happy thursday in all its crazy glory

birdalicious, originally uploaded by Nina Marie Gilbert.

hap hap happy thursday- the day when i get a quick minute to reflect on all things good, on all the lovlies in my world:

the smell of fresh baked bread floating through my car after grocery shopping this morning, making me want to pull over and rifle through the bags in the backseat, and gnaw on said loaf until satisfied

upcoming visits with two of my most favorite individuals in the whole entire world tomorrow afternoon. cheesy toasty chicken parm and brownies and candles and love

this whole week, and past weekend. sounds cliche, but i have the best people in my life...constantly surrounded by the coolest peeps i could ever hope for. between my mama friends at the library and my high school friend get-together where we talked about what kind of toilet paper we buy and myspace, and then my boo and my jess and patiodee, and eating, and more eating, and did i mention eating? and then my visit my cousin today who is literally my twin separated at birth (remember our photobooth strips with the big bubblegum bubbles?), deep talking and catching up admist my drooling and boogery kids. all my guests smelling like pathouli soap against their wills.

when i ask grace "grace, what do hippies believe in?"- she says "peace! love! togetherness!" and then i say "are you a hippie?" and she screams "YES!". probably one of my most favorite things in the world.

egg donation, prospective parents, family histories, all that jazz

author talks, calendars filling up, planning shopping trips and christmas concerts

remembering another loved one lost- thinking of good memories of living with my auntie who just passed from cancer, working with her in her ceramic studio, painting tiny little ceramic care bears

free featherbeds (thanks auntie donna! for the donation and for introducing me to the wonders of featherbed sleeping!)

chili. pizza. coffee. vanilla bean ice cream and warm brownies.

vanilla sugar lip gloss

finally working again (but don't get me started on inappropriate clients)

hanging with name and her sister- being an italian grandmother and forcing them to eat! eat!

taking caramel of all the peeps i love

self portrait challenge: imperfectly mustachioed

ok, ok, it's a stretch- i know. but to be perfectly honest, i wasn't feeling the theme today. i wasn't feeling pinpointing and nailing down one of my many imperfections. today i'm feeling silly and happy and kind of quiet all at the same time. so this is what you get...imperfectly mustachioed.

corn husky goodness- fall sun- scarves and hats and playing outside at the house i grew up in. life is good.

and for all you poetry lovers out there, a tiny piece of a poem entitled "who be kind to" by allen ginsberg:

be kind to your neighbor who weeps
solid tears on the television sofa,
he has no other home, and hears nothing
but the hard voice of telephones
click, buzz, switch channel and the inspired
melodrama disappears
and he's left alone for the night, he disappears
in bed-

something about these words spoke to me this morning, especially considering my tenuous relationship with my neighbor. trying to really reach here with the love- spreading it around to everyone that needs it, even those nasty neighbors.

happy tuesday, happy mustaches.

crying with inspiration

call me sappy, call me cheesy, but i just watched this video and i'm weeping like a baby. inpsired with happiness. maybe it's the four cups of coffee coursing through my veins, but i feel like i can conquer the world with hugs.

hope your sunday rocks the casbah.

whole lotta lovin' goin' down

DSC00129, originally uploaded by Nina Marie Gilbert.

so i missed photobooth friday, for the first time in a long time. i just couldn't bring myself to get on the computer and get my act together yesterday, although i did manage to scrape together one and scan it in. the kids have been high maintenance and my computer time is limited and unproductive at best. so here i am, a day late.

lots of things going on in my mind- lots of planning for the upcoming holiday. i'm obsessed with thanksgiving. i'm obsessed with the idea of everyone together, sharing food and stories and cramming into my small cottage of a house. if you know me, and haven't gotten a specific invitation, consider yourself invited. no place to go? don't like your own family? come on over to our house, and we'll feed you and drink you up. as long as you can put up with my family and the "cozy" space. we may opt for a buffet style meal due to seating considerations. everyone is welcome. it's thanksgiving, after all.

