Homemade honey

This morning, after qi gong and maple syrup-scented Gem kisses, I wanted walnuts with honey. Ahh, a shift away from wanting eggs. I knew it was time to crack open the precious jar of Plympton honey harvested by Pops and Evie earlier this spring.

The anticipation built deliciously as the Goldberg Variations moved me along in the kitchen. Emptying the dishwasher, vessels and utensils from the night before back in its place, the electric kettle performing its duties in shifts: first tea for the kids, then tea for me, a sweep of the floor, and then...

Blue and white Japanese bowl from my aunt containing walnuts likely grown in the Central Valley of the Golden State, drizzled with honey from the homestead. Satisfying and life-giving in so many ways. I am grateful.

I look up and there smiling at me is my Easter Cheerilie, colored and bestowed on me with reverence from Olivia. That's love right there.

New knitting and reading

Hypoteneuse in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool (45% wool, 35% silk, 20% nylon).

The Unforgiving Minute by Craig Mullaney (saw the author on The Daily Show and became interested in reading his book).

Brothers

He and she socks

They are wonderful and fabulous. Putting them on my feet completely transformed the experience of them. Suddenly, they were perfect. (Well, except for the tiny hole right next to the gusset which needs to be pulled shut :-)

Knit in Colinette Jitterbug "Fire", 100% merino wool.

Walkabout

Put my ear buds in and walked out the door. "Together Again" by Janet Jackson. The sun, the air, the magnolias, the cherry blossoms, the smile plastered on my face.

I walked to the library. Leisurely. Talked to Julia at long last, dear, dear, friend. I sat on a bench in front of the library while we continued talking. Feeling so wide open and happy. Seeing the various folk walking in and out of the building, milling about.

Returned "American Widow" (which was heart-wrenching and moving and beautifully illustrated) and a dvd the kids' had out. Continued on to Whole Foods for some mayo. It felt so good to just walk. Qi gong does that...in part it has to do with tendons, I think.

I was surprised to see a celebrity on Bloomfield. So surreal to see an actor who portrayed a character who was once very real for you. Our eyes met and before I could think, "holy crow, that's Erv Burrell!", he had slinked on by.

Groceries jostling in my Sacramento Zoo bag, I starting walking home. I passed the guitar shop. Then I turned and walked back and in to see if they had any leads on a cello teacher. The guy inside working on repairing a guitar with a plastic back which didn't look like a guitar to me, did have a lead and so I left my name and number.

I walked under some branches laden with cherry blossoms a block away from home. Part of me floated right up into them. I thought of Totoro. If I had enough innocence left in me, I swear, I would have ended up in the sky with him and his sidekicks, blowing on an earthen ocarina.

Puddle

Anytime I have a deadline of any significance (which is not very often for which I am grateful), my adrenalin surges as I finish the task. Then, I'm done, and the surge plows right out of me. And then? I'm a puddle.

I finished the taxes this morning. No sweat, really, since I'd been working on them on and off since last weekend. But, not to my body, apparently. The adrenalin has had its way.

In my puddlehood I've made some calls. My mid-life awakening continues and I am approaching a dream I've had my eyes trained on for years. Learning how to play the cello. I can rent one from a local music studio for about $400 for a year (initial 3 month outlay an affordable $140). I am looking for a teacher and, in the fall, may switch over to the university music prep conservatory where I can get a bit of a "family" discount.

A happy puddle am I.

Yesterday's treat

I took a walk with Danielle and Leo. The air, the sun, the company, the colors: glorious.

The morning after

These are my morning after antidotes to a wrong choice for fuel last night. Grape juice in my pretty glass cup, knitting with this gorgeous Malabrigo chunky, and the silver lining to last night's mistake: ketchup packs delighting the children this morning (a prank learned from Captain Underpants was involved :-)

Easter weekend

Homemade Indian food, baseball cards, Easter baskets, Robert Downey Jr. as a black man (exhilarating and mind-bending in Tropic Thunder), Legos, making movies, breakfast at Pops and Evie's, dinner at Mummu's, slingshots and bubbles, cousins.

So much life. Overflowing.

A boy and his scarf

He loves it. I love him.

"Regal Scarf" knit in Berroco Bonsai (97% bamboo, 3% nylon) using red (Akane) and gold (Hotaka). Measures 1.5 inches x over 6 feet long! Gem chose the yarn (the bamboo is nice and non-scratchy), the colors, and designed the vertical stripes and shape.

Today

I started the day with 30 minutes+ of qi gong. Which was really good. While practicing, I had an epiphany (here's the direct quote from my FB status update/"tweet"):

practicing qi gong this am I was reminded that *every* time I do something is an opportunity to do it with breath, consciousness, love, and peace.

