Boreal Witch

Like last year, I wanted to try not to buy any fabric (because I have so much already), but I wanted to continue to finish more of my projects. I found a few bargains here and there (I mean, a quilter can't go cold turkey!), but I tried really hard to make sure than anything I took in I had a project in mind for...except for many of the pieces I found at garage sales. I find garage sales are great places to get lots of yardage for very little money.

Quilt 1: "Fields of Blue" - I finished this quilt for Josh's birthday. It held the honor of being the first quilt quilted this year, although I had actually finished the quilt top mid-December of last year. I love the Roman Squares design and thought that my nephew might, too. I chose all kinds of blues leftover from another project that I never did finish, as well as some blue for the sashing that I had been saving for a special project. I love the small border (I did promise more of them on future projects, didn't I?); the fabric is exactly the same as the binding and the backing - which was great because I go to use up some more fabric. You can't really tell that the back was pieced. The quilter said that it was beautiful and I totally agree with her.

Quilt #2: "Gone Fishing" - I made this for my new niece, Ella. The entire quilt was pretty much made from fabric I had leftover from other projects, so I didn't have to get anything new. I thought the leftover purple batik from Cedar's quilt made great fish fins and the green leftover from my mother-in-law's turtle quilt complimented the purple well. The blue polka dots reminded me of bubbles. And the border? Love it! Funny story about it, though: when I cut the blocks out, I had made the green blocks too big, so I had to go back and re-cut them. Luckily, they were too big and needed to be smaller, but I was left with these 1" strips that I wasn't sure what I was going to do with. Eventually, I paired them with the dark blue polka dots, which really makes the quilt pop.

Quilt #3: "Star Wars II" - Robinson finally got his Star Wars quilt! I had most of this one cut out and partially sewn, but it ended up sitting for quite a while. The pattern is exactly the same as Arthur's, but the arrangement of the fabric is different. I still have a lot of fabric left over, which turned out to be a good thing as Baby X will probably someday want a Star Wars quilt, too. (Hey, people, these are heirloom quality!) I designed the quilts so that Robinson would have more Dark Side than Light Side and the opposite for Arthur. I think little boys love playing the good guy and their daddies love being the outrageous bag guy.

Quilt #4: "Strawberry Patch" - I found this nine-patch in a quilt book and wanted to make it for Amanda who was having another baby. She opted not to find out the sex this time around, so I tried to make the colors neutral, but bright (she loves bright colors). I had made another strawberry quilt and had plenty of leftover fabric, so I figured a nine-patch would sew up pretty quickly (it did - I finished it in July) since I wanted to sew other blocks beside Roman squares, but I didn't quilt it until December (that seemed to be the trend this year). This was the first quilt I quilted in a pattern other than squares and straight lines. My little machine and I tried our luck at the clamshell pattern...and even though it took a bit of maneuvering, it turned out pretty nice. Amanda said that she thought I had gotten it done professionally.

Quilt #5: "Building Blocks" (quiltville.com) - This quilt was a baby quilt for another member of the board I serve on. She was having a little boy, so I thought I'd put all the blue scraps I'd been saving to good use. I started this quilt with a different pattern, but as I started piecing and sewing it together, I decided that I didn't like it. The blue scraps weren't bright enough a contrast with the brown and the yellow scraps I had matched with it. I pulled everything apart and left the blocks sitting in a ziplock baggie for a month or so until I found a pattern that I liked better. It sewed up rather quickly (I love quick and easy patterns - I always feel like I get something accomplished!) and the end result was rather lovely. I was much more pleased with it. Sometimes the most simple patterns are the most beautiful!

Quilt #6: "Chunky Churndashes" (quiltville.com) - My final quilt was made for one of the moms in our playgroup who had gotten married in January. I had actually finished the quilt in September, but didn't get it quilted until November. It's my biggest quilt to date - a queen-sized quilt that measured about 80" x 80". It took me forever to piece and sew it, but the end result was absolutely stunning! Seneca said that the quilt looked "like fireworks!"

I have a few other quilts in the works for next year, one of which is another large one that I must finish by March. If I don't, I'm afraid it will sit around while I fall into another new mommy coma. I also have a quilt I'm working on for myself (another large one - why, oh why am I doing this to myself?) and another Star Wars quilt for Baby X.

My goal is to make at least 4 quilts next year...so I guess I'd better get started.

Blessed be.

Ah, Christmas.