also thinking about having a "bloggie thanksgiving" of sorts- a time for my bestest bloggie peeps to get together and meet in real life. i feel like when i'm with you guys, you're all curious about each other, and i think you would all get along fabulous in real life, so i was thinking, why not just get everyone together? i'm thinking my house, desserts and possible crafting, and hanging out. i'm thinking mindy, erina, jecca, boo, feminknit, danielle, and anyone else local (i wish you were all local! i want you all here!). i'm thinking possibly sunday nov. 5th, before everyone gets crazy with holiday stuff. i'm sorry to write about this here but i'm just sort of throwing it out there, to see what everyone thinks. anyone in? how's the date work for everyone? i think it would be a smashing good time.

laura, if you're out there in cyberspace, i just received your package, and it made.my.life. seriously the best little package of pick me ups ever. two gor.gor.gorgeous scarves and perfect notecards and the best little journal around, that i'm going to snuggle up with in a bit with some tea. thank you thank you thank you! again, i feel like i'm making out like a bandit in this whole swapping business.

there's been a whole lotta quilting being done (my husband quilts. yes people, my husband quilts for fun. we went on a "date" to the fabric store today. i'm not kidding you). and eating. of course there's been eating. another loaf of scala bread, some chickens, lots of cheese and peanut butter cups. thank god for nursing an almost one year old, because without all those calories being burnt, i'd be a little scared.

speaking of calories, my girl jen had a great idea of a little recipe swap, and i'm posting mine up at swaparama mama (see more at amanda's, too). it's for pistachio torte, john's mom's secret recipe. freakin' A, it's damn good. good enough to blow the secret on swaparama mama. sorry jen, i know you already have this one, but it's the gilbert signature recipe, and the first that came to mind to post!

the story behind the photobooth: me and eric c., an old buddy from high school. when i worked at a local pool as a "pool attendant" (i'm not kidding you- not obligated in any way to save drowning people, because no! i'm no lifeguard, just the pool attendant. although i did end up having to save someone, but that's another story for another time)- anyway, eric came to hang with me often at the pool, smoking his cigarettes, being dark and creepy but somehow cheery at the same time, baring his hairy midriff to make me laugh. eric was a good soul, and i suspect he still is. i saw him not too long ago at borders, and he had become a police officer, of all things. crazy to me, considering some of his past antics. i love these pictures because we both look happy and cozy in the booth, snuggling in our friendship. and the smudgie on my cheek always reminds me of football or strange warpaint. happy late photobooth friday, and happy weekend dear peeps!

all the things around me that i love

-striped socks

-jumping up and down while holding joey- watching him get all excited/confused about it

-pumpkin and amaretto gelato, courtesy of jecca- big scoops on top of warm slices of pumpkin bread, fresh out of the over, topped with real whipped cream (courtesy of a squirty-can)

-not taking a shower yet today even though it's 10am and i should be ready- today i'm choosing to go with the flow, have a second cup, cut myself a thick slice of pumpkin bread and live in the moment

-fat stacks of delicious library books, including "laporte, indiana" and "found" and organic style magazines and gourmet magazines

-looking forward to the little things, like the phoenix coming out on thursday nights, and making a car trip across town to pick it up

-my drive to drop off and pick up grace from school- 20 minutes each way of fall foliage and my favorite radio program (hi, i just wrote 'program'. i'm turning into my grandparents)

-joey really starting to walk now- last night he walked from one couch to the other. me deciding that i'm not putting real shoes (the cutest red sneakers ever invented) on him until he learns to walk for real. i feel like it's messing up his natural balance.

-chop suey. i made a huge batch (read: 6 plus pounds of ground beef- can you imagine what it's
like frying that up?) of chop suey for my best loves last night. a huge, steamy pot full. and we.ate.every.last.drop. not to mention a whole package of buns and a loaf of pumpkin bread. oh yeah, and the gelato. oh, and the wine. and all that beer. can't forget the beer.

