My Life is So Magic!

There is an artist by the name of Ahsley Goldberg whose work I do deeply dig and I've been wanting a couple of her prints for Satchel's room. I'm a stay at home mom now which means we don't have any extra money so I kept thinking how can I buy these prints without using money? I read Andrea's post, "Ask For What You Want" and eureka... I had an idea! I emailed the artist and offered her a trade and she graciously accepted. I traded her one of my jangly confections for a couple of her pieces.

(By the way, Satchel's aunt Laura gave him one of Ashley's t-shirts as seen here...and it's his favorite shirt, one that we'll have to save forever.)

Go check out her work, but don't blame me if you become obsessed! (Thank you, Ashley!)
In other news: Satchel was up all night again...this time he was crying to read a book, crying to go outside (at 3 AM), crying about, I am not kidding, a butterfly! Why all this crying? Any ideas? Anyone? He sleeps with me...he has no possible reason to cry that I can think of. See the face on that character to the left...that's me right now trying to smile, my eyes puffy and painful from lack of sleep. Right now I'm thinking, one would have to be a masochist to want a second child. Then, this afternoon he'll do something so cute that I'll feel guilty for thinking that.

Green

Satchel had his first popsicle. It was a lime fruitsicle. I wanted to make my own, but the mold that I have produces rather large and heavy ice pops so I searched for the most natural product I could find.

Satchel had his first popsicle. It was a lime fruitsicle. I wanted to make my own, but the mold that I have produces rather large and heavy ice pops so I searched for the most natural product I could find.



Edy's fruit bars are made with fruit juice. They make one type with sugar and one without (sweetened with Splenda). I chose the one with sugar because I would rather that Satch have a little sugar than some synthetic carcinogenic sweetener.

Later, when I spotted Satchel's tongue I gave the box another look and found that there were color additives...so the search continues.

In the meantime, I'm looking for a smaller mold so I can make my own pops from pure fruit juice.

Just Sky

"Blue skies

Smiling at me

Nothing but blue skies

Do I See" - Irving Berlin

With skies like these, is it any wonder why I'm so blissed out?!?!

Signing off early and wishing you gorgeous blue skies. Have a good weekend everyone!

Half Asleep in Dinosaur Pajamas

Early in the morning, Satchel watches tv while I try to pry my eyes open over a cup of coffee.  Note the backhoe in his hand...it goes with him everywhere these days, even to bed.

Karmic Boomerang

"Love, Love, Love, that is the soul of genius" - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

A whimsically wrapped parcel arrived from the West coast....a gift from Pixie....all beautiful, magical. Satch liked the envelope so much he wore it as a hat. He looked like a gnome!

Inside was a copy of Keri Smith's, "Wreck this Journal"and Dagoba chocolate for me...


and Dan Zanes' cd Rocket Ship Beach & sticky stones for Satch. (Satch went WILD over the sticky stones and of course is a Zanes fan)

If that isn't magical enough...enclosed in my card was a feather from a Cooper's Hawk (Particularly touching because it's Satchel's middle name).

Satchel's card is a lovely illustration by the talented Linda Wingerter...you can find more of her work here and her notecards here. The card is so beautiful that I plan to frame it for Satchel's room.

And all this arrived on the heels of a care package of S'mores fixin's that we shipped out to these happy campers.

When I showed Robert the goodies that arrived I said, "HA...you see, it's like some sort of karmic boomerang". "Yep", he replied, "it always comes back".

Our Weekend

Would you believe that our tomatoes are battling Blossom End Rot and our enormous basil plants are fighting Fusarium Wilt? Arrgghh! So Saturday morning Satch and I went to the Farmers Market to buy some juicy maters and on the way we stopped to watch the miniature boat race which brought back wonderful memories of the boat pond in Central Park.   In addition to the juicy maters, we picked up this itsy bitsy bird ring for Satchel's cousin, Hanna, made by a local crafter, Oblina. You wouldn't know it from this photo because I'm very petite, but that little bird on the end of my index finger is smaller than a dime.

In the afternoon we went to the Asian festival where we munched on vegetarian drum sticks...and we met with Satchel's friend Hardeep who has the most adorable breathy laugh and we all sat on a blanket on the grass surrounded by the scent of lemon grass, curry and ginger. There was food from Burma, Malaysia (I recently learned how to make delicious Malaysian noodles), Thailand, China, Japan and Korea. There was even an area for kids that included a rock climbing wall. It was such an enormous event that people were bused in from the DC area. However, we were conveniently within walking distance.

