on hiatus

Hello everyone - I am on blogging break until October due to vacation - yes!!! See you in October!

six

now six

Oliver turns six today. He had chocolate cake for breakfast. He is overjoyed. I am proud of him in every way today and every day.

We rarely print out photos nowadays. This morning I realized that aside from a little album of very early baby pictures, Oliver has not seen the hundreds of photos that I have taken of him. So in honor of his sixth birthday, I just finished a three-hour marathon going through a gazillion photo files. I uploaded my favorite images of Oliver to the Walgreens website, and will pick them up later this afternoon. Technology to the rescue today. Near the end of the 2007 files, I began to feel prisoner of this little love project, so the rest may have to wait until next year.

There were many photos of events and days that I had forgotten. I hope Oliver enjoys this little photojourney tonight as much as I did this morning.

Love you, Oliver!

magical life

entrance  to wonder

another kind of entrance to wonder

you can find the book here

I love fairies. Our daughter, Annika, loves them even more. When she was a tiny girl, we read all of Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies books. They are still referenced frequently. Annika's fairy life grows so beautifully from that first gentle flower fairy book and gorgeous artwork: a precious inner garden of fairies, flowers and magic. For years now, Annika has read every fairy book she can get her hands on. She has fairies everywhere in her room.

the dining table - seashells for plates

marsh house interior in the making

marsh dwelling

Lately, she's been building fairy houses all over the yard, in the woods at the base of a towering old maple, in the marsh among the reeds, at the source of a bubbling spring, near the raspberry patch, and who knows where else. Oliver helps and has some gorgeous fairy creations of his own, too. Now Annika is busy writing a novel, the main character is a brave and adventurous fairy, of course. I have no doubt that she will be published, it is an amazing and exciting tale.

stage, created by Ollie

garden house

Have you ever passed a forest and chanced to see that gleaming, glowing space of soft green where fairies absolutely have to live? This has happened to me so many times. Now I am feeling they might really be there, flitting around, another species entirely; some of us connect with them, others just aren't paying attention. It really doesn't matter, it's all so much fun.

dancing ring

boat afloat

intuition

beautiful sunset

by Annika

This week I am having a lot of fun learning to hear and follow my intuition. Our intuition is that little inner voice that we have learned so successfully to ignore and squash because it sometimes tells us to look at things we don't want to see; it sometimes tells us to do things that aren't the easiest and most logical things to do. When we hear it, we generally know it is right, but we often don't want to hear it because it doesn't always fit with the ego's to-do list. Our intuition is a gift from God, it is one way we can receive guidance from the Source of all that is. Though most of us have a sweet little connection to our intuition, we work hard to be very good at setting it aside for what seems more practical, "nicer" and easier, or what feels more socially acceptable. Instead of being taught to listen to our own unique truth, as we grow up, we learn to consider every angle of a decision and think through each little thing and then proceed according to what looks best on paper. We finally get so good at this kind of decision-making that we close and lock the door to intuition, thinking that we know better. Luckily, intuition stays near, waiting patiently for us to ask for help. 

I am officially asking for help. I get centered and ask myself, "What's next? What's highest and best?"--noticing the first little hint that pops into my body, and then promising to do it with total trust and abandon. It's a little scary! But I know absolutely that my deepest soul would never guide me the wrong way. I know this for sure, because I have heard and ignored my own voice so many times. 

Though we often don't see the outcome of intuitive, divinely-guided decisions until far down the road, if ever, our intuition always tells the truth. So far in the last several days (when I've listened to it) my intuition has guided me to have a nice talk with my wonderful grandma, shop at a grocery store I rarely visit, take a nap, create a little artwork, stand on my head (weird, I know), sing, make an unplanned stop to visit a friend for a deep and meaningful conversation, sit quietly alone, and now to write.

now

lightning strikes the sea

by Oliver

Yesterday, a good friend gave me one of the biggest compliments I've ever received. She said she was inspired to take better care of herself by the way that I've been consciously choosing to care for and nurture myself in the last year. This is true, I have started to do pretty much whatever I want to do, no holds barred. It has not been the easiest year for my very generous and understanding husband and kids, and honestly, it has not been the easiest for me either. Luckily what I "want" to do often includes laundry and cooking, driving kids to most of their activities, preparing taxes, and giving big hugs (always).


It's 2010. Many of us are arriving at this point in life --a certain age or simply a startling moment where we go, "Whoa, wait a minute!" The time for now or never has arrived. We realize it's time to get priorities in order, time to push past our nasty old demons, time to start having the fun we are meant to have. So what do we do now? The choices are different for everyone, maybe we quit smoking, quit griping, start walking, try a new sport, travel and explore, take an art class, learn to meditate, enjoy healthy food, forgive everyone, learn to be present, get outside, listen more. Whatever it is that our hearts call us to do, this is as good a day as any to begin.

go for it

This summer, we are taking off to see the wide world. After dreaming about traveling with the kids for years, we are now ready to go. I am so very excited, Wheee! Yippee! We leave home in June, and will return at the end of September. Our first stop is Europe, mainly the Netherlands and France. I am most looking forward to being together with the family, just enjoying one another and learning together about other ways of life, finding new friends and adventures along the way. 


