Friday, February 18, 2011

{ This Moment }




{this moment}


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A Friday ritual inspired by Soulemama. 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. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see

Thursday, February 17, 2011

{Day 1 :: 30 Day Challenge}

Day 1 :: Post a photo of yourself & share 15 personal facts about you.


1. I farm dream for hours every. single. day.
I can't wait to wake up early one day to milk the cow & feed the chickens.
I will spend my day digging in the soil & the Winters spinning wool from my sheep & alpaca by the wood stove.
Yes.
2. Creating Art,
{be it knitting, painting, sewing, printmaking, photography, jewelry making..}
fills me with deep peace & accomplishment.
3. For 11 years, I have wanted to be a midwife so bad it makes my bones ache to think about it. I am certain it is the path I am to take in life.
4. When I was 20 years old, my ex & I,with our 8 month old son in tow sold everything we couldn't fit in our old VW & drove across the country with very little money seeking out a life less loaded. After camping & backpacking for 3 months, we settled in Northern California among the Redwoods near the ocean. Cloth diapers served as our prayer flags flapping in the breeze around our campsites, wild berries were our sons favorite food & we learned a lot about what is real in life & the kindness of strangers. Those years changed my life.
5. I would like to write a book one day. Tales From the Table...stories inspired by my clients. I once worked on an 80 year old Native American woman who rode horse back across the US in her youth, another 80 something black man who was the 1st to be allowed in the "White" dormitories at Indiana University, a Vietnam Vet crippled by Agent Orange and full of shrapnel who has seen things I can't even imagine. I have been brought to tears, had outbursts of the deepest belly laughter & been inspired in many ways by the clients that allow me to lay my hands on them. What a true blessing!
6. I never knew my birth father growing up. My Mama had me in her teens. She married the man who I call Dad when I was three. All I knew growing up is that my birth father looked like George Harrison which made me smile & I found comfort in. When I did finally meet him, I was in my 20's & he was not the man I had built him up to be in my head.
He had been down a rough road of drugs & alcohol.
My Dad raised me & loved me without ever making me feel that we weren't blood related.
It takes a big man to give that kind of love. Although he & my Mom divorced when I was 20, I am grateful every day he came into my life
& we still have a very close relationship, my Daddy~o & I.
7. I have a serious case of wander lust. We have moved more times then I care to admit since my children were born. I have discovered, for them, home is a feeling no matter where we are. The smell of good things coming from the kitchen, lavender oil at bedtime, snuggling in Mamas big bed, that we are all together no matter where we are.
I still have dreams of moving back West most nights.
8. I am truly "A jack of all trade, master of none." I have dabbled in so many different things but tend to get over excited and move on to the next project. Hence why on a visit to our house you may see the spinning wheel out, next to my guitar, a pile of canning jars & organic gardening books, a basket of knitting projects, a pile of wool, paint on the kitchen table (and a pile of dishes in the sink!). There is so much to learn & do in this life it can overwhelm me at times. I want to read, know, experience, learn it all!
9. My babies were both born at home in the water. River Wildmen came into the world 2 weeks & 3 days late at a whopping 11lbs & 23 in long! My Midwife told everyone I was able to birth him naturally because no one told me I couldn't.
I love that about her.
Maya Serenity was born in California with sweet Midwives who DID tell me I couldn't do it, over & over again. Up until an hour before her birth, my midwife in Indiana was on the phone to guide us through an unassisted birth. At the last minute the Midwives showed up in time to catch my beautiful, round 10 pounder.
Never let anyone tell you you can't.
10. When I was 16, my parents decided to adopt. I was an only child up until then.
My "baby" brother is driving now! I love him as much as I love my own babies.
He is an incredible, strong, bright young man. "Uncle Alex" is only 4 years older then my son.
11. One day, I would like to live completely off the grid in a yurt.
Surrounded by fields of lavender & other herbs.
12. My ex & I separated when my youngest was only 2 1/2 after almost ten years together. I went through a wild phase of sorts for a year. Dating a lot, dancing all night at jam band shows & rediscovering my love affair with coffee, wine, art & hot musicians. This was all while my son was attending Montessori school & my daughter a sweet little tot. I so wish I could go back and re-do that confusing time in my life. I feel like, although they had a lot of stability, I also didn't give them all that I should've.
After a couple years, my ex moved back in with me in
a little house on a sand dune I had rented on the lake that grounded me.
We tried for a little over a year.
On my 29th Birthday, he left & never looked back.
There was someone else I didn't know about.
I cried to the lake a lot..letting all those hopes & dreams go.
Grieving for what my children wouldn't have.
A Mama & a Papa. The Papa that carried them in a sling and helped them be born.
I walked in the woods every day trying to figure myself out again.
It took awhile, but I'm here.
& we have a new rhythm.
One I'm pretty happy with these days.
13. I have a lot of friends. Some I have known since I was 2 years old, others from high school, my travels across the country & still more that I've made in recent years. I've never been one to have just a small close knit circle of friends but a large array of people from all different walks of life. In this way, I have never, ever felt alone. I am grateful for all they bring to my life & the time we share together.
14. I have been a vegetarian for 17 years this Spring.
I was Vegan a few of those years.
Lately, in my farm dreaming, I find myself craving home grown meat.
I've been checking cookbooks out from the library with pictures of pigs on the cover.
This worries my children, life long vegetarians.
I'm not sure where the shift in me is coming from but I feel a need for whole food from the earth.
And a reverence for the process of it all.
15. My Mama is THE most selfless, giving, amazing woman I know. The oldest of 6 kids who we're raised by a single Mom, she learned at an early age the importance of taking care of your family. She is the first to feed everyone, give them a shoulder to cry on &takes care of my Grandma with an unending supply of patience.
She had me when she was only 17.
She fought to keep me when everyone else was trying to get her to put me up for adoption.
She graduated high school, married & stayed at home raising me until I was in school. She then went on to college & earned a degree. She is my very best friend. My biggest supporter & fan.
I love her so much it makes my heart ache to think about.
There you have it. The 1st of my 30 Day Challenge.
Phew..that one wore me out. I cried AND laughed writing it.
A large bit of my soul just went out into the world...
Join me if you'd like in keeping it real.
Leave your comments below with a link to your page.
Let's really get to know each other.
~Love & Light Always~
Sara

