Bowl of Cherries

It's been a beautiful few days here. It started snowing a couple of days ago and kept going. We woke in the morning to a new world. Though Jeff worried about the final few cords of wood still to be split, the kids and I were enchanted.

As soon as there was enough light I snatched up the camera and started taking pictures. Though I don't have a coat until next week I was able to get some beautiful shots through the various windows while Jeff split wood and the kids built snowmen and tasted icicles.

The depth of stillness and silence seemed to swallow the canyon as if we were suddenly enclosed within a snow globe. I could almost hear the snow falling, as if all the woodland animals had fallen into a state of enchanted quietness with us.


Inside the house the wood stove hummed with a rolling fire, making such a cozy, animated contrast to the outside world. We were so taken up that we completely forgot breakfast, Jeff and Nichola left to town without ever returning to the house, and Quinn and I collapsed back into bed for an afternoon nap.

I woke up some time later to the sounds of Jeff filling the wood stove, but drifted back off in the darkened bedroom. I woke again as I listened to the sounds coming from the kitchen. Jeff and Nichola had returned from the store with the groceries that would be turned into frozen meals for the weeks after the baby arrives.

We've spent the past few days cozied up in the house making preparations. Jeff is putting in some extra work so that he can take time off, I've been washing and folding tiny little diapers, socks and hats, reading, writing and generally enjoying my free time. Quinn and Nichola are so amazing together that I truly have a large amount of free time in most days, and I am soaking up every bit of that while it is still available.

We've put aside pancakes and pies, quiches and meatballs, jambalaya and beef stew, and tonight we'll make some yummy hummus. We gave the birth pool a test run, prepared the birth kit and related herbs, and I'm looking forward both to the new baby and the cherry, apple, and pumpkin pies we've frozen for Thanksgiving ;-) Hey, it's a beautiful life, what can I say?

Much to my surpise I've been feeling very creative and have been working on my next post for WishStudio as well as several articles I'm planning to submit to Mothering Magazine.

C'est la vie. Isn't it nice?

Yay!! First Guest Post!

One of the sites that I visit frequently is featuring a post from ME today!
WishStudio is an amazingly inspiring site for creative women. The writers are so full of beauty and vision and I have just loved reading each post.
I feel so excited to be joining them!

If you have time, please, head over and check it out... and tell them what you think!!

xoxo

Off for now because this is stolen time in our No Computer, No Work Day :-p

Neeka-isms

Jeff: But I don't want to go outside, it's very dark.
Nichola: YOU DO WANT TO GO OUTSIDE WITH ME!
Jeff: But why?
Nichola: Because there's bears out there, and other stuffs.
Jeff: {pause} And you want to find them???
Nichola: YES! There's bears and cockle-doodle-doos out there!
Me: You mean coyotes?
Nichola: Yes! There's bears and coyoyees out there, Dada!
45 seconds later: Mama, is that your computer? I want to play...
Do you want to see me dance?

They are now ballet dancing by the door... I guess the bear hunt is postponed for another minute :-)

Warm Impermanence

I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence and
So the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
~David Bowie

I can hardly believe that it is October already. The change here in Taos Canyon has been dramatic and very beautiful; much more than I expected from the mostly coniferous landscape. Suddenly the groves of Aspens are burning in orange and gold, surrounded by bushes of amazing scarlets and purples, and the forest floors, visible for the first time, are covered in pine needles and colorful leaves. The whole canyon has a wonderfully new visual depth.

Today was even more incredible as a sky turned steely gray, an amazing contrast to the ruddy fall colors, and transformed first with a rainstorm, then sleet and hail, and finally snow... all while the sun shined a warm yellow and made a rainbow in the distance.

There are few days that pass that I don't feel extremely thankful for the ability to live is such a beautiful place.

Other things are changing quickly as well. We've made our final trip to Santa Fe for supplies to get us through the winter. Little is available here locally as we live near nothing but tourist towns. Which is lovely in it's own right... with the tourists always smiling and chatty; roaming around town bright-eyed and appreciative. They give us constant reminders to look around... to not let the mountains and the charm become invisible.

With only a matter of weeks left before our baby is due to arrive, we've finally purchased the perfect vehicle for our family, and are now free from the burden of dragging the RV out for every errand we must run. Jeff has many cords of wood split and stacked for our winter heat, and many more to be done still. He has also come close to completing our new passive solar greenhouse to house our tomatoes and herbs, and early next week we will be planting next years garlic.

We are now in the scrambling mode to acquire the things we will need for a newborn. The birth-tub is on it's way, the birth supplies and cloth diapers are here, and we're left with specifics such as clothing, diaper-covers, blankets and a car seat.

We are also trying to locate a reasonably priced chest freezer so that we can store local fruits, veggies, and grass-finished meats after our farmers' market closes on Halloween. So much to do and so little time to do it!

Despite all of the things to be done it seems much more like a waiting game as we count down the final weeks of pregnancy, especially with the consideration that both Quinn and Nichola were born several weeks past their estimated due dates ;-) As I try to find patience, strangers give me regular reminder of the countdown with comments about the "incredible" size of my belly, suggestions that I "can't be far" and certainties that I "won't make it that long" as they gaze at my belly. I try to assure them that it is simply my truly petite stature (barely 5 ft tall) that gives this appearance, but they tend to hold to their predictions :-p and part with condolences on my obviously uncomfortable size! Today I received a surprise hug from a lady in the grocery market on account of it. People are funny, but well meaning, and I take it in stride with a chuckle when I can. After all, I am very happily moving around again after my fall a couple of weeks ago.

Such a precious time this is, the last moments of Nichola being The Baby of the family, of uninterrupted sleep, and relatively free hands. We're savoring life as we know it while it lasts, so that we can happily embrace the excitement of a new addition.

Pregnancy is such an introspective, introverted time for me and I've been enjoying trips to our library to pull myself out the growing moments of meditation. Right now I am reading another Natalie Goldberg book and am excited about a new Buddhist book titled Cutting Through Spiritual Materiality. I have nearly fully devoured an incredible book called Childbirth Without Violence since returning home this evening. Even in this day of emerging peaceful birth practices it is an incredible read, and I can't even imagine what a shock it must have been during the early fifties when it was written. Told from the baby's perspective it makes an incredible point on the importance of avoiding birth trauma (and what constitutes trauma) and reminds me of Magical Child by Joseph Chilton Pearce. It falls short only in understanding the importance of peaceful birth to the mother.

As usual, we are really enjoying life.

xoxo