Sunday, June 17, 2007
happy father's day
morning wake up
my day hasn't even really started yet, as it is only 6:47am, and it's already included these delicious things:
-early morning reading in bed with my girl. "the ropemaker" by peter dickinson. i didn't read it aloud because it's waaaay over her head, but it's a really freakin' good book, although i'm a bit hesitant to admit this out loud because it's young adult and it's science fiction. i'm a sucker for any book with a young girl as the heroine, though.
-my favorite coffee mug
- peacefully watering my garden outside, alone. even though someone ate my eggplant plants.
-sugar and extra cream, just because
-my favorite soap
-an inappropriate tank top, some weird capri mchammer pants, and a beautiful butterfly necklace that i scored at butterflyjoandlib's yard sale this weekend
how was your morning?
Thursday, June 14, 2007
things i love thursday: the mind over matter edition
quiet today, reflecting on all that is good and summoning up the power to get through the day. it's one of those weeks...a "mind over matter" week. we all have those weeks, right? right? that's what i'm telling myself at least- it will get better, it will get easier.
on with things i love thursday:
:: the simple necklace that gray made for me, unprovoked. a black cord, and a vintage button (from la vie en rose). i've been wearing this necklace with pride- call it mama's love, but it just seems to go with everything.
:: grocery shopping early in the morning when there aren't a lot of people in the store. less people equals less cranky people. buying cinnamon buns and fresh peaches, going home, putting joey to bed, and sitting down to a delicious meal with my girl. it was her idea, and i thought, why the hell not? i wasn't afraid to have about four cinnamon buns, either.
:: the prospects of an amazing day tomorrow, with some of my favorite peoples in the world, at the fairies and trolls get-together in rockport, MA. aaah, the ocean, the forest, some fairies, some bridges, some snacks. pictures to come. my local peeps- check it out! (tab, if you're up for the drive, you are welcome to come, even though your beans will be at school!)
:: chewable acidophilus
:: tab's live radio show airing today...here's the info-
(Please join TAB at noon Thursday, June 14 @ 9am PST / 12pm EST -- LIVE via the Internet as SHE will be the guest author on Preschool Rock Moms Radio Show! The topic is "Raising a Reader" and not only will there be great discussions and helpful tips -- there will also be prize giveaways to callers. That's right, you can call in too and ask questions.
Here's the link that will take you right to the show: http://www.preschoolrockmoms.com)
:: joey is finally speaking and i just adore hearing what he has to say. mostly it's "doooooooog" or "caaaaaaaah". he's got a wicked massachusetts accent- car is definitely "cahhh". we're working on it.
:: they might be giants' here come the abc's movie. it never gets old, esp. "alphabet of nations".
:: impromptu dinner parties, with buffalo chicken and sprouts and wine. wine helps make the week go by better and faster. thank you boo, and thank you wine.
hope your thursdays are filled with vintage buttons, hugs from the ones you love, and sugar cones. xx
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
sowing the seeds of love
my life has been overflowing with hippie smells and seeds of love. here is a taste::: nag champa soap gifted to me from boo via california. the other day i was reading at bohemian mom, and read about her nag champa soap. i immediately left her a comment that was something to the effect of "what?!? where did you get such a delicious soap?" and then didn't think anything of it. unbeknownst to boo, who was in california purchasing me the same exact soap... and now i have my own nag champa soap, which boo had to nestle inside two plastic bags because it's so damn fragrant. aaah.
:: probiotics. i can't learn enough about this! thanks stephanie (from wish studio) for introducing me to the concept.
:: giving people their first-time massages
:: my brand-spankin'-new-to-me massage chair. for $15! yes, it's covered in hair and needs a cleansing, and no, it doesn't have a face-rest, but it still rocks. anyone want a massage on my deck?
:: the book plenty: one man, one woman, and a raucous year of eating locally by alisa smith and j.b. mackinnon. i devoured this book over the weekend (just read the final pages this morning at 4:30am, in fact) and couldn't get enough. i'm sad that it's over.
:: about to jump into slow food, by carlo petrini. can't wait for that either.
:: finally getting around to doing some continuing education massage credits, in massage for pregnant women and their infants and aromatherapy massage for mother and baby.
