Boreal Witch

Arthur has just noticed the moon and this attention has quickly turned into adoration. He has started looking for the moon at all hours of the day. Once he spots the moon in the window he shouts, "MOOM!" Then he laughs.

This morning he saw the moon setting behind the hills and became close to tears when I told him that the moon was leaving. Realizing my mistake, I quickly told him that the moon was going to take a nap and would be back later. He seemed to accept this explanation.

Sure enough, later this afternoon, the moon returned. Arthur and I "Moom Watched" until dinnertime.

Blessed be.

All I feel like all I've been doing this year is make quilts. Seriously. For pretty much all of 2009, I've done nothing but dig through my stash and sew, sew, sew! The last time I was in Anchorage, I even picked up one of my mom's old TV trays so now I can sew in any room I choose.

I've actually been trying really, really hard this year not to collect any new fabric until the old fabric leaves the house in the form of some sort of blanket or piece of clothing. It's been hard (especially since I've seen some really great fabrics that I would love to own someday), but since I've made so many quilts this summer, I'm down to one tub of fabric...and that's quite an accomplishment for me!

I've decided to make this entry a yearly one, complete with pictures and descriptions of the quilts I've made. Here's a review of all the quilts I've made in 2009:

Quilt 1: "Triangle Tessellation" - It started out as a kaleidoscope quilt for my mom, but after several infuriating attempts to make it work, I decided to scrap it (ha ha) and use an easier pattern, but with the triangles I had already cut (I can't waste good fabric!). I made this one for Arthur's friend, Cedar for his first birthday. It was actually finished well after his birthday. I was pretty sick of triangles when I finished, but as I reflect on it, I love the colors. They flow very well together. Cedar's mom also loves the quilt.

Quilt 2: "Strawberry Fields" - I made this one for a friend from the Boys and Girls Club. She was having a little boy and I thought the bright colors would be really fun for him. It was a bit difficult trying to fit all the colors in a pattern so that none of the same colors touched, but in the end, it worked out great. It's just a Roman square quilt, nothing fancy, and I had all of the fabric in my stash, so I didn't have to buy anything! I loved how easy this quilt was to put together and plan to put together more Roman square quilts.

Quilt 3: "Pinwheel Pizazz" - I made this quilt out of some leftover scraps from another project for some friends of my husband who were expecting their first baby. I had started it many, many months before, but never finished it. I ended up taking it apart and re-working it into the current pattern. I didn't like the way the original blocks were turning out. I had all of the fabric, so I didn't need to buy any more. If I do make this quilt again, it would look so much prettier with smaller pinwheels. The pattern gets kind of lost with the larger triangles. Still, I think it's a fun use of pinwheels.

Quilt 4: "Dots and Dashes" (from Quilt, April/May 2006) - Like most of my projects, I started this one so long ago and finally had enough time to finish it. I made this for a friend of mine who was expecting a baby (of unknown sex), so I needed a quilt that could be suitable for a little girl or a little boy. I used fabric with polka dots on it (no need to buy special stuff, I think the quilt turned out awesome without it). There were so many oohs and aahs at the baby shower over this blanket, but I was just happy I had been able to get rid of one more project!

Quilt 5: "Far East Fascination, Almost" (from Quilt, April/May 2006) - I saw this pattern in a magazine and decided to make it for a friend of mine who is expecting. At the time, I didn't know what she was having, but have since discovered she's having a boy. I'm hoping that she's fond of purple! I love the thin binding and have decided to use it in more of my future quilts. I also love the mix of the "Crossroads to California" block and the "square within a square" block. Beautiful!


Quilt 6: "Light Side vs Dark Side" - I collected Star Wars fabric for several years before piecing this quilt together. I made this lovely (I mean deadly) quilt for my son and plan to make another one for his dad as soon as I can get some of my other projects out of the way. This quilt is an original design and is similar to a crazy quilt in design. I decided to make the Light Side more prominent on Arthur's quilt and the Dark Side more visible on Robinson's. This was one of the few quilts this year that I got quilted by a local long-arm quilter. Arthur loves this quilt and plays with it constantly. I think he knows that I made it just for him. (And yes, Honey, your quilt will be made soon, I promise...really, no dirty looks! I mean it!)



Quilt 7: "Sunny Days Ahead" (from Quilt, June/July 2006) - I made this quilt for my mom, one of the only people in the family who I haven't yet made a quilt for. Mom is originally from Kansas, so I made her a sunflower quilt to remind her of home (in all the years in Alaska, I'm still not sure she considers it home). I got this quilted too, and it was my very first mitered-boarder quilt! I'm very proud of it.

Quilt 8: "Turtles Galore!" - My mother-in-law is quite fond of turtles and I've been hording some turtle hexagon blocks that I have been hording for five years, at least. She's currently battling cancer and when I found out that her condition is quite serious, I ripped apart the wall hanging and decided to make it into a lap quilt for her. My local quilter did a rush job for me, and the quilting was done in less than a week, right before I was leaving for Washington. I managed to get the binding done a couple of days after that, and it was hand-delivered soon after I got to Seattle.

