and it reminded me of taking Jazz with two friends at just about her age. Eleanor made almost all of dinner last night: Thai-style noodles with veggies and peanut sauce. Me: grateful mama. While her brother was laid out on the couch with stomach yuck she was finishing the first arm on her first sweater for a person. She's made several for dolls. This one is for Forest. Having a kid that seems so different from me is a good practice in acceptance of all kinds of folks. </div>
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Gus: 12.5 and growing. Gus might actually grow into his dad's prediction that he would be 6'8" when he stopped. He's catching up with me and his feet have passed mine by and are catching up with Robert's. He just moved up to a new level in his fencing class: more fencing, fewer games, and also more classes if we can get to them--not a small feat for this mama. His true love is still Lego and Lego robotics and he's really enjoying exploring the world J.R.R. Tolkien created. We talk often of how many similarities there are to JK Rowling's work. Robert read The Hobbit to all of the big kids this spring and Gus read the trilogy shortly thereafter. He keeps asking me questions about whether I remember this or that from The Hobbit. I keep reminding him it was more than 25 years ago that I read it. Yikes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHePrZkc5SC76xEKIcUgb1RpYqvmEcLqqxE_xl44eqUhXyezvGBbRFFnbXlhSb27dt-Yu2SorS6WzQr6qZOpoGOt2v0uP5TRKMLGodsyzBbv7nqTPmLW-iMGlmLGgUt_HbOeU/s1600/IMG_4477.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHePrZkc5SC76xEKIcUgb1RpYqvmEcLqqxE_xl44eqUhXyezvGBbRFFnbXlhSb27dt-Yu2SorS6WzQr6qZOpoGOt2v0uP5TRKMLGodsyzBbv7nqTPmLW-iMGlmLGgUt_HbOeU/s320/IMG_4477.JPG" width="320" /></a>Sarah: Ageless, obviously. (except when i see those wrinkles and white wild hairs :: character!) I am fresh out of one art e-course which my last post was about... haven't posted any photos of my art here, but there are some on flickr... a little shy. I really like having the opportunity to take classes this way, what a brilliant thing about having the 'net. I also struggle with keeping the net in it's place, and not letting it take over my life. Some days I want to delete my facebook account. Others, I'm so happy to have news and words of wisdom from friends and folks across the globe. The Pages&Paint course was the beginning of following a dream that I've had in my back pocket for a long time, to 'learn to paint.' Actually, Inside Out, was the beginning of freeing up my mind and kicking my self-doubt to the curb, so I could consider learning to paint. When I look at this thing, "painting", it is like many others in my life--it is inside me wanting to get out--just like the dancer, the yogini, the doula, the chef, the fiber artist, etc... and I take her just way to seriously and my brain gets in the way, and she goes back to sleep for a few years or decades. Well.. I'm learning to take baby steps upon the path, and let those sleeping Sarahs out bit by bit and piece by piece, and it's way more doable. I am also learning to use some organizational tools that make my life easier--what a concept. Everyone checks the weekly calendar to see what's on this week; menu planning--getting slowly better at that; <i>planning</i> to work out (! what a concept!); putting art time right in there on the to-do list. Bit by bit and inch by inch. </div>
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Robert: You'd really have to ask him... but I will say that he is working steadily towards his goal of programming in iOS, and also encouraging all of us in photography and juggling. I still feel that it is a miracle and a gift that we found each other... 17 years or so ago on the very same internet that can now show us the Curiosity mission and Dr. Who episodes on demand... (I GET Dr. Who, thank goodness!) He is such an excellent Dad and partner for this crazy ride. He took the day off of work during late August so that we could all go to Oaks Park together and ride rides and roller skate. What a fun day. On our recent trip to the coast, he broke the rules, went under the fence to the "DANGEROUS AREA!" and encouraged Gus, Forest and me to do the same and we got splashed by the beautiful Pacific, and felt more alive than ever. We also schlepped a sometimes reluctant Forest up the giant dune with Gus leading the way. Forest was sometimes encouraging, too, "You can do it, Mama!" It was a reminder that hanging out in nature together is still something that works pretty well for us!</div>
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Shadypeak Homeschool is back in full swing, with lots of lessons and classes off campus. We have a full year of Ancient Cultures, Native American History, Norse Myths, Greek Myths, botany, biology, geometry, fractions, handwork, sketching, art journaling, French, Japanese, and probably a lot more stuff I haven't mentioned or remembered, too. We have new strings teachers this year, moving on from some lovely folks who taught them last year. Classes at Village Home have started up, with the final choices still being made this week between Beginning Wire Jewelry, Hogwarts Academy, Circus, and Murder Mystery. We would all love to take more more more classes there, but time and pocketbooks squeal 'no more'. Lucy and I are rocking out at Nia each Wednesday morning with our fantastic teacher and a great group of women and girls. Dancing and me are still good buddies... my body thanks me every time, and my spirit sings all week. </div>
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With all of the busybusy, my intention is to create a space at home that really feels cozy and homey. Working on rhythm, organization and planning are helping this. I look at all of my mama friends and see a common line of stress on all of our faces--how can we find a place within all of this wild wired world to just be, drink tea and breathe? I found that when I actually got to painting... those were the messages coming to me. s..... l......o.....w............... I'm not a particularly physically fast person, but some days I don't sit down all day--I don't even go pee! Why? not enough tea/water/sweet juice of life! So, as we get into our groove of fall (aka power time for this mama.) it is my goal to do that, daily. I got myself one of those sippy cup lids for a mason jar. I feel like sort of a moron drinking out of it, like it's really a sippy cup... but that reminds me that I am just a beginner here. I have also been making time for meditation each day, if only for a few moments--it helps.</div>
