Pieces of Me

Ok - I'll admit it.  Lately I'm all about the redemption song.  Bob Marley and I go way back.  There is something uniquely uplifting about letting something go, only to have something new and unexpected pop up in its place.  The key is in the letting go. 

I had this experience recently when I went rummaging about in my half forgotten projects stashed here and there in baskets and totes.  I had knit a lovely Intarsia socklet, just one mind you, before abandoning it for the next big thing to catch my eye.  Silly me.  I left this project open in a basket because the colors were just so lovely to gaze upon while muttering, "One day soon I'll finish you."  The yarn was equally lovely, so lovely that an uninvited guest happened upon it.  Ordinarily we don't have to worry about such matters in the dry Colorado climate.  Or so I thought.

To my initial dismay, I thought "Dang, there goes the second socklet.  Never to be completed.  Sigh."  Then, blam, it came upon me.  Why not use all these little bits and bobs to crochet a simple motif?  I've been staring longingly at this new book of mine just waiting for the perfect excuse, erm, opportunity, to have a crack at it.

There you have it.  But what to do with one simple motif?  Cover a rock of course.  Now let me just say, this idea is not mine alone.  My inspiration for it came directly from Maggie at Resurrection Fern (another redemption moment, yes?).  And no one does it quite like her. Honestly, go check out her blog.  You won't be disappointed.  But this simple rock is mine.

Redemption Stone

Or rather, never really was.  I'm just a part of the process.  This rock had a receiver in mind all along.  You see, dear friends of ours are moving to Texas, and I so wanted them to take a piece of me, us, with them.  I collected this particular rock on one of my Reservoir walks (puppy romp).  I'm sure I was ruminating on their move and how much I hoped they would one day return to us all here in Boulder Valley.

So you see, this particular rock is infused with Chief Niwot's curse, which means they will indeed have to return to us.  That and the fact that their Realtor, my husband Brad, advised that they not sell their home, but merely rent it ;)

14,001 Things To Be Grateful For

The other day I had the good fortune to be invited to pick raspberries with Max.  He was bringing in some washing from the line (yes he does help!) when he noticed the plethora of red, ripe goodness just begging to be harvested.  We had a very nice moment, he and I, just laughing our way around the patch and marveling at our good luck.

I want you all to know that I realize just how lucky I am.  I have a happy, healthy, and whole family.  We live in a beautiful corner of this world.  I am surrounded by people that love me, and that I fully love.  Clean air, a patch of earth that we can plant, dig, and scratch around in, and room to breathe.

So many are not as fortunate.  No homes, jobs, health care.  It can be overwhelming at times.  What can a body do?  My dear friend and coworker, Pam, has some thoughts on this.  Pop on over to her blog.  You won't regret it.  Shout out to you Pam - Woot!

In the meantime, I'm lucky enough to ask myself, "What to do with the bounty?"  Traditionally I make Raspberry Pie.  It's a favorite around here.  However, the new ice cream maker is still holding sway, so raspberry ice cream it is:

3 cups berries, pureed
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 + cup milk
1 cup sugar

Mix the sugar and milk until dissolved.  Pour into your maker with the rest of the ingredients and switch on.  25 minutes later, Heaven!

“Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.”

May I Take Your Coat?

Today seemed as good as any to can those tomatoes.  They have been staring me in the face every time I go outside to take care of the ladies.  I worked hard this week to get most chores and town errands done so I could tend to them before the varmints did.  Seeing that we're enjoying cooler weather and dinner was in the crock pot (split pea soup - Max's favorite!) I set about this task.

Canning tomatoes is just like any other task in life.  It's all in the prep work!  Get your work stations set up (ice bath, pot of boiling water, compost bin to discard the skin) and the rest is a breeze.  Still I found myself dragging my feet a bit and thinking, "why am I going to spend this time when I could just buy canned tomatoes?" and "how much gas am I going to use canning?"  But what's the point in growing the stuff if you don't do something with it.

It wasn't until I was slipping off their skins (taking their coats) that it occurred to me just how beautiful each and every tomato was just under the surface.  Despite the scars, or a little discoloration, each one was lovely and had value.  Which got me thinking, of course: we're not all that different than tomatoes. 

Just to bring the point home, I'll share a little what I learned yesterday volunteering at my daughter's high school.  Those people who "check in" and greet visitors?  They're really there for those kids.  Why am I surprised?  One gal said she makes sure to say "good morning" to as many kids as she can, even bringing candy to get them to come up to her.  She believes she may be the only friendly face some see that day (shout out to you Kris!).  The other gal believes "there are no bad kids, just kids who haven't gotten something they need."

