{this moment}

3am.

The wind just started picking up...

the beginning of what they are calling

"The storm of the century.".. "The Great Lakes Cyclone."

It's the weight of his hand on my shoulder,

telling me everything will be alright,

that I miss most.

I don't like facing the storm alone.

{ this moment}

( lovin' on the farm kitties...our weekly trip for milk, eggs & Amish butter )

This week I am grateful for...

1. The many massage clients who allow me to lay my hands on them & help them to relax & find their center. They in turn, help me find mine.

2. The passionate, inspiring group of parents who showed up for the 1st of what I hope turns into a long run of monthly meetings for a new Attachment Parenting & Natural Family Living Group I am a part of starting.

3. Sanders Farm...our local family owned resource of raw milk, local honey, fresh eggs, Amish butter & lots of farm entertainment.

4. The little girl who crawled into my bed this morning for "one more snuggle" before school.

5. The young man who is becoming a little activist & planting seeds for

change every where he goes.

6. The head of the labor & delivery unit at our very conservative local hospital coming to me as a massage client & changing my view on what hospital staff believes to be normal labor & birth...giving me the chance to discuss my own 2 homebirths with her...& offering to give my number to women in need of a doula.

We have the ability to change the world every moment.

We plant seeds with every action, every word, every thought.

What are you grateful for this week??

.....

The cold breeze blew in from the window

&

I was reminded of all I have to do before winter sets in.

Yet again, I coudn't sleep.

{ this moment }

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.

A single photo

- no words -

capturing a moment from the week.

A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

W.I.P. Wednesday

Super Cupcake Hat by Chic Knits in Cascade yarn.

Should be a quick knit for Miss Maya.

The things they say...

There was a baby crying at the library & Maya asks,

"Mom do you like the sound of babies crying?"

I said, "Um.. no. Who would enjoy that? It's an awful, heart breaking sound."

She replies (very casually),

"Oh you know..Vampires, Evil Fairies & the Creature from the Black Lagoon."

Seriously..these kids crack me up.

Another trip around the sun...

It was probably the last time we would jump in the lake this year.

It seemed appropriate we do it on his birthday.

11 times we ran in & out, giggling & cold.

Honoring the 11 trips he's taken around the sun.

It seems like yesterday, we were sitting in the

warm birthing pool getting to know each other.
I'm so proud if the young man he is becoming.

{ 11 years old }

He crawled into my bed this morning..

minutes before the time of his birth & said,

"Mama, I don't get why we always celebrate me on my birthday.

You did all the hard work birthing & taking care of me.

I want to celebrate you.

Thank you for being my Mama.

You're really the best ever."

seriously..this boy makes my heart ache with love. ♥

{this moment}

“I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”

~ EB White

W.I.P. Wednesday

This weekend, I went to a class titled Wild & Woolly at the Arboretum.

It was a really special day that I had been looking forward to for a couple weeks.

A dear friend of mine offered to take the kids for the morning & I was scheduled off work!

Hooray!

I spent three blissful hours learning to dye raw wool with different leaves, berries & nuts.

We did a little carding, spinning & weaving.

We built a simple drop spindle & I asked many, many questions.

(it's not that often this Mama gets to spend time with

other women who love wool as much as she does.)

It was really a perfect morning.

Afterwards, I took advantage of having a sitter & went to the yarn shop.
I had ordered Last Minute Knitted Gifts after hearing so many fellow bloggers say it was a must have book & I have to say, I was not disappointed.
(I know..I know... I'm that nerdy lady who gets a sitter to go yarn shopping. ha!)

Also in the photo above is the scarf I started making Maya last week
& some sweet pink Cascade yarn for a hat to match for my super sweet girl.




Rivers hat in progress.

Hand spun Alpaca from our Farmers Market.

The Alpacas name is Haas...this is his natural, beautiful color.

And...Rivers Autumn hat finished!

He was so excited, he decided to wear it to bed.

The first of many hats to made this fall.

I was recently asked by a local natural parenting store to knit up some baby hats, wool diaper covers & wool toys. I'm really excited for this.

I also have a couple other orders lined up.

This makes me want to quit my job & play with wool all day.

Do you think this single Mama could raise two kids on that alone?

I've been dreaming more & more of that farm I hope to have one day.

And bringing my eggs, organic produce, honey,

herbal products & woolen goods to the Farmers Market.

Dreams.

*sigh*

I finished two ear flaps tonight for the birthday boys surprise snowboarder hat.

If all goes well, I will be able to finish it tomorrow & move on to a few other handmade Mama presents. He told me the other day, those are the ones he most looks forward to.

That makes me smile..he knows, in each stitch, I say a blessing.

"For people allergic to wool, one's heart can only bleed." ~Elizabeth Zimmerman

Almost 11..

River:: (walking through the house putting stuff away)

"Mama, I was thinking..." (silence)..

"Mama, um guess what?" (silence) ..

"Hey, Mama..." (silence).

Finally, I say "River, what is it?"

He comes in my room & crawls in my lap to wrap his arms around me

and smiling says,

"Sometimes it just feels really good to say Mama." ♥

One week from today, my baby will turn 11.

How can that be?

Oh my goodness..I love him so.

{ my favorite pancake recipe }

shhh... my super secret pancake recipe..

the one everyone loves...

the one that makes our house the best to spend the night at...

it's from Laurel's Kitchen.

I love, love, love this cookbook.

At 18 years old, in my first apartment,

I poured over this cookbook for hours

learning how to cook a real meal.

Years later, as a new mother,

I planned my meals from it as

I sat in my rocker nursing the days away.

Now, it still remains one of my top go-to recipe books.

Old Fashioned Pancakes

(from The New Laurel's Kitchen)

2 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. wheat germ

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp. sea salt

2 large eggs

2 1/2 - 3 c. organic milk (or soy, rice, almond, coconut milk)

2 tbsp. oil

Stir together the dry ingredients.

Beat the eggs & add to the milk.

Mix into the dry ingredients, stirring briefly & add the oil.

Cook on the hot griddle.

That's it...the basic recipe.

Super simple.

I like to keep a mixture of the dry ingredients on hand for quick breakfasts

but we rarely make them plain following just this recipe.

A lot of the time I add a tsp. of vanilla or almond extract to the wet ingredients.

These are great with..

~ a handful of blueberries thrown in (fresh or frozen),

~fresh raspberries & chocolate chips..yum.

~ Thin sliced bananas laid on the pancake right after it is poured on the griddle..mmm..along with a dash of fresh vanilla bean and chopped walnuts in the batter.

~ with cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, grated ginger & thinly sliced apples laid over the pancake after it's poured on the griddle..ooohhh lala

~ with the same added spices as above but grating the apple & adding a handful of raisins..

~ chocolate or carob chips & dried cherries..

~ plain with Amish butter, jam, yogurt, apple butter, honey, fresh fruit...etc...on top.

There are endless possibilties with pancakes.

{ Apple Owl pancakes were requested this weekend... sweet, huh?? and yum~o }

What is your go-to breakfast recipe???

........

time stands still best in moments that look suspiciously like ordinary life...

...........................

She came over for dinner & didn't leave until 2am.

We sat at the kitchen table laughing, crying

& sharing stories in the way that only old friends with lots of history can do.

Savoring September...

All day long, I longed for the peace & quiet of the beach.

The people around me would not stop talking.

and talking.

and talking.

My head felt full.. my energy flitty..I needed to ground myself with my toes in the water.

And that's just what we did.

It was worth every second.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.
A single photo

-no words -
capturing a moment from the week.
A simple, special, extraordinary moment.
A moment I want to pause, savor and remember