Birthday Letters: Two

"these are days you'll remember
when May is rushing over you with desire
to be part of the miracles you see in every hour
you'll know it's true, that you are blessed and lucky
it's true, that you are touched by something
that will grow and bloom in you" - Natalie Merchant

My precious boy,
Your second year has been a wondrous whirlwind of change and growth. You've taught me so much and I'm still learning from you. You remind me daily that the time is always "now". I have learned to adjust my body clock to keep the beat of your rhythm so that I may nurture you the way that you need. I have learned to brush my teeth standing on one foot while holding the toilet seat lid down with the other.

We hit one rough patch during the chaos of selling our house and the transition of a move across several states. Strangers walking through our home...sneaking up without an appointment to peek in our windows at all hours of the day and night. You missed your dada and I felt helpless. We both crumbled. It was a terrain so foreign it felt as though we were strangers, but with great love we found our footing and resumed the gentle sway of our familiar dance.

Your curiosity about the world around you is a joy to witness. You are a strong boy and you are learning to control your power and impulses. You are thrilled when you find a patch of flowers. You sniff them, and say, "Mmmm goom". (mmm good) I enjoy watching you play with water and your pout of concentration as you practice pouring and not spilling. You want to play in your sandbox from the moment you wake up in the morning. "Ah box, mama", you say, in a hoarse sleepy voice.

Your vocabulary is growing faster than I can keep track of. You know your colors and all your body parts. You point out letters and numbers that you recognize. You have a few of your own words too. Just last month your word for breast milk was, "ma NAH", and now you say, "mok" (with a yiddish sound to it). I am impressed that you are trying to say milk, and yet I dearly miss "ma Nah". Your other made up word is, "goo gah", which I've learned means "other side"...as you tap my other breast to remind me to switch sides. You are self weaning and now nurse mainly at night and at nap time. You still keep me on my toes when it comes to naps. You've taught me to go with the flow. I try to slow the pace of our day in the afternoon...watch for a sign and help ease you into a slumber before gently laying you on our family bed.

You never crawled, but went right to walking...now climbing, running and jumping. You build bridges with your blocks and walk across them. "Bidge", you say. You've earned your bumps, bruises and scraped knees, yet you keep going, my brave boy. You wear your Elmo bandaid like a badge of honor. You inspect your scrapes methodically and ask for a new bandage each time until there is no trace of the scrape left.

You love animals and although you are still rough with your cats (unable to control your strength and excitement) you are mindful of the animals you see outside our home and blow kisses to them. Your spontaneous hugs and kisses are the new thing right now and I am savoring every bit of them.

Last night while getting ready for bed, in your tired yet wound up mood, you began to kick me. I responded sternly, "No, hurts mama", and when you continued I asked your dada to dress you for bed. You immediately began making kissing noises in an effort to set things right again, so I went to you. You hugged me saying, "I'm ok".

"Yes", I said, "I'm ok now...thank you".

You are a loving, happy boy. You have a beautiful smile and a calmness about you. You are cautious with strangers and are not afraid to say stand up for yourself. When someone you are unfamiliar with is a bit too forward you say, "No...bye bye". When another child tries to take your toy at the playground you don't get angry, hit or scream...you stretch your arms out in front of you with your hands on their shoulders and say, "no...move" or "no...go".
And yet you are willing to share and will often offer toys to the other children.

I am proud of your willingness to share as well as your courage and ability to set your own boundaries. I am also proud that you choose to resolve conflict with your two year old vocabulary rather than by physical violence (biting, screaming, hitting). You shine, Satch! People frequently comment on how kind and happy you are. (just as frequently as people tell us that your dada looks like Robin Williams) This year your love for music continues and your favorite instrument to play right now is the harmonica. You play it expressively and bow your head as you gently end a note. You dance and spin and stomp your feet in time with your song. You make yourself dizzy and as you wait for your world to stop swirling, you look up at me and say, "whoa....I'm ok".

Indeed, you are...you are more than ok. You are extraordinary! Thank you for being my son.

