barn raising

15 May

moving right along

Our move to the country seaside is exactly 10 days away 2 days away!  (I wrote this post a week ago and then quickly came down with a horrible strep throat infection...and then while I was recovering it morphed into a sinus cold...and now a raspy cough.  Oh my, oh my.  Shall we even bother to comment on the poor timing?  Best to just get back to my original post, ahem.) 

While I pack, I imagine our new life, and am reminded just how much is about to change for us.  Our rhythms here in the city have been established to keep a peaceful and slow pace in an environment much the opposite.  But in our new home, I imagine that our rhythms will reflect more of the land around us- reflective of the tides and the pull of the moon, much more grounded in the shifts of the seasons, and tied very closely to the cycles of planting and harvesting.  Peaceful just by nature of being peaceful.  I can already see how all of this will bring our family closer together.

There is a lot of planning going on for each one of us, and a lot of sentences these days start with, in the new house can we...plant strawberries, adopt a kitten or two, build things.  Yes, yes and yes.  Keep bees, plant a moon garden, build a sandbox.  Why, YES!  What a shift it will be.  Already we are humbled by how our new community has begun to welcome us with offers of help and invitations to gatherings.  The roots are beginning and we haven't even yet arrived.

In the meantime, we say goodbye to all of the good that this current home has provided for us.  I so appreciated last month's splendor of our magnolia tree in bloom- a magnificent send off!  We say goodbye to the folks in our lives that we care so much about...but not goodbye forever, of course.  Still, goodbyes of any kind are hard.

I'm using this time packing as a means to unburden ourselves, packing only half of our books, toys, clothes, papers, knick knacks, and passing on the rest.  It feels so good to let go of things as we move forward.  It feels like just the right time to lighten our possessions as a means of making room for what truly matters...togetherness, some beach combing, exciting new life paths, and, well, there is always the garden.

I can't wait to share with you the news of our first week on the land...

19 April

back to the land

Hello dear friends and readers!  I truly intended to be here shortly after the Waldorf fair last month, but we've had our hands full with decisions and new paths in our lives.  The days have been busy, brimming over, and all consuming.  I find it hard to log on and write about other things when there is so much else in the mix and so I thought it best to step away for a while until I could officially share our news.

We are going back to the land.  After 20 years of city living, we are packing up and moving our little family to a quiet, coastal community.  There is land to roam, earth to plant (oh, so much earth to plant), a wood stove to tend, a beach to comb, a sweet community to grow into, and a history to build.  The house is only three decades old, but is made with century old beams, doors, and windows, and like the other houses I have loved, this one seemed to swoop me in as I walked through the door.  I stood on the land and I felt a whole other life at our fingertips. 

I've learned some big lessons throughout the last few weeks.  Mostly, I've learned that sometimes there is no clear and obvious decision to be made, as this move comes with its fair amount of trade-offs, surely.  No, sometimes choosing a path is more about a leap of faith then following one's heart.  These past few weeks, I've weighed the choices and listened hard to what calls to us, if you will, and I have found that there are always wonderful reasons for change, and wonderful reasons for staying put, and the choice lies in realizing which direction your heart is tugged in just that little bit more.  Things that are meant to be can sometimes take a lot of hard work, as I have learned along the way in my life, but this particular meant to be came together quickly and rather effortlessly, which encouraged us to keep pursuing, hoping, and crossing our fingers.  A few weeks ago, Sean and I walked around the land that was soon to be ours with the low, west coast mist in the trees and the woodsmoke offering a hint of what could be.  Stopping in the side field he said, "I love it.  Let's do it".  And, so, we've done it. 

I've written so much on this blog about belonging and sense of place; about the experience of being someone who thinks daily about what it means to be home.  It is, at the end of the day, about what fills the home rather then where the home is.  But, as a country girl deep and forever in my bones, I feel as though we've stumbled upon a homestead that will shelter us for many years to come, and one that taps into everything we have been building and protecting during our life in the city.

With only one month to prepare, we already have boxes piling high and the busy work of sorting and packing has begun.  It's going to be hectic, but it is so very exciting.  Things go into boxes while I daydream about heirloom tomatoes, rhubarb, potato and garlic patches, and daily walks to the seaside.  Yes, things go into boxes as we pack up one life in order to unpack it in another. 

When they finally come together in alignment, I do love how brightly the stars shine!

11 March

Waldorf Spring Market news!

Oh my goodness, I'm here!  Really, I'm here!  I can't tell you how much I've been missing this space and all of you!  I've been caught up in the joys of mothering, writing, crafting, and all things otherwise, and with Sean back at work after months of recovering from knee surgery, there's been some balance to seek also as I learn once again the art of solo parenting and the incredible value of rhythm.

