Thanks Mary

Our dear friend and neighbor Mary has been cleaning out her basement in preparation for some foundation work and we have been the lucky recipients of many wonderful items. Today Annie got another bag of doll clothes, a globe, a wonderful vintage book filled with fuzzy felt kitties and over 100 colorful bindis. As you can see from the above photos, one bindi is beautiful, but 15 is spectacular!

Thanks Mary!

Plant Thief

I've been pinching starts of all the different Geraniums that I find thriving in my neighborhood and starting them in small pots in my yard. Luck for me La La Pat has been giving me decorative little planters each visit I make, and I've placed my new collection in the shade of my back steps. I love the way it looks, and better yet, the project has just cost me a large bag of potting soil so far. Beauty, economy and growth. Ahhhhh. What a lovely combination.

(And no, I didn't steal the Tree Fern. We bought it a while back.)

Everything is Illuminated

Something about the quality of light during these short days fills me with wonder and pleasure! I also feel my mother and grandmother's love and excitement for this time of year, and I feel really connected to many layers of love!
The combination of senses and memory leaves me close to tears, tears of joy and gratitude, and I want to spend all my time with Annie and Bill. I want to hold hands, listen, be really close, sing, go for walks, and make everything special. Celebratory!

Ahhhhh!

Annie, Bill and I loved our Thanksgiving in L.A. and we missed cooking our first turkey in our new home, so we had Thanksgiving II last weekend. We did all of our favorite dishes, set the table and had a mini-feast. While Papa was in the last hour of roasting, Annie and I went to the beach to do a little crabbing before the sunset, and I snapped a few shots. I think they capture some of the qualities I'm loving right now.

All I Wanna Do

O.K. So I started the mural. And I can't stop! It's all I want to do! I'm still blocking in the first layers of basic colors and shapes and I have soooo far to go. I'll admit I've taken on an enormous challenge with this mural. A much bigger one than I anticipated. It is a whopping 32' in total length and to achieve the look I want, I will use a dry-brush technique (hardly any water, mostly paint) loading up the brush with a few colors to get a soft grassy look, one that is touched with the orange glow of sunset (or sunrise?). All of this on a ladder with the light changing constantly. I can only paint for about 30-40 minutes, at the most, each time I make a go of it. Then I'm pooped. My arms are getting a workout, so are my legs, my eyes and my brain.


On top of working on this exciting project, of course our life wants constant attention. Food to be made, dishes to be washed, hair to be brushed, brownies to be baked for the Homeschooler Obama Bake Sale (we made over $600!), animals to be fed, books to be read, phone calls to make, laundry etc.,etc. You know what I mean.



Since I find it hard to even walk through the dining room without picking up a brush, I'm trying not to go in there unless I can paint for a while. That is one way I'm trying to have balance (or restraint) with this project.

I feel nervous showing WIP photos because there is so much that will be different when completed (like the peachy sky, that's just a first layer) but I will post a few here so you can see what I'm up to. Oh, and if you didn't see the initial phase of sketches, you can find them here.

I Love Fussy!

When we left Santa Cruz to move to Alameda fourteen months ago, we placed our wonderful hens with our dear friends Alison and Olivia. It was hard! We knew Alison and Olivia would love them and care for them so that helped our decision a lot! I told Annie that someday, when we settled in Alameda, we would get hens again. And now we have! There was a man in Fremont looking to thin out his flock and he gave us three little Bantams hens. I think they might be Aracuna Bantams. I will look it up and try to identify them. Annie has named hers Fussy, since Allen said she was the most verbal and "fussy" of the three. Bill named his Yolkie and mine is Nell. Nell is the most calm and is featured in the photos.

We are helping them settle in to their new home with fresh hay, nesting boxes, hen scratch and a big water bowl. So this morning, before Annie could rub the sleep from her eyes, she dashed down to the hen house and scooped up the first hen she could reach. She loves these chickens!

@#*?!@#*?!

I've been holding out and trying to bite my tongue, until we got the keys to vent about how awful our home buying process has been. It has been horrible. It has sucked.

I've really just about had it.

And according to our agent Angela and loan expert Jeannie, it's nothing we've done or haven't done. All parties agree it's the U.S mortgage crisis that's putting stress on every aspect of the process. We went into this purchase pre-approved but were dropped once escrow got underway because the industry changed, then changed again, then changed back, and all the time the escrow clock was ticking... Securing a loan is very tricky even with perfect credit, a very good income, having cash for 10% down payment plus close to $15,000 for the closing costs. Agggghh! Now we're in the final stretch and still we're being put through the ringer! Are we moving in three weeks or not? Put me out of my misery, please! I have one nerve left and it is very fragile. To help keep calm I've been embroidering some baby booties for the newly arrived baby Isobel in Santa Cruz and packing, packing, packing.