Happy Birthday!
I love you!
Mama


Your birth was wondrous!
(photos here)

2 Rides Around the Sun: How We Will!

"I would like you to hold my hand
How we will run
We will
How we will crawl
We will!" - Rusted Root



It's a busy time right now preparing for the arrival of much loved family to share in the celebration of Satchel's second year. It's very exciting. We will be having a brunch to honor the time of his birth 12:50 pm.There is no particular theme... just a variety of his favorite things...Thomas the Train balloons, cupcakes with stars and moon sprinkles, and Groucho glasses for everyone! We will celebrate indeed...oh how we will! I will be back with a special post and a photo montage on his birthday, May 29th.

Until then, feast your eyes on my new-old tin mood board. A zillion years ago I purchased a cool piece of old ceiling tile that came from a hotel that was being torn down in Canada. The patina on it is gorgeous! Julie's talented husband was kind enough to frame it out for me so that I may use it as a magnetic mood board. At the moment there is a photo of a bubble blowing contest from 1940, held with one of my vintage button magnets. (Thank you, Jim, it's the coolest thing ever!)

Have a good weekend everyone!

Free and Not So Free

"And the turtles, of course…all the turtles are free…
As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be." - Dr. Seuss

We had a visit from a friendly Box Turtle. Satch was enthralled, to say the least.

And we have a family of four Chipmunks that visit our garden daily. (I call them "monks") They are so tiny and their antics are downright adorable. Yesterday only one of the baby monks showed up so I'm a little worried about the others. I put a small dish of seeds, nuts and berries out for it to nibble on (they ate the giant morel). The wee monk doesn't seem to mind Satch getting nose to nose with it. (as you can see in the above photo) The two of them sit there staring at each other. It reminds me of the time Satch met a penguin.













Satch really enjoyed his trip to the national zoo (though I still have mixed feelings about zoos). He was completely floored by a huge silver back gorilla and a sleeping lioness. He kept saying "WOW" in a breathy astonished kind of way, then blew kisses at them.

That's all for now....Satch and I are heading out to "Story Time" at the local book store.

Robert's family is due to arrive this Friday to join us in celebrating Satchel's 2nd birthday!

Corners of My Home

So here it is, a photo of the nest I've been working on (I dropped the rails down on the family bed for the photo). It's 60 sheets of paper mounted to 6 masonite panels. It was difficult to photograph due to the glare. It's much richer in person. The sheets are soft Egyptian cotton in shades of brown and a deep robin's egg blue (almost). The duvet is dark brown linen with wonderful texture. We had to buy new sheets for our bed because nothing we owned fit our pillow top mattress. I'm convinced this is some sort of conspiracy between the mattress makers and the furniture industry because our mattress is even too big for the bed so we moved our bed frame to the guest room. We'll have to buy a new bed when we find one we like. In the meantime, our mattress is on the floor.

A close-up of the dots that make up the image was requested, so here you go.

The wall at the foot of the bed is entirely glass and overlooks the tree tops.

And this is my dresser on which I keep (left to right): a small print entitled, "Sleeping Lovers" by Josephine McCormick; a photo of my dearly departed cat, Sid; my pregnant torso casted by Robert a week before I delivered (yes, I know my boobs were huge); mini drawers for my jewelry...my prized whistle ring from childhood; a bunch o' Pee Wee Harmonicas (on which I can play the theme to Masterpiece Theater ); and sandalwood Tibetan prayer beads (that smell heavenly); an antique Whitman's candy tin designed by Alphonse Mucha; a tiny 50's bowl; and an antique French lozenge tin.

Robert's dresser once belonged to his grandmother. On top he keeps (left to right): the Dali box that I made him; 3 wood boxes made by his father; the best fan I've ever owned; and a thick layer of dust. (He hates when I move things to clean so I don't clean his stuff...except for his cds because those dusty jewel cases were not going in the same drawer with mine until they were wiped down).
So there you have it...our home is a mish-mash of his, hers and ours...but somehow it seems to work. We're renting this flat until we decide where to plant roots.
After I finished the "nest" on Saturday during mama-time, I made this sun jar and I plan to make more once I figure out an easier way to reassemble the jar. I had to enlist my husband because my hands just weren't strong enough. The light is a gorgeous amber as you can see in the photo. And what I love about it is that the sun charges the rechargeable battery within. How cool is that? (Thanks, Megan!)
And for the Wee...I made a bunch of homemade playdough!
My next project is a letterbox to be placed in a local used bookstore. It's going to look like a mysterious old book, but it will be hollow to contain the goods. I talked the owner of the shop into letting me plant it. More on this later...Satch and I are taking the metro to the zoo! But before I go, I think you should read two very poignant posts, "Undamaged Boys" and "Masks" by the amazing Shelley (she inspires me daily).