-project runway finale. i had the best of intentions to stay up- but with my full belly, and the comfy covers and my hubbiecuddles, i just. couldn't. make. it. i fell asleep for the last 15 minutes of the season finale- when they reveal who won. hello! i did see the runway part though, and was totally impressed with everyone's designs, although my boyfriend michael let me down a little bit with those crazy keyholes and jungle prints. anywho, congrats tattoo neck- if i was a lot cooler (and richer) than i am, i would actually purchase and wear your clothes. if i actually ever had real plans and left the house.

-seeing boo manically happy yesterday made my life

-i have a real date with my mom tonight. we never spend alone time together since the kiddies arrived, so it's long overdue. should be fun to get out and be an adult for a bit.

-my mechanic jimmy. jimmy, you would never read this blog, as you probably don't own a computer, and if you did actually own a computer and find my blog, that would be a little creepy. but anyway, i really love you jimmy. you saved my life these past two weeks, you don't charge me, you let me pull up to your shop with my kids in the car with no appointment and you come out and try to fix my van the best you can, even though you have all these other peeps in your garage waiting for you. and yes, jimmy, my van let us down and is still "wicked" broken, and requires upwards of three hundred dollars of work, and a whole day of your time, but you still manage to put a positive spin on everything, and let me buy my own parts with the help of my dad's mafia connections (kidding, sort of). anyway, jimmy, you freakin' rock. everyone should have a mechanic like you.

-did i mention the gelato? the freaking gelato. i can't get enough.

xo
happy thursdays peeps.

self portrait challenge: imperfect mama

i took this picture yesterday. yesterday afternoon to be exact. both of my kids were on napping strikes, and the chaos level at my house was at an all-time high. i found myself losing my patience. wanting to have my "me" time that i value so much- just a couple of minutes to get me recentered in the afternoon. i was losing it, needing a break- losing my cool when the kids were testing me. i took a step back from the situation, leaned up against the nearest wall, and took this picture. imperfect mama. mama needing a break. a nap. some tea or some ice cream, just to get through the afternoon.


and to counteract all this imperfectness goin' round- i offer you this poem by allen ginsberg:

I made love to myself
in the mirror, kissing my own lips,
saying, "I love myself,
I love you more than anybody."

allen ginsberg, new york, december 30, 1951

breathe out

sunflowers and mint for mama al, originally uploaded by Nina Marie Gilbert.

aaaaah. the weekend. the forest and leaves turning and sweaters on and sweaters off. knee high boots and socks and romping through the woods and knit pumpkin hats and signing songs and eating with family and friends and watching movies curled on the couch and peanut butter cups and snuggling, reading books under the covers. breakfast in the sun and lots and lots of tea and hay rides and donuts and drink treats and magazine dates and the kids being crazy with love.

may the week fly by, and bring us yet another weekend. f. a. s. t.

and holy cRAp is this man a genius, or what? go here to be dazzled with sticks.

welcome to the fun house

fun house, originally uploaded by Nina Marie Gilbert.

thank you for the well wishes peeps. i feel one hundred percent better, feeding myself baked chicken parm and scala bread (one of my many food weaknesses- i can eat a whole loaf of seasame seeded scala bread, easily) and pistachio cookies. essential oils and long showers and outfits that make me feel good. the warmth of my friends around me, surrounding me literally (today i'm sporting a shirt of steph's, layered with a shirt of nicole's, topped off with erina's sweater) and figuratively. little vigil's with candles and pictures in the corners of my home to remember the departed this week. trips in the car for coffee and free newspapers. new red shoes for joey, his first big boy pair, as he learns to walk. conversations between women, my women. keeping me afloat. keeping me grounded with perspective. reading "drop city" and loving it- i have about 20 pages left and i never want it to end. moving on to "the pianist" for my new (and oh-so-loved) bookgroup (more womentalk). finding peace in a simple breakfast of eggs and tea, and coloring with my children. helping one of my dears escape on a much needed respite. providing solace. the smell of olive oil and braised ribs downstairs. hay rides and apple ciders this afternoon, cinnamon and sugar sticking to our lips. candles burning next to the computer screen. babies waking in the next room. these are the sounds and smells and events of my days. all part of my wonderful fun house.

sending out wishes for good weekends to you all.

