Bluebirdbaby

Giving Thanks

I don't typically get that excited about holidays, and have never really focused on "giving thanks" for anything in a serious manner around Thanksgiving. But this year, I feel thankful for so many things. I woke up yesterday morning feeling like it was Christmas. I felt that same excitement I did as a little child as I ran to the Christmas tree. We woke up to a yard full of frost that almost looked like snow, and there was such a feeling of festivity in the air. I went the whole day thinking how lucky I was and how thankful I am for everything and everyone in my life. There is just so much to be thankful for...

The little one's first television viewing. I haven't had television in 6 years, so the little one has never seen a show on t.v. or a commercial for that matter. But there is cable where we are staying, and we turned it on for the first time to view the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. The little one thoroughly enjoyed the dancing and singing before the parade started. She kept getting annoyed by the commercials and requested "more people!!!" every two minutes.

A Thanksgiving Day morning walk. We hiked over 3 miles with two friends while the little one stayed unusually content in her backpack. The weather was mild and the rain held off. We enjoyed some gorgeous views and it felt great to get some exercise.

Thanksgiving dinner at the sweetest little house ever, with some lovely company. It was a very low-key, relaxed day and we all had a lot of fun. One of the nicest parts was the fact that the pies, stuffing, and side dishes were gluten-free! So I had my first complete Thanksgiving meal without a lot of pain afterward!

An after dinner walk down to the ocean where the little one found a "choo-choo train". The walk seemed to finally tire her out, so she slept on the car ride home and remarkably fell asleep once placed in her bed at home.

And I am thankful for a new place to live, which will hopefully happen this coming week! The little one and I are so excited. We'll be sharing the house with a friend, and I promise to update you with all the renovations/redecorating that goes on. The little one has requested a "green and purple" room...any ideas on how I could make that work?! And you know...there will be a new sewing studio to put together and I am very excited about a new color/theme for that! And soon there will be some craftiness happening on this blog again. I am just itching to get back to sewing! There is just so much to be thankful for!

I hope your Thanksgiving was a good one. Enjoy the weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

From your local turkey...

New Digs

In another week or two it looks like we will be settled in our new home, right in town. I always dreamed of farm living, but I think I like the idea of being in town and walking everywhere. And, fortunately, our town has no regulations on livestock, so it appears that we may eventually get those goats I've always wanted. And the ducks and chickens may follow us there as well! So expect to see some pictures of renovations, redecorating, and urban homesteading. I can't wait to share more with you. It will feel so good to have a home again, and I hope to be back in this space more regularly shortly after with lots of crafty goodness!

I hope you're enjoying the weekend! I think snow is on its way...

The ground beneath is nothing more than one point of view.

What you got what you got in your hand? - a father said to son
I got the whole world here Daddy between my fingers and my thumb
Well you take care of it please - it’s the only one
Well it would take me a lifetime old man to undo what you’ve done

Oh come on now boy think what would Jesus do?
He'd shake his head like an angry mother - spoke the boy and say I did what I could do
But you take care of it please – it’s the only one you got
And it’d take ten lifetimes boy to undo what I’ve done

Boy shrugged walked away
The man stood and watched as he was leaving
Boy just walked away
The man stood alone thinking

One hand is bleeding and the other hand holds a gun
While everything is open everything is shut down, down, down
Begin to ending is really just a go round and round and round
As I stand here - the ground beneath is nothing more than one point of view

~DMB (Raven)

The Encouragement of Light

How
Did the rose
Ever open it’s heart

And give this world
All its
Beauty?

It felt the encouragement of light
Against its
Being,

Otherwise,
We all remain

Too

Frightened

-Hafiz

A Big Thank You

I am extremely overwhelmed by all your lovely, sweet, and encouraging comments to my last post. Every time I opened my e-mail, I was greeted by words that brightened my day. So thank you all so much. I wish I could reply to everyone individually, but my computer time has been so sparse. I've been trying to post this for four days now! Please know that I felt such warmth from your words and it's amazing how they can make a challenging time much easier. So thank you, thank you, thank you!

The little one and I ended up moving to a temporary place last weekend. It was sudden, and other than lack of sleep, we are both adjusting just fine. We're both a little worn out. Transitioning to another home is hard enough for a toddler, but also transitioning to a big girl bed at the same time makes it even more challenging! I think the biggest hurdle for both of us is a lack of rhythm. When she was around 10 months old, I put in a lot of work creating and maintaining a rhythm to our days. Transitions became smoother, we both knew what to expect, and sleep was easier.
In the last week, we've completely lost that rhythm and it's hard to create a new one when she's not with me everyday. So that is our biggest struggle right now. But once we are in a permanent place, I think we will reestablish a comfortable rhythm and our days will run much smoother.

In other news, I've made a commitment to myself to not buy anything new for our new home. I will need to furnish it. Because I am not taking much from the old house, it's like starting with a blank canvas. It's pretty exciting, especially because I have so many ideas and styles I've never been able to experiment with. This past weekend I headed to a flea market to check out the goods. I didn't walk away with much, but it was fun nonetheless.

I hope to have access to my sewing machine soon, so hopefully you will see some creative work in this space. All these life changes can really leave you exhausted and with little creative energy. I can't wait until I'm back. Thanks for bearing with me, friends. I so appreciate your continued support! Until next time...

Catching Up and Way Behind

So I know I've been sparse around here of late. It's been a crazy fall for me. I feel a little out of rhythm. Fall is my favorite time of year. I love to sit back and watch it pass by, soaking in the warm golden sun, the smells, the colors. But this fall has been far too hectic for me and I find that it's passed by all too quickly.

The craziness I keep talking about? Well, I pondered about how best to bring it up. And I thought about not mentioning anything at all, but I knew my long time readers would notice shifts and changes and have questions. Its all very awkward to talk about, especially when I think about sharing such personal information on a blog for all to see. But really, this blog is a part of my life. I enjoy writing, sharing glimpses of our days, checking in with everyone and reading your wonderful comments (that I have been far too behind to reply to!).

Our little family has been going through some changes for quite some time now. Stephen and I are in the process of going through a divorce. I have been searching for a place to live for months, but having been a stay at home mother for the past 2 years, you can imagine how hard it is to afford something! But it looks like in the next month or two, I will be settled somewhere. I have many supportive friends in the area and I'm very grateful for their kindness and help.

So if I seem a bit absent here and on flickr, please know that I am around and I am still able to read your wonderful e-mails and comments. Hopefully once I get settled, I can concentrate on my writing and photography again. So bear with me until I'm back! Thanks for your continued support. Your comments bring such sweetness to my days.