:: clover and 3 part salad mix sprouting seeds from this company.
:: mod podge and blank notebooks
:: bouquets of fresh thyme and mint in the bathroom
:: arugula flowers in a jar
:: sesame goddess salad dressing
:: wendy's pizza recipe, which we collectively revamped to fit what we had in the fridge. used whole wheat pizza dough and fresh rosemary, sage, basil, parsley, so much that the whole pizza was green. and my new obsession is balsamic vinegar reductions- i'm going to buy a gallon or two and reduce it down to drizzle over everything summery. or just drink it straight from the fridge.
what's new in your world?
Friday, June 08, 2007
photobooth friday and polobooth friday
this photobooth strip makes me think about one thing: butt massages. why butt massages you ask? well, i'm not quite sure. but here's what i have to say about this gem of a strip:1. old friends t. and d. i'm pretty sure i loved this strip so much that i held it for ransom and would not give it back. and i'm also pretty sure that i bribed them to get into the booth together so i could keep the strip all to myself. i'm a strip whore. there was no way i was giving it back.
2. my friend t. makes me think about butt massages because, well, i used to give butt massages. especially to his older brother. it was this quirky thing that i did that sort of just turned into, well...what i did. they weren't sexual in nature (not for me, at least!) and they only involved boys. um...looking back, i guess that was a pretty strange thing to do. butt massages. butt massages. at least it's fun to say.
3. this strip also makes me think of my beach cottage. the beach cottage that i had with a bunch of friends. and to make some extra cash to spend on the beach strip (you know, for like getting my nose pierced) i gave massages. mostly foot massages. and i changed boys that came over, and put my money in a jar. as evidenced by this completely frightening picture, i also sometimes put their feet in my mouth:

my poor parents. i must have given them heart attacks. (not to mention my poor boyfriend at the time...no wonder why he was so un-understanding and not-cool! i was putting other people's feet in my mouth!!)
other friday lovelies here.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
kuberist and peuwist
grace has her own language. i know i've written about it before, somewhere. but frankly, it's out of control. her gray language is taking over her regular-voice talking, and i find myself constantly redirecting. "big girls voice!" i perkily say, over and over, trying not to scar her too badly for the rest of her life. i'm pretty sure i went through the same thing growing up, because i vividly remember my parents telling me to close my mouth because they had had enough! on one of our drives to the beach. maybe it's having a little brother, maybe it's regression, but the "kuberist and peuwist earlobbie" language has got.to.go. at some point. soon.
on a happier note, how could i not laugh my ass off when i picked gray up from school yesterday (using her excited kuberist and peuist voice) and her and her teacher hand me this (joey promptly gnawed one of the beaver-eyes off as soon as we got home):

gray, what a beautiful beaver you have! seriously, these teachers are smoking crack (in a good way, of course).
luckily the kuberring has not taken over in school-land, because the teacher says she's just great and uses her big girl voice all the time. maybe it's the power of my earlobes that causes her to speak in tongues. here's my girl's report card, just to prove she's a good little beaver:

on a final note, i've found my new key to happiness: coffee at 3pm. call me crazy, but it really gets me through those afternoon blues- and hasn't (yet) started to effect my going to bed at 9pm. or 7pm. it snaps me right out of those doldrums and "how am i going to get to 6pm bedtime?"s. coffee at 5am, coffee at 8:30am, and coffee at 3p. addicted, you think?
hope your day is filled with ferns, little freaky trolls, and glue schmeared all over your hands.
on a happier note, how could i not laugh my ass off when i picked gray up from school yesterday (using her excited kuberist and peuist voice) and her and her teacher hand me this (joey promptly gnawed one of the beaver-eyes off as soon as we got home):

gray, what a beautiful beaver you have! seriously, these teachers are smoking crack (in a good way, of course).
luckily the kuberring has not taken over in school-land, because the teacher says she's just great and uses her big girl voice all the time. maybe it's the power of my earlobes that causes her to speak in tongues. here's my girl's report card, just to prove she's a good little beaver:

on a final note, i've found my new key to happiness: coffee at 3pm. call me crazy, but it really gets me through those afternoon blues- and hasn't (yet) started to effect my going to bed at 9pm. or 7pm. it snaps me right out of those doldrums and "how am i going to get to 6pm bedtime?"s. coffee at 5am, coffee at 8:30am, and coffee at 3p. addicted, you think?
