Live Free

and it's summer

My world, right now, radiates in bright yellow. And when I upload my photos, I see the light, the summer sun so undeniably bright and bold and shining right down upon us. Yes, it's summer. People complain about the summer. I complain about the summer. But I don't like to. Indeed, it's hot. Quite hot. But the breeze is nice. The slow and easy pace is nice. The water is nice. The excuse for ice coffee in the afternoon, well, that never gets old. And those sunflowers, good gawd, have me swooning. Summer ain't all bad. Not even here in Texas.  

I'm gonna try to savor these dog days. Allow myself to mosey about and dream just a little more than I normally do.  

Wildflowers at Berry Springs

It was a lovely Sunday. We spent the morning at Berry Springs.  The wildflowers are still so showy and gorgeous. I feel like I must pinch myself to insure it is all real. 

The excursion included a picnic complete with breakfast tacos, the spotting of many different kinds of birds, a sweet warm breeze, meadows ablaze in yellows and reds, and the springs flowing loud and clear.  

Our afternoon included naps, sewing, mopping, and tidying up for the week ahead.

Dinner was tomato salad, vegetable soup, and garlic/mozerella bread.

The evening was spent outside savoring the pleasantness of these late May days at my favorite restaurant ~ enjoying Spanish coffee, a side of chips and salsa, and wonderful conversation with a friend.

Now, I'm off to tuck my satisfied self into bed. 

XO,

Nichole

happy little monday

today was a happy little monday. overall. 

there was homemade guacamole and little girl taking big bites of cilantro and avocado. love that. afterwards she washed our dirty dirty dishes. even better.

a nice balance between work and play on both of our parts. 

popsicles after quiet time. 

along with some sparkle stories.

the end of the day punctuated by an afternoon rain storm. bea running wildly up and down the driveway. so excited and singing, "it rained a mist..." over and over. 

a good day indeed. feeling all warm and fuzzy and full of love.  

When?

For the second night in a row, Beatrix fell asleep with a picture book in her lap and a flashlight in her hand. When did she turn into such a big kid? The other day, as we were driving around in the car, I was having yet another big conversation with her. I can't remember what it was about, but we were talking and we were listening to one another, and for an instant, I thought to myself that in a few years, I'll be the mother to a big kid, for reals, all the time. Big sigh. 

There's so much to ponder in those thoughts. There's so much of her that makes up me now. And there's a part of me that feels the panic of  those inevitable  'what next' thoughts.  The 'who I am beyond mother?' kinds of thoughts. I'm not sure I'm ready to move on to anything but this: our young, sweet family.  But such is life. Ready or not, there's no avoiding. 

It's fun to watch her grow. She's amazing and witty and hilarious and way too old for her age and so smart it's scary. I mostly love this stage with her, that is, when my brain is not busy out thinking her negotiating ways....She talks non-stop. She pretends non-stop. This afternoon, the pretend theme was library visit. She designated me as librarian, she as mama, and Dolly (yes, of course, Dolly) as baby. She and her baby met with the librarian, asked if it was story time.  Her baby napped in the stroller. Then mama and baby eventually had lunch at the library cafe. Dolly, naturally, wanted chocolate milk for lunch. And Beatrix (mama) naturally wanted a turkey pesto panini. As you can imagine, there's a whole lot more that went on between these major points of interest, but honestly I can't remember everything as I was busy in the kitchen cooking dinner. 

Off topic: I've taken so few pictures this summer. Beatrix is in the "no pictures, mama" phase. When I put the camera to my eye, she either runs, turns her head the other way, or makes her monster face (see below). How sad is that??  

And yes, that's a mosquito on her temple. I didn't see it when I took the picture, but it's driving me nuts now looking at it in the picture. Bea is a major mosquito magnet. Poor child. 

3:: Road trip, 2012

On our road trip to Colorado that we took a few weeks ago, we had the sweet pleasure of spending one of our nights in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Oh dear, how I do love this town perched high upon the desert mountains. 

We walked around the historic district for a couple of hours before settling in at our campsite. I marvelled at the adobe architecture and it's rustic, old world charm. Pure bliss for my wanderlust soul.

 

First Week of Summer

This week was full of bike rides, giggles and splashing at the pool, "organizing" (she's added a new word to her vocabulary this week) school stuff, library excursions, and just the general getting use to a whole new routine kind of week. So far so good. It's been so wonderful to have more time on our hands and to feel less rushed. But I have a feeling we are still in the honeymoon stage of the new rhythm, you know.

Let's see how we are all doing in two weeks from now.

Seriously though, it's a joy to have another summer of she and I together at home. I've been looking through way to many old photos on the hard drive these past few nights. My heart aches and beams all at once when I look back on the past three years.

Yes, it's true, at the day's end, I'm physically and mentally exhausted and so ready for my quiet time, but as Byron so aptly reminded me last night, all too soon, this will all be over. The house will be quiet and tidy and we will want nothing more than to relive just a moment of our days now. 

