Boreal Witch

I fell in love with my Ergo baby carrier when Arthur was about one. We went everywhere with it. We walked the upstairs track at the Dipper, hiked the UAF trails, and explored the McGrath bike trail with it.

Arthur gladly accompanied me until he was about three. Then, as he became more and more independent, the less content he was to go for a ride. He wanted to run ahead of me, to prove that he was no longer a baby.

I bought the Ergo second-hand on ebay for $80. It was one of the only baby things that survived the "Great Purge of Unnecessary Baby Gear" in 2009. (The Kelty and the Boppy didn't make the cut.)

I couldn't wait until Balin was about five months old, holding his head up proudly and ready to see the world from my back.

As he nears the age of three, however, his desire to see the world is overshadowing my desire to keep him confined to the backpack.

We've taken to walking the track at the Beloit YMCA three mornings a week. The other patrons think he is adorable. They joke that I must have a strong back or that he's got the right idea. Most days, Balin is content to walk a lap or two before he insists it is time to go to the play area. On rare occasions, I might be able to convince him to stay for another two or three laps.

I've heard mothers say that they wish that their little ones would stay little forever. That they love the baby years, the cuddles, and the sweet kisses that they give so generously when they are young.

I don't miss any of those things. Maybe I will someday.

But I do miss carrying my boys on my back.

I miss hefting them up with an expert hand, the warmth of their little body pressed against mine, and the feel of their tiny fingers grasping my hair or the Ergo straps. I miss the stories they tell me and the songs they would sing with their tiny voices and broken sentences. I miss pointing out animals we'd spot on the trails or the noisy construction trucks that so captivated them.

On the long (and sometimes depressing) journey of motherhood, the Ergo was a truest friend. She is nothing more than worn scraps of fabric, but she maintained my sanity and reminded me that things would not always so difficult: One day your boys will sleep through the night, they will be able to read on their own, and they will be able to ride their bikes. 

One day they will not need me.

But I still need you, Ergo. Even if my boys don't.

Blessed be.

Breakfast.

Brings up a whole slew of images, doesn't it?

While I prefer bacon (or sausage), scrambled eggs, and hash browns with a hot cup of tea on the side for my morning meal, I can't justify eating that hearty breakfast every single day. (As much as I might like to.)

I don't consume as many breads and carbs as I used to and often I am too busy to bake anything for a week-day breakfast anyway. I'm not a fan of oatmeal and since I've pretty much stopped drinking milk, I don't tend to have cold cereal.

Ugh.

Some mornings I just have a cheese stick wrapped in deli meat. No joke.

But I'm always up for a bit of an experiment and I thought I could somehow incorporate more Greek yogurt (which I love) into my diet.

Enter the smoothie. I have these at least twice a week now. Sometimes there's enough to make popsicles for the boys.

On the Menu: Fruit Smoothies
Makes 2-3 medium servings or 4 small servings

1/2 cup fruit juice*
1 cup Greek yogurt (I like Fage)
2 bananas
2 cups frozen fruit**
1 tbs ground flax seed (opt)

Combine ingredients in blender and blend to desired consistency.

* (100% fruit with no added sugars - I've used grape, orange, pomegranate, pineapple and they all make delicious smoothies!)

** You can use fresh fruit as well, but if you do throw in a few ice cubes.

Blessed be.

I apologize, dear readers. I'm becoming a horrible blogger.

You see, I didn't mean to. It just sort of happened.

I have the usual excuses, as well as a few new ones: the move...learning to live in a new space...meeting new people...adjusting to a new climate...biking everywhere...Pilates...

Laundry...

Taming the farm jungle...

Finding new fabric stores...quilting...

Writing short stories and fan fiction...

Laundry...

Learning digital drawing with Procreate...

Scanning and compiling of pictures into Shutterfly albums...

Playing way too much TOR (which is part of my problem - if I didn't play so many computer games, I'd probably have more time to finish...whatever!)...

Laundry...

And there's still more to do!

There's always something.

Anyway.

We're all busy. I get that.

But I do enjoy this blog. I enjoy sharing my life with you.

I promise to try harder in the future to make more time for you.

Blessed be.

In Alaska, real spring doesn't exist before April. Sometimes it lasts until May.

Every now and then, the boys get obsessed with something. Oh, they still love their usual obsessions: Legos, books, big trucks; but on occasion, something interesting comes along and for a few weeks, it's all they talk about.

I'm an Alaskan girl.

I can't help it. I was born in Alaska, raised there, and then...I moved.

I won't lie. Sometimes I miss the mountains and the ocean. I miss how warm the people are and the close-knit community I used to live in. (I will admit that Beloit is probably both those things, but I'm still too new to know.) I miss traveling on an airplane and greeting someone I know. I miss having a house and the excitement of painting or tiling a bathroom.

I readily admit that there are some fun things about Wisconsin. We built a real snowman with soft, sticky snow that actually rolled into a ball. Folks, it actually rolled into a ball! Who knew? I seriously thought that was just something that happened in books or movies.