Incredible.  So was the canning worth it?  You bet!  I guarantee you this lesson wouldn't have occurred to me as I hurriedly drove into town and hastily looked for parking.  Maybe there is something to the old Shaker song "tis a gift to be simple."

14,000 Things To Be Grateful For

Well, I have to admit.  Sometimes I suffer from Blog Anxiety.  Do you know what I mean?  It usually strikes when I find myself caught up in the comparison game.  You know how it goes, "Gee, her muffins are so much cuter than mine," or "Wow, she seems to have so much family togetherness time."  It's a horrible place to be, so as my friend says, "If you're going to take that kind of a trip, make it as fast as possible."

Nothing pulls me out of that place faster than practising gratitude.  Was it Gandhi who wrote, "Gratitude is the surest path back to the soul?"  Therefore, here is something I am grateful for:

We've been having pretty consistent afternoon and evening rain showers, so much so that I'm not sure Little League will ever finish (many, many rain delays).  Something that I am oh so grateful for is that first step out the back porch in the morning as I go to let out the chickens.  The smell of garden sage, lavender, tomato and cilantro is overwhelming.  Something about that hard rain releases the essence of these plants and it just lingers in the air.

One little thing that means a lot to me.

Why Blog?

Beauty is Everywhere, Especially if You Look For It!

I'm grateful for this space to record my thoughts, feelings, images, hopes and wishes.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to share with family and friends.  I'm grateful for the potential to connect with other like-minded people who I may not ever have the chance to encounter otherwise.

For the most part the posts actually write themselves.  Ordinarily my experiences have a way of collecting and connecting in my brain with some alacrity, thank goodness.  I'm blessed to live a full life that way.  And all these little thoughts have a way of bubbling up, filling me with a certain amount of energy, so it's nice to have a place to put them.  It's kinda' like lifting the lid on a simmering pot of rice to let off the steam before it bubbles over.  Such a blessing to have yet another practice that brings clarity.

But there are moments, not many, when it's hard to share.  When I can't necessarily tie a pretty bow on my life.  That's not to say that my life is difficult.  It's just hard to find the bright side sometimes.  Yesterday was such a day, and boy, I think I have a negative attitude hangover.  It's quite a vicious circle, worry, doubt, anxiety.  It feeds on itself.

But I've been given a new day, with new possibilities and I'm not going to waste it.  So with a "parting is such sweet sorrow" I must log off and find out what life has in store for me today.

What does it have in store for you?

Gotta Get Your Head In The Game

Who doesn't love American's favorite pastime, Baseball?  Well, I haven't been so sure, even after living with arguably one of the game's biggest fans for the past 20 years.  What can I say, my brain just isn't wired to follow the plays, or so I thought.  Turns out this season was going to be different.  My son has played Little League for years, but this was the first time with his dad coaching the team.  So it would seem there was no better time to get my head in the game.

Luckily, we discovered a lovely little thing called a scorecard.  Turns out I have quite a penchant for keeping score.  It's a lot like Sudoku, or a cross word puzzle.  I love it!  Finally a way to help me focus on the plays.

Now if they only made one for managing teens.  This past weekend we had the misfortune of finding out what happens when you "take your eye off the ball."  Let me tell you folks, the risks are too great and the consequences scarey.  Raising teens is a slippery slope, kinda' like nailing jello to a tree, but nothing could be more important than establishing those ground rules.  It's tough.  Sometimes it feels a little like "Who's on first?"

"Where are you going?"  "Who's going to be there?"  "How are you getting there?" But we love our kids, and the game, and nothing could be more important.

And if you're going to get your head in the game, why not do it sporting a little "Granny Chic?" 

Click here for this Crochet Headband Tutorial.  I hope you all enjoy, and "Play Ball!"

Don't Count Your Chickens

until they're hatched.  We've all heard this one before, but this past week the point was driven home like never before.  It's not that I intentionally embarked on this "let's hatch some eggs" journey.  It was my broody hens' ideas.  You see I couldn't keep them off the eggs.  After I figured out what their behaviour meant (they were 'nesting' get it?) I had to make a conscious choice about whether to interrupt nature's way, or go with it.  When it comes to nature, I am definetely a 'go-with-it' kind of girl. 

That's not to say that everything will go smoothly, and that nothing 'bad' will happen even though I seem to be perpetually caught by surprise when it does.  Last week I was so excited when I found the egg with the heartbeat, and even more shocked when it disappeared.  After moving through the sadness of the loss, I was resolved to create a better environment for the ladies.