hope your day is filled with ferns, little freaky trolls, and glue schmeared all over your hands.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
the beauty of touch
as a massage therapist, it's no secret that i'm a big fan of positive touch. as a mama of two little beans, i'm also a touch-advocate. and a doula-in-training...yup, there's that touch again. touch touch touch. it seems that in these scary times of abuse and neglect and the misuse of touch, the subject of touch and children has become somewhat taboo. lots of people that i know take a "better safe than sorry" approach to touch and children, and just don't broach the subject at all.
most children thrive on positive touch, especially massage from their mamas. not only does it generate a feeling of safety and well-being, it supports children's growth and development. to generalize, children that experience positive touch are happy children. the best part is that you don't have to be a massage therapist to integrate more touch into the lives of your children! with permission, introduce massage of the feet, hands, and back into your daily routine. infants thrive on positive touch- massaging of the belly can ease cramping, and overall massage can alieviate stress.
i would go around wearing a t-shirt that reads "touch is good!", but people might think i'm creepy. so i'll say it here, go ahead. touch your babies. they need it. they need you.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
i collect good people
call me crazy, but lately my new mantra has been "i collect good people". instead of "i see dead people," the little creepy voice inside my head likes to remind me how blessed i am to be surrounded on a daily basis by such inspirational individuals who push me to grow more and aim big. these past few days have epitomized all these feelings of blessedness- being at the wish studio's opening last night and trunk show today, meeting in-the-flesh (which i always think sounds dirty, don't you?) mindy, melba, and angela from lovegreendog (and her kick-ass friend kelly, btw). and some other amazing peeps, one of which was named stephanie, and if you're out there stephanie, holla! i got to see some art, schmooze a bit, drink some fancy wine, and rock out with my cleavage out. and take some goofy pictures. and hug bright and excited children. basically, i collect good people, and my collection keeps growin' and growin'. see for yourself:
angela and i (evidently i took my happy pills)
my happy feet on the happy red brick building floors
double dose of the happy pills- melba and i- i love her glowy closed eyes in this shot.
the resident photographer, little miss gray, enjoyed taking pictures of "my anus". she's completely obsessed and is likely to get kicked out of preschool if she keeps this up.
angela and i again- she doesn't really stink, i was just playin'.
and as an aside, can we just talk about this lunch? my brother made me this lunch yesterday, just because. lunch, people! those asparagus, let me tell you...i want my casket filled with those mo-fo's. and that salmon was to die for. literally.
i really do collect some freakin' good people.
xx
Thursday, May 31, 2007
delicious things of nina beana
in the spirit of leonie, i offer you my delicious things:
hippie pants for little girls
getting peed on by the wees
chocolate cupcake faces
name-tagged salads
fingerpainting with reckless abandon
babies on quilts made out of boxer shorts
mini clogged feet
and what's spring without fruit salads?
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
favorite parts
*watching my girl celebrate her 4th with her friends and family- all 70 strong surrounding her
*dates with boo to borders
*lunch with jess and hummous with lamb and huge fatoush salads
*eric carle's "the tiny seed"- thanks c. and j.!