As I've gotten older, I've found less of a need for all the holiday fuss. This year, I didn't even send out holiday cards, mostly because I just didn't care. I didn't really want to spend the time writing cards and stuffing envelopes and then standing in line for a half hour at the post office waiting for stamps. It's not that I don't feel the need to be generous during the holidays. I love making things for people and I love finding things I think people will enjoy.

But, like most people, I have too much stuff and I spend too much time getting rid of it. I'd much rather get something I could use or need than get something I couldn't (or wouldn't) use. Because of this, my sisters (as well as Robinson) claim I'm one of the hardest people to shop for.

Marketplace had a very interesting story on unwanted gifts. Proof that I'm not the only one who doesn't care for random stuff.

This year, we received mostly gift cards, which was nice. It's great being able to pick out my own stuff to clutter my house with. At least then I don't feel guilty about opening a gift and then putting it in the Value Village sack along with all of the other unwanted items I've discovered during my weekly purges. Arthur only got a few toys, which was great because his toy box is bursting.

So...how was our Christmas?

It was nice. It was quiet. We didn't go anywhere, and we didn't have visitors. We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then opened presents (of which very few made it into the Value Village bag). Arthur played with his new car carrier. We worked on our bathroom remodel. Robinson made dinner later that night. A lovely, quiet day.

Blessed be.

Robinson and I stayed up late to see the lunar eclipse. This is the first lunar eclipse on the winter solstice in about 300 years and the next one won't be for another 372 years.

We joked about what people in 1638 thought about the eclipse, whether or not they were terrified (as is the stereotype) or if they were fascinated (as I'm more inclined to believe). Some cultures knew a lot more than the Western world did about the heavens.

Robinson was quite the shutterbug. He created this montage, picking among the hundreds of photographs that he took.

Blessed be.

Of all the Wiccan holidays, I like Yule the best. Maybe it's because it's become an established tradition in our household, or maybe it's because it's such a non-commercial holiday (compared to Christmas where you have to get everybody something otherwise you're a Grinch). Whatever it is, I love the simplicity and symbolism of it.

It's almost as though you can feel the warmth of the sun the next day. Those precious few seconds quickly extend to a minute, and then two and three. Somehow the winter doesn't seem to be as dark or as long. Your mood feels lighter and your body feels as though it might make it through another winter. Spring is on its way.

Thankfully, the weather wasn't too cold to make a fire, so we were able to burn the Yule log outside. Arthur insisted upon carrying it to the fire pit and throwing it into the fire. He also wanted his fire poker so that he could help me keep the fire going. His hands got cold quickly and he was ready to go in way before the Yule log burned completely. He commented that it was "quite a little bit chilly" outside; which it was, even for an adult.

After warming up inside, we had some apple crisp. Here's the recipe:

On the Menu: Apple Pecan Crisp
Makes 12 servings

Topping
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted (if desired)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt

Filling:
3 lbs. apples, your choice, chopped or sliced
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all filling ingredients together. Mix well, then pour into a 13x9 inch pan. To prepare topping, mix together all topping ingredients and then sprinkle over filling mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes. Uncover, then bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until topping is crisp and juices are thick and bubbly.

A happy and blessed Winter Solstice to everyone.

Blessed be.

Every year since we've been married, Robinson and I pick out one significant event that happened over the course of the year and make a Christmas tree ornament to commemorate it. Our first year of marriage, our tree was completely bare except for two small ornaments. Now our tree is covered with fun memories of years past.

This year, I chose to remember my grandmother, but I wasn't sure how I was going to do it. I thought about getting a nice frame and choosing a favorite picture, but then I took apart one of the Hallmark ornaments my mom got me last year and used that. My grandmother loved to garden and loved her birds (particularly the cardinals). I glued a picture of her at Camp Byron (her favorite place to be) in the back. It's one of the nicest ornaments I've ever made, in all honesty.

What's your most significant event of the past year?

Blessed be.

Ever since Robinson and I moved to Fairbanks, we've bought our Christmas trees at the Kiwanis Christmas Tree Sale. It's become another one of our (many) holiday traditions.

This year, we received a very special surprise when we went to get our tree: Santa and a reindeer named Cocoa!

Arthur was pretty scared of the reindeer at first. He didn't want to go near it and he didn't want to touch it, despite the urgings of one of the volunteers. The longer we stayed looking at trees, however, the more he warmed to Cocoa. He even let Santa hold him and held onto the reindeer's rope. Afterward, he touched Cocoa and said that she was soft like our kitty at home. He was so taken with her that when we got home and started setting up the tree, Cocoa was all he talked about.