I was really so honored to write over at Rhythm of the Home for the month of February.  My last post, Of the Earth, is here.  What great folks to be in the company of!  Thanks again, Rhythm of the Home!

I've got lots to share over the coming days...just those ordinary, simple, regular, and magical parts of everyday life.  But, first, I bring you news of our upcoming Waldorf Spring Market this coming Saturday, March 17th. 

It's going to be a full house of vendors with beautiful spring and Easter inspired crafts for sale, including Ella's gathering baskets and felted eggs, and One of a Handful's sweet knit bunnies.  I will be there and I'm  excited to introduce my Fable woodland headbands both feathered and floral for little pixies, elves, gnomes, fairies, and woodland adventurers alike.  I'm also seeing a nice stack of spring hats growing on my crafting (kitchen) table.  These reversible hats are made with woolen fabrics and heavy linen/cotton blends to keep little heads warm as we begin spring- just when you need something a little lighter than a woolen winter toque, but heavier than a light cotton sun hat.  I tried my best to get this pair of silly cousins to sit still long enough to photograph the headbands and hats, but I'm sure you can guess how that went.  Silly, indeed!

I'll be back with more crafting to share over the next couple of days, with a shop update Monday the 19th after the fair.  I hope to see you all at the market, there is always such great community energy at these events- families, crafters, and a creative buzz of activity all under one roof!  Doors open at 10!

16 February

over the moon

Hello sweet friends!  I'm back over at Rhythm of the Home with my thoughts on celebrating the full moon.  I'm having a blast over there...please stop by and say hello!

11 February

Rhythm of the Home: the nature candle

I was a guest again this past Thursday over at the amazing Rhythm of the Home talking about our nature candle.  I'd love to see you there!

2 February

In Pursuit of the Good Life

I'm excited and honoured to be guest blogging for the month of February over at Rhythm of the Home!  This week I talk about the pursuit of the good life.  Looking forward to seeing you there, and every Thursday following!

27 January

pants!

I've been waiting for a bright day, bright-ish even, to show you Coco's new woolen trousers!  The stormy west coast may be perfect for imagining mermaids in the misty seas, but the wintry overcast light here can prove difficult for taking photos.  Still, as chance would have it, when I saw some great ones here just yesterday that are also made of wool, and when the sun came out, it seemed that was all the push I needed to get these pants photographed.  There are lots of great versions of these trousers out there, but the inspiration for our woolen Quick Change Trousers (pattern by Anna Maria Horner) came from 100% from Ella, whose clever idea to pair wool and flannel together seemed to me to be just perfect.

Perfect for keeping warm, perfect for throwing rocks into the sea, perfect for playing, baking, and long rambles in the woods.  And jumping, they are perfect for that too!

22 January

the fresh new year

There's been so much I've wanted to talk about here since our Christmas festivities!  Most importantly, I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your families.  These celebrations with our loves are indeed so very special.

The progression of Christmas, from Advent to the New Year and onward to the end of the 12 days of Christmas, flew.  I feel like I've come away from these past holidays with a little more wisdom on how to navigate them, in our family, in the future.  I am mama to a two year old, and so we are freshly setting our family values, traditions, and rhythms as we go along (two is an incredible age, isn't it?  So much to enjoy together with great little conversations that bring the world of childhood to life.  I am so thankful for my daughter's ability to bring the magic forward, always). 

Somehow, this year, I lost sight of the beauty of the quiet and precious space in between Christmas day and New Year's eve.  Without even realizing it, I found myself approaching those lovely days as regular ones, and though we kept with our intention to slow things down, in retrospect I wasn't mindful of that intention.  It wasn't until New Year's Eve that I became aware of how I'd let a little magic slip away.  Our holidays leading up to Christmas were so full in the best of ways- St. Nicholas Day, the quiet of Advent, the joy of watching Coco truly begin to take in the idea of Christmas, beloved family visiting- that afterwards there seemed a bit of a void.  I think I approached this as "things are back to 'normal' now", rather than remembering that the in between time is so magical in and of itself.  Next year, this will be my Christmas gift to my family, to stretch out the magic a little longer.  To spend that quiet in between time a little more mindfully.

I love January for it's freshness- you can't help but feel it, can you?  After Martinmas and Advent, and all of the introspection those celebrations bring, things just feel so bright and clear.  I don't make New Year's resolutions, but after realizing we overlooked some treasured holiday days, I am carrying with me some important thoughts for 2012.  Mindfulness.

We spent 2011 slowing down more than ever before, and I want to continue to do so but while being mindful of this intention. 

To be mindful of the gift of calm that comes with simplifying one's life. 

To be mindful of drawing my family close and working every day to stay connected, even in the busiest of times. 

