Friday, June 28, 2013

{This Moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by Soulemama.


Thursday, June 27, 2013

Make and Listen






Making:

~ Canning season has started and the first thing to line the pantry shelves is strawberry jam...11 jars of organic strawberry jam.

~ Sprouts! Not only does Reece love to watch the seeds grow, he thinks it is great he can eat them when they are done.

~ I have been without water kefir grains for a few months and am happy to be mixing up batches again every day. Bonus...Reece loves it as much as I do.

~ No summer is complete without bug spray. As with most things I prefer to mix up my own. This will be our third summer using it and Justin is still amazed at how well it works.

~ I have a hat on the needles right now, for this lovely project. Consider knitting up a hat or two if you have some time.

Listening:

~ The sounds of nature still have our attention these days. In fact Reece and I have been spending time most afternoons in our hammock listening to a little family of house wrens. The nest is right above the hammock. We lay back and watch mama and papa fly in and out with food for their little ones and listen carefully for the chatter of the babies in the nest. It is lovely to lay in silence with Reece, both of us mesmerized by the sounds and happenings around this nest.

~ We have been filling the air with own music too...drums, harmonicas and song. I am not sure how good we sound, but we sure do have fun.

Joining Dawn

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Harvest Goodness


It started last week, and it just keeps getting better. We have been gardening on this land for 15 years and every year I am still amazed at the magic of taking a seed, planting it in the earth, tending to its needs, watching it grow, harvesting the food and enjoying it for our meals. From seed to plate, it is a journey full of magic and one I am happy to witness year after year.

********************

Reece and I are heading off on a little camping adventure for a few days. We will be exploring new trails, searching for signs of wildlife, looking for wild plants and enjoying time together in nature. Oh, and we will be taking time to visit Upper Canada Village with this lovely lady and her two little men. And on the way home, I will be stopping in to meet this wonderful blog friend too. Yes, you read that right, in the next few days I will be meeting, not one, but two blog friends for the first time in real life. This will be my third meet up this year and I am so very excited to make these connections a little stronger.

I will be away from this space for the next few days, but have scheduled a few posts. I will be back here in person on Friday for {This Moment}.

Have a fantastic week!

Monday, June 24, 2013

Our Weekend



As usual our weekend got started on Friday with some Summer Solstice fun. There was jam making in the morning, a little gardening and lunch on the back deck, then a little family hike with butterfly net in hand. We chased butterflies, picked wild strawberries, red clover and wood sorrel, searched for monarch eggs and enjoyed a few moments just being still on a hill. Dinner on the back deck, a fire and enjoying the solstice sunset finished our day.

Justin and Reece had a father son day on Saturday, while I headed to Peterborough to spend the day with our community. We had a day of community mapping, working together to determine our strengths as a community, our areas for growth and development and as always, deepening our connection to each other. It was an inspiring day which left me feeling so very grateful to be a part of this wonderful community. Back at home, I shared my day with Justin while we made another batch of jam and enjoyed a quiet night at home.

Sunday found us lazing around and enjoying a very slow morning of playing, making food for a potluck, heading out for a family walk and checking in on the garden. After lunch it was off to my 8 Gifts from Nature course followed by a community potluck.

A weekend filled with wonderful things, leaving me filled with gratitude and feeling so very blessed.

How was your weekend?

Joining Amanda

Friday, June 21, 2013

{This Moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by Soulemama.


 Happy Summer Solstice!!!

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Around the Garden










Oh so much goodness around the garden this week. First, we are harvesting, oh yes we are. Mesclun mix, kale, Swiss chard, strawberries and herbs have been making their way from the garden to our plates and it is all so delicious.

I spied a few tomatoes this week and our garlic scapes should be ready in the next day or two...pesto making will be happening this weekend. The herb garden is growing well, as is everything else we planted. There are still two rows of beans to sprout, I planted them late last week, other than that everything is in the ground. Mother Nature has blessed us with a little rain, sun, rain, sun mixture over the last week, giving our garden exactly what it needs in just the right amounts. The goal now is to keep the bugs at bay, stop the invasion of weeds and enjoy the goodness the garden grows.

What's happening around your garden?

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Gratitude


Offering gratitude today for:

~ early morning light

~ quiet mornings

~ meals outside

~ moments spent in the garden

~ a deepening connection to nature 


~ the roots of our community digging deeper

~ the power of true friendship

~ being surrounded by some pretty inspiring people

~ listening to my inner voice and letting it lead me

~ love and laughter


~ time to sit back and watch my little man chase butterflies

~ the birds who visit our backyard every day and serenade us with their bird song

~ the beauty of watching a flower bloom

~ the food our little homestead provides for us

~ this lovely life we have carved out for ourselves

What are you grateful for today?

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

A Day in the Woods
















When I got up Friday morning I could fell something gently pulling me. The pull was familiar, it is one I feel often...a pull to head out into nature. I packed up a backpack with all the essentials for a day in the woods, convinced Justin he should take the day off and join Reece and I, which really wasn't that hard, grabbed the camera and off we went.