"How is this possible?", the bystander might ask. Here are the what's and why's. 


The Wonder of Technology - Working Remotely
Many years ago, David chose to follow his joy and began a career in IT, which he loves 100%. Because he enjoys his work so much, he has gotten very good at it, and because he's very good at it, he has found clients who appreciate his services and his integrity, and therefore are glad to support his request to work remotely, so that he can really work from anywhere in the world, while continuing to give the very best quality service. Our only requirement is high-speed internet. Three cheers for David and three more for technology.


Connecting with Like-Minded Travelers
If you like to have guests and don't worry too much about little things, I would highly recommend looking into house swapping the next time you want to travel. There are several house-swapping websites online, my favorite so far is homeforexchange.com. Here you will find a friendly community of people who are willing to exchange houses with you for a few weeks so that each of you can enjoy a vacation in the place of your choice with a nice, comfy place to stay, and no hotel fees. This is really my favorite part of the whole thing. The many, many hours I have spent in front of the screen, searching for and communicating with potential home-swapping families, have really paid off.


The folks I have encountered so far have been wonderful to communicate with, even rejection is fun and friendly here. In e-mailing back and forth to arrange exchanges, I already feel like I have several new friends from around the world. Another benefit is that we are having a lot of fun getting our own home ship-shape so that it will be a peaceful, enjoyable place of rest for those staying here. Several of the people I'm working with have already done many successful exchanges, and the reports are overwhelmingly positive.


Making Friends Wherever You Go
We met a very kind retired couple from India this summer. Our families became fast friends and we ended up co-hosting weekend meditation retreats together with them at our home in August. We all had such fun together, they have invited us to stay with them at their home in Mumbai. Well, who can refuse a generous offer like that! So for the month of September, we will be staying with Dinesh and Kushi, as they shepherd us around their country. This is truly a fantasy come true for me, as I have been dreaming of going to India since my first taste of Palak Paneer many years ago.


Dream On
As this process unfolds, I am truly amazed at the abundance of fun in the universe. It appears that when you really desire to do something that makes you happy, you can absolutely find a way. Thinking outside the box helps. Perhaps our journey will inspire you to do something you've long been dreaming of. This life is pretty short, let's enjoy every minute. 


Please do leave comments here. Share your own dreams, those that have come true and those you hold in your heart. Writing them down makes them even more real!

layers

Like an onion, my husband is a man of many layers, of clothing, that is. He has been known to wear up to 5 shirts, one on top of another. Among friends, his layering has become something of a legend, earning him the moniker "Layer Guy", a name bestowed upon him by a stand-up comic who once spotted David and his many shirts in the audience one evening and generously pointed him out to the crowd. 

I have enjoyed gently mocking my Layer Guy, until this winter, when insane oil bills helped us to set the thermostat at a ridiculously cold 60% in the house. Right now, I am wearing 2 long-sleeved shirts under a sweatshirt, and yoga pants under snow pants as I sit next to the space heater in my cold little office, blogging with icy fingers. I'm typing quickly so as to generate more heat. The handy thing is, I don't have to put on anything extra to go outside.

This week, our daughter, Annika, has taken layering to thrilling new heights. As I kissed her goodnight on Sunday evening, with a sparkle in the corner of her eye, she lifted the corner of her flannel pajamas, proudly displaying the outfit she was planning to wear the next day. All she would have to do in the morning is take off the jammies and, voila! Ready for school. I deeply admire this most innovative, time-saving, extra warm idea--please feel free to try it out yourself.

a new biscuit

I love the New Year. Full of promise and sparkling with possibility. Time to get organized, shed tired habits, say good-bye to things that no longer work for you. A fresh opportunity to be the person you wish to be.

At night, I put the animals to bed. That means closing the doors to the chicken coop, to keep the sleeping birds safe as they rest for the night with their surprisingly sweet (for chickens), singing snores. As I walk to the barn in the dark, beloved head-flashlight strapped to my furry hat, the light reflects on the snow. I am walking through a veritable sea of shimmering diamonds. How can the world be this beautiful? Who knew such riches were here, waiting in the cold night.

In this new year, I am very excited to be starting a brand new adventure. In December, I felt it was time to get a job, the kind where I would have the most fun I could imagine. A job that would see me enjoying each and every day so very much that magically, the entire world would inch a little closer to being a better place.

So I sat for a few minutes and thought, what can I do with the skills and resources I have right now? And the answer came quite quickly: Well, of course, I can create workshops for learning about how life works and exploring the beauty of who we are. Meeting new people, learning from experts and artists, playing in our creativity, finding alignment with spirit.

gotta love those biscuits

From my heart to yours, I am really happy to announce that Heart Biscuit, LLC is ready to go! Our first course will start in less than a month. You can check it out  and visit the new website at www.heartbiscuit.com.