photobooth friday: the stooges edition

happy happy friday. this lovely little digital sticker number features me ramming the heads of the three stooges together. yet another photobooth adventure that i.have.no.memory.of. hum. the only photobooth that i've ever stepped into alone. i do remember that this was taken at the local mall, while john was away in kosovo. i may have been chaperone-ing a field trip of sorts with troubled teens (i can't think of any other reason why i'd be in the food court at the mall inside a digital photobooth.) i'm guessing that i didn't pick the stooges setting, although i do hold a soft spot in my heart for the constant and senseless violence, as i did grow up watching them with my dad. this was me. sad, lonely, newly married with a husband off to war, working with teens that called me the big old cee-u-next-tuesday many times a day. taking photobooth stickers of myself to put on the handwritten letters to my man. sending a piece of myself to him. smashing the heads of the stooges together.


this week has been interesting, draining, horrible and wonderful. it's been filled with mourning, and rememberance, and womentalk. i have a post brewing about the power of womentalk, but right now i'm just too sick to get it together. for some reason i've been throwing up (not pregnant- really). must have picked up some germies along the way- between the library playgroup for joey and the craft group for gracie and gray's school and the ten other playdates we've had this week. so i'm off to the toilet. trying to decide if i need coffee bad enough to warrant it coming back up, burning.

sending love to my girls d&m. love you more than i can say. xo

self portrait challenge: imperfect life

my life is not perfect. despite how it may sound on this sun-shiny blog. i choose to write about the things that make me happy. the things that fulfill me and make me whole. but not every day is perfect and organic and bread-baking-in-the-oven. sometimes i'm sick and cranky and have pms and my kids don't share and one of them refuses to go to school and i lose it...i get zits and the dust bunnies under my bed would frighten you. i look forward to bedtime and sometimes we eat cereal for dinner and my kids don't get baths every day. nobody has the perfect life. we all choose to share what we share. some of you have called me out on my goodness-sharing (and i love you for it). and i really have thought about it, what i write and how i choose to write it. darlene wrote a enlightening post about it recently that got me thinking about apologizing.


what i do know is that the times that i have chosen to write about my muckiness, my real gritty day-to-day frustrations and troubletimes, you all have rallied around me, lifted me up like little life rafts. without those raw and open moments on this blog, i wouldn't have felt that love and support- wouldn't have gotten to know your beautiful souls as well as i have. and for this i am grateful. grateful for imperfections. for an imperfect life.

i think about imperfections. i live through them and work with them and get over them. what else can i do?

for more imperfections, go here.

what the weekend had to offer

*pasta with meat sauce
*organic pizza and the most delicious salad on the face of the planet
*big wood-fired oven and warmth and down vests
*fall festivals and drives and foliage galore
*john and boo splitting a bottle and a half of whiskey, and then crying all night long, telling me how much they love me, and each other (they never drink, let alone together, so this was pretty momentous)
*deep talks, deep thoughts
*incense
*pathouli handsoap driving everyone crazy
*roasted chicken and veggies a-la-gilbert
*watching joey take eight steps
*playing with renee and mike
*lots of candles burnin'
*bird santuaries
*taking myself on a kidless and husbandless date for a pumpkin muffin, coffee, and outdoor antique fair- buying a nepalese painting of shiva for one dollar...and boo's christmas gift, and two relic kitchen utensils for ten cents each
*hippie scarves
*going out to breakfast with the kiddies- watching joey eat pancakes

while full and amazing, this weekend kicked my anus (we throw the word 'anus' around here like it's nothin') and i'm feeling it baaaad right now. my glands are swollen and my throat is k.i.l.l.i.n.g me. add no sleeping (no really...no sleeping) into the mix and i'm about ready for the funny farm. so much so that john took joey on his run with him, and grace and i are having some chill time. i'm supposed to be sleeping. but i'm blogging. drinking herbal tea. gray is watching charlotte's web II. but it's kind of creepy when the bad fox comes on. so i have to keep rushing back to my bed, holding her during the fox parts. and when i just did, and heard the fox say something mean...i said "he's just a butthead. oops! i shouldn't have said that." (trying to be good- she is in school now). and grace then managed to trump me with "yeah, he's pretty much a crackhead".

