Touch the light....

It's been so long
It's been distant
It's been silent

It's time to touch the light again

Feed the fire
Feel the heat
Feel the burn

Close the distance
Break the silence
Tell our stories

It's time to touch the light again

Where We Meet is the third week of prompts over at 52 Photo's where Bella Cirovic hosts a wildly  talented circle of photographers and bloggers and where I find an unending path of inspiration and joy.    

Here, at CBF, we gather in the kitchen for almost everything, snacks, homework, small talk, rock breaking.... it is where I smear paint when I don't need to be alone, make attempts at sewing, all sorts of sweet treats and daily dinners... the kitchen is the heart of our home.

 

Homemade goodness is the sure way to happy faces in our house.....

Even the elusive Teenager offers a smile when lured into the brightly lit, sweet smelling, geode breaking, cheesey smile makin' spot :)

Where's yours?

A day in the life...

theBoy... and the way we groove

Ash from the 5-18, 1980 Mt.St. Helen eruption, still makin' the classroom rounds, thanks Aunt Marti!

Rain and driving = Happy me

North Carolina sunscapes from the front yard

Lessons & Objectives 2012 (Pt.1)

This year, this 2012... it has not started much like it ... much like "I" had intentions for it to begin. 


Lesson and Objective #1. I will learn (again and again) to release control....

Baby Girls grow into young women....


Lesson and Objective #2. I will learn (again and again.... and again) to breathe and release, for her happiness, is my.... ?success? This will be hard and will hurt and will ebb more than flow....

The world I live in has many things to teach me and while my days are long and I am always in a state of repair, I have stories to tell, things to learn, joys to celebrate and sorrows to sing....


Lesson and Objective #3. I am a mother, a creator, a teacher, a student and a risk taker. I survive, I thrive and I make mistakes. I will learn to accept me for me and I offer this self to the world, because it is time to come out of my hermit shell...

Neal Thompson - Big Dog

"What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All the things are connected."

 ~ Chief Seattle

There are many tales I will someday write about this overgrown tail-wagger... a friend this ornery and loyal provides several introductory lines, today I will strive for a selfish directness to save my swollen eyes, over-stuffed nose and the tissue boxes that have long been emptied.


Neal Thompson... who loved his family without fail. 


An aficionado of the well booted ankle, but would happily sample all uniformed individuals if he thought he could sneak a nip.... 


Father figure and playmate to more kittens, puppies, rats, frogs, turtles and small children than he could have ever dreamed of... or licked clean.  (But he sure tried)


Chaser of intruding figures, real and imaginary (intruder or not).... whether we wanted him to or not :/


Chaser of whomever was playing ball... chaser of everyone BUT the ball.... 


Swimmer, Lover, Whiner, Beggar, m&m Appreciator, Thief, Side-swiper, Drooler, Moaner-Groaner-Grass Roller, Sneak, Best Friend


Yesterday, our family was once more changed by the loss of a friend. After 12 years of joy and heartache... we released Neal and a beautiful feathered friend to the open valleys to run with friends he hasn't seen in a while, to meet new who are waiting to welcome him. 


You are already missed more than we will ever be able to put to words. 


   

Busy Month of August Fullness

The month began with family at the falls, Niagra, NY...

A family reunited is never a party to miss!

Death Cab for Cutie brought us home

the Boy runs a tiller like a pro!

Adding Sacred space...

Taking journey's and adventures....

Southern Women's reading material at the SuperCuts...? 

Finding ... and relocating veggie foes

Pears... Pears and more Pears

Makes for pear sauce and spiced pears this winter! YUM

Summer time lovelies fading into the school year....

She is large... and commanding... and newly relocated from the 
garden to the forest where I will continue to honor her lessons.