We spent the rest of the evening decorating the tree and telling the stories behind past ornaments. Arthur even "helped" Robinson set up the tree stand and cut the Yule log off the tree. He was so careful with all of the ornaments, except for the little clay hand we made for his 2008 ornament. He kept dropping it and I was so afraid one of the fingers would break. Even though he doesn't sit through us talking about each and every ornament as we take them out of their wrappings, he does love helping us put them on the tree.

Robinson and Arthur are still behind on a few ornaments. I'm hoping that by the time the new year rolls in, we'll be all caught up and ready for next year. (We'll need the preparedness since there will be another little one to make an ornament for!) This year, I'm planning on making an ornament about my grandmother, but I'm not sure how to do it. I don't know if I'll just get a little picture frame or if I'll actually make something. Regardless, I want it to be special.

Blessed be.

With the funeral over, my family spent some fun time together (although Robinson would question the ability to have fun in Wisconsin). We visited some of our childhood haunts, some fondly remembered and others not as much. We even wandered around the farm and explored my grandparent's farmhouse.

A favorite place was Widmer's Cheese Factory in Theresa, Wisconsin. We'd always go with either my grandmother or grandfather and get a five pound block of brick cheese. When I was a kid, I remember thinking how lovely it smelled in there. It was absolute heaven. Once we got older and moved away from home, my grandmother would mail my sisters and I each five pound blocks of brick cheese as Christmas presents (I suppose brick cheese is one thing about Wisconsin that Robinson can't complain about!). It was always a very welcome addition during the holidays.

Gilly's in Fond du Lac was another family tradition. My grandparents would take us there throughout the summer. I remember only getting sundaes - we never in any of my memories ever got any of their hamburgers or fries. When my sisters, my nephew, and I went Blythe confessed that she couldn't remember this place. It made me realize that each of us had our own memories about our childhood and our grandparents. Still, it was fun to be able to share these traditions with Josh and eventually, the other kids.

As a kid, there were certain places we were never allowed to go in my grandparent's farmhouse. My grandmother was quite vocal in her opposition to us ever going in the barn, the attic, and the basement. In fact, when I went back in 2007 and asked to see the inside of the barn, my grandmother flat out told me, "No." Looking back, my grandmother probably didn't want us to get hurt because they did (and still do) have a lot of stuff and she was always a little high-strung about our safety.

Now that we were all adults, my sisters and I were able to go into all those forbidden places that we couldn't as children. I went up to the attic, but wasn't able to poke around. I never did get to go into the barn. I did get to explore the super-creepy Blair Witch Project basement. The downstairs room that housed the propane tank looked like part of the set to a horror movie, complete with cobwebs, a large rusty tank, and single chair in the room. My nephew, Josh, loves to be scared, but when I told him about this room, he absolutely refused to go down with Blythe and me. When we finally did get him down there, he did not want to go into the room with the tank and did not want to sit in the creepy chair. Blythe, however, loved the novelty of it all (and even sat in the chair). Later, Josh did help my dad and me put more wood in the wood furnace even though he didn't really want to be there.

At the end of our "vacation," we all agreed that we wanted to start coming back to the farm and stay for part of the summers again. Maybe even travel south to visit my mom's family in Kansas. Fun in Wisconsin, we decided, was not going to end anytime soon.

Blessed be.

My Grandfather died 10 years ago. I was a complete emotional wreck for most of the funeral. I felt very guilty for not having kept in better touch with any of my grandparents and most of all Grandpa because he was the only Grandpa I ever knew (my mom's dad died when I was 2 weeks old). Needless to say, I tried very, very hard to keep it all in, so whenever anyone tried to talk to me about Grandpa (even to offer condolences), I was so afraid I would burst out crying.

In a way, this turned out to be a very good experience for me because a year or two after my Grandfather's death, I started calling my Grandmother regularly - usually once a week, sometimes once every two weeks.

At first, we didn't have much to say and my Grandmother always seemed so surprised whenever I called. She'd politely ask me questions, which I'd answer and I'd politely ask her questions which I didn't feel too embarrassed to ask. As the years went on, though, we'd become a lot closer and we'd keep up with each others' activities. She knew I quilted and, once we bought our house, I had started a garden. I knew that she was constantly working on embroidery projects and that if I caught her at the right time, she'd tell me family stories. We always told each other what we had done that week, especially in the summer when we both had gardens. When I told her that a moose had gotten into this year's garden and had eaten all of our cabbage and kohlrabi starts, she was mortified (in fact, I think she was more upset about the situation than I was).