*climbing a local abandoned ski hill to find a letterbox, and in the process finding lots of frogs, one of which was bright orange, and a tons and tons of the elusive ladyslippers
*locally-made, delicious chocolate peanut butter ice cream two days in a row for dinner
*coolers filled with drinks on the porch
*buying myself tickets to medeski, martin, and wood for my birthday in august
*soon to be buying tickets to nickel creek for father's day for john
*stacks of new books and craft supplies for my girl and i to dig through
*watering the garden
*c.' castle in her backyard that she created for her boy's birthday
*m. and her family driving all the way to our house for gray's birthday
*a full jar of home-grown sprouts in my kitchen waiting for me to eat them
*bouquets of lilacs and mint for friends, covered in vintage children's books
*library book sales, and finding my favorite books
*not reading the last chapter of barbara kingsolver's new book because i don't want it to ever end
*sitting under my tree with tab and her family, just talking and loving
*watching gray adore her cake from mimi
*holding hands up and down slippery slopes
*admiring pum in a onesie, a farmer's hat, and mini clogs
*dates to read shel silverstein with my girl later this afternoon
*bug projectors
*watching the birds swoop over our heads
*salads with nametags- i like to personalize them
*flax seeds- frankly, i'm obsessed
*local peeps- www.buyfresh.org
*writing my wishmama piece for here (check back later)
*the wish studio's launch party this friday night! (swoon)
*tingy's birthday quilt made out of boxer shorts
*working on some of the most beautiful souls i've ever met, and grieving with them
*seeing babies play in my sandbox
*feeding people
*hands-off gardening techniques
*sending gray off to school this morning in a brand-spankin' new white eyelet dress
*having some of the best neighbors a girl could hope for
*cheese and grapes in bed
*chocolate in bed
*fans in bed
*not caring about having a clean house anymore when people come over
*stacks of thank you cards
*freshly cut bangs
*curtains blowing in the wind
*boat rides yesterday around portsmouth harbor, and the kids being good thanks to bribery
*sun-kissed shoulders and noses thanks to said boat rides
*little organic hippie stores, and how they always smell the same, and how they are always called 'the mustard seed'
*recycled clothes
*hand painted t-shirts
*6pm bedtimes
hope your long weekend was long in the fun department. xx
Labels:
grateful
Thursday, May 24, 2007
thursday gratefulness
*cleaning the floors (only happens once a year)
*crafting dates with femiknitmafia, and a bowl of guacamole
*turning a big stack of johnny's old boxers into a birthday quilt for my brother (luckily he liked it and doesn't mind snuggling up to old panties)
*neighbors that watch out for you, whistle for you to come outside, and walk into your house (or my house, i should say) when i'm on the toilet and then help you tie quilts together
*newman's own organics coffee
*my local greenhouse, which i've recently taken back. i promised i wouldn't go back there when the staff's snatchiness factor reached an all-time high last year, but i gave it another shot this year and i'm pleasantly surprised by their new staff, bigger greenhouse, and more-ample parking. and frickin' cheapass and delicious herbs and veggies, which i brought home and lovingly tucked into my garden. all for $21. now's the hard part- waiting until july (freakin' cold MA weather!) until i can reap the benefits. this is my first year planting spicy arugula and japanese eggplants. can't wait.
*planting catnip and watching the neighborhood cats go crazy
*opening the windows and curtains wide
*to-do lists for the upcoming weekend
*my date with jess tomorrow afternoon
*working again this afternoon after quite a long hiatus
*wearing my wedding ring again (i'm not a ring person but i'm giving my band another trial-run...plus, massage therapist plus wedding rings just doesn't mix)
*plans to work on andrea's postcard swap when i get off the computer and go downstairs
*bright red dr. scholl's
*gray turning 4. i have a four year old. i'm a mama to a stinkin' four year old person, and i can barely believe it.
until this coffee buzz wears off, i need to stop typing. too jittery. must keep pressing backspace to fix mistakes. i'm off to the porch to commune with the birds and my modge podge!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
merry-go-round
(photoshopping by teri from blueberry pie- one of the best unexpected gifts ever- thank you!)pink frosted cupcakes and bakery runs
pork pies and sitting around the table
errands and greenhouses and planting the gardens
beach trips and sweatshirts and snuggling on the couch
coughing and laughing and sleeping with the windows open
bean sprouting in the kitchen in mason jars
phone calls and packages all tied up and thank you's do write
little girls turning four and dressing up like princesses
not enough time to do everything that i should do
but just enough time to do everything that i want to.
our life is a merry-go-round- want to jump on?