hope your weekend was filled with crackhead moments that kept you on your toes. xo

photobooth friday: the 'breaking up is hard to do' edition

my parents. sweethearts since the age of 13. divorced when i was 23 (memory is hazy here as far as exact ages goes-) . my mom moved out and moved on the day after john and i got married. but for some reason, even though they've broken up and moved on and taken different paths, i still hardcore heart these photobooth pics (luckily i ended up with them- hence the reason why they still exist at all). they both look young, healthy, happy. and they were, i'm sure, at the time. even though things change, people change- i'm trying to take away the happy moments, the blissfully hippieish moments of my childhood. moments in a photobooth. kisses. miracles. to deny these moments would be to deny my existence completely. thank you, dear parents, for finding each other, for making it work while you did. and for being brave enough to jump ship while you could, making the most of the rest of your lives.

things i love thursday: the movie edition

because i haven't posted clips in a while,
and because someone specifically requested them...here are the babes, at their best

i've tried to capture the "learning to walk" phenomenon, but it gets a little chaotic and tricky, resulting in near-camera-death (see video for example)


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

and one more:


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos


also, piper...hi! thank you for checking in. i'd write you back personally but i don't have your email address. thank you for your amazing comment- i've been thinking about what you wrote, and your journey, and it has solidified for me that this is something i must do. thank you for sharing, for being brave, for being you.

xo

my five words of the day

in the spirit of my dear blogging buddy pancakemama, i offer you five words (and pictures):

1. nature

the way my children explore in nature is so amazing to me. i've been trying to exercise a certain amount of distance from them while they explore their world- letting them get dirty, and maybe take the occassional harmless mouthful of sand. yesterday, while in the garden, gray moved easily among the plants, naming the herbs and what was left of the veggies, offering little bites of herbs to her brother, which he happily took.

2. art

our house has become a glittered, bedazzled playhouse, our table overflowing with small little scraps of paper. grace has discovered the wonder of scissors- and just can't get enough. i have to find ways to get rid of the days scraps to make room for tomorrow's. it's a scrap wonderland. scraps plus glitter equal happiness.

3. nursing

i spared y'all the full on boobie shots- at 5am, it's just too early for even me to handle them. but my life lately (not much different from not-lately) has consisted of nursing. nursing an almost-walking, bucking-around, little-ish ball of energy that we like to call 'poomalooma'. i'm trying to soak it up, love every minute of it- but our days may be numbered. he's too busy lately to be interested- except, of course, three times when i'm sleeping.

4. coffee

yes, maybe the word 'coffee' shouldn't follow the word 'nursing'- i'm sorry. i can't help it. coffee helps me be the best mom that i can be. and coffee plus fall equals love. and throw dr. scholl's into the equation and you've got full-on bliss.

5. paisley

paisley scarves, to be exact. fall brings out the scarves, and scarves equal paisley. i heart everything about the fall.

self portrait challenge: imperfection (me and my microwave)

this month's theme over at self portrait challenge is 'imperfection'. aah, imperfection.

my first picture features me and the inside of the door of my microwave.

mind you, we are not dirty people. but we are not clean freaks, either. we get much more enjoyment from being outside and frolicking in the woods. but sometimes, things like the inside of our microwave get overlooked and quite- um, utterly disgusting.

i didn't plan on taking this picture until i went to heat up a potato yesterday for lunch. i saw this and the light bulb in my self portrait challenge head went off- DING! imperfection at its best. i took some other pictures of me and the inside of the actual microwave, but they are way too scary and horrid to post here.

luckily, this picture inspired me to take the time to clean out the nastiness. so thank you, self portrait challenge, for keeping me in check.

spinnin' right round

DSC09976, originally uploaded by Nina Marie Gilbert.

today is one of those crazy days. my mind is spinning and my head is pounding. this weekend was full and satisfying, filled with work (yes, work!) and the kids and pizza and a date and family and orchards.

my car broke today but my dad saved the day by fixing the problem with a washer and a piece of masking tape. no, i'm not kidding you. just one of the benefits of living a mile away from mcguyver/dad magician man.