Sunday afternoon we went to Discovery Creek in DC where tots can get up close and personal with some wild critters and play in a sand pit. However, there was a private party going on so we just wandered around. There should be a spot on their website to inform people of private events. Drats! They had a beautiful carousel with a mixture of horses and wild animals to ride.

We thought Satch might like to ride the giraffe, but he simply wanted to watch...perhaps he remembered his first carousel ride (he's the blur in striped leggings)....


One day, I would like to take Satch to THIS carousel in Harlem...designed by children, sculpted by Milo Mottola.

Thank You For The Days....

I'm signing off early (yes, again)...have a good weekend!!!

Block Party

This title is in honor of Satchel's cousin, Kate, she knows why.

 
Satchel's aunt Laura (he calls her Lola) sent him these cool blocks from the art museum where Kate works. They light up and the colors change very slowly. Also in the box was the star from one of Satchel's favorite books, Walter the Farting Dog (I can't make it through the page about uncle Irv without laughing). Anyway...this little toy Walter farts when squeezed much to Satchel's delight. I sure hope the sound mechanism lasts until Satchel's first "show 'n tell".

Corners of My Home: Blooms

Off we went for a little walk and discovered that
the Echinacea is blooming in our neighbor's garden.
































We walked the trail toward the lake and picked two blooms for our home. "Pace in wawa", Satchel said when we arrived back at our door. "Yes, we'll place them in water", I replied.
Then I put them atop his book/toy cubby in the living room much to his delight! The blooms are so big, that Satch began making sheep noises.

Our Weekend

"Summer....Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood" ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 
Saturday, we took Satch on his first paddle boat ride on the lake near our home. The poor little chap could hardly move his head in the life vest.

(He had fun though you could hardly tell from this photo)

After we cooled off in the fountain

because that's what fountains are for.

Then we shared a chocolate shake on the way home,

stopping periodically for more sips beside the tall grass that edges the creek.

We met Bart the dog...

and Simone the cat on the trail...and called it a day...a wonderful day!

Sunday morning we took Satch to the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore (because he LOVES trains).













After he checked out all the engines and cars, he found a train table in the gift shop and got busy.

Here's what he had to say about it......

Gifts

"If you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly those moments" - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Colias Philodice?







I've always wanted to read, Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh so I bought a copy for my mother and me for our summer read. My mom's copy arrived first and she's already half way through it. It's that good! There were a number of reasons why I was drawn to this book, but it's mainly because the author, like me, was a seeker...living her questions, looking for balance, and sharing her truths.

I'm signing of early AGAIN this week. Have a good weekend everybody!

See you Monday...until then, surrender to the moments and live more richly!

(below: some gifts from the trail)

Fireflies For Satch

"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night...it is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset" - Crowfoot




Perseids are even better than fireworks!!!

Blogville Meets Springfield

Yeah I know this is all over blogville, but I couldn't resist....












The Simpson's have new neighbors....meet the Cox family! It must be a pretty good likeness because Satch pointed each of us out and thought it was funny.

You can create your own Simpsonized family here.

Rainy Days & Mondays...

never get us down.

(what's with the toes?)


















We have fleas in our sandbox! Can't figure that one out as we purchased sterilized beach sand which had to be specially ordered AND we keep the lid on it when not in use. Since it was raining and we couldn't play in it anyway, I sprayed it with a dilution of Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap that I used in my garden as a natural insecticidal soap. I also zapped it with a zillion drops of peppermint oil and that made the fleas hoppin' made. They tried to jump out of the box. So far...no living fleas (some dead ones), just a nice minty scent. And the best part is, it's not some toxic chemical...and Satchel's feet smell like candy canes!

In the studio I have an enormous and cozy old rag rug folded in half on which we color...and where Satch makes requests that I draw for him. Lately, it's "make baby", "make unbone" (rainbow), "make buh fy" (butterfly), "make nest", "wite (write) Satch", and "make bee" (since the sting). He hands me the colors he wants me to use. He dumps the entire bucket of crayons on the floor. He'll often ask for water and a paint brush, but not just any brush. He needs to feel the bristles until he finds the one he wants...this can take a while.

and sometimes we just get wet...

The Plight of the Co-sleeping Cat

When Elvis came into my life, he wouldn't sleep at night and mewed non-stop. I placed his box next to my bed and let my arm dangle inside the box, but that wasn't good enough. He kept trying to climb out. Finally, I took him out of the box and he crawled onto my chest, right under my chin and went to sleep. And that is how we slept until he was too big to do so and he began sleeping beside me.