Friday, May 18, 2007
photobooth friday- the "no below-40 forecast's gonna stop us!" edition
it never ceases to amaze me how something like pum getting sick (and gray, too, to boot- just not as severly) can whip me right out of the usual, ho-humishness of my day-to-day living. of course, pum chose to get sick at the most chaotic, vacation-and-upcoming-birthday-filled time, like most children will. what did we do?, you ask....still pack our bags and children and head to the beach! nothing like 35 degree rainy weather to snap you right out of those colds! irresponsible parenting? maybe. did we pay for it? you betcha. was it worth it- of freakin' course. we're all about making family memories, despite the suffering that goes along with it.
he felt so much better so immediately, in fact, that i didnt' feel too guilty about slipping out on wednesday night after he went to bed (5:30p, cough cough) to go to joya's show at MIT. how could i miss her original songs, with a guest beat-boxer, and watching my gray's soul sister (hello hala and k!) bust some sweet moves in the aisles?
there was also the photobooth (i heart grace's smile in the last one- i would've paid $20 for this strip),
the creepy fortune teller, the roll-up subs and pizza (sorry barbara kingsolver, i'm really disappointing you harcore), and the beach snuggles (i had on three hoodie sweatshirts and i was still freezing). gray stomping through the arcade stating (loudly) "inappropriate video game! inappropriate!!!" the boogers and the using of our sleeves as tissues and blasting the heat in the car. the being-with of family members in such a small, new space. did i mention the boogers?now we're back at our home, with the heat ON and quilts tucked around, planning our soul-warming meals for the weekend. this vacation was all about letting go of expectations, and again, setting the bar reaaaal low. i'm sensing a trend in how i approach situations, but hey, it seems to work fabulously.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
lightning-quick update
with the steroids and antibiotics, pum is doing much better. he's breathing more clearly and we didn't cancel our beach vacation, but came home to sleep in our own beds. i'm completely exhausted but wanted to send a quick thank you to each and every one of you who called, sent me the sweetest and unexpected messages, and gave me hugs. a special shout out to mamaHALA and her little girlie sidekick, who's smiles shined up my life last night.
thank you, thank you, thank you for thinking of my little guy.
also, with the flood warnings and impending rain, it looks like gray's birthday party on sunday is going to be postponed. more about the tomorrow. (mom, don't order the cake!)
kisses and wind-blown lubbins,
xx.
thank you, thank you, thank you for thinking of my little guy.
also, with the flood warnings and impending rain, it looks like gray's birthday party on sunday is going to be postponed. more about the tomorrow. (mom, don't order the cake!)
kisses and wind-blown lubbins,
xx.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
just when i thought life was getting boring
pum is passed out in bed, mama is drinking an extra large iced coffee and having a donut. sorry barbara kingsolver and all you 100 mile eating peeps, i just needed a frickin' donut.
send all the love you got my way- oh, pum's got croup, btw. no biggie, but it sure as hell felt like it this morning when he wasn't breathing.
xx
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
spin me right round
there's been so much that i want to write about, but every time i sit down at the computer i get overwhelmed and just don't write anything at all. i could write about how the world is blooming around us, how there is dirt caked under all our fingernails. i could write about our farm explorations and hanging baskets priced at $95. i could write about the beauty of the children that surround me, about planting sunflowers with them in the spring sun, and about teaching them to get dirty. i could write about my hero's new book, barbara kingsolver's "animal, vegetable, miracle: a year of food life" and the power the book has to change the world. i can write about how i lopped off gray's hair yesterday and how she's back to my little pixie girl, cuter than anything. how i just had to cut her hair, even though she really wanted it long, because it was stringy and broken-looking and she had taken a liking to wearing trucker hats. how i cropped joey's hair while i was on a roll and my kids look fresh and new, little seeds waiting to sprout. i could write about our adventures at the beach, and how i sat at the top of a dune and watched the kids explore, collect, and be independent. how we're headed back to the cottage for an end-of-the-week vacation before gray's birthday party weekend. how much trunk is filled with party supplies and beach supplies. a mother's day filled with love and celebration, fresh fruit and greasy pizza. stinky feet and drippy popsicles. gallons of paint and cups of iced coffee.
instead of getting into detail about all these things, i leave you with some snapshots, crafty and roundupish:
*this is why i love my friends. not only do they enjoy hanging out with mini-me on our girls night, they model thongs on their heads with her, and then pose for pictures like this...