When she passed this August, I was so upset, but I felt more at peace over her death than I did my Grandfather's. I felt as though I had actually known my Grandmother and I didn't feel any of the guilt I had when my Grandfather passed. I actually felt a little lost toward the end of the week because I didn't have anyone to call anymore.

The funeral, though, was amazing. I was so thankful that I was able to attend. I was even able to say more than than I did at my Grandfather's funeral; I told a whole story. Grandma was one of those people who, when they got an idea in their head, would follow it through to the very end, no matter what. She and I went to Nancy's Notions in Beaver Dan during the winter of 2007 and bought some crafting supplies there. Grandma bought a yo-yo maker and I promised her I'd teach her how to use it. She enjoyed making them so much that I told her that if she made me some yo-yo's, I jokingly told her that I'd make her something. When I went to Wisconsin for the funeral, Gloria told me that there was a box of "puffy fabric things" and that Grandma had told her that they were for me. I was completely clueless until she got them out and showed them to me. I laughed and then almost cried because the box was full of yo-yos.

I had several people tell me that they enjoyed the story. I'm considering making a quilt or wall hanging out of them. I used a few to decorate a hat I made before the funeral.

I heard many wonderful (and surprising!) stories about Grandma while I was there. It was nice to see the number of people that had come and the amount of coleslaw and carrot cake that was eaten.

I still don't always remember that Grandma's gone. Sometimes I think I need to call her or send her a card. Sometimes I think about the farm and all of the delightful things my sisters and I did while we were there. Now that my Grandmother's gone, I'm thinking about bringing Arthur and Baby X down to Wisconsin for part of the summers to play on the farm like my sisters and I did. I think they'd enjoy themselves.

"Life is fragile," Dad said constantly while I was there for the funeral. He's right. It certainly can be. We don't know when, how, or where, but there is one certainty: life. It's fragile, so cherish it.

Blessed be.

This was the first year that Arthur could actually decide what kind of face he wanted on his pumpkin, and sadly, I wasn't able to watch Arthur help with the pumpkin carving. (I was on my way to Wisconsin for my Grandmother's funeral.)

Robinson told me that Arthur wanted his pumpkin to have two eyes, a nose, and a smile. They kind of look alike, don't they?

It's kind of a mixed blessing not to be canning pumpkin this year. I like the fact I don't have to peel, chop, cook, and can a large pumpkin, but on the other hand, I love fresh pumpkin. I suppose that's what we get for traveling at the end of October.

Blessed be.

One of the stops while in Seattle was a pumpkin patch. Arthur was going to pick the pumpkin out all by himself and then he, Robinson, and Oldpa were going to carve it into a jack o' lantern.

Unfortunately, most of the roads into the pumpkin patch were not paved, let alone smooth gravel, so Oldma had to stay behind while we looked around for a pumpkin. Arthur wanted to take the first pumpkin he saw (which ended up being a tad rotten), so we had to steer him around a bit (with him choosing a couple of others) before we found one that would be perfect. We took it back to Oldma and got her approval.

Someone at the patch was selling roasted sweet corn, which Arthur saw when we entered the patch and begged for. We bought two ears, one being the biggest ear that we had ever seen. Even the corn seller commented that it was the largest ear he had sold this fall. Arthur devoured most of his and Robinson's ear of corn, then had some from mine and Oldma's. I don't think he was quite satisfied, because he looked as though he could have a whole other ear by himself.

It was a great trip to the pumpkin patch! Even the weather cooperated, which is quite a feat during Washington autumns!

Blessed be.

My grandmother passed in August and my aunt and father decided to have the funeral in early November. My grandmother had decided to be cremated, so there wasn't any concern over storing a body, so we had the luxury of time. Since I had a lengthy stop over in Seattle, we decided to make it a family trip and Arthur and Robinson joined me in Seattle to visit Arthur's Oldma and Oldpa, Great-Grandma Trask and Great-Aunt Kathleen, as well as my Aunt Gloria.

There are days when I really miss being in the Lower 48, especially Washington. I love the trees and the availability of certain foods and stores. Of course, there are things I don't enjoy as much such as the traffic or city driving (even in Anchorage, Alaska has no real "city driving" to speak of). Still, every time I go, I experience a mixture of nostalgia and homesickness. It's nice to be there, but it's also nice to be home.