*For more corners of my home photos, click the tag below this post.

A Better World

"Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap" - Robert Fulghum (All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten)
Have a good weekend! See you soon...

One Fab Weekend

Saturday was the opening day of the local farmer's market so we walked over there bright and early.
We bought some gorgeous beets for a roasted beet and wheat berry salad that I'll be making this week; some tomatoes and some lemon tea bread which we nibbled along the trail on the way home.

Satch was smitten with a small Peruvian stick drum and a tiny handmade boy doll so we bought those too.









In the afternoon we went to a bbq. Satch had a great time as you can tell by the sweaty curls!















































Sunday morning, I donned the shirt I wore during labor (a t-shirt printed with a photo of a tulip that Robert gave me on our first anniversary) while Robert made us all a breakfast of pancakes and organic strawberries. 

Robert wanted to take us to the Baltimore zoo, but I selfishly wanted to finish the art pieces I've been working on all week during Satch-naps and at night. So....Robert disappeared with Satch and I ran up to the studio. Here's what I've been working on:


1. A ginormous rasterization of a Sparrow's nest to hang on the wall above our bed. The wall at the foot of the bed is entirely glass and overlooks the trees so I thought I would bring some of that nature indoors in a really big way....in a nearly 6 foot by 10 foot sort of way. The piece is comprised of 6o images consisting of large dots and printed on acid-free cotton paper. I assembled the images to form the nest and am now mounting the images onto 6 brown masonite panels and covering them with (toddler proof) lucite. I will post a photo of it next week as it's still in progress...it's worth the wait!

2. A large rasterization of the lower set of butterfly wings that I found on the trail 2 weeks ago. This is now hanging in the guest room above a bed dressed in sky blue linens. (It's a queen sized bed so that should give you an idea as to the size of the piece) Each wing is comprised of 10 images screened into large dots and printed on acid-free cotton paper. I then mounted the images onto recycled grey paper before framing in a black wooden frame. (I still need to get more linens for the bed so this is a preview)














When Robert returned with Satch, they had a huge, and extremely colorful potted Coleus for me...and then they took me out to dinner! To my mama tribe, I hope you all had an equally glorious day. Thank you for inspiring me daily.

Celebrate Now

"Let's celebrate now All this flesh on our bones" - Bjork

Along the Uplands Trail, large buttery blooms, the size of party poppers, fall from the giant Poplar trees in celebration of summer in the offing. Two large turtles sun themselves on a warm stone while 3 wee turtles play on the rocky bank. (I'm still trying to identify them)






The trails are so magic....





even at night, in the glow of the moon and strategically placed lanterns.

















On this very warm night, I'm upstairs in the studio printing an enormous bird's nest to hang on the wall of the master bedroom above our bed and a large rasterization of the butterfly wings that I found on the trail last week to hang above the bed in the guest room. I'm signing off a bit early this week to do a little creating, a little reading, and a little dancing. The season opener of the farmer's market is Saturday and we'll be there early looking fresh veggies. I want to make roasted beet and wheat berry salad...a recipe from one of my favorite shops in my old hood. So....I'm off to celebrate now...and celebrate motherhood on Sunday!
Have a good weekend, everyone!

Call of the Wild

"When I see birches bend to left and right...I like to think some boy's been swinging them" - Robert Frost

Although I grew up on the south shore of Long Island, the one place that truly felt like home to me was NYC and that is where I lived virtually all of my adult life until now. Even so, I knew all the really cool secluded spots in Central Park (still do) and was a bit of a renegade gardener, collecting any discarded plant pot that I found on the sidewalk and bringing it up to my roof.