We headed to a favourite spot with a plan to feed the birds and chipmunks, hike, look for wild plants and enjoy a little picnic. What we found was so much more.

We fed chipmunks, blue jays and wood peckers. We saw wild turkeys, a couple of geese with their goslings, a swan and a little bunny hiding in the bush. Reece climbed a tree and I searched for tracks. We found garlic mustard, wood sorrel, yarrow, wild strawberries and motherwort. We found peace, quiet and connection. Connection to each other and to the earth. We left the watch at home and enjoyed a day of timelessness, letting our natural clocks guide us and enjoying each moment.

We filled ourselves up, nourished our souls and headed back to the car with smiles on our faces, grateful for a day in the woods.

Monday, June 17, 2013

And so it Begins...


First harvest of the season happened this weekend...mesclun mix and two of three strawberries; little hands took the third one before I snapped a picture.

So much more to come and I can't wait!

Friday, June 14, 2013

{This Moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by Soulemama.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Make and Listen





Making:

~ A little gardeners hand salve, we have been using this a lot around here.

~ Some body butter, one to give away and the rest for me.

~ Another milo finished...babies in hand knits make me smile.

~ Rainy day water colours with my little man.

Listening:

~ We are still enjoying the sounds of Mother Nature around here...rain on the tin roof, the early morning call of the birds, the howl of the coyotes at dusk. She really does provide beautiful sounds, we just need to tune in and listen.

Joining Dawn

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Living Slow




We have been working for a few years now to slow our life down, to live close to the earth and her seasons and to live life on our own terms. We are succeeding on some level and yet, we still feel like we could slow down more, do less and connect more deeply to the moment we are experiencing right now.

We know we are different. We know what we dream of, the slowness of a life lived in tune with the seasons, is not for everyone. We are okay with that. In fact, most days we are not aware of just how different we are. We are fortunate to have a community of wonderful, like minded people who are on the same path and we share many adventures with them.

On Sunday when we traveled into the city for a little birthday celebration for my dad, both Justin and I were keenly aware of just how different we are and how slow our lives have really became. I do travel into the city pretty regularly, but those visits usually revolve around visiting friends at their home or a trip to the farmers market, both places where people who share our views are present, but on Sunday we were in the heart of the city.

All around us people were rushing to get somewhere. Walking fast, headphones on, eyes straight ahead, there was no time for eye contact, let alone a smile or a hello. People were too busy to hold a door, too tied up in a phone call to connect with the person right in front of them or had their face in a screen totally disconnected from what was going on around them. I heard people rushing little ones along, taking them right out of the moment and into the rush of the adult world.

It has taken me a few days to really pinpoint what I was feeling during our day in the city, and yesterday I mentioned it to Justin, and he got it. He understood exactly what I was feeling, because he too felt it. So, yet again, we realize we are different. Different from what many people consider normal in their busy days.

And we are okay with it. We enjoy living slow in our little corner of the world and we are happy we have found people to share this life with. People who appreciate the slowness of life, who enjoy the moments as they come and who join us in celebrating the little things.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Froglets


Yes, the tadpoles are still on my kitchen counter, but you see, exciting things are happening and we need to keep an eye on them...really.

Over the last few weeks we have watched as the little tadpoles began to get a little bigger. Then little legs began to peek out the back. On Friday one of our little ones had front legs. By Sunday we had three of them swimming around with all four legs, and yesterday morning one had lost his little tail and is now a full fledged froglet. 

We check in on them frequently throughout the day wondering who will be the next to join this little froglet in his new habitat, we think we needs a little company.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Our Weekend



Reece and his cousin Madison, in front of them are my brother and his family and my parents

Waiting for dessert

On the outside deck looking out over Lake Ontario

On the glass floor looking down

It was hard to get him off :)

Starting the weekend on Friday has become a habit we really enjoy around here, so we are sticking with it. We spent Friday morning in the woods with friends, turning over logs and rocks looking for bugs. There was some balance beam walking on old logs, a little meandering through a meadow and a few rounds of owl catching little mice, a version of tag created by the kids. We spent the afternoon with Reece's godparents catching up and enjoying a few cups of tea.

I was up and out early Saturday morning to attend the rehearsal for the dance students I teach. It was my last role as dance teacher, a role I have had for 24 years. I am not sad to see it end, it was time and I am ready. I left smiling, with a spring in my step, ready for whatever comes next.

Back home, we enjoyed a lovely lunch and then Reece and I headed out for a little nature connection. He rode, I walked. We stopped a lot...to pick flowers, to look at tracks, to watch the water run, did I mention to pick flowers. My little man has a fascination with a few things right now and flowers is among them. I have to admit the little bouquets on my kitchen window sill do make me smile.

Sunday, we joined my brother and his family and my mom in surprising my dad with a day trip to Toronto for lunch at the top of the CN Tower to celebrate his 65th birthday. It was a lovely day and we managed to pull off the surprise perfectly.

It was a full weekend in so many ways, which has left me looking forward to a relaxing day today with not much on the calendar.

How was your weekend?

Joining Amanda