Now, here is a small sample of August... there were marshmallows, cookies, and newly tried healthy recipes to be certain... And all went over with a triumphant call! The SouLodge is wrapping up in a week or so and I feel I will continue to gather much needed knowledge and wisdom from the ladies which I am encountering and listening to in the circle. They are brave and soul-filled, honest and courageous in their sharings.  Our fall / winter garden is taking off beautifully and I hope that I have asked for the balance, nourishment and wisdom to see a lush harvest!

Blessings for a full and bountiful September All~

Wants

I want to co-exist peacefully
this means with my neighbors, all of them... winged, four legged and two,
the ones who bite and leave visible red whelps that itch and irritate, the ones who bark loudly and will try to sneak a taste of your ankle if the opportune moment strikes
and the ones who call with one pretense and knock you off your chair with irrational chatter by conversations end...

First of April

Things have been fairly whirly windy typical lately so I'm trying my hand at this... the music isn't themed, just what I was listening to and thought you should too :)

Happy Birthday Megan :) Hope your day is filled with merriment and joy.

Off to the chore list, break is well over!

Weekend Additions

The previous week, and this weekend has been very event-filled...

There has been the addition of Buffy, who loves to eat.... and has to have her lighting changed twice daily...

Then, we adopted Chunk here... (which this is unfortunately, not his name... he is still nameless 10 days later...) with his cell mate Hazel Abigail, who is camera shy... they took us on a whirlwind spin through the vet office for three days in a row. Including sub-cue fluids and five different RX's .... umm... not what we really anticipated.... nor did the eight other cats, when they were banished from the house for an indeterminable time frame while the healing began. Sinusitis was an understatement. This is why I do so dislike shelter's and center adoptions.... but understand completely, why they are needed as we get ready to enter kitty season. Please people, if you don't spay/neuter GET YOUR HEAD CHECKED! I am serious, this is a life saving procedure! There are too many cats, dogs, turtles, snakes, frogs and innumerable other pets out there that are surrendered or abandoned.... and when left to their own devices, these cats/dogs just have babies like bunnies... and that's no joke fellas.

If these below are small-ish, click'em to see them big like... The Teen, and her guy friend, made one kick ass fence and gate combo for Joe & Charley, who were very appreciative and excited to be let out of man-cave where they were rushed to when it began to rain on our day party of outdoor projects... a common occurrence of late (the rain, not goats, in the man-cave)...

Girl, and the Boy were my brute muscles and dug up a boat load of agapantha's gone wild... we replaced these with a variety of perennials.... we did the same thing under the carport area, which was also inundated with aggies... there was MUCH love for those buggers here... YEARS of lovin.... we have relocated approximately 250 plants.

The non-pictured beauties include 3 salvia, 2 lavender, a rosemary, I am still in search of some specific sage varieties, and Girl is convinced we can find some wild wisteria rather than hit up the nursery... it is growing EVERYWHERE I look ... and it is gorgeous!!!!



And now.... it's time to sort and sow the herb garden....

Control... and my little dots . . .

My mother is a controller, my grandmother before her and if I am to understand correctly, the women before them were equally as strong willed and ... enjoyed a bit of control in their lives too. I am wildly attracted to the strong, confident nature of these women and fall in love with their passion... Knowing this and being... umm... me... I do try daily to give up control in some of the things I do... Admittedly, I have my moments of failure. Complete and total failure.... and some times, this is like swallowing a bitter cough remedy... others... like whistling with crackers in my mouth.

My truths . . .
I believe in rules... guidelines... disciplines... rights and wrongs... karmic justices

I believe charity starts at home... in your heart... with a smile... and it is contagious

I believe in honesty... truths... all sides of the story... and forgiveness

I believe in honor... for yourself... for your family... and for how you behave

I believe in having faith... no matter how many times someone tries to poke holes in your beliefs

I believe in no hurtful words... because sticks and stones may not break bones but words have always hurt me... and healed me

I cannot control how you will behave, what rules you will follow, what goodness you will do, what truths you will tell, who you will honor or have faith in... I can though, tell you again, that you are loved, you are one of a kind, you are amazing, you can do anything, and that I have faith in you...