A simple solution was to retro-fit a dog kennel with some wire mesh to thwart any marauders from stealing the eggs.  I lined the openings on the sides and the front door with this handy wire mesh:

 

Cozy and safe.  What more could my girls ask for?  I happily put the ladies and their 3 eggs back in for a snug fest.  Feeling very accomplished, I proudly showed my work to my husband upon his return a few hours later.  What was this?  ANOTHER EGG GONE!  More shock, dismay, and RESOLVE.  It must be one of the hens, how awful!  By pure chance, I had my husband remove 'Little Blacky' to leave our other Orpington in peace.  Fingers crossed we chose the right hen to boot.  I made sure the remaining lady had easy access to plenty of water and food.  She won't even need to leave her Broody Hen Palace.

Even though the lessons are hard, I am so grateful for my chickens and all they are teaching me about life.  It is a miracle, fragile yet resilient.  You just have to stay in there, ride that wave of loss, keep an open and buoyant heart, and you'll catch a glimpse of that new beginning.

And the hens and chicks?  Well, suffice it to say our Lady is still sitting on the same two eggs (plus another new one).  But I'm not counting on anything.  Let's just ride this one out shall we?

Responsibility Will Set You Free

I've spent the past, oh, 4 to 6 weeks doggedly keeping at my Spring Cleaning.  I've been hard at it knowing that May would be bringing visitors and celebrations the like I haven't seen in 15 or 20 years.  This past week I crossed off my final Spring Cleaning to-do's (that's not to say there won't be last minute touch-ups) that I really wanted ta-done.  Including finishing off my wispy, shrug-like cardigan:

I am creating a project on Ravelry (complete with photos) for anyone who may want more details.  Check back for the link! 

With this sense of completion comes a tremendous source of satisfaction and ENERGY!  I'm so excited to have the hard stuff done, that now it's on to the fun stuff.  There are fabric buntings, paper garlands, and flower pot cozies to make.  Whee :)!  The past 2 days I've spent some time scrounging in my stash for the necessary items, and taking a final sweep into town for anything I didn't have on hand.

I will post more pictures, and tutorials in a bit, probably after this week?  I must say, I might be taking a break this week from the blog.  I don't want to disappoint by not doing any of these projects justice with diluted posts, but I am thrilled to have met my goal of 10 postings this month.

So I will wish you all a thrilling week, and please do check back next week for more surprises!

"Spend the Day . .

You can't take it with you."  I never need to be reminded that life is short, but sometimes I need to be reminded not to fill it up with only things that need to get done.  This past month I have been busy as a bee between work (at the local Methodist church - I have renamed this past week "Holy Moly Week"), Spring cleaning, Putting the Garden in, and Preparing the house for company.  Oh yes, and there was that little jaunt down to Texas to help Mom unpack. And a Graduation Party to plan and organize. Such a busy and industrious time of year.  Easy to feel a bit overwhelmned at times.

So, did I really have time this week to make Easter candy?  I was grumbling and pondering such things as the week progressed towards my date with Aunt Betsy.  I'm so glad I had the discipline to stick with my committment.  We shared a wonderful afternoon, of course, and the candy making was fun.  But ultimately, it was a great excuse to get together and share the time and a lot of laughs.

Colorado Candy Girls

Which got me thinking, of course.  Why is it so hard to set time aside from our own to-do's?  And ultimately, why is it that those are the times that count the most?  I would have to guess that it has something to do with serving.  Funny thing is folks, for as much as we're serving something or someone outside of ourselves, we really end up serving ourselves the most.

Great Granny's Chocolate Covered Coconut Easter Eggs - Makes 6 Dozen Eggs
For filling:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb confectioners sugar
1/2 bag coconut (8 oz)

Combing the filling ingredients.  Form smallish (less than a teaspoon) egg shapes and roll in confectioners sugar before placing on cookie sheet.  Refrigerate overnight.

For coating:
 8 oz. of chocolate flavored candy coating (sometimes known as "Bark")
12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chips

Melt the chocolate either in Micro (we didn't have such good luck) or double boiler.  When melted, drop eggs one at a time in chocolate and cover.  Remove with fork (tap tap tap the excess off) and place on cookie sheet.  Refrigerate until cool and set.  Sorry the instructions are a bit vague, but that's how our family rolls.

By the way, for any family reading this, you might like to know that Pappy used to get a fresh coconut and make a big production of cracking it open with a hammer on the back porch and then grate it fresh.  All with great flair, of course.  I love that Great and Pappy would spend their holidays like this.  Sharing time, doing the little things together.  They could just have easily bought the ingredients ready to go, hell, they could have just bought the candy!  But they made this candy, together, year after year.  That's how they built a life together for over 70 years.  What a great example, lucky us.

