around here

 Our days are very full right now.  Party planning, new classes, time change adjustments, sleepovers, there are lots of things to do and of course not enough hours to do them all.  Somehow I've found time to read and rest somewhat, in a fashion I suppose.  I think I may be learning how to go into the moments in the last weeks.  I have a sense that even though I'm in part of the rough that the lovely is still shimmering through here and there and it is worth watching and breathing in.  The balance of light approaches and this time always puts me in a space that feels like being suspended; peaking over the hill at the possibilities, mapping them out to be sure there is time while at the same time letting the rooted feeling of day to day get into the marrow and mark its stamp on me.  When this time of year rolls around it always gives me such a feeling of hope and pause.  Just be.  And then soon enough things shift again.  Despite the strangeness of it I think it is as close to the idea of perfection as I've ever come.

Art of the Month: Spring

This month is a bit different in the art department. For our Equinox celebration we (Heidi Joy and her lovely boys, Kyan and I) made the fun hand painted place mats from Amanda Soule's book The Creative Family. Sage being almost 5 was very into this project and Heidi and I were able to sit down periodically and just let the moment dictate what we'd paint. It was a fun exercise in spring thinking and a nice way to preserve the moment for the boys since paper art is a bit more apt to be destroyed at some point.


To keep with the spring theme we used bright and cheery fabric on the back. The front fabric is a poly blend that was in my stash. We used fabric paint rather than acrylic and painting canvas as Amanda does in her book. This is a fun way to mark seasonal celebrations or to just help involve your kids in the decorating of the table (maybe it will even encourage them to eat more? Who knows!)

Welcome Spring!

Our weekend was full of simple pleasures that welcomed spring quietly.

We had a snack and watched the trains.


We decorated an altar.


We enjoyed the glorious cherry blossoms on branches and on the ground.

We had an egg hunt.

And enjoyed a breakfast of scrambled eggs using our newly painted spring placemats with a little bonus surprise from the Spring Bunny for Kyan.

I'll share more about the placemats later this week. Happy Spring!

Patterns

As the energy has been building in me towards the equinox this weekend I noticed a pattern in myself. We all are effected in different ways by the changes in light that occur during the movement of the earth. I find it fascinating that some of us find new energy and vigor like Heidi Dawn did with the change to Daylight Savings Time while others (ME!) have struggled with the lost hour...feeling it mostly in droopy eyes and a slower step. Along with that feeling though has come a realization that despite the tired me my creativity is kicking into high gear once again. I took many books out of the library last weekend on sewing. Heidi Joy and I drank Chai and made plans for projects on Tuesday. We are endeavoring to sew together more this year for moral support and for the joy of it (although 3 boys under the age of 5 running around at the same time is...well, let's just say we try to keep it succinct..lol..) While contemplating this surge I was reminded of a similar feeling last year that I wrote about. It was interesting to me that the timing was not as close to now but leading up to the Autumn Equinox. I think the balance of light and dark is a comfort to me. I like the way it feels in my bones and it seems that my creative spirit feeds off of that balance.
It is not necessarily a time for production at a fast pace but the ideas come very furiously. I have to reap the ideas, record, sketch, ponder, plan and measure. It wouldn't be humanly possible to execute all of the ideas I've been having recently right away but the ideas have to come at their own pace. So if I can get them all scrolled down somehow I can use the list for keeping me motivated during the other periods. I'm grateful for this realization and what it can mean for how I plan my time for creativity in the future. I will have to give it a longer test before I conclude completely that my artistic flow and ebb are tied to the Equinoxes but it gives me another angle from which to view this time of year, not to mention another reason to celebrate the coming of change which can be a hard thing for me to accept sometimes. Happy Spring Equinox to you all and I'll share some photos of our doings this weekend soon.

Happy Spring!

Not a day too early spring arrived on Friday. The weather here was a bit bizarre. A thunderstorm for five minutes, (a rarity for the west coast) lots of rain, a brief hour of sunshine and then back to rain. Below is a pic of our front birch tree adorned with rain drops. Despite being blurry I thought it was a spring invoking image. The evening of Equinox we had a Welcome Spring potluck bar-b-q. And In honour of the season I made potato salad. While making it I thought it was very festive looking and took some photos of it too.

I've decorated the house with bunnies and eggs. Spring cleaning is happening bit by bit. This year the arrival of spring has refreshed my spirits. We have lots going on and a lot to look forward to this year.
My mother and grandmother arrive this Sunday for a week long visit. It will be my grandmother's first visit with me here. It will be great to have them here. We'll be low key because my grandmother's knee bothers her, so lots of walking will not be possible. But just having them here will be wonderful.
We are in the process of planning two family trips this summer. One will be camping on one of the Gulf Islands. We are planning to be there for the Summer Solstice which is making my heart sing. The Gulf Islands are untouched by the busy pace of the city. We can lounge on the beach, hike, canoe, visit local artists studios and sample great food. My hubby is a bit apprehensive about camping but I have an inkling that he's going to love it. Our other small get away will be on another Gulf Island with my in-laws. We'll only be there for the weekend but they are renting a cabin for a week. Again we'll be able to enjoy island life and have a short get-a-way. Last summer we didn't vacation at all, so this will be a treat for us.
My very generous husband traded in his Petro points for a $25 Amazon gift card and said, pick some books for yourself. That is the best gift he could ever offer me! I chose 3 from my wish list, Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv, Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman and The Way of the Green Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock. I'm very excited to read these (but I do have a huge list already waiting in my bookcase. What a dilemma!)
I've been a bit behind on my posting and my blog reading but I will get caught up eventually. I think I have gotten rid of my blues for this month. I'm on to the exciting developments that spring can bring. Future posts will include my final Making Artful pillows post, an evolution of my garden post, and an update on my creative projects list.
I hope you are all filled with the magic of spring and are renewed by the sounds and smells of the earth waking again.