It's been many years since Elvis self-weaned from sleeping on my neck. Since then he's made sleeping an art form....

on NYC window sills...

in shoe boxes...

















the bathroom sink...

the laundry

and in my old studio, the window blinds were a favorite spot.














When Satch was born I figured if I could sleep safely all night with a kitten whose head was no bigger than a walnut, I could sleep safely with Satch. It was a difficult transition for Elvis when Satch arrived. Satch made him nervous...he must have suspected the rough lubbins to come. So, he set up camp in Satchel's crib since Satch wasn't using it anyway.















Nowadays, Elvis will crawl into bed with us, but eventually retreats to Satchel's doll bed.

I'm signing off early. Have a good weekend, everyone!

Nips

Nina inspired me to grow some catnip for the neighborhood cat, Simone. Since then, FOUR new cats have stopped by to get stoned. Here is just one standoff for the stash.

During our bath yesterday, Satch reached into his basket of tub toys, pulled out a bubble wand, hung it on my nipple and squealed, "CLOCK"!

Mom to Mom: Karen Maezen Miller

It is a great honor for me to introduce Karen Maezen Miller, author of "Momma Zen". I read her book last summer. Now dog-eared and love-worn, I still refer to it when I need a little centering. For me, "Momma Zen" is more than a book...it's like a sacred text of motherhood with passages so poignant, they have become my daily mantras. It is reassuring to know that this kindred mama is walking the "Crooked Path of Motherhood" before me. Her humanness and spirituality is a light that helps me find my own way along the "Cheerio Road".

Mom: Karen Maezen Miller

Of : Georgia, age 7

Where: California

Blog: Momma Zen

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

Me? She's not here. I had to chase that old girl out of this house! Seriously, life before and after is beyond comparison, although I compare it all the time. Before I was a mother, I lived in a small world of big things. Now I live in a big world of small things. Motherhood teaches me every day that this life isn't what I think it is. It is so much more! Being Georgia's mother is such a kick in the keister. It helps me let go of my striving to be somebody else. Somebody richer, younger, more famous, with someone else's hair color, waist and hips. Someone popular. It's a relief to give up and let me be me, because then I can more easily let Georgia be Georgia in all her bloom and shine.

2. What is one tip you would like to share about mothering?

Ooh, I hesitate to offer tips. Perhaps that's the tip. We spend so much time looking for ways to do this the right way. It is a trap. Of course, some practical aid can be helpful, but often what underlies our questioning is the certainty that we are doing it the wrong way. As long as we are convinced that we are doing it wrong, all the tips in the world will never assure us otherwise. I always say that there is no right way to parent, but there is always a right now way. Your child is showing you what he or she needs right now. (Usually, it's nothing from you at all. Put those flash cards down.)

3. What is your creative outlet/medium?

Somedays it is cooking. Somedays it is sorting the colors from the whites. Somedays it is plotting to sell 35 Barbies and 55 My Little Ponies at a garage sale. Somedays it is writing an oh-so-clever turn of a phrase. Yes I am a writer, but if that was the only thing I saw as creative then I would be quite disappointed with my output. (BTW, I am quite disappointed with my output.) Everything we do is creative because we are creation itself. This is really hard to believe about ourselves. So let me also say that one of the most exciting creative outlets I now have is teaching yoga. I encourage everyone with a creative block to do shoulder stand. I could never have birthed a book without shoulder stand.

4. How do you find time for creativity?

See above answer. There's all the time in the world; I just don't perceive it creatively. Honestly, a few years from now when you watch your heart, your love, your precious one strap on a backpack and go to school each day, you'll see what flows out of you in the daily time allotted. Every season of life has its own effortless expression.

5. Why do you blog/journal?

Ego, pure ego. Also as a commitment to writing. To give and receive wisdom and encouragement. To remind myself that, even in my solitude, I am never alone.

6. Which blogs do you frequent?

Yours, always yours. Also I'm devoted to:

Siobhan at Ittybits & Pieces

Irene at Momster

Amy at Mojo Mom

Kathryn at A Mindful Life

Leah at Mama Dharma

All gloriously genuine women at different places in the puzzle and posting purely from the heart. If you gab mostly about what's cool or hip, mojitos or martinis, what Jesus or Buddha said, chances are we don't interest one another. And "frequent" is the right word. I read the same old postings several times a day. How I wish we lived close by! Nevermind, I guess we do.

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

Everyone of course. It would probably be like seeing the White House, Disneyland or Tom Cruise for the first time. Everyone much smaller in real life, in which case we could all fit into my tiny living room and pass the Pirate Booty. With mojitos.