Quilt 9: "Blueberry Fields" - I made this quilt for Arthur's friend Alek for his first birthday. I've been told that he has since pulled out most of the yarn I used to bind it. I love the blues and the greens - although you can't really see it, they match the blueberry fabric perfectly. I came up with the pattern myself. I wanted something really easy because I didn't have a lot of time.

I already have lots of quilting ideas for next year. My first quilt will be Robinson's Star Wars quilt because he's been grumbling about it ever since I finished Arthur's. I have a quilt in mind for my youngest sister - she's expecting again. I also have a bag of scraps just waiting to be sewn for a friend of mine. And, well, there's bound to be a few other patterns that I find in magazines or online that I instantly fall in love with.

I hope these quilts inspire you to finish your own projects!

Blessed be.

This year Christmas was pretty amazing. I felt like I was having a second childhood watching Arthur open his gifts. It's really surprising how responsive Arthur was by Christmas. He was a lot more interested in his gifts than last year and even though it will be several years before he figures out the significance of Christmas, I think he's beginning to realize that today was a special day. Robinson and I got him a play kitchen since he's so excited about cooking (both real and pretend) and he played with it the entire day.

Among his other favorite gifts were some play pasta from his Auntie Blythe, a pizza set from his friend Jade, and a wooden container set from his Grandma.

Of course, we did have an upset boy on our hands when he realized that not all of the presents under the tree were his...

My family completely outdid themselves, like usual. Of course, this year it was a little later than usual. My mom had ordered a variety of different things from Figi's (which have yet to arrive) and my sisters both promised that our gifts would be coming soon. It's been a busy year for all of us.

Johnny came over for Christmas dinner, a rather traditional meal - ham and potatoes. He stayed for the afternoon and most of the evening and before I knew it, I had promised him a quilt, too (of course, not before I finish Robinson's Star Wars quilt).

So, really, it was a great Christmas. A quiet, nice Christmas.

Blessed be.

Yule celebrates the rebirth of the sun. It is a time for reflecting on the year ahead and making what the rest of the world would call "New Year's Resolutions." It is a reminder that though there is still months of darkness, the light is returning, ever steadily.

I love the Winter Solstice. I love the smell of the sap as I carve the Yule log, I love the smoky smell of the bonfire, and most of all I love the magic in the air. It's a wonderful time to be with family. I also remember that the blessings of spring are just around the corner - even though it doesn't always seem like spring comes fast enough!

Dinner is always a special affair. I made chicken with apple-cranberry chutney, tabouli, garlic yams, and coriander rolls. For dessert there was apple pie with whipped cream. Robinson commented that the tabouli was more of a spring salad (to which I agreed), but I wanted to make something that would remind us of the upcoming spring. The apple pie was absolutely fantastic and I'm thinking about making another one very, very soon. True to form, Arthur asked for seconds...of the whipped cream.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, we also make our "Yule Resolutions" and carve them on a Yule log (better known as the bottom of our Christmas tree). As is tradition, Robinson and I ask for 2 things each. Arthur, being the newest member of the family and finally old enough to contribute a resolution, got to ask for 1 thing this year. I asked to be more environmentally aware and to make more time for being intimate with Robinson. Robinson asked to get in shape and to learn new things. Arthur asked to learn how to use the potty. I have successfully switched many of my household products to all-natural solutions and I intend to start recycling my boxes and paper products at the Rescue Mission's recycling program.

Even the weather warmed up considerably and we were able to burn the Yule log outside without getting too cold. Arthur wanted to help Robinson stoke the fire, but his boots were ill-fitting and he kept falling down. I think he'll enjoy the bonfires more when he can wander around the firepit without falling over all the time.

I hope you and your family enjoyed this blessed day.

Blessed be.

Another benefit of the holidays (although some might consider it more of an obligation and others a real pain in the ass) is the Christmas party. It's a great chance to be social and a good chance to fill up on delectables you should eat only once a year.

This weekend, I had the privilege and honor to attend three holiday parties. The first was a cookie exchange, which was the very first one I had ever gone to. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but all of the cookies were fabulous and it was so nice to hang out with the girls for a while. I even brought home enough cookies to give to Marcy and Andrew. They had promised to babysit Arthur so that Robinson and I could go out on a date to the Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living (or IAC for short) holiday party. I'm on the Board of Directors.

I knew that the Executive Director had joked about bringing her karaoke machine, but I didn't realize that she was actually planning on doing it! Most people, myself included, were pretty happy just letting the 2 or 3 people who were confident in their singing abilities to croon. Eventually, though, she insisted that other people get up and I acquiesced. I sang, "I Will Survive" (embarrassing Robinson while I was at it) and got quite the applause (maybe because everyone had gone deaf?). Okay, so I know I'm not that bad, but I really don't carry a tune very well. I let my charisma and natural showmanship get me out of that predicament. I'm not saying that I'll ever do it again, but it was a magnificent rush.