... I live everyday with my heart on my sleeve and with all the tears that may fall, each new day I start fresh with the belief that you and I will succeed to be the very best we can be...

Weekend Warriors

This weekend, was a whirlwind and we all were busy doing something productive... including celebrating a certain Boy's eleventh year! There was burning of our woodland debris, gardening a plenty, cake making... cake eating... warnings that he should eat more cake (being in the house with three women, chocolate can sometimes be in high demand!) A couple of nights on the town to celebrate... it's been a blur...

Kind of like the last 11 years... and I just don't understand why he won't listen to me when I say stop growing up!

I have Goodies ...

A much anticipated medicine bundle from here.... suhhhweeeet!!

and I made these... yum

I've got a workshop this weekend, a soul collage play shop in beautiful Chapel Hill, NC ... Nerves and Insecurities are beginning to poke their familiar noses into my business, and I keep showing them the door... I'm wondering if I'm being too polite, as a few times this afternoon Insecurities ran through here like a streaker during halftime :/

I've collected a few needed (if wanted to bring) supplies for the day, I've got myself a grand plan for big coffee, good music and the directions have been loaded into the GPS for a nice drive... it will be a great day and I am excited to see new faces and make new friends. I will likely see Nerves and the streaker a few more times before Sunday... they're a rotten duo, and they are unwelcome on this adventure.

I'm enjoying one of those macaroons right now, the chocolate was a request by the Teen and Girl, the Boy and I are traditional sorts ... I forget how easy these are ... and how irresistibly tasty... my jeans are now wishing I'd forget again!

Forward movements

The promised tilling of the garden area has still yet to happen, and of course, we are anxious... even though there are a bazillion other things that are keeping us overly busy. I cleared the pantry closet this week and it is actually a pantry closet now! :) The just haven't made it to the barn suitcases, computer boxes and various other items that created the "junk closet" now have official homes and the pantry has been reclaimed! This also opened up counter space in the kitchen where I was full speed ahead set up to use as a temporary sewing nook! It's a perfect size, and located far from dishwater and oven... The Girl set it up all pretty for me and everything...

And then, in the great sewing debacle of 2011, the machine took a big ole poo. Or maybe it was my melt down after being unable to stitch more than an inch between the bobbin jamming and knotting, or the thread snapping... the needle breaking was a bit over the top I thought, but I continued to unjam bobbin... even re-threading wondering if I had screwed that up somehow... it's been a while since I've sewn, so it is possible... new thread on the top, this one must be old? right.... snapping every few stitches... the tension is set correctly, I even googled it to be sure... tension is (and was) set fine. An hour later, my glasses thrown to the floor, the machine moved to the center island in the kitchen because maybe the lighting isn't good enough?!! Poooooof

The fabric is here, the panels washed, pressed and one partially sewn, and my motivation floundering... on to the next project until a new machine can be found. Curtainy fabric looks nice in this basket on the counter top :)

The little house which is to be my space for reckless abandon and creativity is in a state of repaint / claim it / clean it ... and this has brought me significant pleasure... being able to scoot away and work in here this week has been a gift and I am excited about the possibilities that will grow up and out of here...

We also began a bit of the yard gardening, which will be more of a design as we go and have the items I use in my daily doings. The 1st of February was Imbolc and when the Girl and I were driving up our road to home, I caught sight of four to six wild pigs rounding the edge of a clearing into a wooded area between pastures... it was so cool! Why I don't keep the camera with me all the time here still drives me bananas... (then I have to rationalize... would I really have been holding it looking out the window as we rounded this familiar bend on the way home...???) Once the Teen and the Boy were home from school, we planted strawberries and worked in the yard for a bit. The goats were playing and we were laughing... celebrations are sweet.

Yesterday was a drawn out day in town, where we did not go grocery shopping and why I'm still procrastinating about that is uncertain (except... I really don't like that store...) This morning has been blissfully quiet and relaxing as the music plays, the dogs go to and fro and the coffee keeps coming...