What he said

What a day.  An odd combination of it-whipped-by and feeling not only grounded, but very rooted.  Actually, it is fitting for the Winter Solstice, now that I think about it.

Rather than leave a trail of sentences noting this or that, a photo:

I made four things today, all for our Christmas get together in Queens on Sunday.  One was hot fudge sauce.  When I chopped the unsweetened dark chocolate, I paused...the aroma was intoxicating.  It was a wonderful moment.

(I also made caramel sauce, a dip I have become obsessed with called "Inge's Dip", and braised beef short ribs.)

I hope you are enjoying lovely moments.  Happy Solstice.

Peace.

Winter solstice

I had a thought...and followed through.  Again, with this thing which is un-ADDishness.  

My thought was this: I would like to go on our Solstice hike on the day of the Solstice.  Since our friends with whom we started this tradition switched from homeschooling to schooling, it has been challenging to line up schedules to hike on the actual days of solstices and equinoxes.

We have even skipped hikes because the timing didn't mesh.

This Winter Solstice, I wanted to return to the source.  To be in nature, a familiar vantage point from which to note, observe and live rhythm.  I hoped our friends would join us (this would require pulling one of their kids out of school early), but was prepared to go through with the hike ourselves if they couldn't.

Everything aligned and we walked around the pond together.  The setting sun was somewhat muted due to the clouds.  Yet the silvery sable landscape caught patches of burnished orange and rust as the sun set through the stark winter branches.  While we stopped to snack, on tangelos from Florida and marzipan potatoes from Germany, the clouds cleared enough to give the treetops that warm glowing Inness light.

Our walk was a string of stunning, perfect moments.  How lucky we are, how grateful I am, to experience such wonder.  Simply by being who we are and being where we are.

Wishing you much love and light on this darkest day of the year.

Happy summer

Wishing you a peaceful Summer solstice full of love and light.

And song...always song...

Solstice greetings

Cap and I used to have Winter Solstice parties back in the day.  A tradition that fell by the wayside when the kids came along and we moved away from Cambridge.

Here in Enn-Jay we began a new Solstice tradition with another family.  On each Solstice and Equinox we go to a local pond and hike around it.

This Winter Solstice, I am marking the season without Cap and without our friends.  (Cap made it safely to Massachusetts where he is spending time with his mom who is in hospital.  Our hike was relocated since the kids and I were car-less.  Then I had to cancel our participation because Sag spiked a fever last night that traveled to near 103º 'round 2am.)

I had a magical couple of hours this morning watching not only the lunar eclipse, but the bright twinkling stars that came out for the occasion.  I still feel a nearly overwhelming sensation of love and gratitude.  I felt very connected and energized looking at the stars, my brethren, craning my neck at the bedroom window.

I sky gazed in between tending first to Sag for an hour and then Baxter for an hour.  Restless boys in the wee hours.

Today I have a golden soup simmering on the stove and am catching the Sun where I can.

Peace, love and light to you this Winter Solstice.  Here's to celestial kindred twinkling and shining upon us all this day and season.

Spring Equinox Hike

I absolutely adore having this tradition with these friends.  We mark the start of each new Season with a hike around a local pond.  There is a familiarity of place and routine, but Mother Nature always provides entertainment as she sweeps us along in her constant rhythmic dance.

Today there was an abundance of water, which is always fun.

See photos of past Spring hikes here and here.  Interesting to take a look back.  It was much warmer today than it has been the last two years!  Also, we have not seen Broken Wing since last Summer or Fall.

Abuzz

I've been mostly parked in front of the computer screen for 2 hours, but I am quite energized.  I've pulled together a bunch of recipes to try out this week and now have to pull on some clothes and try to to either get a bite of food in me or form a coherent shopping list.  I've e-mailed and facebooked and bopped to the Spring playlist.

We're dropping the kids off at Donna's and then have a few hours to run errands, talk, get some lunch, and talk.  And talk.  So much to catch up on anyway, but then add a week apart to that, and there's a lot to talk about.

Later this afternoon we have our Equinox hike with the regular crew.  It moves me to have this tradition established.  That the kids have this.

Tonight, Cap's tuna pasta salad, piles of laundry to fold, and maybe the Discovery Channel's new series with the kids.  (It's called Life and has a lot of stunning nature video footage.)

Monday through Friday I am looking at tackling a room a day and whirling dervish-ing my way through unwanted, unneeded cluttering "stuff".  Spring cleaning, I've got my eye on you!

Egged on by the equinox

I have decided to go GFCF for a year.  And will be blogging about it here.  Check it out :-)

I may start a knitting blog, too.

Went to an International Women's Day event today organized by my friend, Mary.  And was delighted and stunned to meet an online friend.  Someone I have been quietly admiring for a few months.  I was flustered and overwhelmed (felt so shy!), but also energized by such a truly contemporary experience.  (You are your blog, as it turns out :-)

Tonight I will be bidding gluten and casein farewell with dinner from Habaneros.  Locals, I urge you to check this place out.  The food is fresh and tasty.  I love it!

Happy Spring, peeps.

Winter Solstice 09

A walk in the wintry woods with our friends L, A, S and R.  A wondrous way to welcome the new season.  Wishing you Love and Courage and Peace this Solstice, one and all.