I finished my socks which have been named "He and She". "Fire" never felt right to me (the name of the colorway of the yarn) and when I saw a video clip of Wynton Marsalis' new cd, something about the reading of the poem/words, in particular, struck a chord. A perfect name for the socks. Thanks to the universe for this bit of kismet.

Lunch was spring greens and baby arugula tossed with slivered almonds, cherry tomatoes and leftover, cold quinoa. A splash of balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Delicious. (Though my body is craving...dinner will include some form of animal.)

Lana introduced me to The Comics Curmudgeon. I read some funny stuff over there today.

Finishing up Gem's scarf. Yay, something that doesn't need to be blocked once it's off the needles and the ends have been woven in!

Lukas and Owen are over. Star Wars, Star Wars, Star Wars...the Lego computer game, followed by some movie-making, and now an episode off the DVR.

I wrote a note after being tagged by Brian, listing my favorite smells/scents (I spend a lot of time at Facebook these days). Here it is:

1) Grapefruit (esp. in essential oil form).
2) The basement storage room where my bike was kept, of the Queens building I lived in from 1968-1975.
3) So stereotypical, I know, but my kids: especially the tops of their heads.
4) Garlic.
5) My neighborhood bookstore (I inhale deeply, involuntary, every time I step through the door).
6) Laundry dried outdoors.
7) Sea breeze.
8) The smell of pine, lying on a bed of pine needles in the woods, or being in Muir Woods (one of my favorite places in the whole world).
9) Vanilla (esp. in essential oil form...Sag's favorite).
10) Rose (esp. in essential oil form...Gem's favorite).
11) Honeysuckle.
12) Eucalyptus (esp. live in the woods).

Have a great weekend. We're heading up to Massachusetts tomorrow for a whirlwind 24 hour tour (Easter+Mummu=celebrating the season). Time to go make the brownies.

Sun and air: spring

Coming into focus

When doing TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) work, my liver function has always been my big, red flag. Waving, billowing, in its hugeness. The liver is connected to emotions, and truthfully, I have a complicated relationship with my emotions. (Though I strive to simplify it every day :-)

I saw Vinny yesterday and my gall bladder popped up. With kind of a vengeance. It was discovered when I told him I'd had some intermittent twinge-y, shooting pain along the side of my butt/in my hips. He felt around and OMG, boom. He worked on all the gall bladder points up and down the sides of my legs and it KILLED.

Turns out the gall bladder is connected to decision-making. I like how this site puts it, that the gall bladder gives "the courage and capacity to make decisions". Vinny said that Dr. Lu has told him that in TCM, rather than having big balls, one wants to strive to have a big gall bladder :-)

I'm not surprised that the gall bladder is practically in tandem with the liver. It makes sense.

To courage.

Cuddling and blocking

Gem and I had some quiet cuddling time on the window seat (in my mind!) Window seats are dreamy. I love them. So when the hat/glove/scarf chest isn't overflowing and can be pushed closed, and the sun is hitting its sweet spot, I like to take a moment and sit on my window seat.


Sag asked me tonight if I had blocked his socks yet. I hadn't. So, I suggested we go and do just that. Here he is, spray blocking his socks. I blocked my scarf, too. They should be dry by Friday.

I heart photo booth

The evidence. I can't stop taking pictures of myself. (Photo Booth is not completely to blame. It's bringing out a streak of narcissism that usually stays well hidden...)

The kids are both under the weather and today is turning into one of those days where nothing much is going on. We were supposed to host common meal tonight, but I nixed that when Gem woke with the 102 fever he had when he went to bed last night.

And now that we're not hosting, it's not as critical to clean the bathroom. That's just how I roll.

I was planning a crock pot soup, a recipe Sandy passed along, but will hold off. Because, I noticed while food shopping at WP the other day that the big, juicy sea scallops we like are on sale this week. So, Cap's picking some of those babies up for dinner instead. I still haven't decided if scallops count as "meat" so I may or may not eat them. But Cap loves them, and Gem liked them last time (Mummu's recipe adapted to be GFCF).

My scaled back food repertoire is going much easier than I thought it would. I've been doing a DW breakfast of toasted walnuts with honey and then eating small frequent meals the rest of the day. Today's lunch was a broccoli-mushroom-egg scramble over quinoa. Yum.