I Think We Might Have Just Bought a House

Let's just say that I always stop at an open house. Even if I know it's not for me or it's too expensive. I just love looking. And dreaming. I've probably looked in over 40 or more houses since moving to Alameda nine months ago. Most of the houses we have wanted (and would fit us and our menagerie) have been frankly, waaay out of our league. And I'm not even talking fancy houses! Most of the houses in our price range have been tear down's or so tiny that we might as well buy a small condo. I guess it's timing that brings us here. The market is allowing us to buy a house that we normally couldn't get.

So here we are. I thought I'd be a lot more excited, nervous, thankful and over-the-moon than I am. It's a little odd. I've wanted it so long.

The house is a circa 1906 Colonial Revival Cottage. Upstairs it has a foyer, living, dining, two bedrooms and a kitchen and bath that need help but that are livable. Downstairs it has two more bedrooms, a full bath, a laundry/storage room and a room that will be Annie's studio/playroom. The backyard has a tree (I really wanted to have a tree!) and we share a driveway and a common wall to the garage with a neighbor. We are "in contract" and escrow starts tomorrow, so now it's up to us. We need to go over the house with an inspector and if all checks out, we move. Soon.

*Blink* Blink*

Heat Wave

Ugh! It's really really hot here in Alameda. Really really hot. It's 98* at this moment. And this old house has no screens or ceiling fans. So, we are baking! I tried opening windows and doors yesterday, but the house was filled with hot stagnant air, plus there were a ton of flies on top of it all. So today we are closed up and the drapes are drawn. Annie and I have taken a cold, green tea bath already, and we didn't drain it so we can jump in and have another one. Soon. Very soon. It's Bill's birthday today, (although we're not celebrating until tomorrow) so I'm decorating, and baking. (Ak!) Bill requested Chocolate Bread Pudding. I'm also cleaning, changing sheets and and getting ready for Bill's folks who get here tomorrow afternoon for the birthday celebration.

Enough about my workload, the photo above is a little singing mermaid I made for Lily around the corner. It was her 5th birthday recently and she had a mermaid party. It was a really great party and she loved the mermaid. Or at least her folks did! Makes me want to jump and swim in a cool body of water just looking at her. Ahhhh, that tea bath is calling my name. I'm sure I'll get much more crossed off my list if my temperature is more manageable.

Spring Feelings

We are busy over here with our feet in the grass and the breeze in our hair! My lack of blogging is really a celebration of Spring, and an expression of our engagement with the world! We are feeling content, joyful and very connected to each other! The following is a sampling of what we've been up to;

Annie and I pulled our bikes out of winter-mode and have been riding all around town.

The aviary is abuzz with nesting, laying eggs and sorting out who goes with who. We are finding and offering different nesting materials for the hens.

Lots of croquet in the back yard! Goodwill find for $9.99!

Making long, drawn out breakfasts that include Annie's version of Fanny Farmers pancakes. (Add ricotta and an extra egg. Leave out the baking soda.)

A T.V free week!! (I hate T.V., Annie loves it!)

We made home-made watercolor cards for Spring with Illana. I painted mushrooms and chicks, Annie and Illana did everything under the rainbow.

We made home-made butter yesterday to surprise Pop!

Went on a windy picnic with Willow and Lazuli to Point Isabelle with Jasper.

Salamander City

Who knew that our backyard was such a wonderland! Not only does it grow a wide variety of mushrooms, it is a haven for salamanders. They are beautiful and delicate, with four tiny toes and huge dark eyes. Annie says they have"Alien Eyes." We though they were newts, but we have positively identified them as California Slender Salamanders. The Herp site is deep. Very deep. So far Annie likes to hold them, draw them and she brought them to the naturalist center at Crab Cove to get more information, and to show them to anyone who was interested. Then yesterday, we caught two more (we release anything within a few hours) and had to march down to the park to share the joy with anyone who was interested. Can I say, we've learned a lot about Salamanders over here? If you are interested, just email Annie care of me, and you two can go into further.

I asked her to release the last two yesterday afternoon and she said "OK!" Well, later when I went into the living room she was laying on the floor with her clothes off letting the two salamanders walk all over her. I asked her what she was doing and she said she wanted to make an amusement park for them. Should I worry?