I can't imagine "this" being over. I remember when Bea was baby and would wake in the middle of the night. Craddling her while I fed her, I remember thinking that these nights with her little body sprawled across mine were numbered. As slow moving as those moments seem at the time, they do slowly seep down stream. 

She wonders through the house these days singing: 

May the long time sun shine above you,

All love surrounds you.

And the pure light within you, 

Guide your way on. 

Most of the time, I can't help but join in her singing. Sometimes though, I remain quiet, gaze around at the world that surrounds me, and wonder in amazement as I ask myself if this beautiful life is real.  

Operation Organize

May -- Now that was a wild month! My eyes opened this morning, on our first Monday of summer 2012, and I had a home, a school, and a three year, all smiling at me before my first cup of coffee.  Minutes later, Byron left for work. Hmmm....This is going to be interesting. This being home every day kind of business.  

It was/is "operation organize" this weekend in my household. Mad skills were needed to fit a homey school into a house that was already its own little school and its own little home. Thank goodness for the hubby. When I met him 17 years ago, he was a total mess. A dirty, twice a week shower guy, wearing clothes with no telling how many weeks of filth in them. I hate to even think about that! Why did I ever bother with him? I'll tell you why.  Potential.  I trained him good and now he can do the nitty gritty organizing better than I could ever dream. When I get to the point where I'm staring blankly around the piles and piles of stuff, wondering how I got to this point of having so much, he thinks quick, takes over, clears a path, and finds the order in things. Without his help, I'd still be sorting through color pencils, rubberstands, and hot glue sticks. 

I still have a garage full of shelves, tables, and baskets. Which is okay, because we have a plan for those (finger crossed a public hearing goes our way...)

In the meantime, I suppose I am having a great time tweaking our space. I love maximizing the function of our home ~ making it a hub of  togetherness, love, creativity, growth, community, and peace.  It's not just so yet, but it's good already.  

Can't wait to return to this space  more frequently with reports of summer fun, discoveries, and adventures.

Her hair got wet.

Ah. It rained today for about 20 minutes. Just enough for the little one to get her hair wet. She was so excited. "Mommy, the clouds opened up for us!" she exclaimed. Then, off she would go, rolling her stroller up and down the walkway, singing her favorite rain song.  

Oh, how I do hope with all my might that this shower signals change that is due to grace us...We are so desperate for it. 

It's unfortunate that I'm hardly in this space these days. I hope to return one day soon. This summer has been a real kicker. We're fine. Happy and good - but zapped of inspiration to create and do and with few words or photos to share. Survival mode....

Looking forward to a new season and hoping all is well in your world. 

 

Burn out...

Right now, my curtains are open, their windows are up, a warm breeze is blowing in, and I can almost feel the motivation to start doing again. I can't wait to have something to talk about besides the weather!

What a summer? Hottest ever.  Driest ever. We are all so done with it.  Except that it's not quite over.  

I keep humming, "It's better to burn out than to fade away"...isn't that Neil Young? 

Central Texas is on fire.  Yes, in every direction surrounding us there are serious, threatening wildfires. Dire indeed. Two dear friends of mine evacuated from their homes yesterday. Their entire neighborhood of 4000 homes is in danger as a wildfire rages through their green spaces and streets. In the opposite direction, a fire 16 miles long and six miles wide rages through neighborhoods, state parks, farm land, and such. 

This kind of thing can't go on.  Can it?  

Yesterday was hot - over 100 - and so darn dry. Winds were gusting up to 50 mph. Dust was blowing everywhere. Clouds of dust like I've never seen before.  It's a situation that makes one stop and ponder knowing that nothing good can come from such conditions. And sure enough it wasn't.  

My heart goes out to the families, the wildlife, the farm life - all life - that must find a way to endure the devastation that the collection of these  brutal variables brings.  

Change must be on it's way. 

Our little family is safe and sound. We've had the discussion of what would we take with us if we suddenly had to evacuate.  In the end, our list is quite short.  

Sure, I love my collection of thrifted furniture and pyrex, my sewing machine, and books. Really though, would my heart break if I lost them? Nah.

Please dear friends, send thoughts of rain - lots of it - the steady, all day, kind of rain - downpours - well, anything really.  We sort of need it right now.  

Peace!

 

Last bits of summer

And just like that - another summer rolls on. This one will not be easily forgotten. Cooler temperatures (below 100) are forecasted just in time for the Labor Day weekend. Our bedtime ritual once again includes a candle. The gradual shortening of days that has been occurring since late June are beginning to make themselves noticeable.

My little one and I have returned for another school year at The Natural Child. She "wuvs" school, and the "chiljren" and wants more and more of it. That makes my heart sing.  We are, indeed, back home so to speak. All together again. Yes. It feels good.