Then on Sunday, Arthur and I went to a party for his little friend Rudi. She was turning two. Her mom had a private party at Bonkers (gosh, I love that place! And to think I didn't know about it until this year!). Brandi had baked a huge cake in the shape of a "2". When someone asked her what the frosting was made out of she said, "Crisco and confectioner's sugar." I nearly gagged. I suppose I shouldn't have been so disgusted. I grew up in rural Alaska where everything is baked, fried, or mixed with Crisco. I guess it has something to do with living in civilization for so long.

It was nice to spend so much time with the people I care about. It's a wonderful feeling to see Arthur growing up around people who care about us, too.

Blessed be.

Arthur loves to cook. I suppose it's really no surprise, since both Robinson and I also love to cook. Lately, Arthur has been asking to cook and when I ask him what he wants to make, he says, "dessert" - which is really cute because he can't actually say "dessert" yet, so he signs it.

Today Arthur and I made some cookies for a cookie exchange party today and I snapped some pictures of him with the beaters. (I imagine someday there will someday be battles between Arthur and his father for the batter on those beaters.) Lately, he's been pretty anti-camera, and I think this picture more than made up for it.

I had to make six dozen cookies for the exchange. Six dozen??? I thought. That's a lot of cookies! In the end, six dozen cookies nestled neatly in a large cake pan - taking up far less space than I imagined. I even had cookies left over, which both Arthur and Robinson will be more than happy to eat.

No matter what religious beliefs you hold, December is a time for traditions. Robinson and I have worked very hard to incorporate both of our belief systems into one big holiday (think "Christmaka" from the O.C.). Thus, we have made a great effort to ensure that both Yule and Christmas are weighed equally in our house. We have a special dinner and ritual for each of them.

So even though I am a Wiccan, my family has a Christmas tree every year.

When Robinson and I told Arthur we'd be picking out a Christmas tree, I don't think he quite understood until we arrived at the fairgrounds. As we walked into the agricultural hall, Arthur stopped short, taking in the vision and smell of fir and pine. He looked so confused. What were all of those trees doing in this building anyway? We took our time looking around, trying to find the perfect tree. We found two we liked and after some discussion, we decided to go with the taller one. We figured that would work better with our Yule celebrations, since we would be cutting off a portion of the base for the Yule Log.

After dinner, we set up the tree, put on the lights, and got out all of our ornaments. Every year since we've been married, Robinson and I have each made an ornament celebrating an event that happened that year. As we take them out of the box, we tell the story behind each ornament and then hang it on the tree. Considering his age, Arthur did pretty well. He got through half the ornaments before he decided he was done. His favorite were Robinson's boat from 2006, Sly's ornament from 2003, and his hand sculpture from 2008.

Arthur was also pretty excited about the Yule Log, but I think that's only because he knows he gets to go outside and burn the log in a big bonfire!

Blessed be.

For nearly a week, we saw nary a tail feather of the Black-Capped Chickadees that come to our bird feeders. Maybe it was too cold or perhaps we just weren't looking out the window while they were eating (which is much more likely), but for whatever reason, they weren't around.

This morning, Arthur and I had quite the show. Our usual five chickadees were there and they brought some hungry, hungry friends! I counted about ten chickadees total. Arthur watched for a few minutes, then wanted down. I however, continued to watch them at the window. Chickadees are my favorite birds because they are so playful - even when they eat, they look as if they are food fighting.

I also discovered that the chickadees found Arthur's bird feeders we made at Creamer's - which probably explains why our little band of regulars brought their friends.

As I sat on the sofa watching the chickadees flit from branch to branch on the top of a tree, a sudden movement caught my eye: a raptor soared down from a neighboring tree and whizzed past the living room window. I didn't get a great look at it, but after doing some preliminary research, I'm fairly certain that I saw a juvenile Harlan's Hawk. It's still amazing to me how much wildlife I can see from my window.

Blessed be.

Arthur's been interested in his potty for a while now. When I first got it, he loved to take out the bucket and play with it. He'd put his toys in it or ask me to fill it with water. One day after he pooped in his diaper we stuck his poo-poo in his potty to show him what it was ACTUALLY for. He was not pleased and cried.

Now he's beginning to understand what exactly the potty is used for, especially after today because he PEE-PEED IN HIS POTTY!!!

He woke up from his nap and refused to let me change his diaper. I thought maybe he was still a bit groggy and needed a few more minutes to wake up. I gave him a snack and once he finished attempted to change his diaper again. He complained quite loudly and then it clicked: maybe...

"Do you want to use your potty, Arthur?"

He nodded.

We grabbed some of his book and went into the bathroom. I took off his diaper and he sat down on his potty. We read "Blueberries for Sal" and "Kitty Up" a few times. And then I heard a tinkle.

Arthur looked a bit surprised, too. When he finished peeing, he jumped off the seat and pointed at his penis. I made a big fuss to show him I was proud of him for using his potty.

Then I called Robinson (who was also thrilled and nicknamed Arthur "The Urinator"), my mom, and (at Robinson's urging), his mom.

So, we'll keep working at it. I'd love to have him potty-trained (more or less) by the time he's two...but, we'll see. All things happen in their own time, right?

Blessed be.