I'm trying to do 30 minutes of qi going in the morning. I swear I look different in the mirror pre- and post-qi going. I already feel the top layer shedding and can feel my body in my clothes because of the decreased "sausage" effect (as in me stuffed in my clothes like a sausage :-)

Webcam sahm

I feel like I'm dipping my toes into that pool. Projecting myself out into cyberspace from my home in my pajamas. I can see the appeal of making a modicum of living this way. But, I digress. (I love the new computer :-)

I finished the first sock yesterday. Liking the colorway much more in natural light. I may run out of yarn, we'll see. It's a yarn I should be able to find again so I'm not stressing. Who could stress while waiting, with great anticipation, to put even one of these gorgeous socks on her feet?

Smoothie

Soy yogurt, frozen strawberries, ripe bananas, and a pour of maple syrup. So simple and good. Every time I think why don't I make this more often? Every time.

(Sag did not wish to be photographed.)

Day 1 is always awesome

Rocking my world today...

a red lentil dal with cumin, garlic, cayenne, and cilantro.

And dried Turkish figs.

And roasted asparagus.

And sugar snap peas.

I started the day with 30 minutes of qi gong and a handful of toasted walnuts with a honey drizzle. Feeling good...

Mind-body-food

I've been trying on and off, for a few weeks, to clean up my food act. But, when it comes to eating, my mind is way more powerful than my body.

I haven't been able to get organized enough in terms of meal planning, food shopping, and cooking, to ensure a smooth and satisfying transition to eating better. Satisfaction of my mind is a huge part of successful eating for me.

If my familiar comfort/emotion-connected textures and flavors aren't on my plate or horizon, there needs to be an ease and routine to preparing and serving the beans, veggies, and whole grains to make them happen.

A resistance to spending much of my day (every day) preparing food, knowing that, at least for a couple of months, I'll be preparing multiple meals (every day) (neither my kids or my partner will dig what I'll be eating), and anticipating the initial 4 to 5 days of adjustment "mood" on my part (withdrawal)...there are concrete reasons for the dragging of my feet.

But, there's prizes on the other side. More energy, for one. And now that I know we're in the local CSA for the summer, I am looking forward to eventually getting past the trenches and onto creative fun in the kitchen using more whole and seasonal food stuff. Who knows? Maybe by the end of the summer I'll have added some new veggies, beans, or grains to my family's repertoire.

Good-bye meat, milk-based dairy, wheat, and refined sugar.

Appletini

We have a new computer! Fun, fun, fun. (Though the new computer game is already bugging out and not working...)

Photo Booth
Photo Booth
Photo Booth
Lego Star Wars Video Game (the new game) back when it was working yesterday.



Video made in Photo Booth

At the moment

I started Gem's scarf yesterday. He chose the yarn, a bamboo ribbon in fantastic colors (washed out a bit in these photos). He wanted vertical stripes on a long, skinny scarf. This may end up very much long and skinny. We shall see.



Reading Encyclopedia Brown while holding a starship he made. Our cozy green sleeping bag has proven to be the transitional object which is helping the kids sleep comfortably through the night without coming to the big bed (which helps us comfortably sleep through the night). You just never know what's going to be part of the ultimate transformation.

Sag finished the final touches of his first multiple printing of a comic book, The Aki 2000.

Malabrigo Chunky

DSC08935, originally uploaded by shirlemagne.

...calling to be rock and rolled :-)

Rainy friday

Looked through it with interest at Forbidden Planet on Saturday. Blanched at $30 price tag. Requested it through our new super duper library network. In my hands for free Thursday morning :-)

Sag's socks are finally done! They need to be spray blocked (wet with water from a spray bottle and then air dried) and then will be tootsie-ready.

Gorgeous, gorgeous yarn. 100% merino wool that is so cushy while providing great stitch definition! And the colors. Just makes you want to sink into them. I have another skein from our visit to St. Petersburg and am all excited about what to knit next with this fabu yarn.

How did I ever lose my connection to knitting for a couple of months? I dug around the stash last night choosing new projects. Flipping through my binder of patterns and some books, marveling and swooning at beautiful and wonderful yarn at every turn, squinting at the cords of circular needles trying to discern the fading #s identifying needle sizes...

Bagged and ready to go: Hypoteneuse, Rock and Roll Cowl (I'm going to use this pattern with Ironstone Whimsey and Malabrigo chunky yarn: see the posts before or after this one to check out the yarn combo), and Gem's bamboo scarf (a red and gold number he is designing himself).


My shaggy-haired duo engrossed in the Star Wars lego computer game.

The buds and early blossoms are getting a good drench today. The great bloom is a-comin' our way.

Quiet night

Cast on for a pair of socks for me-self... In Colinette Jitterbug "Fire".