also, i've been pondering my career lately, mainly because i've been hearting work so much lately. i get high off of my massages lately (that sounds kind of dirty, but i mean it in the most purest way, i swear). i loved working six hours this week (gasp! six hours- doesn't sound like much, i know. but for me this is huge). waiting with baited breath for my new business cards, with a lotus flower and all.

shout out to c&j who just purchased their first home!

also thinking seriously about egg donation. seriously as in i'm considering shooting myself with hormones with a NEEDLE and probably will start the 26 (not kidding) page application if my kidlets ever go down for a nap. that is, of course, i get called into work at the last moment. i feel like the massage therapist superhero that has to swoop in at the blink of an eye to soothe aching muscles with this whole on-call thing. anywho, has anyone out there ever donated eggs, and if so, is it scary? i've never had surgery before and from what i'm reading, i'll have to actually go under and it's painful, etc. i'm really motivated to help another mama out though, and i want to be a surrogate but it's not the right time for me right.this.minute. because i want to finish having my own kids first. so this is a bit of a compromise to tide me over. any opinions welcome here...

finally, this picture. this picture kills me. look at pum's little fingers reaching out. grace's little leg stance. these kids give me the worst black circles under my eyes but the best damn life i could have ever hoped for.

obviously i'm all over the place today. still love me, please.

photobooth friday: the trollish edition

aaah, friday. happy photobooth friday. this was taken last weekend on our maine date adventure- at york beach, maine, at the fun-o-rama. 9/23/06. john and i have had some pretty bum photobooth luck lately. it seems that every time we step into one- something happens- our money gets eaten, we wait for what seems like three and a half hours and our pictures don't come out. john would be perfectly happy to just walk away and call it quits- but me, aaaah- i need to have my photobooth fix. there's nothing worse than having the photobooth rush, only to walk away if it doesn't go your way. then my social anxiety and awkwardness kicks in and i beg and plead for my shy husband to go and accost the fun-o-rama teenage staff to fix the machine, give us our money back, etc. john looks like he'd rather die but loves me so that he walks away with his head down, headed for the pack of mohawked teens just waiting to make fun of the close-to-thirty somethings who love photobooths. these beauties are from our second attempt that day- after teen intervention. after having to move to another machine in the back of the place. one that the teen explained "the pictures don't come out by themselves...so when you're done, come and get me and i'll get them out." this was one of these newer machines that's actually really a computer, but it only cost a dollar. a dollar, people! i could've dropped twenty if john wasn't with me. as you can see from the first pic, it's also one of those crazy machines that has two holes- one with the camera, one with the viewfinder, so you get all confused as to what you're supposed to be looking at, and when. i was totally caught off guard and look a little slow. john, however, was right on the money.

after our diner trip, while i was in the bathroom, john surprised me with this little bumper sticker treat. first off, let me say that there's no way in hell that i would be caught dead with this on my car. if you have one, kudos for you...but not only am i not a pet person, i'm certainly not a bumper sticker person. or a pet related bumper sticker person.

with that being said, this was my gift. us cats here speak in meow language to each other (trollish moment, i know). john and gray speak cat to each other- most of what they say to each other only involves the word 'meow'. meow means to many love-filled things to us- it's a short word that says a lot. meow. so even though i won't put this on my car, it will go on my inspiration board and make me smile and chuckle when i'm sad.

on our drive home, i was doing my usual car activities (read: banging), when i spotted a car next to us that had a "WOOF" sticker (trollish moment #2). for some reason, i was overcome with excitement, looked at john...grabbed our "meow" sticker and said "hey! she has a woof sticker! i have to show her ours!" and proceeded to hold up (read: wave frantically) our meow sticker at her. she didn't even look over at us (meow).

needless to say, john hasn't laughed harder in his life. he could.not.stop.laughing. at 1. my trollishness and 2. childlike excitement over taking animal talk with a complete stranger in the next car.

all i have to say is

meow.

