For Annika

 

 

A locket from her Granny and her Mama, with a drop of lavender. While Annika and I were separated her Granny dropped her special locket off to her. Granny gave her the locket as a gift and when Annika's 2 year old brother pulled and broke the chain I replaced it. She doesn't have a picture in it but I placed 3 lavender buds in it so she would have the smell of home while she was away.

Such pretty faces to wake up to...

Eliot and Elaina

The first fire of the season

 

Dad lit the first flames this morning after Eliot and I went out to collect firewood in the crisp, I mean cold, morning air.

We like to gather dead fall branches, pine cones, and pine straw from our neighborhood in the common areas. Since the Winter and Fall last year was so mild there is plenty of burnable material available to collect. This is an activity Annika always used to enjoy. Hopefully her father will let her come home soon and help us collect from nature.

Ines

On this full moon night I am remembering my day. Two of my girls and I went to visit the grave of my great grandmother. She was the mother of my mother's father. He was her only child. She died earlier in the year of my birth. I never met her. My mother says I have her hands. That I remind her of Ines in my build and the way I carry myself. I am close to my mother but I have never really felt close to anyone in my family on a deeper level. I wish I could have known Ines. I am not 100% about my feelings on the afterlife but Lyn, Eliot and I felt close to Ines today. Eliot especially enjoyed cleaning up her grave and placing items of meaning there. We left a copy of a picture of Ines, her husband, and my grandfather as a baby held down by rocks there along with some wild flowers from our garden. I planted a spring of rosemary behind her gravestone. Maybe it will take root and the groundskeepers will let it grow. It was a very windy day and I was not able to light any candles except for a moment but at least they were lit in memory for a moment. I brought a second copy of the same picture that was left at the grave. I planned on burning it and letting the ashes fall on her grave. The wind did not cooperate. We did get it lit and when the wind finally blew it out we unrolled it and all that was left was Ines. I think I will keep this picture and frame it. I already took this picture and cut her and my grandfather's pictures out and placed them in a locket that I will wear for a while. We also made a rubbing of her name and dates of birth and death. Everyone at work today said she looks like me. It was a very meaningful day today.....

We will definitely go back. My mother and Annika need to come.

 

 

Flames

Red for motherhood and yellow for wisdom. Today has tested my resolve and calling as a Mother. I need wisdom to understand the choices of my decision and how it affects my entire family.....

Beads can help a lot...

 

These are some of the beads I bought today. I will use them in some of my meditation beads, Blessingway beads, and jewelry that I create. The energy coming of off this strand of moonstone was strong. I can't wait to work with the beads....

 

 

Today

Out of the house

Sometimes you just need to get the house. Even 20 minutes help. I had to work a lot today and playing outside and nursing Elaina had to fit in between.

Tinkerbell's wagon

At the playground at the waterfall Eliot found a small toy wagon. Of course it must belong to a fairy. Ben actually played at the water's edge. I only took these two to divide and conquer. It was a good morning even though Ben wanted his diaper and shoes off. I got his shorts back on him eventually.

A new Mother figure

A find

Bad days call for good energy

When I have a bad day it can be real bad..... I reach for guidance and only find others needing me more and more.

I need grounding.....

Walk for Midwives

To continue to support the legalization of Certified professional Midwives in Alabama I made an appearance to support Alabama Birth Coalition's Walk for Midwives today in downtown Birmingham. I couldn't walk this year because I had so much going on today so I at least showed up with Elaina and Eliot for the breakfast and to pick up my t-shirts.... Elaina is wearing the hat in the above picture that I won at the silent auction at last year's walk. I bought tickets for the raffle so maybe I will get something this year too!

 

 

 

 

No good deed

As I waited in traffic last night there was a car stalled out. It must have run out of gas. I watched the man in the truck in front of me get out of his car and get a gas can and empty it into the car. This man was in his military uniform. I felt so proud and wish more people in this world were kind and I am grateful that we have sailors, soldiers, airmen, and others in uniform that are willing to give there lives for us and to help out when we run out of gas....

MUUMs meeting

We had our October meeting and it went well even though we didn't have childcare and the kids played in the room with us. The food was good and the talk and communion with friends went well...

Stung by a bee

Our yard is covered in small purple flowers. They attract dozens of honey bees. Eliot and Ben were watching them and following them around. I enjoyed watching their curiosity unfold until Eliot got stung. She literally was trying to catch and pet bees. Well, we know she isn't allergic to them. A little ice and some TLC and she was fine.

Planting a few trees

Eliot is hugging a willow tree our neighbor gave to us. She also gave us a few red maple trees also. Well, in 15 years we should have some decent shade.....

Hot tea with cookies

 

Yum.... this tea is perfect on a cool night and of course it goes well with cookies. I sprinkle a little nutmeg in mine and add raw honey for sweetness. Delicious!

Favorite drink of the day

Fermented lavender...

What is that?!

 

Of course when I took Elaina out to the grocery store before her big poop of the day she did it AT the store. It leaked out everywhere. Good thing she was in her sling made by her aunt Jenna. Everything was washed and as good as new....

I so want to go

All day reading of The Hobbit. I want to try to at least go listen to some of it.... Who wants to go with me my precious...?

What's for dinner

 

Yum... all it is is ramon noodles with added kale. The kids ate it up.

Yesterday was a full day

We did so much yesterday and I feel it today....

I started the day by taking Lyn, Annika, and of course Elaina to the international babywearing picnic. I got to see a friend i haven't seen in months and a friend I haven't seen in years. Lyn got in the line up with Elaina in a ring sling. There were so many moms there wearing babies that it made me feel out of place to pull Elaina out to show her off and keep her out of her sling. On the way home we stopped by a craft fair in Helena. Of course the candles drew my attention. We made it home and rested for a while and then headed out to the Cheek Maiden's open house for discounted everything. I added Ben to the mix and Annika rode with Tracie, my neighbor friend, to get in line for some homemade bath and body goodness before Cheeky Maiden moves. We then came home and rested a bit and headed to the airport to greet Kate and her newly adopted daughter home from Ukraine. Annika, Lyn, and Elaina came with me for this outing. Not as many people were waiting as when Eva came home but it was later in the evening and on a Saturday. Welcome home Darcy Violetta