Matching

Annie loves clothes that match for us. I love it too!
(I feel a little embarrassed to admit that...)
I can't imagine how long that will last, so while it does I'm happy to oblige. I've been holding on to this thin rayon knit for a while now with the idea of making some nighties for myself. HBO has been running Marie Antoinette and there is a scene in it where the Dauphine is being dressed in a wonderful nightie, and although this one is different, it did inspire me! So, I finally made one. I added a series of gathers over the front and back to obscure the outline of my body, and rayon ribbon to hide the outline of my breasts. It is very soft and silky. When I was finished Annie said "Oh it's so soft and beautiful! I want one just the same!" So I made a smaller version, without the gathers, and tried to match the ribbon pattern exactly. When she saw it the first thing she said was "You didn't make the gathers!" I actually didn't think she'd notice!

Even though it is really hard to wait, we are just holding out for warmer weather to start wearing our new nighties. I'm still choosing flannel and heavy cotton knits against the cold mornings and evenings here in Alameda.

Someone's Getting a Go Cart!

O.K. So I like to take my dollhouse fantasies all the way. So what? Who wouldn't love to get that go-cart? Or the kitchen set, or the big box of Lincoln Logs? Besides, this is the first year (after ten years of building) that I've ever had it out for the holidays!

So, I guess it's Christmas Eve already in the dollhouse and the children are asleep while the parents scurry around with last minute decorations and putting presents under the tree.

I still haven't gotten around to hiding the battery pack that lights the Christmas tree. See it there behind the Lincoln Log box? (Second photo down) And to those of you who want to see the dollhouse all lit up for Christmas, don't you worry! I'll take some pictures with the lights all-aglow before the 25th. Maybe by that time I'll have a tree skirt or a holiday box to cover the pesky Duracell's.


Would it be going to far if I left a tiny plate of (Fimo) cookies for Santa and some carrots for his reindeer?

After the Rain

Wow! It rained all day yesterday and it felt wonderful and Wintery. And then today was sparkling and bright so Annie and I took lunch and warm drinks to the beach. Ahhh! It was so bright and pretty, for about an hour, then it turned bitter cold so we had to roll up in our beach blanket and snuggle. I was hoping to get a beach picture that could be used for our holiday card, but nothing is really screaming out at me. These four are the best. Do you vote for any of them?

Yesterday the Home Schooler Craft Fair went really well! Annie almost sold out of her watercolor cards and I sold stuff too (see the little seller below.) We'll definitely do it again next year. I was pleased that the soup I made for the soup sale was one of the first to sell out! Yeah! I am feeling much gratitude for the home school mom's who work hard at organizing the many wonderful events here in the Bay Area. I'm glad to be a part of it all!

Warm Glow

I'm still basking in the warm glow of the holiday! Ahhhh... LaLa, Jordan, Rebecca and the kids drove up from Los Angeles honoring us with a visit! It was so wonderful to have a houseful in this new house! Bill and I worked hard on prep of both the house and the meal(s) and it was so worth it because each meal and all the time we spent together went so smooth and pleasurably. The kids were amazingly harmonious too and so considerate of each other, plus they played non-stop without interruption, except to fall into bed at night. I was so proud of them, and relaxed since I didn't have to mediate or worry. They played with all the toys and games in the house and enjoyed themselves thoroughly. They went native on us the first morning after finding paints on a bench outside, so I snapped a few. Each moment was so filled to the brim that these are all I took and they don't begin to portray all of the happiness, gratitude and beauty I felt then and am still feeling today.

Little Here, Little There

We had a very sweet weekend. No plans really. Just one moment to the next. Yard work, pet care, a real date, a few open houses, a little Christmas shopping and a bunch of prep for Thanksgiving. Whew! Now that I read it back, we did a lot! One thing I did was get tableware and linens out for the big dinner, and I attached a small fabric tab with each persons initials on it, to each napkin, so our guests can use the same napkin for all meals we have together over the holiday, which in our case will be four or more meals. I also found a grease pencil to mark glasses so the kids don't need a fresh one for every drink they need. Now that I'm writing that, it does seem kinda stingy or unhygienic (we'll wash them), I just know to use a new glass or new napkin for each setting is a major waste of resources, human (wash, dry, put away) and earth (water, electricity, etc.). When I think of the amount of waste around Thanksgiving, I really want to be mindful about how we care for the earth!

Lemonade!

It was a really hot day today here in Alameda, and Annie's been wanting to have a lemonade stand since we move in three months ago, so today we finally did it! Business was bustling! Annie made almost $10, so at a quarter a glass, we were busy. We used more than a dozen lemons from our tree, and Papa and I washed a lot of glasses because Annie wanted to "care about the earth" and not use any plastic or paper. It was a great way to meet people in this town. So many people saw us and had to come back for a glass!