things i'm absolutely crazy insane (in a good way) over thursday

1. joey. my joe. i realized that i haven't been writing about the kiddies much lately- i haven't been detailing their day-to-day progress, their antics, their gemlike qualities that keep me alive. but believe me...my days are filled with moments that make my heart want to explode. my boy is nine little months old, and taking his first steps. three in a row so far. three tiny steps. he flaps his arms frantically, like he's trying to fly. we tell him "walk walk walk, flap your wings and fly" and then he falls. to see such a tiny being trying to walk is one of the most delicious and magical things i've ever witnessed. if you haven't witnessed it firsthand for yourself, i suggest you make your way over to my house, grab a plate of food, sit on my couch, and behold the wonders of learning to walk.

2. kooky crazy carrot pirate eye patches.

3. fall feet. one of my favorite things in the world is getting cold dew all over my flip-flopped feet, getting in the car, and blasting the heat on them. probably not the best thing for my skin, but i'm a fall junkie and i just can't help it.

4. at gray's school, they call her my 'mini me'. every time they say it i want to cry with happiness. my mini me.

when we got out of the car today at school, gray's teacher was in the parking lot talking to her friend, and she took one look at grace and said "i love that kid. she really is special." aah.

5. music. lately i can't get enough. when we're not listening to records and dancing like dirty hippies, the kids and playing our little beat up ukelele. grace usually asks for help from her ponies. joey plays the thing like his life depends on it. and lately i've gotten the chance to listen to the coffeehouse radio show almost every morning- lori mckenna, rose polenzani, deb talan, josh ritter, regina spektor. all flooding me with goodness.

6. the zoo. i have mixed feelings about the zoo, but no mixed feelings about my awesome zoo companions yesterdays, mindertins and her o. our kiddies rode in the wagon while m. developed her arm muscles by pulling the two three year olds around, along with a stocked cooler. our visit was filled with requests "can we have a snack? where's the play area?" gotta love that kids can be right in front of a pack of wolves, and jaguars...but still just want to play. and eat.

7. my girls. seeing my twin baby boys. hosting a clothing swap on monday night and making out like a freakin' bandit.

8. wine. bad tv. wednesday nights. anchovy pizza. stripping. sports bras.

9. this poem.

my dreams, my works, must wait till after hell
by gwendolyn brooks (1945)

i hold my honey and i store my bread
in little jars and cabinets of my will.
i label clearly, and each latch and lid
i bid be firm till i return from hell.
i am very hungry. i am incomplete.
and none can tell when i may dine again.
no man can give me any word but Wait,
the puny light. i keep eyes pointed in;
hoping that, when the devil days of my hurt
drag out to their last dregs and i resume
on such legs are left me, in such heart
as i can manage, remember to go home,
my taste will not have turned insensitive
to honey and bread old purity could love.



happy thursday. happy almost weekend. hugs to you and yours.
p.s.- hey chad! :)

trust

"when i'm trusting and being myself as fully as possible, everything in my life reflects this by falling into place easily, often miraculously." -shakti gawain

self portrait challenge: me and my weekend loverman

me and my weekend loverman, originally uploaded by Nina Marie Gilbert.

it's no secret that my man works a ton. his work ethic and stick-to-it-tiveness allows me to stay home and raise our babies...for us to live in this fairytale of a house...for us to eat splendiferic meals every night with all our friends. if our relationship consisted of just the work week, it would be a sad, sad thing.

luckily, my man is my secret weekend loverman. each weekend is something to look forward to, even if we don't have plans. no working on the weekend for him- just us, and just us plus kiddies.

this is our only wedding photo. john got it made for me years after our actual wedding, from one of the proofs we were lucky enough to snag from our deadbeat photographer. we paid in full, she shot our wedding, and then skipped town. claimed bankruptcy and we never got one stinkin' picture (or our money back). but even though at the time it kind of stunk, it's almost more special just to have one picture, hanging in an out-of-the-way special corner of the house. it hangs at the bottom of our stairs, where not many of our guests can see it. but every time i walk down from our bedroom, i take a quick glance at it, and know that even though my man is away, he's always coming home...and there's always the weekend.