The Washington family did their jobs well: Arthur was completely spoiled by them. Great-Grandma Trask and Great-Aunt Kathleen gave him some Matchbox cars and monster trucks. Aunt Gloria gave him some blocks. Oldma and Oldpa gave him a big blue remote controlled train and lots of books. Most importantly, everyone gave him lots of attention. Especially Oldma.

Oldma, despite her condition, accompanied us on almost all of our outings. We were a little afraid of tiring her out (and some nights she looked completely exhausted), but she was pretty firm. Every morning she would ask us, "What are we doing today?" She came to The Bouncy Place, the Children's Museum of Tacoma, the pumpkin patch, and to the park. She read books and watched movies with Arthur. She talked to him and watched him play. I'm sure it was difficult for her not to be able to get down on the floor and drive cars around with him, but I think she was pretty grateful that he was able to come and visit.

Blessed be.

Arthur loves trains. Everything about them. He could probably name at least 10 different parts (without help) and another 10 (with help). When I found out the Spooky Train was going to be running in October to celebrate Halloween, that got Arthur pretty excited.

We met up with his friends, got some tickets, and then waited in line. And waited. And waited. We stood in line for at least an hour. Apparently, the railroad volunteers had decided to use the 100-year-old train instead of the newer one...which is fine, except for the fact that the older train is. as. slow. as. molasses. When the train was leaking so much water that it couldn't make it around the track without refueling, the volunteers got out the newer train, a move they probably should have done to begin with, considering the length of the line, the impatience gauge of the average parent, and the average attention span of a child.

At the end of the ride, everyone got cookies and cider or hot chocolate, which was a nice treat. All in all, the kids had fun. I'd like to do it again next year, since Arthur had so much fun (while actually on the train), but if they don't have the newer train out to begin with, I don't think I'd be willing to stand in another line. The 100-year-old train is pretty cool, but it's just not able to handle a ride which should only take 7 minutes.

I hope any door-to-door trick or treating lines will be short!

Blessed be.

It's been snowing off and on, but the snow really hasn't stuck. For the past two days, though, the snow has started to stick. Things have turned from brown to white and it's been pretty lovely here

After a massive battle of wills (during which Arthur and I fought over putting on his boots and big winter coat), we went out and enjoyed the first real snowfall.

I think Arthur was a little confused by all the snow at first. He ate some and then he drove his green truck around the driveway. He grabbed his pail and tried to dump snow out of his pail, but it was too sticky (not like the sand he played with this summer) so he abandoned it. He went to the porch and tried to play with his sandbox, but the sand was frozen at the bottom. Then we went in.

We made some hot chocolate and had some treats to celebrate. Hope the beginning of your winter is full of mugs of hot chocolate!

Blessed be.

Perhaps I shouldn't be admitting this, but I used to be a very good Wiccan. When I first converted, I practiced all of the holidays, Sabbats, and Esbats. I religiously watched the phases of the moon and star-gazed on the roof of my parent's house. I collected herbs and plants along the Coastal Trail and not only knew the names of every single one of them, but also what magickal properties they contained. I conducted rituals and rites - for myself only (after one mishap I never could perform another rite for anyone else). I had not one but two Tarot decks and I made my own runes from rocks I collected on the beach. I even meditated on a regular basis.

Sometimes I wonder if that gung-ho Wiccan is gone for good...but then I remember that maybe it's more important I have found a religious philosophy I agree with than just blindly following. I've always thought that people who just go to church because they feel they have to are no better off than people who don't go. I'm comfortable in this Wiccan shell.

Because of that, I have decided that I'm going to start meditating again. I always complain that I never have time to myself and that I can never just BE. I always have to be doing something. Maybe it's because I have another kid on the way or maybe it's because I feel as though I want to know myself better as a spiritual being, but I feel as if I am drawn to meditating again because it is the one part of being Wiccan that I really miss. I miss the way it made me feel and I miss the way that it seemed to comfort me when I was troubled. Everything else is just a tool - Tarot, runes - but meditation really seemed to help me cope with all of my teenage angst.

The other day, I felt blocked. Something inside me needed to come out. I did some meditation while Robinson was putting Arthur to bed and after about 3 minutes I couldn't contain my tears. I just started sobbing. Obviously, I was still grieving over my grandmother's death even though I haven't openly cried in several months. It certainly made me re-evaluate how I was grieving.

For now, I'm going to try and meditate twice a day for no specific length of time. I want to get in the habit of doing it before I fully commit to any length of time. Eventually, my goal is to meditate for an hour a day, broken up into two half-hour chunks. I'm hoping that in doing this I will be better able to look inward and become an even more spiritual person.

Blessed be.