The roof of my Sullivan Street flat quickly became an urban jungle. I learned to harvest my seeds for the following year, and by trial and error, became familiar with what was most suitable for a hot city roof top.

There was the corn experiment, which provided great privacy, but only produced "baby corn" (ok, baby corn just freaks me out); tomatoes that were stolen by smart city squirrels faster than I could pick 'em and potted strawberries that I ate in one sitting. I liked to have my morning coffee on the roof, sitting in a low vintage metal chair so that the wispy cosmos towered over me. In the evening, the scent of "four o'clocks" made the chore of two waterings a day worth the effort. I've always lived near a body of water. As a child it was the Great South Bay, and Atlantic Ocean. All three of my NYC flats were near the Hudson River. In spite of my need for the urbane, I find myself drawn to nature.


Satch and I took a stroll on the uplands trail that runs along a winding stream to Barnes & Noble to buy the new Bjork cd and so I could sneak a peek at, "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv. While Satch played with the train table, I began reading the introduction and it really resonated with me...I was having a hard time putting it down so I bought it. The author points out that for most American kids today, natural play is being replaced by nintendo, and dvd players etc...and although they are taught about nature and global threats to the environment, their connection to nature and experience with nature is fading. I can't help but think how sad this is as a good part of my own childhood was spent romping around in the woods, climbing trees, and wading in icy cold streams. I urge you to read this book, and join the "No Child Left Inside" movement.

As we left the book store, I thought how fortunate we are to now live in an area that is surrounded by nature, yet close to two sizable cities. The sunlight pierced the canopy of leaves high above us in milky white spears and the only sound we could hear was the rustling of my footsteps, the chorus of birds and the tiny rumble of pram wheels. The breeze carried with it the scent of honeysuckle and it flooded my mind with childhood memories of licking the sweet nectar from the tiny buds.

My dream is to one day have an edible yard full of baby lettuces and herbs....
and a square flower garden with an old iron bed hidden in the center for nature naps. But today, I'm going to rock out to Bjork and get ready for a book arts class tonight. Be back soon....

Heads Up!

We had a sweet, but short visit from Julie of self-definition on Sunday...and had a wonderful time at the Kinetic Sculpture Race on Saturday where we met the amazing Shelley (and family) of "But Wait, There's More". I can't tell you how cool it was to meet the person whose poetry makes me sigh. I was standing on a park bench feelin' an ee cummings sort of vibe when I spotted her and swooped in for a hug. By the way, if you've never been to a kinetics sculpture race, I urge you to pack up the kids and go. We artists take our silliness seriously and you won't be disappointed. My favorite kinetic sculpture was Fifi!

ARKNTINA' s flicker set
Satch kept getting compliments on his hat...well it's actually my hat! It was made by Lisa Shaub. Back in the 90's when I lived in Greenwich Village, I ran into this talented milliner and fell in love with her hats. It was hard to choose, but I settled on a two tone floppy fedora made of paper straw with a brown ribbon. It is hand stitched into a spiral at the top. The colors are pear and slate and the dye is so delicate, it has the look of water color.

As an artist, I prefer buying original items from fellow artists because I don't want to look like a Banana Republican or like I fell into the Gap. And I do have a good eye for design. I used to buy my jewelry from an artist named Christopher Roule back when he sold his wares at a local flea. Now he's so haute, I can't even afford to say his name. I had (sadly, it broke) a gorgeous necklace by Wells Jenkins whose table was literally outside my front door on Sullivan Street one afternoon and now she's like...all Oprah!

My point is, if you're looking for a sweet lid, go see Lisa before she's kidnapped by the Brits to make hats for the royals!

Worth

*Further proof that I'm the luckiest person on earth...
Satch and I took his bike on the trail to make sure the "Bee Charmer" was still there. I could see the little handle that I made hanging from the tree hollow. Then as I looked down, right there at my feet was a set of butterfly wings that once belonged to a Black Swallow Tail.... just wings...REAL butterfly wings! I took a scan of them, but it doesn't do them justice.

