on the cusp

3.18.2014


We didn't plan to go to Silver Falls Saturday, but we followed the sun through the clouds and found ourselves there.  A lot of other folks did, too, so once parked we hopped a gate and walked down a deserted road through the trees that looped back up to South Falls.  We talked about spring and summer, all the warm-weather things we are going to do, and also what we hope the rest of this year will bring for us and our loved ones.  We are on the cusp of spring, of change, and are looking forward with excited anticipation and optimistic hearts.

lately

3.14.2014


Lately, in just the last few days, the first blossoms on cherry and plum trees have appeared in our neighborhood.  The buds were so teasingly promising for so long, and this week they all seemed to burst at once into glorious spring bloom.  Joy.

Lately, Thor and I have been spending more quality time with my husband.  He started his new job in Portland last week, and it's been so nice to have him on more normal hours and home in the evening, to be able to go out and do things with us or just be here to have dinner together.  And it's wonderful that he doesn't have to constantly be on his cell phone or laptop working when he is home.  I think I love his new job almost as much as he does.

Lately, I've been reading more.  I watch two neighbor girls for a couple of hours before school and take them to school with Thor in the morning, and then after school we always have a houseful of neighborhood boys.  It gets loud.  Very loud.  I love that Thor's friends always want to play at his house, but my introverted quiet-loving self sometimes screams (silently, of course) for utter and complete silence.  A morning at the library alone is bliss.  This week I picked up a couple of books for Thor and a few for me.  I'm just over halfway through The Distant Hours; while I like it okay, I'm still hoping it turns into the book I can't wait to pick up.  

Lately, I've been making bread.  A no-knead bread from a book of easy artisan breads, a whole wheat/soy flour dough recipe, has turned out really nice a few times.  I grew up on my mom's homemade whole wheat bread that she even ground the flour for herself.  So good.  We never had store-bought bread until I was a teenager, so I was bound to have a taste for homemade.  I do like both, but there is quite a difference, and for me there is nothing like warm fresh homemade bread.  Today I am going to tweak this recipe a bit by eliminating the all-purpose flour in it and using just whole wheat, soy, and dark rye flour, similar to my mom's and sister's recipes.  

I've also been sprouting alfalfa, as well as a mix of organic adzuki beans, mung beans, peas, lentils, tricale, and fenugreek, and they are so good on homemade bread.

Lately, I've been running.  And when I say running, I mean walking/running, then more walking/running.  I'm super slow, but I'm doing it.  It was my goal for this year to try to get out and run a little bit every now and then, and it has turned into that thing I can't wait to get out and do almost every day.  I feel better than I have in years.  I'm only up to five miles max right now and not making any lofty goals, but the rewards are so great (feeling strong in body and mind) that I just want to keep going further.   

Have a great weekend!   See you next week.

Watch:  Blackfish

the glistening

3.12.2014


Stormy Sunday on the Santiam.  I'm ready for the brighter, longer days of spring, for sure, but I'm still savoring these last days of winter and the dark beauty they bring, too.  How I love a tempestuous sky, wind and rain, and how beautifully deep and lush they make everything look.  The glistening.

impromptu

3.05.2014


Last Friday we decided to take an impromptu overnight trip to the coast.  We picked up Thor from school and traveled the oh-so-familiar road through the woods until we met the sea.  We headed to our little cottage for the night, ready to build a fire in the old brick fireplace and just relax.  The crackling fire inside and the crashing of waves outside played a symphony in our ears until our eyes could no longer stay open.  

Morning winds carried us down to the blue-grey beach, where we each seemed to get lost in our own moments of silence and solitude; regrounding, recharging.  

We came home happy and ready for the coming week, vowing to trip the impromptu fantastic a little more often.

march

3.03.2014



Each day we are getting closer to spring.  March is when I really start to pine for a clear shift toward brightness.   I long to see things in different light, in different colors, with fresh textures.  I want my hands in the dirt.  I want to walk out barefoot onto the the patio and feel the sun warm my arms as I hang clothes on the line.  I can't wait until it's warm enough to dry clothes on the line.  I want to walk through the woods and hear the creatures that only sing in spring and summer, to slowly paddle around a lake with my boys, to have dinner around the fire pit, to have the windows open all the time.  It seems so far away right now.

We're forcing spring the only way we can around here by doing a household purge, a spring cleaning of sorts.  We do this throughout the year but seem to always find more we can do without.  We filled several bags yesterday with clothing, toys, and kitchen items for donation.  It always feels so good to lighten up and pass things on.  The less stuff we have, the more free we feel.   

In lieu of a Listen entry, I share with you Watch and Read.

Watch:  

What have you enjoyed watching lately?

Read:  Parenting Without Borders.  I picked this up from the "grab 'n go" shelf at the library on my way out, and I loved it.  Learning how parents in other countries raise their children really made me think and has me reevaluating my approach to some things.  Inspiring.

I hope spring is starting to show where you are.  Happy March!
by mlekoshi