Arthur had a long day. It involved lots of driving and no nap (his choice, not mine). We picked up Robinson from work and Arthur fell asleep in the car. When we got home, Robinson took him upstairs where he promptly woke up. Robinson put him on the floor where he crawled a few steps and then passed out.

Sadly, this will in no way shape or form convince Arthur to take naps any more than I can convince the cat to leave me alone while I'm cooking dinner.

Blessed be.

Nana visited us this weekend. We had a lot of fun with her, especially Arthur. He loved having someone completely devoted to him and I think Nana was happy to oblige. They played trains and danced and had a blast.

We also told Nana that Arthur was going to be a big brother in March. I think the way that we had done it was pretty creative (I'm all about telling people big news in unusual ways). We were on our way to a friend's house and I asked Nana to read "Digger Man" to Arthur on the way. The book is about an older brother who wants to teach his younger brother about diggers. On the very last page, the older brother and the younger brother are sitting in bed together and reading a book about diggers, so I put two stickie notes on the page, one above the older brother that read, "Arthur" and the other above the younger brother that said, "Arthur's younger sibling, due Mar 2011." It took Nana a moment to figure it out, but she got really excited.

Arthur was pretty sad to see Nana go, especially when he's stuck with Mommy and Daddy who don't always get on his level and just play, play, play with him. Nana said that she'd probably come back around Christmas. Arthur will be thrilled.

Blessed be.

Robinson's been working on a project for a while. It all started earlier this summer when he and Arthur were throwing balls against the garage and trying to catch them as they fell down. Robinson had decided that he was going to make a basketball hoop.

I was a bit skeptical because he wanted to hang it from the top of the garage - a place where Arthur would not be able to reach and probably wouldn't until he was about 10.

Little did I know, Robinson was planning on making his hoop and purchasing one of the office hoops and putting it on the rungs of the ladder. It worked perfectly! Arthur loves his basketball hoop and the weather has been pretty nice lately - great for father-son bonding time.

Blessed be.

Last year, I didn't do anything with the arugula I planted. It just took up space in the garden. This year, I was determined to make something - anything - out of it.

I did some research and discovered that people actually make pesto out of arugula (which isn't very surprising since I've made pesto out of basil and spinach before), so I decided to give it a shot.

I found a Martha Stewart recipe and modified it. The resulting pesto was pretty yummy. Even Arthur enjoyed it.

Arugula Pesto
Makes about 1 cup pesto; about 2-4 servings
2 cups arugula, packed
1/4 cup walnut oil + 1/4 cup olive oil (or 1/2 cup olive oil)
2 tbs. walnuts
1/4 Parmesan cheese, or more to taste
1/2 tsp. sea salt, or more to taste

Place all ingredients in blender, blend until smooth.

Blessed be.

Every year when the leaves begin to turn yellow our family goes on a fall drive. It's a bittersweet activity because we love seeing all of the leaves change color in the hills but it's a reminder that winter is coming (whether we like it or not).

Last year we drove and stopped at another overlook. After we got out and stretched our legs for a bit, we tried to get back in the car and Arthur didn't want to. Then we spent about 10 minutes trying to wrestle him in the car.

This year we went a different route and ended up at a scenic overlook at Washington Creek. Arthur loved it. He enjoyed touching the water (brrr - was it cold!) and throwing large rocks into the creek. He wanted to go back and forth from the creek to the waterfall. He wanted to go up and down the hill leading from the gravel pad to the creek. It makes me happy to know that he's really taking an interest in the natural world and that he will eventually learn how to take care of it as well.

He loves watching the snowshoe hares, voles, and chickadees in our yard. He loves playing outside. It's always a challenge to convince him to come in. Still, who knows? I anticipate that this boy will love and respect the outdoors, but for all I know he could become the CEO of BP or some logging company that doesn't practice environmental sustainability. I hope not. Still, anything is possible.

Blessed be.

When Robinson told me that he'd be taking Arthur with him to Valdez, I was so excited. I thought for sure I'd be able to have a nice, quiet weekend to finish cutting all my fabric scraps and maybe even get some quilting done. I have a baby quilt that has just been sitting here since May or June (I honestly can't remember), waiting to be quilted.

Then Arthur didn't go. So he and I have spent Labor Day weekend together. Being a stay-at-home mom I spend everyday with him, so a few more wouldn't really make a difference, but I will readily admit that I had many moments when I wished that I was alone. Well, just me and my sewing machine. I fantasized about taking numerous naps, eating candy without having to hide it, and maybe even getting some take-out.