X Marks The Spot, with a Dot-Dot-Dot and a Dash-Dash-Dash

and a BIG question mark!  Isn't that just life?  There have been a lot of questions swirling around in my brain lately, and I just have to wait for the answers.  It's that simple, and that hard.  Sometimes I wish I didn't have a higher brain, just a simple low-level brain, kinda like the chickens.  They don't worry about what the purpose of their lives are.  They don't question what they are supposed to do when their chicks grow up.  They just are.  They can just be.  Simple living: when its cold outside, seek shelter; when hungry, go dig around for some food; when its sunny, take a dust bath; when a hawk swoops by, duck and cover!; or when the impulse strikes, lay an egg.  Over and over again.  Day after day.  Season after season.

But our human lives involve just a touch more than that.  So many choices.  So many decisions.  As my "kids" grow I find myself quesitoning "what next?"  I don't really want to head down the wrong path, because I don't want to waste time.  The clock is ticking, and I want to make every moment count.

I guess I'll just follow the hens' example: when an egg has been laid, some gal will find it (if it isn't gathered) and decide she needs to tend to it.  So she sits and waits.  She sits and keeps this promise of new life warm.  She may get testy if you try to grab her egg, she may even peck.  But she won't move.  She sits and waits knowing that through patience new beginnings will emerge.

Hold On To What Is Good

and hold onto your seats, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.  Let's just say re-entry into my life on Brigadoon Farm hasn't been easy.  Perhaps I was spoiled by my get away.  And it's not that I didn't work, I did, but on one thing.  Thoroughly and to completion.  I wasn't distracted by laundry, cleaning, feeding, driving, going to work, or caring for anything else but that one task.  See what I mean?  Spoiled.

I guess I had my own unpacking to do this week.  It was more than a bit overwhelming to come back to all that I have created for myself.  The family, animals, property, job, house, you name it, none of it was good enough and none of it was getting what it deserved.  I felt so torn in too many different directions. 

And now I must say "THANK YOU" to my husband, children, friends and co-workers for weathering the storm with me.  I am so incredibly blessed that I have such loving people in my life to hold me up when I don't think I can hold myself up.  With their help, I will get back to taking life one day at a time, and allowing myself some grace when I don't measure up to my own expectations.

And a "THANK YOU" to my sister, Allison, who gifted me this incredible yarn so that I can continue to do what I love best, create with gorgeous yarn!

Allison's Color Way

And Anna, thank you for the house call and your healing hands.  And Pam, thank you for your kind listening, and lovely poem:

Hold on to what is good,
Even if it's a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe,
Even if it's a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
Even if it's a long way from here.
Hold on to your life,
Even if it's easier to let go.
Hold on to my hand,
Even if I've gone away from you.

Pueblo Indian Prayer

May all of you receive many blessings today and through this weekend.

Learning to Shrug

Taking a peek in a favorite book, Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sara Ban Breathnach, I was reminded how to complain.  Or rather, how to not complain.  Or something like that.  This book is full of great reminders, and this day my take-away was "Learning to shrug is the beginning of Wisdom."  Which got me thinking, of course.  But not just on how to live life more fully, but about SHRUGS!

I have to admit, I don't follow these day books like most ordinary folk out there.  I don't thumb through until I find "today's date."  I like to use my intuition and open the book at random and see what pops out at me.  And of course, my intution never fails me.

Wouldn't knittng a shrug be the perfect Spring project?  AND I just so happened to have the perfect yarn in my stash.  Now at this point I like to play my "Is the Universe Trying to Tell Me Something?" game.  Go ahead, roll your eyes, I know my family does.  But really, if I was meant to committ to this project I would have enough yardage of the yarn required, etc. . .

(fingers crossed, drumroll please)

Yup!  Guess I have a new knitting project.

Simply Be

What can I say?  Sometimes I get to thinking.  I've often thought this was my gift, my ability to "connect the dots."  Something happens, a written thought is read, a friend shares a story, a teacher shares an insight or learning, and boom, here I go off to the races.  Connecting the dots of my life.  And although this is a fun pursuit, and I do love a good puzzle, else times its just nice to let go and trust and know that, yes, everything is connected, and yes, it is fun to think about, but really, don't spend too much of my precious time wrapping things up in tidy, pretty little packages.

"True wealth is the ability to let go of your possessions." Yogi Bahjan

I always interpretted this quote literally, as in, ok, so if I'm not attached to "my possessions" I won't own them, or more likely, they won't own me.  But now, I'm realizing "my possessions" could mean my thoughts as well.  Maybe that's why I enjoy handwork, gardening, and yoga so much.  Through these pursuits I'm able to visit a beautiful, simple, empty-of-thought kind-of place to be.

Imagine that?  Just being.  So simple.  But sometimes so hard to achieve.  As Benjamin Hoff in the Tao of Pooh states,

"The essence of the principle of the Uncarved Block (P'u) is that things in their original simplicity contain their own power, power that is easily spoiled and lost when that simplicity is changed."

Here's wishing you all a simply beautiful day.