and a little more paper/sewing/crafting for amy and kim's birthdays- blurry, but you get the point, right? amy's says 'amy and steve' and kim's says 'kim and billy'. kim cried in classic kim style and it made it all the more sweeter.
and my last random thought of the day is this: please click over to wishmama's secret revealed! if you are local and free, come join us for some fairies and letterboxing and fun and trolls. how can you resist trolls?
xx
Saturday, May 12, 2007
baby steps
it's almost embarrassing to admit this, but up until recently, our family-footsteps have been quite heavy on mother earth. we're still light years away from being even close to green, but as a family we've been making strides to lessen our impact. it's the little things that we do that help me feel better-
*plastic plates instead of paper
*reusing water from the dehumidifier for plants
*all natural soap and toothpaste
*all natural bugspray and bug-repelling insect incense
*biodegradable wax paper bags instead of plastic baggies
*recycling (up until recently we didn't recycle at all...gasp! so horrible. but now i'm the recyclingmama, going through the garbage. we've cut our garbage down by 3/4!)
*cloth napkins and cloth rags for messes
*turned off home phone line
*unplugged all unused appliances
*energy saver lightbulbs
*biodegradable herb pots
*refilling printer cartridges instead of throwing them away! duh.
*stop junk mail from coming and cancel phonebook delivery and cancel stupid catalogs
*saving coffee grounds
*turning off the water when brushing teeth and doing dishes
Labels:
mother earth
Friday, May 11, 2007
help, i need somebody!
any recommendations on an all-natural (or mostly-natural, not-going-to-make-my-kids-sick) kind of way to get rid of the ants that are partying in my house? they arrived this morning, they brought the beer, and they are threatening never to leave until the summer's end. any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated, as joey has taken a liking to snacking on them.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
i heart massivequeefshits
can i just state for the record how much i love massivequeefshits (aka massachusetts) at this time of year? i heart the fact that you can drive down countryish roads and see old falling down barns and then drive over to the rocky ocean coast for some tripoli's beach pizza and then drive through and get an extra large dunkin donuts iced coffee (even if it's 20 below). i especially love my little crappy town that i grew up in, where there are still tractor-crossing signs, and loads of greenhouses, and your neighbors (the nice ones at least) share gardening secrets and herbs with you. i love the simpleness of some of the finest people here, where driving around without a shirt on is accepted (and encouraged, especially if you have nipple piercings). i love eating out on my deck with incense burning and friends drinking and pissing off my not-nice neighbor. i love freakin' massachusetts.
the lovely pictures above are from our letterboxing adventures with c. this weekend. this statue had quite an ample package, and i just had to stop and snap some pictures (my family and friends are SO understanding). this happened right before i snapped some pics of gray violating the trees. c. was quite amused when gray described exactly what the tree holes looked like.
as you can see, i'm all over the place, my thoughts jumping all around. it could be the crack i smoked for breakfast (kidding! just loads of coffee), it could be the upcoming vacation next week, it could be mother's day approaching, or it could be the huge-ass party that i have to pull off for next weekend. have fun all you 70 peeps finding parking in our neighborhood!
crafting frenzy...past two days have produced two quilts. lots of tiny's bday gifts to create. these composition-cozies seemed to be a hit so far...
also lots of paper-crafting-sewing projects for two of my birthday ladies. also, we had a huge freakin' clothing swap at our shingdig, and as usual, i made out like a bandit, and i'm currently strutting around in a whole new wardrobe. i'm one happy mama.peace my peeps! i miss hearing all your sweet voices, so holla at me today.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
all over the place
to all my local peeps- come see my girl joya next wednesday night @MIT! i'll be there to support my amazingly talented peep.also, if you want to read about some mama-meditation musings, click on over to the wish studio and read my piece here. also, stay tuned about a local wishmama meetup that we're going to announce soon!
in other news, gray's tooth is getting greyer, we're going through some major spring cleaning vibes here, and i'm looking forward to hanging with my ladies tonight over some mojitos. i heart the summer.
*please note- our home phone is being shut off in about an hour, for good. no more taking the phone off the hook for me! AND i save $27 a month by shutting it off. so if you want to call me, use my cell, and if you don't have the number, email me for it and i'll send it your way! hearts.
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