Still, I did take several naps, ate candy after Arthur went to bed, and went out with a friend for Chinese, so I suppose I really did accomplish all of those things I set out to do if I was alone anyway. I even canned 11 jars of rhubarb-strawberry preserves. Perhaps now that Arthur's in bed I'll be able to work a bit more on cutting all of my fabric scraps. It's quite the job. I'm about half-way through and sometimes I feel as though I'll never finish. But I will!

Hope you had a productive (or relaxing) Labor Day weekend.

Blessed be.

I find that we go through some days thinking "What if?" It reminds me of the movie, Sliding Doors. The basic premise of the movie is "what if" the main character caught the train. How would her life be different?

I know I've asked that before in thousands of situations. What if I did this instead of that, what if I talked to this person, what if I didn't take that job, etc. Chalk everything up to a learning experience, I suppose, but it seems that certain things deserve more of a "what if" contemplation than others.

Take today's playdate, for instance. Arthur, Jade, and I were down by Bellaine Lake, throwing rocks in the water. We had just finished our walk and Arthur and I were going to get ready to go and pick up Robinson. Suddenly, Jade ran into the water.

Bellaine Lake is pretty shallow - for the first foot. After that there is a very steep drop off that you can't see because the water is so murky. Jade went running into the water, lost her footing at the drop-off and fell face first into the water. I didn't even stop to think, but ran into the water and pulled her out. She didn't even have time to swallow any of the lake water, so she was absolutely fine, just a little frightened.

As I was driving to pick up Robinson, I thought about the "what ifs." There's really no telling what might have happened had none of us been down there.

The most amazing part was that when we got to Robinson's office, Arthur told me quite clearly that we had to "tell Daddy about Jade in the water." And Arthur did, right down to me going back in the water to pull out her shoe. He even answered Robinson's questions.

Sure makes a person consider swimming lessons.

Blessed be.

My grandmother suffered a stroke the other day and has been in the hospital. She has fairly good brain activity but her brain stem has been significantly damaged, so if she were able to pull out of it, she would not have the lifestyle she did before the stroke. She probably would not be able to speak, eat, or move on her own. It seems that my aunt and my father will be making the decision to stop her ventilator when my father arrives in Wisconsin Sunday night or early Monday morning.

I keep reminding myself that Death is a natural part of Life. The two go hand in hand. Without Life, there could be no Death and without Death we wouldn't Live. Wiccans cherish Life, but we also see the importance of Death. It doesn't mean we have to like the fact that loved ones perish, but it does mean we need to understand we should be aware of our own mortality.

There are so many wonderful memories that I have of my grandmother. I tried so hard to keep in touch with her. I actually called her a few days ago and we talked (as we usually do) about nothing in particular. I visited when I could, but I wasn't able to go as often as I liked. I am thankful that I was able to see her last October when she came to Seattle, as well as in 2007 when I went to Chicago.

My sisters and I spent so many glorious summers at her farm. I remember her chasing us out of the house when we wanted to watch TV. We accompanied her to flea markets and nagged her for money so that we could by Made-in-China plastic trinkets. I loved trekking through the corn fields and trying to sneak into the barn (I always wanted to go in there, but was never able to find a way in). My sisters and I made mud pies and picked weeds in her large garden - which seemed so magical as a kid, especially since I lived in a place that didn't support large gardens - and, if we were really good, got to eat a fresh-picked tomato off the vine.

I don't know how my grandparents (on either side of the family, really) managed to take care of us for months at a time during the summers. Sometimes my sisters and I could be really naughty. But they did, every summer, for a very long time.

The thing I remember about Grandma the most is when I went to visit her in 2007. I sat across the table from her and she just stared at me with tears in her eyes. I could see her looking at me, but also at herself. Out of all of her grandchildren, I alone was blessed with her thick, wavy auburn hair. Out of my sisters, I look the most like my grandmother.

The thing to understand about Life is that the dead are not ever gone. They Live through you.

Blessed be.

Last night before Robinson and I went to bed, he related a very sweet story to me. Arthur was helping Robinson mow the lawn, but then saw the raspberries and ran off to go eat some. Robinson went over and heard Arthur saying, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," as he plucked berry after berry off of the bush.

Robinson asked Arthur who he was thanking and Arthur said, "The raspberries."

Thanks for the berries!

Blessed be.

Sometime last week, I found a small frog in the yard. I showed it to Arthur. He looked at it pretty intently but decided he didn't want to touch it.