I love the antiques I find but can't afford. (They are ubiquitous here...like cheese and other dairy products.) The other day, the boys and I went to an estate sale and there were so many beautiful pieces of furniture...chests, bed frames, dressers, vanities...it was a dream to look at everything. Old furniture has such a unique, beautiful quality to it. I always feel like touching it. It's always been a dream of mine to have a beautiful home that I'd fill with as many interesting pieces as possible. Living in the Midwest gives me that opportunity. I bought a plant stand and a fun sewing box from that estate sale. Maybe dad will take me to an auction this summer.

Food is so cheap here. We haven't gone over our $100/week budget once. It's a heady feeling to be able to throw extra food into the cart...because I can!

I'm excited to have another (jungle) garden this year and to spend more time at the farm. It will be nice to see the whole family. They'll be coming down to visit in May and June.

I'm thrilled to be able to travel more. Alaska is beautiful, but it is so isolated. Once you start a family it is practically impossible to leave without spending a few thousand dollars in airfare, hotels, and meals. This summer alone, we're planning trips to Niagara Falls, Kansas, and Minnesota...and there will probably be a few spontaneous trips beyond that...but it's so much easier to get around. There are options. My aunt, sisters, and mom have been talking about a Girl's Weekend in Seattle...I would not be able to do that living in Fairbanks.

Speaking of which, I'm going to Kansas for my birthday. Yet another thing I couldn't do living in Alaska.

Arthur has full-day kindergarten, which is so very, very nice. My afternoons are so much more relaxed and I feel as though I accomplish so much more. (Hmmm...maybe that's why I haven't written anything on my blog for a while. I'm so busy finishing projects! Yes, that's it!)

Wisconsin is just so...different. When the Polar Vortex came through, everyone panicked. I just laughed and threw on another quilt. Our heat isn't turned on in our apartment. It's at a comfortable 65 degrees (and sometimes much, much warmer. I have no idea what temperature our neighbors keep their heat, but thank you for keeping us warm through residual heat!).

Maybe the day will come that I'll be cold at 30 degrees (above) and that I'll shrug off the humidity.

But not today.

Still that Alaskan girl.

Blessed be.

This is one of my favorite blog posts. Probably because I can show off some of my creations I've made over the year, but also because it involves one of my loves: quilting.

I started quilting about seven years ago. As with most of my hobbies, I threw myself into it. I didn't bother taking a class, I just cut some squares and triangles and started sewing. Most of my beginning quilts were less than wonderful, but as I kept going, I learned about matching colors, seams, sashing, binding, and even the process of quilting.

Almost all of my quilts are for other people. I haven't made myself a quilt yet (though I hope next year will be the year!). When my grandmother passed, I inherited the quilt I made for her. She never used it because it was "too pretty to use." I wonder what she would think if she knew I use it all the time! 

Even with the big move from Alaska to Wisconsin, I managed to make four quilts and bind and quilt one. I might have gotten one more finished if I had sent it to the quilters about a month earlier. Oh, well. It will be the first quilt finished of the New Year! 

Quilt #1: My Blue Heaven
(You can find the pattern here.) This quilt was for a dear friend of mine from high school. Heather and her husband had been married for two(?) years when I finally finished it. This quilt was monstrous. Normally I try not to make quilts this big because it takes me too long to finish them. I had cut everything out and started sewing it together...and then it sat for a really long time. Finally, I just said, "Screw it!" and made the finished quilt a little smaller. I did keep the extra blocks and will use them for a baby quilt next year. (I just moved to Wisconsin, so I don't know a lot of people, yet I find myself in the process of making three baby quilts!) I chose this quilt because Heather's eyes are blue and her husband's are brown. It was lucky I had a lot of blue and brown scraps. For some reason I must really love blue and brown quilts...



Quilt #2: Simple Hourglass
To be honest, I can't remember where I found this pattern, but it is super simple to put together. It only took me a day to complete. I made this for Ginny, one of the other IAC board members who was having her baby at the end of January.

Anyone else notice that I really seem to like scrap quilts?

(I think they are far more interesting than quilts with the same fabrics.) 



Quilt #3: Block-Within-A-Block
I did not sew this quilt. My friend Amanda made it for Balin's birthday. She had sewn everything together and had tied it with yarn, but couldn't figure out how to put the binding on. I offered to put it on for her since it probably would have sat at her house for months if I hadn't. (And there's no shame in that...my projects tend to sit for months at a time, too!) I ended up taking the yarn out and quilting before putting the binding on. It's a cute little quilt. I love the colors.


Quilt #4: Rails
I'm going to have to start making better notes about each of the quilts I make. I made this in February and it is now December. I'm embarrassed to admit (again) that I've forgotten where I got this pattern.

I made this quilt for the Boys and Girls Club Auction. I don't make a lot of red quilts, but I think I'm going to start. They are absolutely beautiful.


Quilt #5: Bento Box
I finished this for a friend who got married last November. When I told her it was a custom of mine to make quilts for weddings, she told me that she'd like a wall hanging instead.

Emily spent a year teaching in Japan and I thought the Bento Box pattern would be perfect. She had told me that her favorite colors were blue and green. I machine quilted it myself and am very proud to say that I am getting pretty darn good at machine quilting!

I expect to finish at least two wedding quilts and three baby quilts, but there is always the possibility of more, more, more!

Blessings in the New Year, dear readers!

Blessed be.