Friday, February 11, 2011

{ This Moment }


{this moment}


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A Friday ritual inspired by Soulemama. 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. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Monday, February 7, 2011

~Creative Clutter~










I'm learning to let go.
This house is small & there are projects started on every surface.
Paint, legos, puzzles, science projects, Valentines crafts, fairy furniture, clay that is hardening & as of tonight, a white t-shirt that is being painted to look like a storm trooper suit.
Pay no attention to the baskets of yarn, knitting needles, piles of wool, printmaking supplies, photography equipment, thread & beads... *ahem*
I wonder where they get it?
Who really needs a clean house?
I see passion and inspiration around every corner.

Create.
It's good for the soul.
xoxo



Thursday, February 3, 2011

{ This Moment }

******** Snow Day *********


{this moment}

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A Friday ritual inspired by Soulemama. 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. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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~ One Small Change ~


Last year, I started seeing the One Small Change posts on so many blogs.


I LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea.


We all have the ability to create a ripple in the world with actions large & small.


In Andy & Suzy's words,

"We are challenging you to make one environmentally friendly change each month. If you wish to join us, here is how it works!

1. Choose a change that you want to bring into your life that is going to reduce your carbon footprint. It can be big or it can be small...just decide on one change....if you need ideas check out our "What Can I Change Page", browse through old posts for ideas, or simply email us and we would be glad to help!

2. At the beginning of each month leave a comment on this blog to the appropriate blog post (the blog post will be titled "May Change", "June Change", etc.) letting us know what you plan to change. Come back mid month to leave comments with updates and read about what others are doing. If you blog about your change, please leave a link to your blog post.

3. That's it! So easy, so fun, so rewarding, and so important!Throughout the months we will write posts offering support, ideas, inspiration, surprise giveaways and guest posts from our participants so check back often."


It really is a sweet community they have going over there.

We have done many little things over the years that have just become a way of life

but this inspires me to do more. What areas have we slacked on?

What could we do better with?


In January, I ran out of paper towels while cleaning the bathroom.

I used to buy 2-3 rolls a year for the really icky jobs.

We use cloth napkins & dishtowels in the kitchen

so there really isn't a whole lot of use for them.

(unless you ask the kids who seem to go crazy wanting the

cardboard tube when a roll is finished for some project!)

So, it really wasn't a big decision to just not buy anymore.

I cut up a couple old t-shirts & added them to the rag bin in the laundry room.

There you have it, other then t. paper, we are done with

disposable paper products in this house.


For this month, I am going to work on our recycling system.

Since we moved early last Fall, we haven't been quite so organized.

I'd like to see our waste reduced by at least half by the end of the month.


Also, I will begin knitting some washcloths for the kitchen.

In March, I plan to green up our dishwashing.

Somehow, buying biodegradable dishsoap

& recycling the bottle doesn't seem like enough.


Check out the One Small Change Blog for more information & to jump in.

Every little bit matters.


~~~~Love & Light Friends~~~~


Wednesday, February 2, 2011

"Snowgasm 2011"





Yes, I seriously heard it called that yesterday.

Snowgasm...HA!

It seems most of the blizzard has past through & now we are enjoying the big fat fluffy flakes of lake effect snow. It has been snowing for 30+ hours.

Other then wonky internet access, all has been well.

Lots of baking, making, reading & snowplay..

I'll write more tomorrow.

My arms are killing me at the moment from digging out most of the last two days.

A kind stranger came by & plowed my driveway this evening.

Last night, we had Thundersnow for about 20 minutes. That was WILD!

I love snow days.



School & work have been canceled for tomorrow as well

& we are looking forward to another fun day at home.


For now..I'll leave you with some fun photos.

Be safe & warm friends!!!

xoxo