love and gratitude

ever had one of those weeks when you're not sure if you're coming or going?

we've had one a bit like that.

our car was broken into and vandalized {along with 10 or 12 others in the same parking lot}...we ended up needing a new steering column {$300+ later}...*sigh*.  i can never get my head around why people do such things. we were quite fortunate in that we don't keep anything of value in the car....some other folk lost GPS units and CD's and tools and whatnot.

temperaments are clashing. i think the winter has outstayed it's welcome and we'd all be much happier if we could get out and play thankyouverymuch....it's been a challenge to say the least but we're navigating our way with  lots of talking and venting and bouncing on trampolines.

but, in the way of balancing and harmony...

there have been homemade pancakes..

{teeny pancakes made especially for our house-brownie...left on the doorstep of the faery-house}

and MadLibs and MathBlasters and researching hauntings and the price of a pony...;)

and {of course} paint and poetry and some music tossed in for ambience

and decluttering and rearranging and sparklification {to borrow a phrase from Stephanie}....getting a head-start on spring cleaning, y'know?

a gift of art for me...{swoon}...it's currently perched on my newly-rearranged art-table so i can catch a glimpse of it from almost every angle of our main living space...

*sigh*

a gift of inspiration for Savannah....{same beautiful culprit...we are so, SO blessed to have him in our life}

{and a little card reminding her that she holds the key to all of her heart's dreams}

and then....just when we thought we were so full of joy and gratitude we might explode...another..YES, another parcel arrived on Friday...

Savannah and Cowgirl are regular mail-art exchangers...as are Lis and I...but this...WOW...we were so blown away by this!! You can read about the magic of these fairy bundles here -- they are all safely resting in our own 'power places'....little sacred nooks we've all carved out for ourselves.  also included were traditional red envelopes celebrating Chinese New Year {Cowgirl's birthplace}...complete with organic lollipops which were slurped up in enthusiastic fashion. Thank you, thank you, thank YOU...Lis and Cowgirl...

so yeah....we're feeling mighty loved.

and thankful...did i mention that?

oh. we are indeed.

truth

There are three stages to Truth

1. Ridicule

2. Violent Opposition

3. Acceptance

{...we'll wait 'til you catch up}

...and for those of you already here...for your love and support -- both here and privately, through email....

rock on, sweet friends...

how it was

it was...

busy. really busy. okay, maybe not so busy by regular-people standards...but for us slightly-hermity, difficult-transitiony, move-through-life-at-our-own-Zen-pacey type people...well, let's just say we are very glad it's over for another year. we paid our last visit yesterday and it was most enjoyable....but yes, it's over. *phew*

medieval knight costume from Grandma L.

he's very difficult to photograph when he's "in character"
oh, and he's actually a pirate, not a Knight...(he's workshopping new material)

there were more than a few declarations of this being "the BEST Christmas EVER!!" from the Shiny Ones...Savannah was orbiting the Earth several times in delight over her gifts. there was clear evidence of people really getting her this year....thoughtful choices that pleased her to no end, because being understood, i am discovering,  is very, very important to her. but then again, don't we all like to feel understood?

relaxing between social obligations...colouring book and 'Beezus and Ramona' on audio-CD

and speaking of being understood...my Beloved, B knocked me three miles sideways and made me cry with his so-very-thoughtful gifts. we hadn't planned on really exchanging gifts this year - -money  has been tight and we wanted to channel our available funds into gifts for the children -- but he (and his trusty sidekick, Savannah) got his hands on a flyer from an arts-supply store that i'd dreamily doodled hearts around things i'd loved to have had and made a couple of my wishes come true.

 i know, right?

it wasn't so much the paints or the canvasses or the artist pencils, as it was me feeling well and truly loved. this journey of mine back into art and creativity has been a rocky one -- i've wrestled with the Shoulds and the Shouldn'ts of Motherhood vs. Creativity (finally realizing that is doesn't have to be a versus thing at all --- i know, you're thinking "Duh!"-- but hey, i had baggage..) and to have my heart's desire not only accepted, but supported and encouraged by my Dearest Loves...well...you can understand the happy sobbing. 

and then there were the shrieks of delight and the fierce hugs of the girl-child who only wanted a Nintendo DS but ended up with the DSi XL -- (yeah, i didn't know the difference either) and quietly corrects anyone who calls it just a DS (and yup, that one made me cry too!) and Sebastian hugging every new item close to his chest and proclaiming 'thank you VERY much' to the air...

*sigh*

relaxing with a new book (no, she doesn't need glasses, she's hiding from the camera)

yes, i do believe it was the BEST Christmas EVER!

not a lot, but certainly enough.

thankful thursday

mmmm....so many things....

hot coffee on a cold morning

the wild wind

the taste of poetry

friends

"Pony Club Power"

my hot weiner-bottle (aka Oscar, a small but delightfully toasty sausage)

ideas

inspiration

giggles from the boy-child

painting

mail art

the infinite imagination of a small girl

full hearts

full bellies

warmth

shelter from the storm

'i'll read to you and then you read to me" 

learning with joy

love....always

happy Thanksgiving to my American friends...may you find warmth, joy and laughter in the company of your beloved -- today and every day.

*playing along with the beautiful Leslie

thankful thursday

quiet mornings

green tea

the crunch of leaves underfoot

oil pastels

sisterhood

words on paper

blue eyes

conversation

down time

feather pillows

dinosaur pajamas...

and you?

borrowed from the lovely Leslie......