Flowers

She helped my mom put together this glorious arrangement of spring flowers all found in the area around our home. 

And some flowers are for the forest. We were recently blessed with over an inch of rain! So many wild flowers burst open to the sun light! I simply love this place. This year, I will learn more about the plants we grow in our garden and in this beautiful patch of forest. 

A Walk at the Ocean and No Camera.

I walked on the MacKericker board walk today with Isis before the storm broke. Even as we started back for the car, the wind was already trying its best to blow us away. Isis kept trying to make a break for it and get to the car as quickly as possible. I started thinking about what a blessing it is to have a safe, warm place to go to at the end of my walk. I thought about what it would be like to need to be able to build a shelter and find food and not freeze to death because it is fucking cold as ice balls. But I had to tear my thoughts away from survival, because I did not need to build a shelter, or find food. I get to enjoy the feeling of the ice cold rain on the few exposed parts of my skin. I lost my breath when the wind hit my face several times. Bliss. 

Quite a few stops were made as I rummaged thru my bag to grab the phone, only to realize it had been eaten by the Dunes a few days before. The interesting thing about these stops, though, was that each time had been to take a picture of the beauty that is the Pacific Ocean. And every time I realized there wasn't a camera I paused and took in the scene with more focus. The colors, the way the waves came into the bay in backwards C. The waves were big, rolling, steel blue, cold looking. Beautiful.

We spent the day watching movies and participating in all my mom's christmas traditions. But in order to attempt the Martha Stewart Christmas my mom loves, I've had my 2 little stringing popcorn and cranberries, glueing popcorn and cranberries, glittering... lol. Tons of fun making new decorations this year for grandma's house. 

It has been a long a day and this post has taken me all day to write. I feel at peace today, I am praying for the moment of awakening at 3:15am pacific time. Something needs to change. I love you.

PD Eastman and Limbing Trees

hello.
hello.
do you like my hat?
i do not like that hat.
good bye.
good bye.

Been feeling very creatively challenged since landing at my parent's house. It's hard to just get in my zone here, we have to be very careful not to sprawl out much here. wouldn't want to get finger prints on the armchairs. So instead of knitting, I have attempted to become a weaver. Lenorre over at the Mendocino Yarn Shop had a knitters loom she wasn't using and when I told her my spinning wheel was all packed in storage in Las Vegas for real, i'm still sorta crying about it, she told me I could borrow it! yay! But, that hasn't been as inspiring as I'd hoped. I've already finished one huge ass scarf for one of the grandma's and I started a bit of a smaller scarf for my mom, who likes to complain that I never knit her things. And even though it is easy, and it is playing with yarn, it still hasn't been enough. 

Which brings me to the solution of the last few days... I've been clearing redwood suckers and under brush from the property. Starting with the trees and stumps that make the best forts, I've been going out for a little while every day with some heavy-duty clippers and my little hatchet and cutting limbs. I like to tell myself that by cutting the low branches and clearing away some of the dry(ish) sticks and bushes, I'm helping prevent a fire. in north-coastal california. in december. But really, I just need to be out of the house. When Huz is not here, the kids come with me. Everyone gets their own tool, a little rake or shovel, and the wheel barrow and we truck off to the day's target area. But then my man comes home and likes to say awesomely helpful things like: "it's too cold" or "it's raining" or "he's only 2! i think that a double sided hoeing tool with prongs is not safe for him and i'm taking it away!" And so lately, I've been out on my own. I don't like work. I don't like manual labor or jobs that make me sweaty or itchy. But for whatever reason, cutting the branches back has been exactly what I needed.

Pray for some yarny action soon, though, my shoulders hurt.

Also, the sand dunes at my phone.

bitches.

Goodby, Cabin.

We didn't get to do as much as I had wanted in our last month on the coast, but just living in the forest and letting the kids soak up nature every day was bliss. I already miss our quiet cabin in the woods. The desert heat and dry air has succeeded in making all of us sick. So I huddle around these pictures, and the other pics of the kids in nature and I try my best to remember what fog feels like... what rain smells like... the sound of the ocean... the frogs... man, why do people choose to live here?

This is the ladder to the loft and where the kids sleep and watch movies... You can see my wheel tucked behind the ladder and the sleeping mat and pillows and stuff all piled up. One sleeps on the couch, one sleeps on the mat. It's a good set up.

Wood burning stove. Best. Ever.

Kitchen and front door. OK, only door. but it's kind of cool...

Kitchen window... 

Fire place window... I like the look of the ax and the bobbins... I think it's like my version of leather and lace. lol

Bad pic, but this is the only view from the loft pic I have. :(

And this... maybe my favorite thing ever... The View From The Toilet. Honestly, nothing is more awesome than watching nature when nature calls.

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Over the Hills and Thru the Woods...

Or

G r a t i t u d e  *  S u n d a y

{Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.} 

Because nature and beauty are always things to be grateful for...

ps- click the link to go to Taryn's page and see her list, it is always so beautiful and inspiring.
pps- get really really inspired and write or own list, then link it... or not. just feeling grateful is worth it.

This is what we get to live in and see every day! All these pictures were taken walking between my parents house and the cabin on our neighbors property, where we are staying till it is time to move all the way to Las Vegas. I love this cabin and I LOVE these woods. I'm going to miss this place so very much when we go.

Abundant Trilliums. For Taryn...

Old Growth Redwood Log... and Boy.

These wild flowers smell like honey.

Up the hill to my Parents House. 

When we were kids growing up in this forest, that stand that Bean is climbing in was one of our
lesser forts.  But now it is the perfect size for my Littles.

Calypso Orchid. There is a whole patch of these growing right next to the trail/driveway. I love walking past
 them and seeing all this color. The forest flowers this year are amazing!

Another HUGE old growth stump near the cabin. There are so many great places for the kids to play!

Hey look! It's the Man-Child, pants-less in the forest. As a man child should be. lol.

That colorful blur there is KaBean falling off the same log that Kevin Foster fell of when we made a Robin Hood movie in our church youth group. The only thing that would have made this moment match that moment perfectly would be the Littlest Beeman somewhere in the background saying "that's so re-mantic..."

Living in this cabin, in my woods, is the best way to finish off our time on the coast. Seeing my kids play where my brothers and I played is so special and amazing. I am so blessed. I am so Blessed.

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