Just today, I found another frog under our rhubarb. It was as small as the other one, and may have been the same one. I brought it back to Arthur. He didn't seem all that impressed. I asked him if he wanted to put it in his new bug house that we had built that morning and he said that he did.

It took some quick maneuvering trying to get the frog into the bug house, but in the end, I managed to get him in. Once the frog was in the bug house, Arthur became a bit braver. He held the house and even carried it back to the rhubarb when he was ready to let it go.

He opened the door. The frog hopped furiously to the opening. He leaped through the door and bounced off toward a large rock. Arthur watched him go, laughing with wonder.

Later, I looked up the type of frog: it's called a wood frog. It's only one of two species of frog that lives in Alaska. I certainly didn't know that we even had frogs in Alaska up until a few years ago when Robinson nearly ran one over with the lawn mower. Ever since then, we see them every now and then. They must love our place because we have a big pond in the front yard and everything is always so wet.

It makes me happy to know that Arthur loves being outside and that he loves nature. He gets so excited interacting with the outdoors. I can't wait until he's old enough to really enjoy nature. I hope your family takes advantage of the rest of the summer.

Blessed be.

I've been wanting to use my bike more, but it's difficult because I don't have a way to transport Arthur. I've been trying to decide whether or not I wanted a seat that sits behind mine or if I wanted a trailer to pull behind the bike. I finally decided a trailer because I don't always feel like I'm completely stable on my bike.

I found a bike trailer on Craigslist two weeks ago and bought it. It's not in the best of conditions, but I think it will last for the next few years. It has quite a bit of storage space and it's pretty roomy inside, too.

We had to find a helmet small enough for Arthur and he was not pleased. He did not like wearing the helmet. Contrary to what all parenting books say, Robinson bribed him with a bike horn and told Arthur that he could only use it while he was in the bike trailer. That seemed to convince him that the helmet might be worth wearing after all.

A few days later we went to Pioneer Park by bike. I wanted to see how long it would take me to get there. It took me about a half hour to get to town and another half hour to get to the park. Arthur enjoyed the ride so much that he fell asleep on the way to the park and then again on the way to Robinson's office.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to take the bike out once a week, especially now that Arthur knows what to expect. It's great being able to have a little more freedom and be able to get into town if we really want to.

Blessed be.

Last night as Robinson and I snuggled into bed, he told me that he hoped Arthur would sleep in tomorrow. This boy rarely sleeps in, so I told him that it would be highly unlikely; however, I was pretty certain that I could convince Arthur to let Robinson sleep...by telling him that we were going to pick strawberries.

Sure enough, the next morning, Arthur woke up around 6:30. When I told him that we were going out to pick strawberries, he got excited and didn't put up a fuss when I got his socks and shoes on. We went up the hill, found a nice clump of berries and began picking.

I think he thought that berry picking was going to be easier than it actually was because he kept asking me to help him. I think he had trouble holding his bowl and grabbing onto one of the berry plants at the same time.

It was a good thing we went picking when we did...a few of the strawberries were starting to get mushy. Even though, we were able to pick a fair amount. We'll be using them in a rhubarb and strawberry topping that we'll enjoy tomorrow along with some shortcake and ice cream. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

I hope you are enjoying the berry season - looks like it might be a good one this year!

Blessed be.

Aunt Joyce is coming to visit in about a month and a half and I am not ready. Well, I'm ready, but the house and yard are not. I'd like to have the place looking somewhat presentable when she comes. Joyce expressed an interest in helping me with yard work, but honestly, I'm a little afraid she'll walk into a patch of weeds and never come out.

Seriously, though, there's nothing like family to get you moving on all those projects you think you don't have time for.

Like, for instance, I've been thinking about building a bird feeder forever. This has been a project about two years in the making. I was tired of hanging milk jugs and mesh bags in my trees (don't get me wrong, I support recycling, but it looks like garbage hanging from the trees), so I decided that I would build an actual bird feeder.

We have tons of scrap wood that the previous owners left behind as well as exterior paint and shingles left over from the mudroom roofing project from last summer, so I figured I wouldn't have a problem with the supply end of the bird feeder. I came up with the design in my head and started to build.

The above picture is the end result. I think it looks great! It's pretty sturdy and looks so much better than the stuff hung in the trees.

This is the first big summertime project that I've finished. I've also got some tire planters I'm working on. Then there's getting gravel for the driveway and weeding. And the firepit. That's the really big project that will hopefully get done before the fall.

Most of all, I'm just happy to be out in the sunshine.