To be mindful of how much media enters our home- I am thankful for the internet and Downton Abbey, but I'm also aware of how easy it is "quickly check email" multiple times a day...and Facebook, and Flickr, and Ravelry.  Oh my, and Pinterest!  Especially with a smart phone.  I am mindful of wanting to scale this back.

To be mindful that the most important things in life are not where you live and what you do.  The most important things are those you establish in your home, within your family.  These are the things that will carry you through.

To be mindful of myself, what it takes to renew my own soul, and taking the time I need to do this. 

I'd love to know what your thoughts are for the New Year!  May it be a wonderfully full and adventurous one for all of us!

30 December

life's joys

This time of year is so full of awakening.  I found myself in the days before Christmas revelling in the joys of the season and thinking how can I possibly move past this time of year?  How can I not listen to these Celtic carols, and soak up the anticipation of so much to come?  How can I not drink deep the smell of fir tree in the house, and the quiet peace of Advent.  Then, like magic, somewhere around Christmas feast I realize I've let go and am ready to move forward into the wonderful space of post-Christmas; a simultaneous winding down and winding up of life's joys.  After much inward reflection and honouring, and fuelled by inner light, the journey toward the new year beckons.

But, oh, those days before.  The days when we tried to decide what treats to leave out for Father Christmas's reindeer.  Parsnips? Cranberries?  Lichen?  The days when we welcomed King Winter at last and celebrated the magic of Solstice with a lantern and labyrinth walk in a nearby seaside village.  On the eve of the longest night of the year we threw stones into the sea by moon and lantern light, casting away our troubles and sending wishes and blessings into the night.  The days when we feasted with our family and friends- breakfast, lunch and dinner!  The days when we soaked up the winter sunshine, and the days when we layered on the woolens as shelter from the fog and mist.  The days when, for Advent, we honoured the beasts and humans.  The trimmings, the sweets, the laughter, until finally it was Christmas Eve.  Once Coco was snug in bed, we worked in the spirit of Christmas to give her the greatest gift...a morning of magic and belief.

Then, the day after Christmas.  Saying goodbye to family, we went for a fresh and chilly walk through the woods at the base of a local mountain.  It's a trail I love deeply.  Everything seemed so blue and the woods so purpley dark, and the air felt clear and new.  The creek rushed next to us and we gazed above at the higher peaks to the snow dusting the trees like a storybook wonderland.  In all of my heart's memory and longing for the countryside in which I was raised, I often overlook and forget the majesty of where I live now.  It is breathtaking, as are all of life's joys. 

I hope your holiday celebrations continue to bring you and your loves togetherness and joy!  

21 December

Wintering

Our winter days have been oh so full:

- planning, anticipating, preparing and welcoming the arrival of family, celebration, and winter!

- trimming the tree, gathering holly, and decking the halls.

- loving little 2 year old party dresses and shoes!

- making peace as best we can with the urgency out there in the world- lots of rushing happening outside our front door as our suburb quickens it's pace under the pressures of the season.

- enjoying closing the door on it whenever we arrive home, and seeking out the quiet areas in our neighbourhood...there's no one rushing in the woods!

- taking the time for one more mug of tea; one more cup of homemade stock.

- cutting in half the amount of decorations we've brought out, the items on the to do list, and streamlining a certain little one's collection of toys.  Simplifying, clearing the space, making room for more magic.

- finding a comfortable balance between introducing the excitement of Father Christmas arriving on Christmas Eve, and the symbolic spirit of Christmas, to a two year-old.

- befriending so many birds this season!  The whiskey jacks eat out of our palms in the snowy mountains, and the chickadees, juncos, sparrows, and finches come in droves to our feeder.

- dreaming of a time already so dear to my heart when we will celebrate the holidays in a smaller, quieter community on a little patch of countryside.

- and in the meantime giving thanks for the shelter and peace this lovely, old house provides.

- taking the plunge further into gluten free baking.  Gluten free is most definitely a necessary way of life for us now, and one I'm more comfortable with when avoiding the abundance of rice, rice, rice.  Whole grain is fine, but I'm welcoming quinoa and sorghum flours as our family baking staples.

- indulging in turkish delight!

- marveling at the sweet world of a two year old in all of her determination, wonder, and incredible love and empathy.  Feeling very sure that mothering a little one (through all of her ages) is the best thing I will ever do!

- loving the connections I'm making with all of you on this blog; the emails, the discussions in the comments, the support, and the shared desire to live more meaningful, more simplified lives rich in family connection, foundations and magic.  There is a real slow family movement underfoot, and I'm proud to be a part of it with all of you!

I'll be back soon to share our further celebrations of Advent and our honouring of Winter Solstice!