Small moments

Taking in the nourishment of small moments:

• the spontaneous and emotional hugs and kisses from my children.

• discovering at check-out that every single item I bought was on sale ($12 and change for three skeins of chunky yarn and a big roll of wrapping paper...holiday shopping that jingles my bells).

• local florists who deliver meadow flowers in Ball mason jars.  (my friend is heading home today *big smile*.)

• cold salami sandwiches with mayo and mustard on Udi's bread.

• Les Revenants/The Returned.

• realizing that my immune system is one tough and fiery broad.

• Earl Grey tea with honey and milk.

• munchkins and moon rocks (with my little man, Leo).

• the joy of The Killers and a great cover.

Peace and love.

Flowers and food

These bouquets at our CSA farmer's stand at the farmer's market stopped me in my tracks.

The sour cherry jam, after a night in the icebox, blew my mind.  One of the best things I've ever made, hands down.  Enjoyed here with a small square of homemade corn bread and smear of Kerrygold.

I am digging hard boiled egg wrapped in prosciutto lately.  Tasty little bundles of protein.

I couldn't resist: I brought flowers home.

Peace.

Sliding into sunday

My eyes are drooping but I wanted to check in before tomorrow's scheduled media-free day.  Here are some pics...

In a fit of...self-care?...self-love?...pushing to get closer to finishing something I started?...inspiration?  I decided to move my personal work/inspirational books to the top shelf.

The fantasy is me curled up reading poetry...some day.

Sweet blooms are studding our hyperlocal landscape.

Went to a community swap today at an elementary school gym in town.  It was sobering to see folks who clearly needed the respite of picking up things they need without having to pay for them.  I felt a little guilty taking anything...but things were pretty picked over by the time I was poking around.  My very interesting find was this this old chopper thingy.  I was completely intrigued having never seen anything like it.

Shifting the old diet back to sugar- grain- and dairy-free on Monday.  Stocked up on animal protein at the farmer's market today and pre-cooked some veg.  Tomorrow I will roast some more veg (sweet potato and rutabaga) and if I have time, brown and grill some meat.  Oh, and hard boil a dozen eggs.

Peace and love.

Where I be

Wow.  I feel so inconsequential and overwhelmed and untethered...whispering like a mantra "something has to give, something has to give".  Feeling like I have to give.

I am pretty happy, though, where for years this kind of chaotic state would make me miserable.  I am doing one thing at a time, trying not to think too much about things.  Winging it.  By the seat of my pants.

At moments feeling frozen at the intersection of my temperament and the season as they rage and whorl.

PMS is challenging me a bit at the moment.

I have two new favorite songs right now and the album that contains one is on sale at Amazon for $5 (mp3 download).  (The Carpenter by The Avett Brothers.)


Here are some shots from our road trip.  We had a wonderful time visiting with family and friends in Massachusetts.  There's a lot of love and joy and bittersweet there.

Peace and love.

Oakland: the flora and the fauna

 Leo.

 Sophie.

 Leona Canyon Creek.

Josephine Street, Berkeley.

 Paris.

 view from Skyline trail.

 Sophie.

 Leo.

 wild iris.

50th Avenue, Maxwell Park.

The whirring of lovely humming bird wings were heard daily out my window.  You'll have to use your imagination for that, though.

Perhaps it is jet lag fatigue, perhaps it is simply true.  While many of my pics looked good on Instagram, at home in iPhoto they leave something to be desired.  Over the next couple of months I will consider upgrading to an iPhone for the better camera or resign myself to lugging around my Sony Cybershot (which is, itself, due for an upgrade within a year, I think).

In the meantime, enjoy these, the best of the flora and fauna lot.  I've decided to devote a separate post to the trees of Muir Woods.  I couldn't do justice to them with even the best of cameras.  But, I love them and took a bunch of shots.

Happy Saturday.  Peace and love.