*Feel free to rip the jpeg from this blog, cut them out and use them for your art. (click on photo to view larger)

Then I discovered during Satchel's nap that there is a wendyful love-fest going on over at the Whole Self!

and then THIS article...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - If the typical stay-at-home mother in the United States were paid for her work as a housekeeper, cook and psychologist among other roles, she would earn $138,095 a year, according to research released on Wednesday. The 10 jobs listed as comprising a mother's work were housekeeper, cook, day care center teacher, laundry machine operator, van driver, facilities manager, janitor, computer operator, chief executive officer and psychologist, it said. The typical mother puts in a 92-hour work week, it said, working 40 hours at base pay and 52 hours overtime. A mother who holds full-time job outside the home would earn an additional $85,939 for the work she does at home. (Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst)

To quote Fred, "I'll be back when the week is new" because tomorrow we're taking Satch to the kinetic sculpture race and meeting up with the amazing and talented poet, Shelley of But Wait, There's More! And if that isn't awesome enough...Julie of Self-Definition is visiting us on Sunday!

• listening
• reading
• watching (The first tv show I've watched in 2 years. They hooked me with the line,"Be careful where you walk, history's afoot")

Have a great weekend everyone!
*Those who know me would agree that my list of reasons why I am the luckiest person on earth is innumerable. (and the fact that I have such a long list is yet another reason)

Mom to Mom: Katurah Richmond

It's May...and I'm honored to introduce...

Mom: Katurah Richmond
Of: Ai Ana (9), Isabella (7--almost!), Asher (3)
Where: Lusaka, Zambia
Blog: Luckybeans

1. In what ways has becoming a mother changed you?

After leaving high school, I was certain I would
conquer academia. I wasn't sure how precisely (law?
medicine? women's literature?), but Harvard was
definitely in my future. I had scholarships lined up
and plans well-laid. Unfortunately that bit about
"mouse and men" seems to apply to mice and women as
well.
Simon and I got married when I was 19, and within two
months I was expecting. Ah. Well, that does change
one's perspective quite a bit. It was a harrowing time
for me, and I had to completely re-asses my deepest
values and sense of identity. In the end, I decided to
be a stay at home mother (which, for the record, no
one will ever condone when you are 19 years old other
than your fabulous family-- especially those ladies
who feel compelled to stop and lecture you in the
aisles of the grocery store). I threw myself into this
new role, reading everything I could find, taking
development and psychology classes at the local
University, and also combating severe depression.

Over time, I have come to appreciate our decisions
more fully, and I would never change them. I am
immensely grateful for the opportunity I've had in
being a young parent. I am a much more relaxed, happy,
patient, and confident person, with a clear sense of
purpose, values and direction.

Schools will always be there. My children will not.
2. What is one tip you would like to share about
mothering?

Appreciate the importance of the role you play as a
mother-- in this aspect of your own life, your family,
community and society in general. Educate yourself and
give your actions vision and purpose. And laugh a lot.

3. What is your creative outlet/medium?

I enjoy anything that gets those tired synapses firing
in inspired new ways whether that is sewing, cooking,
teaching preschool or photography. But most of all,
writing.
4. How do you find time for creativity?

Necessity. It is amazing how you can find time for
things once you realize your sanity depends upon it.
:) However, as the children have gotten older, it has
become much easier. They are now content to work in
parallel with me, glancing over at what my project
happens to be and then getting back to their own.
5. Why do you blog/journal?

Honestly? For my family who do not live in Lusaka,
Zambia. At least, that is how it started. I also
appreciate how it gives me a chance to record the
little bits of daily life I want to remember, and
causes me to pause and enjoy a moment of humour or
beauty on a daily basis.

(Frankly, I am always quite shocked anyone else reads
it).
6. Which blogs do you frequent?

Um, a lot. You can see my list of links on my blog.
But I absolutely-everyday-check:

• Soulemama

• no appropriate behavior

• shim+sons

• colorfool

• mollycoddle

7. Who are some bloggers you would like to meet?

See, that question's just not fair.
Really, it would be easier to say who I wouldn't
like to meet (er, perhaps not...psychos). I would
be thrilled to meet anyone who a) reads my blog or
b) has theirs read by me. The number of wonderful,
encouraging, generous women I have met through the
blog world is an astonishing gift I never expected.