Roots and Branches

what makes me tick, in no particular order

 

Photography
Birth - experiencing and watching
Piano - creating a new piece and falling in love with it
Fiddling/violin
African drumming with my sweetie
Blogging
Writing
Reading
Walks
New England
Having a blissful moment with my babies
Snow. Autumn leaves. Watching seasons change.
Traveling to new destinations and exploring.
Languages
Anthropology and the study of evolution
Local food
Gourmet food
All things Waldorf
Soft, sweet-smelling, squishy babies
Wool, cotton, silk
Knitting
Creating something beautiful for my little people
Shopping on Etsy
Soft, worn, hand-carved wood
Glittery, sparkley, brightly colored
Flickr friends - being inspired
Community and the connection, however brief, with other beings
Friends and wonderful conversation
Singing folk songs. Really loud. With kids.
Coloring with bright colors.
Thinking about adopting a beautiful, dark-skinned wee one with soft black hair.
Listening to my girl start to read and see her eyes glisten with joy as she falls in love.
Being wrapped up in wonderful thoughts.

What makes you tick??

Halloween 2009

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday!  We were so busy, yet had so much fun!  The kids were so cute together.

Halloween morning was so beautiful for me.  I decided to make Sourdough French Toast (which was unbelievably delicious, if I say so myself!), and happened to look over into the dining room.  Pouring into the room was the most beautiful morning light.  It was shining right into the rainbow silk draped over the playstands.  After 3 days of gray and cold snow (which I love, mind you), it was so different that it struck me as profoundly beautiful!  That, together with a delicious breakfast, happy adorably dressed children, and a wonderful new CD (You Are My Little Bird), made for one of the most wonderful mornings ever.  I wish they could all be that beautiful!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

my view this morning...

Snow anyone?  What a surprise!  I'm not sure I'm ready for autumn to be over....but it sure is pretty.

MIA

That's me.  I've had this strange avoidance mechanism kicking in the last week or two.  Sorry, folks. 

This weekend I photographed another birth (I'll ask the mama if she will allow me share a photo or two).  It was gorgeous, fast, calm, sweet, and of course, just so beautiful.  I love being the photographer at a birth.  It's just such a wonderful combination of art and one of life's beautiful miracles.  What job could be better?

I have a couple photos to share, though.  One is an amazing sunset from a few days ago and the other - it snowed today.  Yes, snow.  Winter is here.  I'm very happy (it's probably my most favorite season), but feeling unprepared for all the fun ahead (and my responsibility to organize and conduct all that fun)!  I said I would be working on that sweet vest, but unfortunately (or fortunately) when I went to pick it up another pattern caught my eye.  So, yes, I started yet another project instead of working on the one at hand (I'll tell you more about it next week).  What was that about avoidance?   Ahem. 

Enjoy the last of Autum everyone!  If I don't get back here before Halloween, everyone be safe and wonderfully happy!

family getaway

This past weekend, we headed back up to the big city for a really awesome event.  The papa played his djembe in an African orphanage benefit concert.

 

Everyone who performed (there were many groups, not just the awesome African music and dance group), was really amazing.  I wish I'd captured them all (sometimes you miss things in the midst of caring for little people).

 

The fire dance group was really awesome.  My fire-obsessed son was right at the front entranced.  He has since talked almost non-stop about the "fire swords."  Oh dear... 

 

The next morning, we wandered around a really great park for a couple hours.  Playing, people watching, feeding the ducks and geese, talking, and just quietly (and sometimes noisely) enjoying each others company.  It was so relaxing and lovely.

 

 

 

And, of course, the papa started taking photos of me (being the camera shy girl that I am).  And I have to say, I'm not as scared of them as I thought I would be...

 

This week, I'm trying to work away at that sweater I started a while ago.  Let's see if I can finish the thing!  Oh, projects...  What is everyone working on?  Have you started crafting for the holidays and if so, what are you making?

 

U-pick

Yesterday, the kids and I, a friend and her children all drove to an organic apple orchard to stock up!  It was a really great time.  The kids were in a picking frenzy - we left with over 100 lbs. of apples!!!  I'm totally excited about getting to can applesauce with the kids this year.  Last night, for dinner (because I was tired and out of ideas), we had apple crisp and corn.  I have a feeling apples will be included in some way in every meal for a while...!

 

 

 

 

love that girl

On Friday of last week, I woke up feeling really crafty.  So I spent the whole day knitting, sewing, and giving my daughter her first sewing lesson.  After this skirt was finished, I couldn't help but dress her up, send her outside, and (nicely) demand she prance around the yard.  She wasn't too pleased at first, but very quickly a smile appeared and she really got into it.  I realized a few days ago that I've never done a "real" photo shoot with her, so I figured it was a good opportunity.  She had so much fun and begged for me to keep shooting even after I told her it was time to go inside.  I'm so glad something I made makes her happy and that she loves getting mama photo attention.  It was really fun capturing her essence and it makes me very happy to look at the photos of my sweet little girl. 

storing up

 

 

 

 

Five guesses as to what I've been doing the last 2 days?  Yep, that's right.  Lots and lots of canning.  I went to a friend's house that lives a good distance away, and we spent hours and hours preparing, packing, boiling water, and canning peaches and pears - 103 quarts to be exact!  It was a ton of work, but oh was it fun!  I've still got more on my list of food preserving "To Do"s, but this took a huge chunk out of it.  It's so much fun to do something like this with others, also.  It really gives you a glimpse of the old traditional community food preparation ways.  What a lovely thing that must have been...

Anyone else storing up for the winter?  What things have you been doing to prepare?  Any neat tricks or recipes you especially like?

 

return

We had such lovely weekend together up North.  African drum/dance class (where I came away with a nice, big blister - that I was quite proud of - from playing dunun for an hour straight!), awesome farmer's market, gorgeous antique store (the kind with armoires from floor to ceiling, in a building that looks like it was once a museum), amazing Italian, high-end market where we bought out their crazy delicious chocolate section (and I found Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs for the kiddos!), German bakery (where I finally found the Curry Ketchup I've been craving for 10 years), Thai food for lunch, random big city window/shopping, grabbing a beer in Park City (a very interesting place at night), sleeping in a canyon at a high elevation with snow (snow!) all around us (and freezing), then coming home an evening early to sleep in our own bed.  What fun.

This week is going to be busy and full, but very satisfying.  Lots in the works.

What did you do this weekend?

mountain gorgeousness

Yesterday, we went up the mountain with some friends to play and check out the foliage.  We lasted about 45 minutes before we headed back down.  Brrr!  So insanely beautiful up there, though.

Tyler and I are headed up to the big city for the next couple of days, sans enfants once again!  So excited.  Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!