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I am so thankful for my camera. With the crazy running from here to there, I don't always take the time to stop and breathe in the beauty that is all around. Taking pictures helps me to connect, to take a moment and slow it down. I took these photos the other day during a brief few minutes of sunshine. The light breeze added some welcome mystery: every time I pressed the shutter button, the gently moving scene that ended up in the picture was entirely different from the photo I had lined up.

In a photograph, you can see things that you wouldn't otherwise notice. A heavenly glow of light through the trees; intense colors; a clear, beckoning sky; little ladybugs on leaves. It's the same taking pictures of the kids. When I look closely at their photos, I sometimes catch a glimpse of joy, courage, love, confidence, or even sadness that I didn't realize was there at the time I took the picture.

There are other perfect moments where, no matter how hard you try or how many pictures you snap, the camera refuses to capture the truth and depth of your experience.

On some days, holding the camera gets in the way of experiencing the fullness of life at hand. Then we have to just put it down and get real.

Wow, I love these photos. I'm so happy to share them with you. Thank you for spending part of your day with me.

yard art

peace

Annika loves the autumn leaves. Every year, she will spend hours, energetically raking up a big pile for herself and her brothers to jump into. With all the rain we've had this fall, the leaves are too soggy to roll around  in, but that doesn't stop my girl. Instead, racing outside after school over the course of several days this week, she turned the yard into an art gallery. First came the inspired peace symbol, then the dove you see below.

dove pattern

the dove. 

you can't see it in the photo, but there is an actual branch with

 green leaves here to symbolize the traditional olive branch

recycling: Annika's signature symbol

Last night, the big storm blew this inspired art installation away, making the memories even more precious. Today, I count my many blessings.

sweet heart

where's the beef?

mashed potatoes, garden tomatoes, garlic spinach

"Ahimsa" means non-violence, to do no harm in thought, word and deed. The word comes from the ancient Sanskrit language and the practice of Ahimsa is an important part of the yogic tradition. Today as I practice Ahimsa, I commit to doing my best to embrace and support all living beings, to cause the least possible harm, to be kind, generous and forgiving to others and to myself.

In my role as family food provider, I have really enjoyed cooking meat: the savory juice, the crunchy skin, the time-honored traditions and recipes. But I always prefer to begin with a slab of meat that is as far removed from the actual animal as possible. When it looks too much like the animal it came from, I feel creepy. It is much easier to use skinless boneless breasts that don't look anything like the chicken running around in my backyard. Bacon doesn't at all resemble a squealing piggy, so I really love the bacon. You get the picture.

On and off for several years, I have considered adopting a vegetarian diet. Not to say I haven't fully enjoyed a delicious bleu cheese burger, but since childhood, I have always gravitated more towards the vegetables with less enthusiasm for the meat. To my surprise, over the summer, I magically bypassed vegetarian and went all the way to vegan instead. The desire for meat and animal products simply disappeared.

At some point in the month of July, I just went ahead and accepted the idea that a living being doesn't necessarily need to lay down its life just so I can have a nice sandwich. In the old days, living here in Wisconsin's wintry climate, we actually needed to eat meat in order to survive. But now, with trucks and trains and greenhouses, there are plenty of other delicious proteins I can have in my sandwich.

This interesting culinary path is not for everyone. Unless my family decides to embrace the veggies 100%, I am still buying and cooking meat for them. For now, I just know this is the right choice for me. My digestion is 100% better, I can fit back into my skinny jeans, and I have a lot more energy. All this without feeling like I've made a single sacrifice.

Note on Eggs: We still have chickens living here. They have an outdoorsy, safe, healthy environment and they appear to enjoy long, rich lives here with us. By their nature, they lay eggs. For the most part, they will not sit on the eggs long enough to hatch more. We have to do something with these egg-- what should we do? Of course, eggs are not traditionally "vegetarian" and certainly not"vegan".  The only conclusion I can come to about our special chickens' eggs is that right now we are obligated to enjoy them, share them and be grateful for these beautiful, pearly gifts. Other opinions about the eggs are welcome.