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I cannot slow down the wheel, but I can have moments of stillness within the turning of it. I can use the transformation of energy to change what doesn't work, and to find new ways that do. Every day, I read from two little books, two interpretations of the Tao te Ching, The Tao of Motherhood by Vimala McClure, and A Parent's Tao te Ching, by William Martin. The gems in these two little books feed my soul, calm my nerves and remind me that this path is a path... not a destination.<br />
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sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24886617.post-26021284675256471122012-07-13T00:16:00.001-07:002012-07-13T01:12:24.900-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.squamartworkshops.com/pages-and-paint" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxDfmPP2c4jC85ryTVDYASEpS0uzEN0jzsUB8glN7VvUEkdltAPNncVDGpmef68hL27AWGWEjZI1dLul4BHUoR_qWQAyKAeioQmDJHtHDnYoTkoZSVO02Duo7b0eUcGQeAOoC/s1600/pages_paint_200x200blogbutton_pp_2.jpg" /></a></div>
Do you ever get a wild hair? I seem to have a new one every day--they're now growing right above my ears. The better to hear them, I suppose. A few weeks ago, led by <a href="http://soulemama.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Soulemama</a> to <a href="http://www.squamartworkshops.com/" target="_blank">Squam</a>... and realizing it may be a very long time before I ever get to be there in person, I found the perfect 'continuing education' workshop for this homeschooling mama. It was a wild hair sort of a night. I was attracted right away by the fact that <a href="http://sarahearn.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Ahearn Bellemare</a> is a mama and she is starting out this course with the basics of painting, something I have longed to do.... well, forever I suppose. I think having such fun with <a href="http://www.afreespiritlife.com/free-spirit-learning/" target="_blank">Inside Out</a> really helped me jump in to this course. This week we are setting up our work spaces. I just dug out a box of stuff labeled "Japan." Oooweeee there are some treasures in there. The idea of having a 'studio space' is sort of foreign to me. The kids have a room, the man has a room, and mama.... well, she lives in the kitchen. Here on Shadypeak Lane, I do have a desk. It's in the <i>kitchen</i>. At first when I thought of setting up my 'studio space' I thought, "Surely not," about having it in the <i>kitchen</i>. Right here... among the goo and stew of life? Where toddler hands can grab my stuff. But really, why not. My Mac has been here in the middle of everything for nearly a year and nothing horrible has happened to it (knocking wood--F. did nearly pull it off my desk just today). So, the task has been set, and I have been gathering bits of inspiration to surround myself. It's fun to look around for what I find beautiful--and freeing really to just tape (with fun little masking tapes) little bits of lovely and sweet where I will see then often. Gosh, this whole creativity thing could become a way of life. Yikes.<br />
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and, without further ado, welcome to my </div>
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There's some fun, closer up:</div>
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a basket full of inspiring books and magazines</div>
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part of my inspiration 'wall' which is really a window frame: </div>
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more inspiration </div>
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and if i could figure out how to mount this, this dress would be on the wall. i picked it up at a second hand store a month or so ago--a little girl in my life will get it one day, but not before i'm finished gazing at it's lovelieness. </div>
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So, that's something, making a space for myself. Now the real fun begins... but that was really fun!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnzZcpSZIXo3Hl0qW2Gx-NcQk-TMNIbC-252FNOhk8swBjnuzaIAuJSPKYp0vrY9RUzZ6wVAF4peOYpnoqkc2PvfTkf_bRxl4e5T-EYeeGgmIMPC85dy1RKFOzGRNTPyiu2Jc/s1600/IMG_4166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnzZcpSZIXo3Hl0qW2Gx-NcQk-TMNIbC-252FNOhk8swBjnuzaIAuJSPKYp0vrY9RUzZ6wVAF4peOYpnoqkc2PvfTkf_bRxl4e5T-EYeeGgmIMPC85dy1RKFOzGRNTPyiu2Jc/s400/IMG_4166.JPG" width="266" /> </a></div>
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our nature corner: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qj-VxRCk_1WX2epNfWqK-IRRAZGAfyhAUItfFxU0K57s-fWy9Juw7R-y3GEKf3k0CgDUG45SgagKaAr_rQT7jHhmbEkW3KkMK3ZhQv-j_NXXgl4LJZAHII2XnyLEDf60jzIa/s1600/IMG_4177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qj-VxRCk_1WX2epNfWqK-IRRAZGAfyhAUItfFxU0K57s-fWy9Juw7R-y3GEKf3k0CgDUG45SgagKaAr_rQT7jHhmbEkW3KkMK3ZhQv-j_NXXgl4LJZAHII2XnyLEDf60jzIa/s320/IMG_4177.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This space is kind of an extension of the work area that we already have in the kitchen, namely the dining room table. We have had for the past 8 years or so a lovely, if institutional, storage shelf. Our previous home had almost no storage, and I quickly figured out that I would have to have some way of storing the bits and pieces of our lives--thus, 'the bin shelf' became a part of our world. As a part of gathering materials for Pages & Paint, I cleaned out a few of the bins, and reorganized them somewhat. The slots are still pretty howling, those are the kids' alone, so I didn't mess with them---er try to straighten them. I did put all the glue in one bin, all of the paint in one bin, and all of the stencily kind of stuff in another so as I'm going about this class I can just grab a bin and not have to dig through a few to find what I need. This shelf has been a life-saver. It's most recent addition is the canvas 'cover' that I affixed to it when I realized a crawling baby would never be able to keep out of those bins. I still find myself smiling over the ingenuity of it. I have a bolt of cleverness every once in a while that really works! It's starting to sag in the front from the baby who turned toddler pulling on it to try to get things out ("my puzzles!") but it still works!<br />
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<br /></div>sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04371723287504344398noreply@blogger.com1